The first major clash between the Nightfall Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates raged for two full days.
The Whitebeard Pirates launched an aggressive offensive, yet the final outcome stunned nearly everyone who followed the battle.
The Nightfall Pirates seized seven islands that originally belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates. These very islands had served as the primary battlegrounds of the conflict. Out of all contested territories, the Whitebeard Pirates managed to reclaim only one.
That particular island housed two subsidiary pirate crews under Whitebeard's banner, giving them a clear numerical and tactical advantage. Even so, they ultimately chose to retreat in order to avoid excessive losses.
On four other islands, the fighting reached a stalemate, with neither side able to secure dominance.
However, the balance shifted dramatically elsewhere.
"Ice Witch" Whitey Bay and the Twelfth Division Commander Haruta were both defeated and captured, falling to "The Hunter" Gar and "Serpent King" Mobius respectively. The losses were severe, and numerous crew members were taken prisoner alongside them.
There was no question about it. This was a decisive victory for the Nightfall Pirates.
Although Haruta was still young and had not yet reached his full potential, his position as a Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates alone proved his strength. Every Division Commander carried immense prestige in the New World, each recognized as a formidable warrior.
Whitey Bay's strength was no less noteworthy.
Naturally, Morgans would never miss such a monumental event.
A war between the rising Nightfall Pirates and the long-established Whitebeard Pirates, combined with the fact that Marshall D. Teach himself was once a member of Whitebeard's crew, created endless headlines.
Reporter Birds captured the battle from every angle. Within a short time, the footage was processed and broadcast through the World Economic News Agency's network. Anyone with access to a Video Den Den Mushi could watch it for a price.
The headlines alone were enough to draw attention, compelling countless viewers to spend their Berries.
Soon, the battle footage spread across the world at astonishing speed. As long as one possessed a Video Den Den Mushi, the war could be witnessed firsthand. The rate of information dissemination far exceeded the traditional delivery of newspapers by News Coos.
Clear recordings of such battles were invaluable intelligence. No major faction would ignore them.
The Whitebeard Pirates were already well known, so the focus shifted to the Nightfall Pirates' core fighters.
Though some footage of them existed, strength in the New World evolved rapidly. What was known yesterday might already be outdated today.
It quickly became apparent that intelligence on the Nightfall Pirates was still lacking, especially regarding several of their Executive Officers whose abilities had never been fully revealed.
Before long, the strongest fighters of the Nightfall Pirates were placed on priority watch lists across the seas.
Nelson required no introduction.
He had appeared multiple times before, wielding abilities related to spatial teleportation and substitution. In an earlier battle, he had left Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino, in a thoroughly disheveled state, unable to effectively counter him.
Borsalino's speed was already considered terrifying, yet even he could not escape Nelson's reach.
No one wanted to face an opponent like that.
Nelson was immediately marked as a high-risk threat.
Gar, one of the founding members of the Nightfall Pirates and a Mink, demonstrated overwhelming strength by defeating the Ice Witch in a short time.
His transformation ability, combined with the raw power he unleashed afterward, drew serious attention. "Rain Gar" was now firmly recognized as a top-tier warrior in the New World.
Then there was Mobius.
A young pirate with a bounty exceeding 300 million Berries, he had already built a reputation by leading the Snake King Pirates to victory against multiple high-bounty opponents.
His bounty alone reflected the Marines' assessment of his threat level.
Yet very little was known about his actual abilities. Few who encountered him survived, and after his identity was exposed early on, he operated under Mostima's protection, making intelligence gathering even more difficult.
By carefully analyzing the battle footage, observers noticed Haruta's condition.
There was no doubt he had been affected by Mobius's power.
It was a mental attack.
Haruta's visible suffering confirmed it, but what came next was far more unsettling.
As Mobius struck, Haruta offered no resistance at all.
His eyes were empty, devoid of will, as if his soul had been stripped away, leaving behind nothing but a hollow shell.
Raw strength could be measured.
The unknown, however, inspired true fear.
Mobius's ability activated without warning, making it unpredictable and nearly impossible to defend against.
Slada and Mog Ratoon, both newcomers, also drew immense attention.
Despite their recent emergence, intelligence already confirmed their positions as Executive Officers. Their towering physiques alone hinted at overwhelming power.
Slada's battle with "Diamond" Jozu was especially intense.
It was a brutal clash of pure strength, captivating to watch. Jozu, one of Whitebeard's strongest fighters, stood nearly on par with "Phoenix" Marco.
Yet even he could not overpower Slada.
The fight began evenly, but as time passed, Jozu gradually fell into a disadvantage. His immense durability and strength proved insufficient in a prolonged battle.
Eventually, he chose to retreat.
By the end, Jozu showed clear signs of exhaustion, while Slada still retained energy. In terms of overall combat endurance, Slada held the edge.
