Fierce battle

The World Government now fielded a total of 500,000 troops, twice the pirates' current force of 250,000!

On paper, the disparity in numbers was enormous, leaving the pirates at a disadvantage. In reality, however, the two sides' fighting spirit was evenly matched—the pirates' was even slightly stronger!

The reasons were simple! First, the World Government's Commander-in-Chief had already been killed by the pirates' leader, Whitebeard, dealing a devastating blow to the government soldiers' morale! Second, although the World Government had more Admiral-level fighters than the pirates, Admirals were only Admirals! How could those three Army officers and six Holy Knights possibly contend with the Sea Emperors?

Whitebeard, Blackbeard, and Big Mom alone were already overwhelming seven of the enemy's Admiral-level fighters! Wasn't that proof enough?

Finally, although the pirates had fewer Admiral-level fighters than the World Government, their officers far outnumbered the government's high-ranking combatants! The Blackbeard Pirates and Red Hair Pirates stood out the most. Both crews favored quality over quantity, and their powerful officers could even take on three opponents at once!

Meanwhile, Marco and the other Emperors' second-in-command were every bit as formidable!

These immensely gifted fighters tore through the government officers like tigers among sheep! Marco was currently fighting two Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals and two Vice Admiral-level World Government fighters all by himself!

With his exceptionally powerful Observation Haki, Katakuri completely overwhelmed three Vice Admiral-level fighters! He swung a short-handled battle-axe with fearsome force, exuding the swagger of a true powerhouse!

King was a member of the legendary Lunarian race. His bloodline allowed him to produce flames on his body, complemented by his Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit's pteranodon form. On top of that, he possessed extraordinarily powerful swordsmanship! He was now taking on two Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals alone with thunderous force, one of whom