From the falling island, the White Wolf Pirates' guard army and recruited pirates surged into Acropolis Port like a tide. Because it was a surprise attack, nearly half the Marine soldiers weren't prepared.
A group of elite Marines led by officers stood at the forefront, desperate to buy time for the remaining soldiers to organize. But once Jorul and Jarul appeared, these Marine officers broke into cold sweats.
"Bokakakaka, King Harald and that brat Silas put on quite a show. We two old folks can't put on a shabby performance."
"Zabababababa, then let's try it—our combination attack after a hundred years."
Dorry and Brogy were also Giant Warrior Pirates captains, but they were actually just over a hundred years old—converted to human terms, thirty years old, still in their growth period. But Jorul and Jarul had reached the advanced age of three hundred forty, equivalent to centenarians among humans!
If they remained in their original aged forms, they couldn't even beat five-year-old Linlin—just two frail old codgers. But through Stussy's youth medicine, having regained their hundred-year-old forms, they'd show the world why they were called giant heroes!
Both wielded weapons similar to Dorry and Brogy—sword and axe. When their banter ended, their gazes simultaneously became sharp and deadly serious. Their twenty-plus meter height gave the Marine officers an overwhelming sense of dread.
Both simultaneously stepped forward.
"Hakoku!!"
In barely five minutes since the White Wolf Pirates landed, following Silas and Harald, Jorul and Jarul unleashed this extremely wide-range, devastatingly powerful technique.
At Sabaody Archipelago, Dorry and Brogy's combination had severely wounded Kong with just two strikes. And rejuvenated Jorul and Jarul were even stronger than Dorry and Brogy! So when they combined their power, they gave the Marine officers an even greater sense of dread than facing Marine Admirals.
We'll die!
And this time, however unwilling Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen were, they had to act. The White Wolf Pirates currently displayed strength had completely matched up against the Marines' and CP organizations' top-tier fighters.
Moreover...
"Rona didn't come?"
Elephant Yama didn't know whether to feel Fortunate or Devastated. If the White Wolf Pirates still had one more Admiral-level fighter now, that would become the final straw breaking the camel's back. At least the Marines and CP organizations would be completely helpless against the White Wolf Pirates.
Fortunate because Rona didn't come—perhaps unwilling to fight her former colleagues, so she hadn't joined this war between the White Wolf Pirates and the World Government.
Devastating because Rona had originally been their Marines' fighter. If Rona hadn't betrayed them, they'd have considerably more advantages facing the White Wolf Pirates. Now it was too late for regrets.
Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen were indeed the previous era's top Marine fighters. Though their strength had declined from their prime due to age and their stamina had weakened considerably, their performance now still showed the excellence worthy of their past reputations.
Jorul and Jarul's combination attack could crush even ordinary Admiral-level fighters, but under Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen's cooperation, it was forcibly blocked.
"Mountain Quake!"
Marine Fleet Admiral Elephant Yama—his name said it all. His existence itself was like an immovable mountain. Though not particularly tall, after his Conqueror's Haki erupted, even Silas couldn't help glancing over.
"Interesting."
Actually, whether Kong or Ortega, both were Silas's juniors. He and Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen were truly the same generation. But Silas's current performance and youthful appearance often made people forget he was already over seventy, nearly eighty, making them subconsciously think he was around Kong and Rona's age.
In reality, gray-bearded Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen were what Silas should currently look like. And unlike Kong and Ortega, he couldn't afford to gamble with his life in every fight.
At this age, once seriously injured, even Life Return's profound techniques might not achieve full recovery—their condition would only continuously decline through subsequent battles. So Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen rarely fought anymore, but this time, they had no choice.
"Ugetsu Style: Falling Moon!"
Elephant Yama was a pure physical arts fighter, while Portman Nissen was a pure swordsmanship master. They and Sebastian had once been the previous era's three Admirals. Fifteen years ago, Ortega succeeded Elephant Yama's Admiral position. Ten years ago, Rona succeeded Portman Nissen as Admiral. Five years ago, Kong should have succeeded Sebastian's Admiral position, but before that could happen, Sebastian died at Silas's hands, becoming the first sitting Admiral killed by pirates in nearly a century.
Both Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen had wanted to wash away this shame, but reality completely exceeded their imagination. Silas had been a pirate for over forty years—this was their first formal meeting. And at this meeting, they discovered their previous assumptions had all been illusions. They had no way to deal with Silas at all!
BOOM!
Elephant Yama and Portman Nissen's cooperation ultimately blocked Jorul and Jarul's combination attack. Seeing them join the fight, the Marines' previously flagging morale immediately surged.
"It's the Fleet Admiral!"
"And the Chief of Staff!"
"The commanders are fighting on the front lines. How can we admit defeat?"
"For justice!"
"We absolutely won't lose!"
The Marine soldiers' erupting momentum finally withstood the White Wolf Pirates' early offensive. Rapidly organizing their forces, they gradually turned the White Wolf Pirates' surprise attack into a war of attrition.
Seeing this, Elephant Yama's racing heart finally settled.
"Silas, as Marine Fleet Admiral, I absolutely won't let your ambition to overturn the world succeed! Your soldiers are just a mob. How could they possibly defeat Marines who've undergone harsh training and countless battle challenges?"
In Elephant Yama's view, those pirate crews recruited by Silas were basically driven by profit, completely lacking loyalty. Once the White Wolf Pirates showed any sign of decline, their morale would collapse—then the Marines would launch their counterattack.
"Haha, really?"
Dismissing Elephant Yama's words, Silas only used his performance to tell him, to tell those pirates under his command: So what if they're a mob? As long as he still stood, as long as he hadn't fallen, the White Wolf Pirates' momentum would forever suppress the Marines.
