As Wang Zhi slashed through Xiao Feng's flying swords, the latter was already swinging his blade down with both hands, aiming straight for Wang Zhi's face. The situation was critical.
At the last moment, Wang Zhi crossed his twin swords and blocked Xiao Feng's lethal strike. A bloodthirsty grin spread across his face as he licked his lips, his eyes burning with madness.
"Are you underestimating me? How dare you fight me in close combat!!!"
Wang Zhi roared as he launched a relentless assault, exploiting his advantage in close combat and refusing to give Xiao Feng any chance to use his Devil Fruit abilities.
"Wang Zhi, do you really think you can beat me in close combat?!"
Did he think Xiao Feng's greatest strength was just the Wind-Wind Fruit? His swordsmanship and physical prowess were nothing to scoff at either! Today, he would crush this ignorant brat head-on!
The battle between the veteran powerhouse and the rising swordsman grew more and more intense, shaking the battlefield. Meanwhile, on a larger scale, the Diger Pirates had already begun overpowering the Rocks Pirates.
However, the outcome of the strongest warriors on both sides could still determine the fate of the entire battle.
---
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
"Damn bulky tin can! You're all size, no speed!"
Jevaler taunted as he repeatedly dodged Silver Axe's massive swings, his swift movements leaving only afterimages as the ground beneath them was torn apart by the sheer force of Silver Axe's attacks.
"You little flea! All you do is run! Fight me head-on if you've got the guts!"
Silver Axe X roared in frustration. He was a berserker, a monster of raw strength. But this slippery opponent refused to stay still!
"What, is your skull packed with nothing but muscle?"
Jevaler sneered, using the shattered terrain to further slow down Silver Axe's already sluggish movements.
"Thrust Waltz!"
In a blur, Jevaler's speed surged even higher. The sound of clashing metal filled the air as sparks flew from every strike. Bit by bit, Silver Axe's armor shattered, exposing his muscular frame. Even with Armament Haki reinforcing his body, Jevaler's rapier left countless wounds, crimson streaks painting his skin.
"You're stronger than me, and your defense is solid... but fighting isn't just about brute strength, kid!"
Jevaler smirked. At over forty years old, he was an experienced warrior. Compared to him, Silver Axe was just a hot-headed young man in his twenties!
Though Jevaler's bounty of 600 million berries dwarfed Silver Axe's 490 million, this was war—there was no fairness in war. Victory was the only thing that mattered!
He was just about to finish off the promising Rocks Pirate when something in the sky caught his eye. His expression darkened.
A golden ship hovered above them.
His fury ignited. The Hell Pirates?! Those bastards who stole Marseille Island?!
It was an unfortunate reunion. Seeing that the battle was almost over, he abandoned Silver Axe and rushed toward Xiao Feng.
"Xiao Feng! Let's finish off Wang Zhi together, then you can blow those Hell Pirates out of the sky with your wind!!"
Jevaler assumed Xiao Feng had the upper hand. He didn't notice Wang Zhi's crazed, bloodshot eyes burning with an ominous red glow.
And at that moment, Xiao Feng wavered for just a second.
"Bloodthirsty Twin Dragon Slash!"
Wang Zhi's blades lashed out—not at Xiao Feng, but at Jevaler!
Jevaler's eyes widened. He couldn't react in time!
Xiao Feng gritted his teeth. Damn it!
With no other choice, Xiao Feng sacrificed his own defense. He caught one of Wang Zhi's swords with his Armament Haki-coated palm, blocked the other with his own blade, and kicked Jevaler out of harm's way.
But Wang Zhi had anticipated this!
His true target had always been Xiao Feng!
With a sudden, violent twist, his blade sliced deep into Xiao Feng's palm. Even through Armament Haki, the bones beneath were exposed—a sickening flash of white against the crimson spray.
A sadistic grin stretched across Wang Zhi's face as he pressed the attack, targeting the wounded hand relentlessly.
Xiao Feng clicked his tongue. Tch! He was forced to use his Wind-Wind Fruit to blast Wang Zhi back, widening the distance between them.
He had originally wanted to defeat Wang Zhi solely with swordsmanship—to prove he was the superior swordsman. But now that he was injured, he had to fight more seriously.
No more holding back.
"Damn it, Xiao Feng! I just wanted you to help blow those Hell Pirates away—I didn't mean to distract you!"
Jevaler called out apologetically. But when he saw Xiao Feng's exposed bone, his heart sank.
Xiao Feng didn't reply. Instead, he raised his hand—and a powerful gust of wind surged toward the golden ship in the sky.
