Kaka... Boom!!!
Thunder rumbled and the heavens split apart.
The dark, oppressive clouds brought by the Azure Dragon were torn asunder, scattering into shreds across the sky.
Every gaze on the Marineford battlefield lifted from the fallen dragon.
Through the cracks in the shattered clouds, two enormous ships slowly descended, silhouetted against the stormy heavens.
"Th-that ship…!"
"It can't be mistaken!!!"
"That's the Queen Mama Chanter—the flagship of the Four Emperors' Big Mom Pirates!!!"
Marines and Whitebeard Pirates alike froze in disbelief as the sight of the towering candy-colored vessel became clear.
There was no mistaking it—among all the ships sailing the seas, none were as flamboyant and easily recognizable as Big Mom's gaudy, fortress-like flagship.
"Hey, look closely!"
"B-Big Mom… Big Mom herself is there!!!"
"Not only the former Emperor of the Beasts, Kaido—but the Sea Emperor Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, too?!"
"The rumors were true after all! Kaido and Big Mom really did form an alliance!"
"Even if Kaido lost his title as one of the Four Emperors, his power is still unquestionable!"
"With the two Emperors of the Sea uniting—and now appearing here of all places—how much more chaotic can this battlefield get today?!"
Both Marine and pirate forces were thrown into panic. Cries of disbelief echoed across the ruins of Marineford.
"It's not just Big Mom," said Rayleigh in a low, tense voice. "Look over there."
The crowd's eyes followed his gaze upward—toward the other side of the sky.
Sabaody Archipelago, Live Broadcast Plaza.
"The former Emperor of the Beasts, Kaido, and the Four Emperors' Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin!!!"
"The two Emperors have truly formed an alliance!"
Tens of thousands of reporters and spectators screamed at the live broadcast feed, unable to contain themselves.
"The strongest pirate alliance in history has just been born!"
"No, no! The strongest group in the world is still Fairy Tail!"
"I agree—Fairy Tail's stronger!"
"Even if Kaido and Big Mom join forces, I doubt they could stand against Sugisawa Yuuto's guild!"
Arguments broke out among the viewers, each side fiercely defending their opinion.
"Now's not the time for that!" one reporter shouted. "What's happening at Marine Headquarters right now is utter madness!"
"It started as a simple, decisive war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates—but now?!"
"Fairy Tail entered the battlefield, the World Government brought reinforcements—and now even the Four Emperors have arrived?!"
"Where is this war heading? Who can possibly predict it anymore?!"
"No! Wait—look! There's another ship up there!!!"
Someone in the plaza pointed, and the cameras shifted skyward again.
There, alongside Big Mom's massive flagship, was another vessel—far smaller and far less ostentatious. No grand sails, no gilded ornaments—just a modest ship gliding silently through the clouds.
But right now, it was the focus of hundreds of thousands of eyes across the world.
"The man standing on the bow of that ship…" muttered Trafalgar Law, his pupils narrowing. "He's the one who single-handedly wiped out Pirate Island!"
"Ah ba ba ba… I remember that report," said the eerie pirate Brook-like voice of Haiming Skullachmanap. "They said the entire island was torn apart—just like Marineford's skies right now!"
"Gildarts Clive, from Crash Island!" Capone Bege gasped, his cigar trembling between his teeth. "Why is that monster appearing on this battlefield?!"
"And the blind swordsman beside him—he's not just any ordinary man," said Basil Hawkins darkly.
"Of course," murmured Jewelry Bonney, eyes wide in shock. "They were the ones fighting against the Kaido–Big Mom alliance before. Kaido's injuries—they were their doing!"
"Fairy Tail's Sugisawa Yuuto, Whitebeard, Kaido of the Beasts, Big Mom, and now that man… five sea emperor–level powerhouses have gathered in one place!" said Killer grimly.
"All that's left now is the Red-Haired Emperor, Shanks!!!" Kid clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with frustration and excitement.
Marineford Battlefield.
"Waaah!!! Look—it's Gildarts of Crash Island!!!"
"The same man who appeared alongside Fairy Tail's Guild Master Sugisawa Yuuto half a year ago—the headline of the century!"
"He may not hold the title of Four Emperor, but make no mistake—he is one in strength! The uncrowned emperor!"
"And that blind swordsman beside him—he's no mere wanderer. That's Issho, the man known as Fujitora!"
"Were they the ones clashing with Kaido and Big Mom before this war?!"
"What are they doing here now?! What's their goal?!"
The battlefield was in chaos—shouts, shock, and disbelief echoing across every corner of Marineford.
And then—
The truth was revealed.
A moment later, the world itself shook.