Because this was the "momentum" he'd been building from years ago until today!
"Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, king against king!"
Silas looked at Stephens and Glyndwr before him, laughing loudly. "Just you two want to stop me!?"
Glyndwr had already transformed into his half-human, half-falcon hybrid form. In this form, he was even stronger than five years ago at Elbaf. In the battle with Rocks at Magra Kingdom, though Glyndwr lost, he'd also gained an opportunity for breakthrough.
And after that lord gave him a demon's contract, Glyndwr had completely broken through, becoming a true Admiral-level fighter. If they fought again, he believed he absolutely wouldn't lose to Rocks!
With immortality's blessing, Glyndwr's personality became fiercer, his fighting style far more aggressive than before. But he'd forgotten one crucial fact—the step he'd struggled five years to achieve was long insignificant to Silas.
Current Silas could arrogantly declare: Admirals? Are they supposed to be strong?
Silas's form became like lightning. Under Stephens and Glyndwr's cooperation, Silas indeed couldn't easily break through, but temporarily separating Stephens and Glyndwr wasn't difficult for him at all!
"Newgate, this guy's yours. Can you handle it?"
Silas's Conqueror's Haki-wrapped hand shot out like a dragon's claw, easily gripping the airborne Glyndwr. Then, gripping Glyndwr firmly, he hurled him downward with tremendous force.
Not far away stood the White Wolf Pirates' core members, led by Newgate. Seeing Glyndwr, Newgate's eyes lit up.
"Leave it to me!"
He'd heard that Rocks defeated a CP organization top-tier fighter. Though he didn't know it was this person, if he could defeat Glyndwr, wouldn't that mean his gap with Rocks was very small?
Though Silas intended for Newgate and the other members to jointly face Glyndwr, Newgate charged forward at the lead. A white spherical shield appeared around Newgate's fist. Looking at Glyndwr flying toward him, Newgate concentrated his power.
"Tremor-Tremor Fruit: Air Quake!"
Glyndwr wanted to cancel the inertia from Silas's throw, but Silas's Conqueror's Haki when gripping him, had been like a living thing, invading his body and making his Devil Fruit transformation uncontrollably regress. Only when nearly colliding with Newgate did Glyndwr barely dispel Silas's Conqueror's Haki influence.
By then, avoiding Newgate's attack was already too late.
But—
"Losing to that White Wolf Pirates brat called Rocks is one thing, but falling twice in the same place? Impossible!!"
Glyndwr roared. His originally human-form body surged with power once more. His fingers transformed into razor-sharp eagle talons, reaching toward Newgate.
"Eagle Spear!"
Though Glyndwr lacked Conqueror's Haki for wrapping his attacks, his Armament Haki had long reached the internal destruction level, and his Observation Haki had even reached future sight.
Future sight was legendary power for ordinary Marines and pirates, but for top-tier fighters, it wasn't mystical at all—almost every top fighter could do it. The difference was that some could foresee the far future while others could only glimpse one or two seconds ahead.
And when Glyndwr prepared for frontal collision with Newgate, he saw the future! He saw his fingers shattered by Newgate, his entire arm broken by Newgate's devastating power.
"Impossible!?"
Glyndwr's eyes widened in disbelief, but his body's inertia gave him no choice but to collide head-on with Newgate.
Glyndwr's claw met the milky-white halo in Newgate's hand.
Then—
CRACK!
Glyndwr watched the air shatter into pieces like glass, watched his fingers break like shattered mirrors, his entire arm twisting like a pretzel into a grotesque mass. Intense pain made his expression twist with agony.
"Damn brat!!!"
Glyndwr roared. Though he'd gained immortality from Imu, having just obtained it, his pain threshold wasn't high enough yet. The saying went that injuries to the fingers hurt more than anything.
If not for immortality, Newgate's strike just now could have permanently crippled his arm, drastically reducing his combat power. However, though successfully injuring Glyndwr, Newgate wasn't comfortable either. Penetrating Haki had left five deep, bone-exposing gashes on Newgate's arm, making him pay the price for his rashness.
"This is what a true powerhouse is like?"
With one arm hanging useless, Glyndwr's performance made Newgate realize his gap with these top-tier fighters. His offensive power was sufficient, but if not for Silas restricting Glyndwr first, Glyndwr wouldn't have given him any opportunity for direct collision!
"Linlin, Sister Ripley!"
"Got it!"
"Hehe, I thought you'd still be as stubborn as before, Newgate."
Ripley's words made Newgate's mouth twitch. Though he disliked having women fight his battles, he wasn't stupid—encountering unbeatable opponents yet fighting desperately alone? This was a battlefield!
Before the battle, Silas had said war wasn't where they could indulge their pride. Whenever possible, cooperate rather than duel.
And though he'd surpassed Ripley, becoming the White Wolf Pirates' strongest member besides Silas, Ripley and Linlin's gap with him wasn't large. Newgate was at the 200 million level, which meant Ripley and Linlin were at least 170-180 million.
Having seized the initiative, the three might actually face an ordinary Admiral-level fighter like Glyndwr head-on!
"Combination attack!"
"Spear of Elbaf!"
Ripley and Linlin flanked left and right, simultaneously swinging fists larger than Glyndwr himself.
BOOM!!!
Then, after drinking Stussy's pre-prepared healing medicine, Newgate immediately rejoined the battle without hesitation!
Immortality? Then they'd beat him until he had no time to recover!
Silas had merely created an opportunity, letting Newgate's group share the burden of facing one Admiral-level fighter. This also demonstrated that crew members who once couldn't interfere in this level of combat had finally grown up.
Now, only one person remained before Silas.
"Stephens, it seems... only you're left now?"
Silas looked at the suited old man before him, grinning wickedly.