On Tornado and Retsu Unohana's side, things were no different.
Under Tornado's psychic power, every bullet fired by the pirates was reflected back at them.
Unohana was even more ruthless. Using abilities unique to her world, she cut down every pirate who came at her, sending them straight to their deaths.
In just a short time, the cannon fodder had been nearly wiped out.
The speed of it all left Rocks D. Xebec, who was watching from the rear, completely stunned.
"What… what is wrong with these people? Damn it!"
Just as he was about to enter the battlefield—
A black energy sphere shot straight toward him.
Rocks reacted instantly, dodging to the side.
"BOOM!"
The sphere slammed into the ground, detonating violently. A massive shockwave swept outward, and thick dust surged into the air, blanketing everything.
Seeing the destructive power of that attack, Rocks frowned slightly.
Before he could speak—
A figure burst through the smoke.
Acnologia.
His arm was coated in Armament Haki as he closed in.
"Bang!"
Caught off guard, Rocks was blasted backward.
Acnologia didn't give him a moment to recover—he pressed the attack relentlessly.
As Rocks was sent flying, rage surged in his eyes.
"Who do you think I am?!"
With a furious roar, he drove his foot into the ground, stopping himself instantly. Black mist began to swirl around his body.
"Die!"
Just as he was about to strike—
He sensed something.
Turning his head—
A massive blade swept toward him from behind.
Though he didn't counterattack, Armament Haki instantly coated his body.
"BANG!"
He was sent flying once again.
Behind where he had stood, a towering blue giant had appeared.
It was Madara Uchiha's Susanoo.
"Madara, he's mine!!!" Acnologia shouted irritably.
"Hm? What are you talking about? Is said the two of us," Madara replied calmly.
"Two-on-one is boring. Let's take turns. Last time against Garp you went first—this time, I'll go first."
Without waiting for a response, Acnologia charged in again.
Meanwhile, on Roger's side—
Edward Newgate had successfully caught up and engaged Gol D. Roger in battle.
Though only a small portion of the Roger Pirates remained, and their core fighters were already wounded—
Whitebeard still couldn't gain the upper hand.
After all, Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Scopper Gaban were no weaklings.
Moreover, due to a certain bond formed in the past, Whitebeard and Roger shared a degree of mutual respect.
Even if he had the advantage—
He wouldn't kill Roger.
This battle was merely for show—to satisfy Rocks.
The truth was, the Rocks Pirates had always been a crew born of self-interest.
Most of its officers refused to submit to anyone.
They only held back because of Rocks' overwhelming strength.
In reality, the internal state of the crew was worse than ever. Each officer looked down on the others, all waiting for a chance—a chance to rise above the rest.
"CLANG!"
The naginata and sword collided, sending ripples across the sea.
"I never thought Rocks would send you after me, Newgate!" Roger grinned.
"I'll kill you, you bastard Roger!"
Hearing that, Roger burst into laughter.
"You won't kill me, Newgate!"
Confidence shone clearly on his face. He knew Whitebeard's words were nothing more than talk.
"You're quite confident, Roger!"
"Setting aside our friendship… I can still give you what you truly want," Roger said calmly.
"Hahaha… these days, I feel like that Celestial Dragon—Aurelius D. Virel ·Is—might be able to give me that possibility as well," Whitebeard replied lightly.
"Aurelius D. Virel ·Is? I know him. We crossed paths not long ago."
"You fought him?" Whitebeard asked, surprised.
"Of course."
Whitebeard smiled faintly and said no more, continuing the battle.
Meanwhile, on Is' side—
He had originally intended to descend into the battlefield.
But suddenly—
A voice came from his right.
"Heh… looks like I successfully flanked you. A lone Celestial Dragon, huh?"
Is turned his head.
Floating in midair was a man—
One of the officers of the Rocks Pirates.
Shiki—the user of the Float-Float Fruit.
However, after his previous battle with Roger, he was still injured, his body wrapped in white bandages.
"Yes… you've successfully flanked me, Shiki."
"Jihahaha! Didn't expect my reputation to be so great—even a Celestial Dragon knows my name."
His expression suddenly turned cold.
"Tell me—if I take you hostage, would your subordinates panic?"
A faint smile curled at Is' lips.
At the same time, a spear materialized in his hand.
"I think… if you managed to take me hostage, they probably would panic."
He paused.
"But the problem is—you'd need the ability to actually do it."
It was true.
Against the current Shiki, who was already injured—
Even if Is couldn't guarantee victory—
There was no way Shiki would gain any advantage from him.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/c/GojoSP