"Damn it!"
Sakazuki saw that his Meteor Volcano not only failed to hinder Reddy's transport of prisoners but instead injured a large number of elite Marines. He had no choice but to stop.
However, the enemy's reaction confirmed that Reddy was indeed on the island, specifically at the mountain peak. Otherwise, they wouldn't have actively destroyed the magma fists.
To protect the prisoners?
What a joke!
This was wartime. Both sides were enemies, not friends!
"Numbers mean nothing to him. Retreat for now."
Sakazuki picked up the Den Den Mushi and issued the retreat order to prevent more soldiers from being captured by Reddy.
As soon as he gave the command, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
Upon answering, an urgent warning came through: "Admiral Akainu, Hawk-Eyes Mihawk has landed on the island alone."
Sakazuki's expression darkened.
Although he had never expected much from these Warlords, they were still, in name, his subordinates. Disregarding orders was the behavior he hated most, without exception.
"Have the Warlords land on the island."
Sakazuki issued the order coldly.
Since Hawk-Eyes Mihawk had already made his move, to preserve the Navy's reputation, he ordered the remaining five Warlords to land and probe the strength of Reddy's clones, allowing him to make targeted arrangements for the upcoming battle.
"Fufufufufu..."
Doflamingo walked up the ice staircase with his hands in his pockets, his swaggering gait unmistakable.
Among the Warlords, he was the only one who truly understood the strength of Reddy's clones.
He had no intention of facing those terrifying clones so soon.
From another direction, Jinbe was also stalling, in no hurry to land. As he walked, he pondered how to meet Reddy and openly discuss what price he would need to pay to join Reddy's faction.
The merfolk and fishmen had always dreamed of living under the sun.
For this, King Neptune and Queen Otohime of Fishman Island had worked tirelessly.
So much so that Queen Otohime was assassinated by radical elements among the fishmen.
Originally, King Neptune had planned to use the Reverie to fight for Fishman Island's right to live under the sun. But now, there was another option.
Reddy had stolen the power of the Float-Float Fruit and could lift islands into the sky.
Fishman Island could be one of them.
This would not only fulfill Queen Otohime's dying wish but also free King Neptune from enduring the discrimination of the World Government's affiliated kings.
All merfolk and fishmen would live under the sun.
For this dream, Jinbe was willing to pay any price. He had even prepared himself to sell his loyalty to Reddy.
Meanwhile, Crocodile was also leisurely ascending the ice staircase.
He had only accepted the World Government's summons to avoid exposing his plan to take over Alabasta. Now, however, he wanted to discuss an alliance with Reddy.
The forces Reddy had displayed so far filled him with envy.
With such a powerful lineup, taking Alabasta would be child's play.
...
"Dr. Reddy is stronger than we imagined."
Bartholomew Kuma walked up the ice staircase step by step while communicating via a secure white Den Den Mushi he had obtained from Vegapunk before leaving Egghead.
"I'm in Loguetown. I've seen the broadcast."
The voice on the other end was filled with emotion.
The World Government had ordered Sakazuki to broadcast the entire operation live, and Loguetown had received the signal, drawing a large crowd of residents to watch.
After all, most people were satisfied with the changes in the town.
The gangs were gone!
The street thugs were gone!
The constant pirate raids were gone!
It was perfect!
None of them wanted to see Reddy lose and have Loguetown return to its former state.
That would be too tragic.
Hearing the emotion in the other person's voice, Kuma smiled gently. "Dragon, since you're in Loguetown, you must understand better than I do the influence Dr. Reddy has on this world."
"I can see that almost everyone here hopes for Dr. Reddy's victory."
Dragon's tone carried clear admiration.
Reddy's three decrees had made him reflect on the Revolutionary Army's ideals.
Here, there were no nobles.
Yet, the vast majority of the people felt happiness.
Kuma quickly grew serious. "Dragon, if necessary, I hope you can intervene to help Dr. Reddy."
"I will."
...
The tide of Marine soldiers retreated down the ice staircase.
Boa Hancock's overwhelming presence made the Marines instinctively avoid her.
She was like a reef, parting the waves as she walked up the ice staircase with her pet, Salome.
Like the other Warlords, Hancock had her own reasons for accepting the summons.
Amazon Lily was located in the Calm Belt, giving it a natural advantage.
However, after Vegapunk invented the method of coating Marine ships with Seastone to avoid Sea King attacks, the island's safety was no longer guaranteed.
Hancock was not short-sighted.
She had been working hard to eliminate this threat.
Like Jinbe, she saw a permanent solution in Reddy.
Lifting Amazon Lily into the sky!
But this brought another unsolvable problem.
While ascending would eliminate the threat, it would also cut off access to essential supplies, making them dependent on others.
Thus, Hancock had accepted the summons to meet Reddy and propose a deal where she could pay with treasure for a mutually acceptable arrangement.
If necessary, she would even accept Reddy's "unreasonable" demands.
A loud explosion from the island made Hancock pause.
She wasn't the only one. The other Warlords also stopped and looked toward the island.
Unlike Mihawk, who only wanted to spar with Reddy's clones (or even Reddy himself), the others simply wanted him to test the waters.
As expected, Mihawk had clashed with one of the clones.
The explosions continued.
From the commotion, Hancock and the others could imagine it was a duel between master swordsmen.
Terrifying.
The word flashed through their minds simultaneously.
The title of the "World's Strongest Swordsman" wasn't self-proclaimed. Mihawk's strength was undeniable, recognized by the entire world.
The fact that someone could fight him for so long without losing spoke volumes.
"How interesting."
Crocodile smirked around his cigar, his lower body turning into a sandstorm as he swiftly ascended the island.
On the other side, Jinbe also stopped stalling and quickened his pace.
Hancock and Kuma also sped up.
Only Doflamingo remained unaffected, continuing his leisurely stroll up the staircase.
Yet everyone had guessed wrong.
"Hey hey, did you skip breakfast or something?"
Bartolomeo activated his barrier to block Mihawk's swift slashes, mocking him with a sneer.
Perona stealing the spotlight had annoyed him.
So when Reddy ordered them to hurry and capture (rescue) prisoners, he recklessly chased to the edge of the island, hoping to capture a large group to offer to his idol.
Then he ran into Hawk-Eyes Mihawk.
Mihawk had no interest in Bartolomeo at first, casually swinging his sword to deal with him.
He assumed the man would either die or retreat after realizing the gap between them.
But he was dealing with Reddy's fanatical follower, Bartolomeo.
After blocking the slash with his barrier, the arrogant Bartolomeo immediately changed his plan—to capture Mihawk and present him to his idol.
When his casual strike failed to break the barrier, Mihawk grew interested.
This was a good target.
If he could break the barrier, it would mean his swordsmanship had improved.
So Mihawk focused on using Bartolomeo as a warm-up for the upcoming battle.
At the same time, the others also encountered opponents.