However, to his surprise, the ship barely moved. The effect was much weaker than expected.
---
Aboard the Golden Ship, Erebus
"Captain Brook! There's a massive pirate battle below!"
Shakky called out, peering through her binoculars. She had expected to run into some trouble while escaping the Marines, but not a war between two dominant pirate crews!
Over forty pirate ships clashed in the sea below—it was absolute chaos.
"Captain, it's bad! Those are the Diger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates! We should get out of here—now!"
Antonio's face paled as he recognized several bounty posters through the telescope.
Brook's eyes widened. "What?! Rocks and Diger are here?! RETREAT! NOW!!!"
Was Rocks already making his move to conquer the New World?!
"Captain Brook, we have a problem!"
Fishman Tom's hands moved rapidly across the controls.
"A sudden gust of wind blew the Erebus toward the island!"
"Damn it!" Brook cursed.
Tom maxed out the wind jets, while Redfield increased power to stabilize their trajectory.
"Captain, the top officers of both pirate crews are fighting below, but their captains are nowhere in sight!"
Sniper Hiruba scanned the battlefield through his ultra-range scope.
"The strongest fighters down there are Xiao Feng of the Diger Pirates—800 million berries—and Jevaler, the guy we pissed off on Marseille Island. On Rocks' side, we've got the swordsman Wang Zhi and Silver Axe X."
Hiruba adjusted his scope.
"Rocks' forces have taken heavy losses. Silver Axe is wounded. Wang Zhi and Xiao Feng are injured too."
Shakky's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute! Xiao Feng … he ate the Wind-Wind Fruit, right? That must be why the wind suddenly changed!"
Brook's expression darkened. Damn it!
"Tom! Redfield! Can we stabilize the ship and counter his ability?!"
Redfield's eyes gleamed. "We should be able to resist it from this distance. But if we want to mess him up, I've got an idea..."
A bolt of lightning surged from Redfield's fingertips, striking the battlefield below.
Charlotte Linlin grinned wickedly. "Zeus! Prometheus! Attack!!!"
A thunderstorm raged as Newgate smashed a shockwave into the battlefield with a single punch.
Brook wasn't about to be left out.
He raised his blade, channeling his energy. "Seven-Star Slash!!!"
Even Hiruba joined in, firing poisoned bullets at the legendary figures below.
The Hell Pirates would not be easy prey!
-----
Wang Zhi watched as Xiao Feng used his Devil Fruit ability to attack the golden ship above. He remained silent, hoping that some unexpected external force would intervene and shift Xiao Feng's attention. If luck was on his side, this could be his best chance to land a killing blow.
However, what greeted them wasn't salvation—it was destruction.
Pillars of lightning rained from the sky. Thunderclouds roared, spitting out streaks of electricity. Flames erupted, spreading across the battlefield in an infernal blaze. Then, a white, glowing shockwave descended, shaking the entire island to its core.
And that wasn't all.
A terrifying sword aura sliced through the air—it carried a force on par with Wang Zhi's own great swordsmanship. Xiao Feng twisted and turned, dodging bullets from an unseen sniper. When they struck the ground, they left crater-sized holes as big as bowls. A faint light-purple aura seeped from the impact sites, a clear sign that the bullets were laced with a deadly poison.
Wang Zhi barely evaded a lightning strike when he spotted thundercloud flames flickering in the sky. His expression darkened. That power… Could it be—?!
He suddenly recalled a monster he had heard about in the New World.
A woman known as an Iron Balloon.
Charlotte Linlin.
"How the hell are there so many dangerous people on that ship?!"
The moment Xiao Feng was forced to focus on avoiding the sniper's attacks, he could no longer maintain the strong wind blowing against the golden ship. With his ability suppressed, the ship stabilized in the air.
---
Aboard the Golden Ship, Erebus
"Captain Brook! The Howling Wind's ability has vanished! We can retreat normally now!"
Tom the Fishman shouted excitedly, but when he turned around, his face stiffened.
Redfield, Charlotte Linlin, and even Newgate… all of them looked eager to fight.
Redfield's aura surged with excitement. "Captain Brook, the two captains aren't here, and the top fighters are already injured. Why don't we go down and fight them?"
His eyes gleamed with battlelust. He had recently awakened his Conqueror's Haki, and now, he burned for a challenge against the old legends of the New World. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Newgate cracked his knuckles. "Captain, I also want to test my training results!"
He had awakened both Armament and Observation Haki, and with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, his strength had skyrocketed. A fight like this would solidify his name and boost his bounty!
