News Spreads, an Unexpected Outcome
The fierce battle between Zoro and Rutneus was momentarily interrupted;
Stussy stood atop the reef, his face grave as he gazed at the exploding Kakkō in the sky, a sense of unease rising within him for the first time.
In the surrounding seas, countless eyes gazed towards this desolate island engulfed in Kakkō.
No one could see the faces of the combatants, but everyone understood that a massive battle, capable of shaking the very fabric of the New World, was unfolding on this nameless island, and rumors about it were rapidly spreading across the ocean via Den Den Mushi).
The message traveled across the vast ocean to reach the New Marine Headquarters.
Inside the enormous command center, several Den Den Den Mushi snail communication devices) chirped incessantly, as intelligence reports from the frontline reconnaissance ships were continuously compiled and delivered to Sengoku.
Sengoku put down the still-hissing Den Den Mushi, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, frowned, and pondered silently for a moment.
A Admiral-Emperor Level has erupted on the deserted island, with multiple factions entangled in the conflict. This situation is no longer something that Chaton Tokikake's reconnaissance fleet can handle.
"Pass down the order: have Ryokugyu and Kizaru report to the operations room immediately."
Sengoku spoke in a deep voice, which echoed in the empty command room.
The naval Adjutant beside him acknowledged the order and quickly stepped back to relay it.
The Marine Headquarters then sprang into action, beginning a brief deployment of warships and personnel. They would not set sail immediately; preparations would take some time.
At the same moment, in faraway Dressrosa.
On the palace terrace, Doflamingo was entertaining Uchiha Rin and Uchiha Chunwu, with exquisite drinks and snacks laid out on the table.
The news, just received from the underground intelligence network, was delivered to the palace via Den Den Mushi. It briefly described the earth-shattering battle that broke out on the nameless desert island. The power fluctuations of flames could be sensed on the battlefield, suggesting that someone related to Whitebeard's faction was involved.
After reading the intelligence report, the atmosphere on the terrace instantly quieted down.
Chunwu held the intelligence paper between his fingers, quickly scanning each line of text with his lowered eyes.
Rin stood to the side, her usual relaxed expression gone. The two exchanged a glance, conveying most of their thoughts with just a single look.
Ace is a good friend of Elder Yaoyu and Yakumi.
The Whitebeard Pirates were not destroyed. Edward Newgate had long since relinquished his pirate throne and chosen to retire to Spirit Awakening Island in the Origin Island Archipelago, where he lived a peaceful and quiet life with his core adopted sons, including Marco.
Most of the original Whitebeard Pirates members did not scatter; after the war, they all joined the Uchiha's Earthly Chief Guard, and the two forces remained stable allies.
More importantly, Edward Newgate himself had a very close personal relationship with Uchiha Fugaku and Elder Setsuna. The three of them often gathered on Spirit Awakening Island, drinking and talking about worldly affairs, and their friendship lasted for many years.
Now that Ace is caught in the chaos, they cannot ignore it, both morally and logically.
"Should we go take a look?" Rin asked, her tone carrying a hint of certainty.
"We should go." Chunwu nodded slightly and looked up at Doflamingo beside him.
Doflamingo pushed up his sunglasses, a playful smile curving his lips, his crimson eyes filled with intense curiosity. "Wow, such a large-scale brawl! The New World hasn't seen anything this exciting in a long time. Count me in, I want to go and see what it's like."
He did not intend to mobilize any members of the Donquixote Family; he only planned to travel alone.
Chunwu did not refuse Brother Ming's request to accompany him. He then turned around and loudly gave orders to the nineteen Uchiha clan members who were waiting below the terrace for training.
"Everyone, board the ship immediately and prepare for battle."
Nineteen young Uchiha disciples responded in unison, their footsteps hurried as they rushed to the warship docked in the harbor to check their weapons, adjust their ninja tools, and enter a state of combat readiness.
"Dial Den Den Mushi to contact the Naka Shrine Origin Island and request permission from Lord Fugaku," Chunwu said, turning to the clansman in charge of communications beside him.
An encrypted Den Den Mushi was retrieved, and the clansmen carefully dialed the number, attempting to connect to the communication line of the Naka Shrine on Origin Island, simultaneously transmitting information about Ace's predicament and the chaotic battle on the deserted island back to their main clan.
A sea breeze swept across the palace terrace. Brother Ming leaned against the railing, gazing out to sea, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery. "How interesting. I wonder what that island looks like now."
Rin gazed calmly into the depths of the sea. "Wait for a reply from Origin Island first, and at the same time, sail at full speed towards the deserted island area."
The warship's anchor was slowly pulled up, and its huge sails billowed in the wind.
A group of twenty-one Uchiha clan members, along with Doflamingo who was traveling alone, cut through the azure sea in their warship and sped toward the nameless, deserted island engulfed in flames.
Meanwhile, on that deserted island, the great battle showed no signs of abating.
High in the sky, the battle between Sabo and Second Golden Lion continues;
On the ground, Luffy in a fierce battle with Weevil, Zoro is struggling to hold off Rutnes, Straw Hat Pirates is desperately holding on, with smoke enveloping the entire world.
On the outer sea, naval reconnaissance ships and various pirate vessels continued to observe from a distance, and a storm that would sweep across multiple forces in the New World was slowly taking shape.
On the deserted island, the aerial battle has already turned the entire nearshore sea upside down.
The surging waves crashed against the reefs one after another, and broken rock fragments floated everywhere on the sea surface. The floating debris of mountains collided and exploded back and forth among the clouds.
The ordinary Flying Pirates no longer had the confidence to stay on the battlefield. One by one, they hastily withdrew in a disheveled state, leaping back onto their hovering warships with all their might, and ordered their ships to turn around and get far away from this dangerous sea area.
In the end, only the core combat force remained on the island from the vast battlefield.
First mate Rutneus, along with five Flying Pirates officers whose bounties were all approaching 900 million Beli, and Weevil, who was still passively being manipulated by Stussy, were all entangled in the beach ruins, getting mixed up with Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, resulting in a completely chaotic melee.
There were no orderly formations, no clear offense or defense; the crisp sounds of clashing weapons, the muffled thuds of fists smashing rocks, and the explosive sounds of fists and feet colliding rose and fell, with sand and gravel constantly shooting into the sky beneath their feet.
Luffy maintained his Gear Fourth form, his entire body covered in dark red Armament Haki, and he repeatedly unleashed his rubber fists. He had to defend against Weevil's massive naginata's brutal slashes while also constantly parrying sneak attacks from several of his subordinates from the side, leaving him overwhelmed.
Zoro's twin swords flashed, Space Rend as he flanked the attacks of two subordinates. The blades clashed repeatedly, sparking blinding flashes, and his robes were already ripped open in several places.