Marineford — The Main Battlefield
As the Impel Down breakout squad—Luffy, Crocodile, Jinbe, Ivankov, and the rest—stormed onto the battlefield without hesitation,
and as key figures from the Red-Hair Pirates' outer forces—Benn Beckman and Yasopp—along with the Beast Pirates' "Wildfire" King were dragged into the chaos by circumstance,
the center of gravity shifted.
The pressure points of the war twisted violently.
Barrett, who had originally borne the task of intercepting the Whitebeard Pirates' top commanders, suddenly found the weight upon him multiplied severalfold.
"UOOOHHHHH!!"
A roar ripped from his throat—half exhilaration, half savage irritation.
"Come on, you trash!!!"
The instant the words left his mouth, dark crimson Conqueror's Haki detonated from his body once more, crashing outward like a tidal wave and knocking weaker pirates flat where they stood.
In the next breath, his Armament-clad fists thundered forward—meeting Diamond Jozu's head-on charge in a brutal collision, blocking Flower Sword Vista's razor-sharp slashes—
all while diverting his focus to yet another threat.
"Long time no see!"
Crocodile's sand blade cut in from an impossible angle, wicked and precise.
Almost simultaneously, King and Marco descended with flame-wreathed kicks sharp enough to cleave through steel.
From the periphery, Benn Beckman's sniper rounds screamed in from blind angles, forcing Barrett to shift, twist, evade—again and again.
For a time, even someone as monstrously powerful as Barrett began to falter under the combined assault.
Cuts opened across his massive frame.
Burn marks blackened his skin.
Blood streaked down muscle like war paint.
He was—clearly—hitting his limit.
Especially now.
With Kizaru and Aokiji pulled away from the front, the Marines' high-tier interception net had torn wide open.
The burden had fallen almost entirely onto him alone.
"Damn it… there are too many of you!!"
He drove a punch that forced Jozu back—
—but King seized the opening in that split second of overextension. A blade of fire slashed across Barrett's arm, searing flesh and leaving a charred trail.
Before he could fully recover, Diamond Jozu and Lucky Roux smashed in from opposite sides once more.
And then—
"BOOOOOOM!!!!"
A pillar of lightning—so thick it seemed to split heaven itself—descended without warning.
Like divine judgment.
It struck the empty ground between Barrett and the swarm of attackers with terrifying precision.
The explosion deafened the battlefield.
Blinding light devoured everything in sight.
The shockwave burst outward, scattering Crocodile's swirling sandstorm. Violent arcs of electricity lashed through the air, forcing King to retreat mid-air, and even Jozu and Vista had no choice but to withdraw.
"Yahahahaha!!!"
Before the lightning had fully faded, a wild, arrogant voice echoed across Marineford.
"A pack of ignorant mortals dares to gang up on my servant?! You've got nerve!!"
Lightning condensed.
A figure hovered in midair.
Long earlobes.
Bare upper body.
Four tomoe drums suspended behind him.
A golden staff resting against his shoulder.
Electricity coiled around him in brilliant arcs, his gaze looking down upon the battlefield as if surveying insects beneath his feet.
"It seems I must descend personally and deliver divine punishment—so you may understand… what an insurmountable gap truly means!!"
"God" Enel had arrived.
"Heh…"
Barrett grinned, baring a row of savage white teeth as he looked at Enel's faintly travel-worn expression.
In an instant, he deduced the truth.
This had the smell of Kuma's ability—some urgent "paw" dispatch across vast distance.
"Oi, lightning brat."
Keeping a wary eye on the enemies temporarily cowed by thunder, Barrett spoke roughly.
"The fight in the New World… finished already?"
"Yahahaha!"
Enel laughed wildly, golden staff resting casually on his shoulder, though a flicker of irritation colored his tone.
"It's at a stalemate!"
"Who would've thought the Big Mom Pirates had someone with strength—and Observation Haki—strong enough to be… troublesome?"
He clicked his tongue.
"So I left them hanging and came back to see if there were more interesting 'toys' here."
The implication was obvious.
He hadn't lost.
He'd simply grown bored.
And decided this battlefield needed a god more.
Barrett, rather than taking offense, felt his fighting spirit surge.
