" Gum-Gum —earthquake!"
The ground rippled like water after a stone had been thrown in, and shockwaves spread in all directions.
The naval soldiers were thrown about, shields slipped from their hands, and longswords stuck in the ground; many were knocked unconscious.
Loki followed closely behind, and Iron Thunder slammed into the ground, causing Lightning to explode from the hammerhead. All the marines within a radius of dozens of meters were electrocuted, their bodies charred black, foaming at the mouth as they collapsed to the ground.
Standing in the center of the battlefield, his over seventy-meter-tall frame resembled an insurmountable mountain. He didn't even need to swing his hammer; just his presence alone deterred the navy from approaching.
Shanks stepped off the Red Voss with a composed gait, his right hand resting on the hilt of Gryphon's sword.
He didn't draw his sword, but instead unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
Black and red Inazuma spread from his body, sweeping across the entire battlefield like a tidal wave.
One by one, the naval soldiers knelt down; some fainted, and others trembled so badly they couldn't stand up.
Ace's flames erupted from the tunnel like a reversed river of lava, turning the rear of the naval position into a sea of fire.
Marco transformed into Phoenix and soared through the air, his blue flames melting the weapons of the naval soldiers into molten iron wherever they passed.
Vista's twin blades drew silver arcs through the crowd, while Jozu's diamond body acted like a moving wall, smashing the navy's formation to pieces.
Bartolomeo of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet Barrier-Barrier Fruit, blocking all of the navy's cannon fire.
Cavendish galloped across the battlefield on his white horse, leaving only a white afterimage in his wake.
Leo's Tontatta warriors slipped into the gaps in the navy's shield formation, stabbing the soldiers behind the shields with their needle swords, making them scream in agony.
The Marine Vice Admiral attempted to organize a counterattack, but their opponents were too strong.
One of the Vice Admiral was smashed into the ground by Loki's hammer, half of his body embedded in the rock and unable to move.
The other Vice Admiral had just raised his sword when Shanks ' Conqueror's Haki forced him to his knees, rendering him unable to stand.
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
I don't know which Vice Admiral shouted it first, but then the entire defensive line completely collapsed.
The naval soldiers dropped their weapons and turned to run for their lives.
Some people fell while running, but kept running even as they tumbled and crawled.
Some people took off their armor and threw it on the ground, complaining that it was too heavy and would slow them down.
The Vice Admiral killed a few deserters, but they couldn't stop the rout.
"Hahaha! Why are you running! Weren't you trying to block my way?!"
Kaido transformed back into human form, carrying the Hassaikai and striding forward, the Marine flag beneath his feet being trampled into the mud.
He grabbed a slow-moving naval soldier, picked him up, looked at him, and then tossed him aside.
Luffy stood on the battlefield, watching the receding Marines like a receding tide, and the smile on his face vanished.
"They ran away."
He said there was no pride in his tone, but rather a hint of displeasure.
"I thought we could play a little longer."
"This is only the first line of defense."
Zoro walked up behind him, sheathing the three swords back into his waistband.
There's still more to come.
"That's true!"
Luffy immediately laughed again, turned around and ran towards the Thousand Sunny.
"Let's go! Keep moving forward!"
The outline of the Sabaody Archipelago became increasingly clear in the distance.
The enormous mangroves glowed a dark red in the setting sun, their canopies soaring into the clouds, their roots submerged in the seawater.
The island's buildings, densely packed together, were all lit up at that moment, resembling a cluster of stars fallen onto the sea.
But those lights were not welcoming lights.
Those were searchlights erected on the fortifications, aiming lights on the gun emplacements, and signal lights for the navy's assembly.
The second line of defense awaited them behind those lights.
As Roy's Pluton No. 1 emerged from the tunnel, Kaido and Luffy had already led their respective forces toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
He stood at the bow of the ship, watching the backs of the two armies in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"They're playing very smoothly."
Tesoro stood behind him, his abacus clicking away.
" Kaido's side cleared the left flank of the first line of defense, while Luffy's side cleared the right flank."
The navy suffered approximately three thousand casualties; the rest fled.
"Where's Akainu?" Roy asked.
On the main island of Sabaody.
Garp, Aokiji, and the elite Vice Admiral were all there waiting.
Tesoro flipped through the intelligence in his hand.
" Kong, along with Kizaru and Fujitora, is guarding the Red Line. The main force of the Army has been fully assembled."
"Hmm." Roy nodded, his gaze fixed on the sea ahead.
On the deck of the Pluton No. 1, the executives from Hachinosu were growing impatient.
Bullet crossed his arms, looked at Roy, and muttered curses under his breath:
" Roy! Kaido and Luffy are already fighting, what are we still dawdling about here for?"
"That's right! Boss, give the order!" Jesus Burgess clenched his fists and stamped his feet in frustration.
Hawk Eyes stood on the ship's railing, his hand resting on the hilt of Black Blade Yoru, his gaze calmly fixed on the distant Sabaody Archipelago.
His Observation Haki had already detected the powerful auras on the island: Garp, Aokiji, and Akainu —each one a top-tier fighter.
Roy ignored the officers' urging.
He turned to look at Shirahoshi, who was standing in the corner.
Shirahoshi changed into a neat blue and white short-sleeved shirt today, and her long hair was tied into a high ponytail, which was blown wildly by the sea breeze.
She pursed her lips, her hands clenched together, her knuckles slightly white.
Although she had already tested it in the Calm Belt, she was still nervous about actually going to the battlefield.
" Shirahoshi," Roy said.
"Yes... yes!" Shirahoshi suddenly looked up, her voice trembling slightly.
"Take it easy."
Roy's tone was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power.
Same as during testing.
All you need to do is summon the Sea Kings, and they'll do the rest themselves.
Shirahoshi took a deep breath and nodded.
She walked to the bow of the ship, closed her eyes, and slowly raised her arms.
An invisible ripple of mental energy spread outwards from Pluton No. 1 in all directions.
The sea remained calm, without even a breeze.
"What is she doing?" Jesus Burgess scratched his head and whispered to Savi beside him.
"Don't speak, just watch." Savi said without turning his head.
A few seconds later, the sea began to move.
The first thing to appear is air bubbles.
Starting from the sea around Pluton No. 1, bubbling bubbles rose in large swaths, as if the entire sea were boiling.
Then, the seawater began to surge, and huge streaks of water rose rapidly from the deep sea to the surface.
"Splash--!"
The first Sea Kings crashed through the surface of the sea, its body, tens of meters long, soaring into the air amidst a spray of water, before slamming back into the water.
Then, the second head, the third head, the tenth head, the hundredth head, the thousandth head...
Hundreds and thousands of Sea Kings surged out of the deep sea, densely covering the entire area.
For a time, the waters Sabaody Archipelago,
The roars of the Sea Kings were deafening, mingling with the thunderous crashing of the seawater, like a sudden storm descending upon the ocean.