Brook sighed. "The bounties are no joke, you know. Xiao Feng —800 million berries. Wang Zhi—700 million. Jevaler—600 million. Silver Axe—490 million. And they have over 2,000 pirate troops. Are you sure about this?"
Even though the Rocks Pirates and Diger Pirates were already tearing each other apart, diving into this war was pure madness.
However, Brook couldn't ignore the fact that the Hell Pirates had bad blood with the Diger Pirates. If they joined forces with Wang Zhi and his men, they might just turn the tide of battle.
---
The Battlefield Situation
On the ocean below, 30 Diger Pirates' ships clashed with 15 Rocks Pirates' ships in a brutal war.
The Diger Pirates started with over 3,000 men, while the Rocks Pirates had only 1,500. Wang Zhi had personally cut down dozens of enemies, and the gunmen had thinned the numbers on both sides.
Now, after suffering massive losses, the battle had entered close combat. The Diger Pirates had around 2,000 fighters remaining, while the Rocks Pirates had been reduced to 600 or 700 men.
Even the ruthless Rocks Pirates were beginning to consider retreating. Their casualties had passed 50%, and while they were elite warriors, it was a simple truth of battle: if an army lost 20% of its forces, signs of collapse would already appear.
---
The Hell Pirates Decide to Join the Battle
Redfield smirked. "Captain Brook, those weaklings are just small fry. My Conqueror's Haki combined with your Death Gaze will wipe them out in an instant. Leave Wang Zhi to me! My swordsmanship is about to reach the level of a Great Swordsman—after this, my bounty will definitely rise again!"
His pride burned at the thought that Charlotte Linlin's bounty was higher than his own. He had to prove himself.
Newgate laughed. "Gurarara~! In that case, I'll take Jevaler. Gotta break past 600 million sooner or later!"
His strength had grown at a monstrous rate, like a teenager hitting a second puberty. He was growing taller by the day, and his legendary white beard was beginning to appear—even though his hair was still golden.
Brook sighed, remembering that Newgate's crescent-shaped mustache would fully grow in by the time he turned thirty. That iconic crescent-shaped mustache would one day earn him the title Whitebeard.
Brook shrugged. "Hey, hey~, I might not be able to take on Xiao Feng alone!"
Charlotte Linlin grinned. "Mmmmh! Don't worry, Brother Brook! I'll help you smash him!"
Shakky and the Fishman duo—Tom and Tiger—volunteered to take on the injured Silver Axe together.
Hiruba, the sniper, and ship doctor Crocus took responsibility for support and long-range cover. Even the cowardly Streusen trembled as he raised his sword. The Kirin Lion roared in agreement.
The Memory Seahorse obediently stood beside Antonio, waiting to claim the spoils of war. Meanwhile, the parrot perched on Antonio's head, flapping its wings excitedly.
Brook exhaled deeply. "Well… since you all have this much fighting spirit, let's show them what the Hell Pirates are made of!"
With their enemies wounded and unsupported, this was the perfect time to make a name for themselves.
---
Xiao Feng & Wang Zhi's Reaction
Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi watched as the golden ship descended—not fleeing, but launching an all-out assault.
"Are they seriously picking a fight with BOTH the Rocks Pirates AND the Diger Pirates?!"
Suddenly—
A massive wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from the golden ship, crashing down on the battlefield like a tidal wave of willpower.
The fighting stopped.
Hundreds of pirates collapsed unconscious, their bodies thudding against the bloodstained ground. The ones who remained standing were the strongest elites, but even they felt dizzy and lightheaded.
Xiao Feng and Wang Zhi's expressions darkened.
"T-They have a Conqueror's Haki user?!"
Jevaler clenched his fists. "These bastards… they're the ones who stole Marseille Island from me!"
A massive Soul Reaper manifested above the golden ship, its eerie aura suffocating the battlefield. The air grew thick with the stench of death, and countless pirates froze in terror. Many collapsed, their eyes rolling back in paralyzing fear.
Xiao Feng gritted his teeth. "Damn it… Just who are these guys?!"
Brook's voice rang out.
"Yohohoho~! Brother Xiao Feng, we were just passing by, yet you attacked us first! Allow me to return the favor with a little gift!"
As the golden ship hovered above, the Hell Pirates leapt from the sky, their battle auras shaking the battlefield.
Silver Axe stumbled backward—the moment he recognized Charlotte Linlin, his blood ran cold.
He had fought her once before…
And barely survived.
Xiao Feng scoffed. "A little pirate crew that's been in the New World for less than a year… thinks they can challenge us?"
He was about to find out just how wrong he was.
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