Meanwhile, Akainu and his crew, who were defending the outer waters of the Red Line, also learned of the news that the Neo Marines had begun their decisive battle.
After all, the Neo Marines made no attempt to conceal their intentions, heading almost directly towards the Red Line on the open sea.
As the first line of defense protecting the Red Line, the Navy will face unprecedented pressure.
That's right, the Navy didn't station a defense on the Red Line, but instead intercepted the Neo Marines's forces in the surrounding seas.
Akainu also didn't understand why the Five Elders would give such an order.
If that's the case, then stationing the navy on the Red Line or Enies Lobby makes no difference; it doesn't achieve the effect of concentrating forces in one place.
However, if the goal is simply to buy time, it would be more effective to have the navy harass other areas.
However, he could somewhat understand the Five Elders' thoughts.
Perhaps fearing a split between two forces, Luo Wen ignored the navy's sabotage and launched a direct attack on the Red Line.
In that case, the Red Line would have one less line of cannon fodder defense.
The Five Elders are too afraid of death; they wouldn't even dare to gamble that Luo Wen would value the lives of ordinary civilians more than he would relentlessly pursue their lives.
What a bunch of worms, they don't even have the courage to meet on a narrow path.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, a large number of warships have appeared in the sea ahead!"
"Luo Wen and his men are attacking!"
Kays, holding the intelligence from the front, loudly reported to Akainu.
Akainu snapped out of his thoughts and asked in a deep voice, "How many of them are there?"
"Over a thousand warships, all at full strength, probably numbering a million!" Kays explained in detail. "We also observed the distinctive banners of several Admiral: Sengoku, Kizaru, Zephyr, Gion, Fujitora, and Aokiji— they're all here!"
"And there's Luo Wen, he'll definitely be there for the final battle!"
Even just thinking about the lineup made him feel a surge of panic.
In fact, they also have thousands of warships and nearly a million men here.
But how could these forcibly conscripted laborers compare to the elite troops of the Neo Marines?
Furthermore, most of their mid-level Vice Admiral had already fled, and coincidentally, Luo Wen's side took over this group, resulting in a significant loss of mid-level combat power.
The situation is similar for the Admiral; they have Akainu Fleet Admiral Akainu, Steel Bone Kong Fleet Admiral Kong, and three new Marine Admiral, only two fewer than Luo Wen's side.
If the people from the Red Line were to come down to support them, they would even have an advantage in the number of Admiral.
Luo Wen alone was enough to render their Admiral ineffective, and they lost again.
His side suffered three defeats in a row, and even as a staunch supporter of the World Government, he couldn't help but panic.
"They've all arrived; they really intend to win this battle in one fell swoop."
Akainu gazed into the distance and could already see countless tiny black dots emerging from the horizon.
With such a lineup, he felt only a strong sense of confidence.
They poured out their entire force, leaving no way back; the entire Dressrosa base was now empty.
If he were to lead a surprise attack with a surprise force, he would surely inflict heavy losses on Luo Wen and complete his base-swap tactic.
However, it seems the Five Elders don't have the guts.
"Akainu Fleet Admiral, give the order."
Steel Bone Kong squinted and gave a reminder.
Akainu glanced at Steel Bone Kong and said in a deep voice, "All units prepare firepower, load all ammunition, and provide suppressive fire immediately once they enter firing range!"
"Ryokugyu, Golden Bear, Black Snake, and Fleet Admiral- in-Chief Steel Bone Kong, follow me forward and face the enemy head-on!"
"Yes, Akainu Fleet Admiral!"
Kays jogged along, relaying the order to the entire navy via Amplifying Den Den Mushi.
Admiral Kastron of the Golden Bear and General Ulter of the Black Admiral remained expressionless, merely nodding in acknowledgment.
They are members of the high-ranking Celestial Dragons 'God's Knights, merely infiltrating the Navy as a figurehead.
In essence, they still represent the interests of the Celestial Dragons, and a battle with Luo Wen is unavoidable.
They certainly wouldn't back down.
"Hey, didn't they say the World Government had a trump card?" Ryokugyu Aramaki said with a roguish grin, "Now that they've come knocking on our door, isn't it time to play our trump card?"
When he was recruited, he thought the World Government, which had ruled the world for eight hundred years, had a deep foundation and trump cards to deal with Luo Wen.
But now that they've been attacked right up to their doorstep, they're still forced to defend themselves—this isn't what he expected!
"A trump card?" Akainu glanced at Aramaki, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Isn't that you?"
That's ridiculous. They still expect the World Government to have some trump card up its sleeve?
When the Five Elders' immortality was broken and Uranus was destroyed, he believed that the World Government would have nothing stronger than that.
If we absolutely have to pinpoint a trump card, it's Ryokugyu, a cannon fodder who deeply believes in the World Government.
"Ah, I'm the trump card?"
Aramaki had a feeling of having become a major shareholder through stock speculation, and he felt very uneasy.
He began to regret it.
He supported the pure nobility, and previously thought that the Celestial Dragons, these eight-hundred-year-old nobles, were the most qualified.
It seems that Luo Wen's side is more aristocratic now.
"Fleet Admiral Kastron was joking," the Akainu Fleet Admiral comforted Aramaki. "Saint Saturn told me that we're just stalling for time; our real trump card is being prepared."
"That's right, the real trump card is being prepared." Ulter nodded in agreement. "That's the World Government's true trump card for ruling the world for eight hundred years, the ultimate power in the world!"
They had heard it from the Five Elders: Lord Imu was brewing something big, and would soon utterly defeat Luo Wen.
If they just hold on a little longer, Lord Imu will be ready soon.
As members of the God's Knights on the front lines, they will be given new seats among the Five Elders after the war.
Little did they know, it was just a pie with layer upon layer of dough.
"Oh, I see."
Aramaki steadied himself and smiled.
As time goes by, the Neo Marines's main force will soon be within range of the navy's firepower.
Just as the ragtag army summoned by the navy was preparing to aim and fire, a golden figure leaped down from the sky opposite them.
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
Countless golden laser beams radiated from the figure, targeting the various warships arrayed by the navy.
Carrying the power to destroy hills, the beam of light fell rapidly.
In an instant, dozens of warships were destroyed.
"ACE Ice Age!"
Vast swaths of cold air swept in from afar.
In an instant, the entire sea area where the navy was located, along with the warships, froze, forming a huge ice surface.
The navy soldiers, who were preparing to fire their cannons, suddenly shivered from the cold and could barely stand.
Before they even officially met, the Neo Marines delivered a crushing blow to the Navy.
"Kizaru! Aokiji!"
Akainu watched his former colleague make his move, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
The memory of vying with Aokiji for the Fleet Admiral seems like only yesterday, and Kizaru, who is notorious for slacking off, still seems to be dozing off in the chair next to him.
In the blink of an eye, he became Fleet Admiral, but he was not happy.
Composing himself, Akainu's eyes sharpened. "Let's go, let's meet an old friend!"
After saying that, Akainu led the charge, with Steel Bone Kong and the others following closely behind.