Big Mom's sudden outburst of grief-fueled rage caught both Admirals completely off guard.
Akainu watched helplessly as Kizaru took a direct hit from Napoleon. The blade, enhanced with multiple forms of Haki and elemental power, cut through the Light-Man's defenses. Blood sprayed into the air before falling in crimson droplets upon the churning sea below.
After just a moment of hesitation—weighing the opportunity to strike at Big Mom against the life of a fellow Admiral—Akainu made his decision. He abandoned any thought of pursuing the Emperor and instead launched himself into the air with Moon Walk, racing to catch Kizaru's plummeting form.
Big Mom stood panting heavily, her massive chest heaving with exertion and emotion. She watched the two Marines with a mixture of rage and sorrow in her eyes, then raised her head to survey the battlefield around her.
Although Kaido's death had delivered a devastating emotional blow, the veteran pirate maintained enough rationality to assess her tactical situation. She wasn't the only one who possessed a Vivre Card linked to Kaido—other Beast Pirates commanders would have felt it burn away as well.
Indeed, looking across the battlefield, she could see the Beast Pirates' formations already falling into disarray. Someone had clearly discovered their captain's death and spread the news, causing ripples of panic throughout their ranks.
In these circumstances, continuing the battle offered no strategic advantage.
Big Mom cast one final contemptuous glance toward Akainu and the wounded Kizaru, then quickly issued an order to Prometheus, who hovered at her feet in the form of a flaming cloud:
"Retreat! Return to Whole Cake Island!"
The sentient flame could sense the dangerous mix of emotions boiling within his creator's heart. Without the slightest hesitation, Prometheus responded obediently:
"Yes, Mama."
Immediately, the living fire expanded beneath Big Mom's feet, preparing to transport her away from the battlefield. As they turned to depart, Big Mom didn't waste time—she projected her voice across the battlefield, simultaneously relaying retreat orders to her Sweet Commanders Katakuri and Perospero, as well as other key family members leading different sections of her forces.
Within minutes, the combined pirate alliance began a large-scale withdrawal. However, due to the chaotic disintegration of the Beast Pirates' command structure, what began as an organized retreat quickly deteriorated into a disorderly rout.
After successfully reaching Kizaru and bringing his bleeding form to safety aboard one of the few Marine warships still in serviceable condition, Akainu wasted no time. His eyes gleamed with the opportunity before him—a retreating Emperor, her forces in disarray, and the potential for a historic victory within his grasp.
The Magma-Man immediately issued commands to all available Marine vessels, organizing a massive pursuit operation against the fleeing pirates.
Akainu and his fleet gave chase relentlessly, pursuing the enemy all the way to the outer reaches of Wano Country's territorial waters. It was only when Big Mom began launching indiscriminate, wide-scale attacks—endangering her own retreating forces as much as the pursuing Marines—that Akainu finally gave the order to halt their advance.
After patrolling the outer seas for several more hours, observing Big Mom personally gathering her scattered forces and establishing a defensive line, Akainu reluctantly ordered the fleet to return. Despite his bloodthirsty nature and desire to press the advantage, even he recognized the diminishing returns of further pursuit.
The Marines sailed back toward their established positions, carrying news of their significant victory.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, the central conference room—typically reserved for only the most critical strategic meetings—was filled to capacity. Senior Marine officers wearing the white cloaks of justice sat in tense silence, waiting for updates from the battlefield.
At the head of the room sat the three most senior figures in the organization: Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Chief of Staff Tsuru, and Chief Instructor Zephyr.
A heavy atmosphere permeated the chamber. Since receiving reports that Admiral Akainu was engaging Charlotte Linlin while Luffy had somehow ended up facing Kaido alone with only the G-66 branch for support, every high-ranking officer at headquarters had been summoned to this emergency session.
Hours had passed without updates from either front. The silence was becoming increasingly ominous.
One group had expected Luffy to report back immediately after the battle—win or lose—given his typically straightforward nature. The other group, led by Akainu, was likely too consumed with pursuit operations to provide timely status reports.
In the conference room, the tension had built to such a degree that no one dared speak above a whisper. They all understood the gravity of the situation—this was a coordinated attack involving two of the Four Emperors. The danger was so extreme that the loss of even a Vice Admiral or higher wouldn't be surprising.
The continued absence of news seemed to confirm their worst fears: the battles had gone even more poorly than anticipated.
Just as the anxiety in the room approached an unbearable peak, the sudden ringing of a Den Den Mushi shattered the silence. Every head snapped toward the sound, all eyes focusing on Sengoku seated at the head of the table.
The transponder snail's mouth began moving animatedly, indicating an incoming transmission.
Sengoku, despite his own intense concern, maintained the composed demeanor expected of a Fleet Admiral. Looking at the loudly ringing Den Den Mushi, he gathered his resolve before calmly lifting the receiver.
"This is Sengoku speaking."
Before any coherent response came through, the snail transmitted sounds of celebration—cheers and jubilant voices erupting in the background.
Hearing these unmistakable sounds of victory, everyone in the conference room immediately straightened in their seats. Even the typically stoic Sengoku couldn't contain a flash of excitement as he pressed for details:
"What's happening? Is the battle concluded? Have we prevailed? Report immediately!"
"EVERYONE, QUIET DOWN!"
Admiral Akainu's authoritative voice cut through the background noise. The cheering diminished in volume but didn't disappear entirely—the excitement was too great to be completely silenced.
Once the noise had subsided to an acceptable level, Akainu continued, his tone formal but unable to fully conceal the satisfaction underlying his words:
"Fleet Admiral, I'm pleased to report that we have successfully completed our mission. Our forces have defeated Charlotte Linlin and her pirate alliance. We're still assessing the exact outcomes and casualties, but there is no question that the Marines have achieved a decisive victory!"
"EXCELLENT!"
"I knew the Beasts and Big Mom Pirates would be no match for our forces!"
"As expected of Admiral Akainu—even the Four Emperors pale in comparison to the World Government's ultimate fighting force!"
Cheers erupted throughout the conference room as the Marine officers reacted to the news. The oppressive atmosphere that had dominated the meeting instantly evaporated, replaced by an air of triumph and relief.
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