— — — — — — —
Three Days Later— Outside Totto Land
As the first light of dawn broke, the sound of fireworks suddenly echoed through the sky.
Boom!
Brilliant lights illuminated the surroundings, catching the attention of everyone.
Then, from the distant horizon, theyappeared.
Ships—
Dark, ominous ships, slowly emerging from the mist.
Their hulls were pitch black, making it impossible to determine who they belonged to.
But one thing was certain—The people on board weren't ordinary.
Dressed in black suits, each one of them radiated a chilling aura of killing intent.
A well-trained army—And most terrifying of all—Their numbers were utterly insane.
Gigantic warships loomed over the sea, each one appearing as if it had sailed straight out of a nightmare.
Each of these ships was designed with the perfect balance of speed, size, and capacity—capable of carrying a thousand soldiers per vessel.
And they were everywhere!
Thousands.
Based on a rough estimate, the total number of troops on board reached nearly a million!
What kind of force was this?!
From all directions, ships advanced toward Totto Land, encircling it like a predator closing in on its prey.
But—Totto Land's geographical structure was unique.
It couldn't be surrounded so easily.
There was only one way in—The main entrance.
That single passage would determine everything.
If it held strong, Totto Land would remain untouchable.
But if it fell—Then Totto Land would be doomed.
A million troops flooding into Totto Land? The level of chaos and destruction that would cause was unimaginable.
---
On a Small Boat
Opera let out a slow breath, standing calmly as he gazed at the approaching fleet.
"They're here… much faster than I expected," he muttered, his tone eerily calm.
"And the scariest part? Not a single bit of information leaked about this before they arrived. Gathering a million soldiers in total secrecy… that's beyond terrifying."
Clang!
With a flick of his wrist, Opera drew his blade, gripping it firmly as his sharp eyes glowed with a deadly glint.
Beside him, his brothers Cadenza and Gala wore equally serious expressions.
"This is bad," Cadenza said grimly. "Based on the number of ships… they really did bring a million troops. How the hell did they manage to assemble such an army in complete secrecy?"
Gala nodded. "Not only that—our intelligence network is one of the best in the world. And yet, we got nothing. Not a single piece of information until now."
Cadenza clenched his fists. "Damn it… As expected, the World Government really is on another level."
Nearby, Counter and Cabaletta listened to their brothers' discussion, crossing their arms with a blank expression.
— — —
Meanwhile, on Cake Island—
The moment the enemy fleet was spotted, everyone in Totto Land was on full alert.
Even though dawn had only just arrived, preparations were already complete.
But instead of panicking—They were discussing.
After all, the enemy wouldn't just charge in recklessly.
That would be suicidal.
Oven scratched his head in disbelief.
"Holy shit… a million troops?! Just where the hell did these guys even come from?! And how the hell did a thousand warships appear out of nowhere like this?!"
He wasn't exaggerating.
This entire situation was completely insane.
Not a single piece of intelligence had come through.
Even a small hint from their amazing intelligence network would have been something.
But no—They only found out when the enemy was already knocking on their door.
Amande frowned deeply. "Second Brother… Our entire intelligence network didn't pick up anything?"
The Charlotte Family's intelligence division was one of the strongest in the world.
And Perospero was the one in charge of it. If even he hadn't gotten any intel—Something was very, very wrong.
Perospero shook his head. "No idea. No clue." He clicked his tongue. "We didn't get even a whisper of this until they were already at our doorstep."
That left everyone stunned.
A million-man army. A thousand warships.
And not a single piece of information about them?!
That was beyond terrifying.
It was like they had appeared out of thin air.
"How the hell did this happen?!" someone muttered.
Perospero narrowed his eyes in thought.
"There was no word from Fish-Man Island… no intel from the Red Line either… meaning these ships didn't come from either location. That means—"
His voice trailed off.
Then suddenly—It clicked.
Gasp!
Everyone froze.
"…Wait a second."
"…You're telling me… these guys were hiding in the New World… this entire time?!"
A chill ran down their spines.
The New World had always been the weakest territory under the World Government's control.
