Gunko's "betrayal" and Naruto's arrival brought the battlefield to a brief standstill.
Everyone put some distance between themselves and the others, reassessing who was friend and who was foe.
"Tch-Naruto. Where are the others!?"
Ace stood shoulder to shoulder with Naruto, the two taking up a "male lead and second male lead fighting the Boss" formation.
They had acted on their own this time. Only four groups had joined in: the First Division, Second Division, Eighth Division, and the Spade Pirates.
With help from Namur, the Fish-Man captain of the Eighth Division, they had traveled through the special deep-sea ocean current known as the "White Dragon," reaching the nearest "exit" from the New World in just a few days.
Marco had taken Ace ahead of the main force and flown in first. Then things had turned out like this.
"The Buster Call's outside, but BIG MOM's fleet is there too..."
Naruto briefly explained that the situation outside was a naval standoff: the Big Mom Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates versus the Buster Call.
Getting in wasn't easy.
The rest had sailed here normally and had only just reached Carnival Island. Namur was leading them outside, while Naruto had flown in alone to provide support.
Gunko coldly surveyed Ace and the newly arrived modified human before her. They really didn't know what was good for them.
"You inferior life-forms-"
Gunko had only just started speaking.
But the Flower of Resurrection hadn't been idle. Its enormous front section attacked Gunko, the closest person to it.
"-Hmph-quiet down-"
Gunko cast the Flower of Resurrection a cold glance. Since it was something the Five Elders wanted, she wasn't too rough with it.
Countless vector arrows wove and wound together like living vines, spiraling around the Flower of Resurrection's massive body at astonishing speed before tightening.