The turmoil at sea came and went, while word of the bloody war spread farther and farther.
More pirates who took an interest headed to this battlefield to fight the Navy.
For rank-and-file pirates, this bloody war might have meant little beyond showing them Shiki's boldness.
But those with some standing, who viewed things from a higher vantage point, could all appreciate the significance of Blood War Island.
It tied down a large portion of the Navy's fighting strength and divided its attention, greatly reducing the chances of the Navy coming after them.
The Roger Pirates were the only other group worth watching. They fought their way from the Grand Line to the West Blue, then charged straight back into the New World, crossing the Calm Belt to reach the Overlord Dragon Pirates' territory.
In the West Blue, the better-prepared Navy launched another powerful encirclement against the Roger Pirates.
The Roger Pirates had slipped away from Ohara with their hands full. Their gains there had been even greater than they had imagined.
This time, the Navy fielded an even stronger force, and the World Government sent several powerful fighters as well, including CP0 agents and members of God's Knights Candidates.
They had come up empty the first time and had not participated in the second. Naturally, they would not miss this third encirclement.
The World Government also sent powerful fighters specifically to deal with the Fish-Man Sambel, whose presence could have an enormous influence on the course of the battle.
That made things less easy for the Roger Pirates than last time.
Facing the Navy's inescapable net, they fought for nearly half a day.
Then a gigantic whirlpool suddenly appeared, engulfing the Oro Jackson and every Navy warship.
The disruption to the battle allowed the Oro Jackson to escape the