He rolled his thick neck, bones cracking audibly, and sneered.
"Hmph! Since you're back… you can still fight, right? Don't tell me you forced yourself here half-dead."
"Don't insult me!!"
Enel's brows snapped downward in outrage.
Lightning erupted from him in even more blinding intensity.
"I am a god!! Even if you were standing against me right now—"
His golden staff swung, first pointing at Barrett, then sweeping across every enemy surrounding them.
"—I would still stand undefeated on this battlefield!!!"
Eastern Sector — Marineford
With the arrival of Straw Hat Luffy, "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock had entered a full-blown frenzy.
There was no longer any distinction of sides in her eyes.
Anyone blocking Luffy's path—
Marine or pirate—
became her target.
"Perfume Femur!"
She lightly touched her red lips, pulling forth a volley of pink, heart-shaped arrows and firing them into the crowd.
Anyone struck—ally or enemy alike—began stiffening instantly, their bodies turning to stone.
She showed no concern for collateral damage.
Her only aim was to carve an unobstructed path for Luffy.
"Stop it, Hancock!"
Ribo, who had been working alongside Teacher Zephyr to shield ordinary Marines and reduce needless casualties, saw this and her expression darkened instantly.
"White Rabbit — Flow Kick!"
Her petite form blurred into a streak of white light, flashing across the battlefield at astonishing speed.
A sharp, precise kick shattered several of the petrification arrows mid-flight before they could strike the Marines behind her.
"What are you doing?!" Ribo demanded, positioning herself in front of the shaken soldiers.
Hancock's flawless face was filled with disdain.
"Insolent child.
They were merely captivated by my beauty. To be turned to stone by me is their honor."
"You've gone too far, Hancock!" Ribo's voice carried a rare sharpness.
"Even if you come from Snake Princess Sister's homeland…"
Deep within, Ribo still clung to the ideal Gern had once taught her—the creed of a true hero of justice.
Protect those who must be protected.
Stop unjust cruelty.
Hancock's actions had crossed her line.
Especially with Zephyr standing at the front, risking himself to shield the weak.
"Ribo. The title 'Snake Princess'… belongs to me now," Hancock replied coolly. "Torritoma no longer holds it."
(From the way Hancock treated Elder Nyon, it was clear—she had no love for the old era or those who preached at her.)
"Shhk! Shhk!"
Two soft metallic sounds.
Ribo drew her custom carrot-shaped daggers in a reverse grip, settling into a combat stance.
"Is that so…" she murmured, inhaling deeply.
Murderous intent filled her eyes.
"Then let me see… whether you deserve it."
Before the final word had fully fallen, she vanished again—transforming into a streak of white wind as she charged the Pirate Empress, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Hmph! Know your place!"
Hancock snorted coldly, her Haki-coated leg whipping out like a steel lash.
The two women collided in a fierce exchange of speed and power.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, chaos and deadlock reigned.
In the Warlords' sector, Donquixote Doflamingo and "Gecko" Moria exchanged a subtle glance.
Matching smiles of calculation and schadenfreude curved their lips.
The situation was painfully clear.
Whitebeard was suppressed by Gern—but his crew and allies still fought desperately to rescue Ace.
Straw Hat's prison squad had thrown the war into further upheaval.
Two Emperors stood at the periphery, their subordinates already entangled in battle.
The Admirals had been forced to split their forces.
Even within the Warlords, Hancock had openly begun acting against Marine interests.
The once-impenetrable encirclement of Marine Headquarters was riddled with holes.
The scales of victory were swinging violently.
"Fufufufufu… this just keeps getting more interesting," Doflamingo chuckled, scanning the chaos behind his sunglasses.
"Looks like the Marines are in real trouble this time," Moria cackled.
For these two great pirates—never truly loyal, always self-serving—this was the perfect opportunity to kick a collapsing giant.
Continue honoring their agreement and fight earnestly for the Marines?
That would be true stupidity.
Without a word, they reached an understanding.
They would switch sides.
However—
Unlike Hancock's blatant, indiscriminate assault—
these two seasoned schemers chose a subtler, darker method.
After all—
If the Marines won, it wouldn't hurt them.
If the Marines lost…
At least they'd have enjoyed the carnage.