"Ochoku is already dead."
Among the Flying Pirates, Shiki spoke calmly as he watched the scene.
In his mind, Ochoku was already dead.
Ochoku was in his prime.
Nash had yet to reach his prime. Although he possessed a Devil Fruit ability, Ochoku was actually his equal in strength, perhaps even slightly stronger, with more years of accumulated experience.
In the end, it came down to who could hold out longer, whose will was stronger.
Yet Ochoku had gradually been overwhelmed, becoming Nash's stepping stone.
Through this battle, Nash's Conqueror's Haki had grown stronger and more imposing.
And Ochoku? His spirit had begun to weaken, even if only slightly.
That had been especially apparent in their final clash of Conqueror's Haki Coating.
This time, the Five Peaks Pirates had completely lost their right to contend for supremacy over the seas.
The crew had suffered devastating losses, and all their territory in the southern waters of the New World Rear had been seized by the Demon King Pirates.
With this, along with some western territories that had once belonged to the Overlord Dragon Pirates, the Demon King Pirates officially became the dominant power in the southeastern New World, holding vast territories second only to those of the Flying Pirates.
Meanwhile, the Five Peaks Pirates' extensive territories in the New World Central, formerly belonging to the Silver Axe Pirates, had drawn the covetous attention of numerous powers.
Once they saw Ochoku flee.
They knew how the war would end and immediately launched attacks on the Five Peaks Pirates' islands.
Those territories had little defensive strength and could be occupied easily.
Ochoku no longer had the standing to hold those territories. His name no longer deterred anyone.
His former glory was now a thing of the past.
Although Ochoku remained one of the