And yet—A million troops had been secretly stationed here all along?!
That was unbelievable.
No—It was terrifying.
But just as the tension reached its peak—A calm voice cut through the panic.
"…Enough."
Joey had spoken.
After some time, Cracker was the first to speak. "Big Bro, what do you think? This whole thing is just tooweird! Where the hell did all these guys even come from?"
Joey chuckled.
"Cracker—if you were in charge of the World Government, would you ever let your guard down in the New World?"
Cracker blinked. "…Of course not?"
"Exactly," Joey smirked.
"The New World is home to some of the strongest forces in history—Kingdom of Adam, Elbaf, Wano, and countless hidden superpowers. You think the World Government would justignore them?"
Cracker scratched his head. "…Then where the hell were they hiding?"
Joey's smirk widened.
"The seafloor."
Gasp!
At that moment—Everyone got it.
The enemy had been hiding underwater all this time.
And now—They were rising to the surface.
Perospero's expression turned grim. "No wonder we didn't sense anything at all! If they were stationed underwater, they could stay hidden until they were fully prepared, then simply coat their ships and surface all at once. There was no way we could've detected them!"
"But still..." he trailed off, uncertain.
Compote picked up the thought. "Big Bro, wouldn't staying submerged for so long cause problems? How could they maintain such a force underwater without issues?"
Joey's voice was calm as he answered, "That's actually quite simple. The technology for ship coating—it's controlled by the World Government. Are you sure the coating techniques we know about are the most advanced versions that exist?"
"Ah!"
A realization spread through the group.
"That makes sense!"
"If that's the case, then it explains everything!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
It was undeniable. This had to be the truth.
There was no reason to doubt it.
Joey continued, "The World Government can do whatever they want. So don't underestimate them."
"This is an entity that has ruled the world for over 800 years—an entity so powerful that it has forced the entire world to obey."
Amande nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Even trash like the Celestial Dragons are treated as nobles, and no one dares to defy them. That alone speaks to how terrifying the World Government's power truly is."
Joey smirked. "Right. So don't underestimate them. An organization that has lasted for 800 years wouldn't make a move unless they were completely prepared."
"Hmm!"
Everyone nodded, their expressions growing more serious.
The sheer depth of this organization's foundation was monstrous.
Unlike simply producing a few powerful individuals—What truly mattered was resources and time.
With enough resources and time, raising an army of elites was easy.
And in this vast ocean—There were countless individuals with talent.
But how many of them ever reached their full potential? Many were simply held back by a lack of resources.
Aside from a few exceptions, all true top-tier powerhouses belonged to major factions for this reason.
Why? Because true power wasn't just about individual talent.
It was about resources.
This realization sent a chill through everyone.
They had to face the full might of an organization that had been building up its forces for 800 years.
While everyone was processing this, Custard suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Big Bro! Big Bro! They're starting to move!"
"Hmm?"
Immediately, all eyes locked onto him.
Custard created an enormous mirror in front of them.
Through its surface, they could clearly see—
The enemy fleet was advancing.
"Open fire!"
At that moment, the order was given.
Cannonfire erupted from the enemy ships, a barrage of shells raining toward them.
But—
"Hmph."
Opera let out a disdainful scoff.
"Is that all you've got?"
With a deep roar, Opera suddenly shot into the sky—
And then—A terrifying dragon's breath erupted from his mouth!
BOOM!
The incoming shells were instantly obliterated.
The deafening explosion shook the entire battlefield, sending shockwaves in every direction.
"W-What...?!"
The sheer power behind those shells left everyone momentarily stunned.
How deep was the World Government's strength?
Even their cannonfire was leagues beyond normal weapons.
The power of these shells was easily five times greater than the strongest cannonballs available on the market.
Even the specialized ammunition of the Charlotte Family couldn't compare.
At that moment—The situation went from extremely dangerous to absolutely terrifying.
This wasn't just a battle.
This was war.
And the World Government's true strength was finally coming into view.
A monstrous foundation that had stood for centuries—
And now, they were unleashing it all.
The real fight was only just beginning.
.
.
.