"Wei Guo!"
A cylindrical sword energy shot out, colliding with the incoming laser mid-air over the sea.
Boom!
The sea surface exploded, sending colossal waves surging outwards.
"Let's go."
The Big Mom Pirates slowly withdrew, the most important thing now was to claim the spoils of victory.
On the other side of the former Nomirou Island.
The Steam Pirates.
Hearu Nock, who was just about to leave, suddenly saw a laser beam emanate from Charlotte Linlin's location.
Using his Kenbunshoku Haki, he understood:
"Marines..."
His eyes narrowed, contemplating something unknown.
Suddenly, the steam between his hands compressed and condensed, forming a three-meter-long white spear.
He swung it forward, carrying a faint whistling sound, and launched it towards Sengoku's warship.
"Let's go."
His subordinates immediately replied:
"Yes!"
The fleet slowly departed.
On the warship.
Sengoku snorted:
"One by one."
"All showing off their might."
He turned to Kuzan and Borsalino and said:
"You two try to block it."
"Feel the difference."
"Hearu Nock has developed his Logia-type Devil Fruit to its extreme. He is a pirate."
"You two are also Logia-type, feel it."
Kuzan became serious for the first time, while Borsalino maintained his indifferent demeanor.
Kuzan stepped forward, took a deep breath, and brought his hands together slightly.
The cold air in his hands compressed and condensed. When the steam spear was still nearly a thousand meters away from the fleet.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
A beam of cold air shot out, freezing meter-thick ice spikes in the air wherever it passed. One second later.
Hundreds of meters away from the warship, it directly collided with the steam spear.
The cold air rapidly enveloped the steam spear, turning it into an ice spear. But then, the ice spear was seen to continuously enlarge in mid-air.
Crack—
A crisp sound echoed.
Kuzan's expression changed drastically:
"Not good."
The steam spear exploded, unleashing immense shockwaves and heat.
The remaining cold air from Kuzan's attack attached itself, directly forming a massive iceberg hundreds of meters wide.
But it was immediately shattered by the violent steam.
Giant ice blocks filled the sky, some melting from the steam, others being propelled towards the warship by the impact. The fierce blast wave followed closely behind.
Kizaru transformed into countless light particles and instantly appeared in mid-air.
He crossed his hands, forming a crane-like gesture, and a rotating cross-shaped golden light flashed:
"Kowaiii~"
"Is this Admiral Kuzan's ice~"
"So big~"
"Yata no Kagami!"
Countless shining light bullets were fired from his hands and body.
In an instant, they rained down, directly shattering the flying ice blocks into small fragments resembling hail.
With a flash of golden light, he landed on the deck, wiping away nonexistent sweat from his brow.
"Hoo~"
"Resolved~"
Kuzan's veins bulged:
"You bastard..."
Gion beside them reminded everyone:
"The shockwave is coming."
Chaton leaned on the railing, propped his chin on his hand, with the same indifferent expression as Kizaru:
"Don't worry, it's fine."
Only these two were not worried.
Sengoku stepped forward, watching the colossal waves and the approaching shockwave.
He instantly transformed into a giant golden Buddha statue, nearly a hundred meters tall, emanating a dazzling light.
It occupied more than half of the deck.
He clasped his hands together, and the white, semi-transparent shockwave ring covered his hands.
Pulling outwards, he spread his palms horizontally. The shockwave ring enlarged geometrically, a semi-transparent white dome covering two warships.
Everyone except Borsalino and Chaton was stunned:
"What is this?"
Sengoku's booming voice echoed:
"Buddha's Shockwave!"
The hemispherical transparent dome expanded frantically until it collided with the incoming blast wave and tsunami.
With a resounding explosion, it shattered.
Endless shockwaves surged out from within the dome.
It directly crushed everything on the sea surface.
The attacking blast wave and tsunami completely vanished, only the violent undertow beneath the sea surface making the warships sway.
A testament to what had just happened.
The golden giant Buddha slowly shrank, returning to the normal Sengoku:
"Retreat."
----
Several days later, back at headquarters, everyone dispersed in small groups.
Kuzan went to the Navy's intelligence department, pretending to casually inquire about pirate intelligence.
Suddenly, he thought of something:
"Right, do you have any news about that Devil Child from before?"
A staff member from the intelligence department checked and shook their head:
"No, the last known location of the suspected Devil Child was on Kexke Island in the West Blue. They have been missing for a long time."
Kuzan nodded and murmured:
"Is that so..."
"If you get any news, inform me immediately. After all, I was a participant in the Buster Call."
"I didn't expect there to be a survivor."
"We must apprehend her."
The intelligence soldier nodded:
"Understood, Vice Admiral Kuzan."
Kuzan smiled:
"Thank you for your trouble."
He then slowly walked out.
The intelligence officers who were organizing documents sighed with emotion:
"Vice Admiral Kuzan is so dedicated."
"He's not as lazy as the rumors in the past two years suggest."
"Who knows."
"Maybe someone framed him."
"No way."
"Hey, what does it matter, hurry up and organize."
"My son is having his full moon celebration tonight, everyone come to my place for drinks!"
"Hahaha, congratulations!"
"Then what are you waiting for! Let's go! Move it!!!"
"Hai!!!"
The happiness of ordinary people is like this...
In the Marshal's office.
Sengoku and Kong were analyzing the situation in the New World.
A large table was covered with wanted posters, all of them active pirates.
They were all operating in the New World, and a small portion had crosses marked on them, indicating they had been killed by Hearu Nock and Charlotte Linlin.
Kong frowned:
"This is not good."
"This sweep has broken the backbone of the New World pirates."
"Who would dare to contend for the title of the Third Emperor?"
Sengoku's brow was also deeply furrowed as he scanned the wanted posters on the table, and had to sigh:
"Indeed."
"Most of the established forces have been eliminated."
"What remains are lone wolves."
"Or those whose strength is too small to pose a threat to the two."
Marshal Kong suddenly noticed Kaido's wanted poster:
"What about this guy?"
"He's a user of the Azure Dragon Devil Fruit. I remember he was captured by Sakaski and was experimented on for a while."
Sengoku's mind recalled Kaido's information, and he shook his head:
"This person was once a trainee pirate on Rocks' ship, but in recent years, he hasn't made any significant moves in the New World."
"His sphere of influence has remained the same, but his exact base of operations is unknown."
"However, there is information indicating he controls a weapons production line and has captured a small portion of the market share in the New World."
Marshal Kong glanced at it:
"Is that so..."
Seeing Kong still deep in thought, Sengoku suddenly spoke:
"How is the progress of the Seven Warlords?"
"If there are no variables, the Third Emperor will likely not emerge."
"We'll have to find other avenues."
Kong pondered:
"That's fine, let's wait a bit longer."
"That Crocodile from before, he is now building a faction in Alabasta."
"He's fighting against landing pirates, and while it's having an effect, it's not impacting the overall situation."
"It's not very effective."
Sengoku looked at the map hanging on the wall and found Alabasta:
"Is that so..."
----
North Blue, Operation Sweep the Courtyard.
On the third massive warship, Sakaski was in his office, looking at the map of the Grand Line on his desk.
He circled the Devil Triangle, Fish-Man Island, and Dressrosa with his pen.
These three locations, which in the original story would become the territories of future Seven Warlords, seemed to form a contiguous area on the map, and he was deep in thought.
Knock, knock, knock—
Sakaski said without looking up:
"Enter."
A guard entered and reported:
"Report, Admiral Sakaski, Vice Admiral Enel has sent a pirate ship dealing in arms. He requests your instructions on how to proceed."