After discussing the Five Elders' plan, Lind and Shiki decided to strike first, taking a bite out of their enemies before the World Government and the Marines were ready.
Both factions moved the vast majority of their forces into the North Blue and Paradise, preparing for an all-out war against the World Government and the Marines.
The Flying Pirates left only one squad behind to guard their home territory. The other twelve squads, every ship captain, and all their affiliated forces mobilized in full.
Shiki carried them across the Calm Belt with the Float-Float Fruit, bringing them to the North Blue.
Along the way, the enormous fleet blotted out the sky. Every kingdom and faction in its path surrendered at the mere sight of it.
With the tremendous mobility of the Float-Float Fruit and help from local powers such as the Germa Kingdom, a third of the North Blue's factions soon fell.
The Marine reinforcements were still on their way. By the time Sengoku and Garp arrived to support the North Blue, who knew how much territory would remain?
On Lind's side, all thirteen squads under his command and the entire Kunpeng Squad mobilized, launching a frenzied expansion into Paradise.
Each of the seven routes faced attacks from at least one squad, and the Marine bases along them suffered defeat after defeat.
The thirteen division commanders, including Axel, Liana, and Allison, comprised three Admirals and ten Admiral Candidates. The Marines simply could not withstand them.
Even Marine Headquarters at Marineford was blockaded by Lind himself and the Kunpeng Squad.
During that time, Kong and Zephyr, who had stayed behind at headquarters, tried several times to break Lind's blockade, only to be easily repelled by Lind and Zhang Liang.
Kong himself suffered grievous wounds from Lind's blade and could now only