Mog Ratoon, a nine-meter-tall Fish Giant, displayed equally terrifying power.
Even the Fishman Namur could not defeat him and ultimately withdrew from the battle.
As the fight progressed, Mog Ratoon adapted to Namur's speed, landing increasingly effective strikes despite the latter's agility.
Driven by impatience, Mog Ratoon finally unleashed his ability, transforming into his Human-Beast form.
The surge in power and pressure forced Namur to retreat entirely. Had he remained, defeat would have been inevitable.
In this form, Mog Ratoon surpassed Namur in both strength and speed.
Observers soon identified their abilities.
Slada possessed the Ancient Zoan Crocodile-Crocodile Fruit, Model: Emperor Crocodile.
Mog Ratoon wielded the Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Mosasaurus.
Two top-tier Ancient Zoan abilities caused a massive stir.
Many even joked that Kaido of the Beasts must be grinding his teeth in envy. Known for his obsession with building a Zoan army, Kaido placed immense value on such fruits.
Offering Zoan Devil Fruits was one of the most effective ways to gain favor with him.
Yet the Nightfall Pirates already possessed three Ancient Zoan users, two of them being apex carnivorous predators.
Their overall strength was becoming increasingly terrifying.
Rumors soon spread within the Beasts Pirates.
Kaido had set his sights on several of the Nightfall Pirates' Executive Officers, including Slada.
His intentions were obvious.
However, the Nightfall Pirates had no intention of handing anyone over.
While the Beasts Pirates boasted numerous powerful fighters and Zoan users, some had yet to fully mature. Among them were young talents like Yamato and others who had only recently acquired their abilities.
Even so, their potential remained immense.
Despite this, the Nightfall Pirates currently held the advantage in top-tier combat power. They possessed three individuals capable of matching Admirals, all of them still young with vast room for growth.
Kaido himself had previously crossed paths with Ares. If Ares chose to leave, even the Beasts Pirates would be unable to stop him.
Even if Kaido personally intervened, he would not be able to overpower Teach and his top fighters.
Still, Kaido was not someone who would abandon his ambitions easily.
A future clash between him and Teach was all but inevitable.
Geography only made conflict more certain.
The territories of the Beasts Pirates and the Nightfall Pirates lay relatively close to each other. Both sides were expanding, and neither would be satisfied with their current holdings.
The Nightfall Pirates controlled the southernmost region of the New World, while the Beasts Pirates dominated the south-central area.
With both factions pushing outward, confrontation was simply a matter of time.
Beyond the clashes with the Whitebeard Pirates, the Nightfall Pirates performed exceptionally well in other regions.
"Steel" Wallace, "Bone Demon" Kaguya, "Magic Serpent" Voss, "Death Rifle" Van Augur, and Shiryu of the Rain all demonstrated remarkable strength.
Other notable members included "Thorn Woman" Loya, "Queen" Annie, and many more.
Former officers of the White Bird Pirates, such as "Mantis" Abby and the Hadena and Hademan brothers, also contributed significantly.
Younger members like Clemons, Daz Bonez, and even Enel, who had risen rapidly in a short time, showed impressive potential.
All of them came under intense scrutiny.
As for the invading pirates, they were thoroughly suppressed.
Unlike their measured approach toward the Whitebeard Pirates, the Nightfall Pirates showed no mercy here.
Submit or die.
That was the only choice.
The only individual they truly feared within the Whitebeard Pirates was Edward Newgate himself.
Thus, the first phase of the war ended in clear victory for the Nightfall Pirates.
But the war was far from over.
This was only the opening battle.
The Whitebeard Pirates would not accept such losses quietly. To retreat now would damage their reputation and weaken their influence.
The next offensive would undoubtedly be fiercer, with stronger reinforcements arriving.
All eyes turned to their response.
Whitey Bay and Haruta remained captured, along with hundreds of crew members.
Given Whitebeard's character, abandoning them was unthinkable. Whitey Bay, despite no longer being an official member, still shared deep ties with the crew.
At the same time, there was no chance the Nightfall Pirates would return the newly claimed territories.
These outer islands, recently acquired and weakly integrated, were the easiest targets for expansion. But taking them required war.
"Continue the expansion. Launch a direct counterattack. These islands now belong to the Nightfall Pirates. The battlefield should never be on our own soil."
From Saint Louis Island, within the Nightfall Palace, Teach issued his command.
He trusted Mostima to manage the scale of the conflict, ensuring they avoided provoking a full-scale war with the Whitebeard Pirates.
For now, this war served a purpose.
It was a crucible.
A chance to temper their forces while steadily expanding their territory.
As long as Teach and the others did not personally intervene, Whitebeard would not escalate the conflict either. His attention was divided by the chaos elsewhere, and a few islands were not worth total war.
One day after the first battle ended, the Nightfall Pirates moved again.
The counterattack had begun.
Their expansion would not stop.