"The Marines are here!"
"All ships, get into position and take the advantage!"
Not far from Whole Cake Island, the Blackbeard Pirates' fleet had just regrouped when they collided head-on with the Marines, who had broken through the outer defenses. There was no need for words—the flags alone made it clear that one side had to sink!
The pirate fleet was a chaotic mix of medium and large armed sailing ships. Besides the Blackbeard Pirates' triple-skull flag, countless other banners and symbols filled the decks, each ship wildly different in design. Pirates on the decks shouted provocations, baring their teeth in menacing grins… Their appearances were even harder to describe.
On the other hand, the Marines were the picture of order. Uniform ironclad warships, identical white uniforms, and the unmistakable seagull emblem on every flag. Officers wore capes, while higher-ranking commanders sported casual clothes beneath their capes—making it easy to tell ranks at a glance. Even though they were outnumbered three to one, not a single Marine showed fear.
"All ships, maintain formation! Turn starboard—"
"Artillery teams, take position! Wait for my command!"
"Charge!!!"
"Hahaha! Kill them all~~"
Hundreds of ships of all shapes and sizes clashed on the open sea. Against the deep blue water, the rolling decks felt thick and heavy. Cannons stood ready, and the fleets twisted around each other like a giant yin-yang symbol, engaging in a swirling battle that stretched across more than forty miles—an awe-inspiring sight.
This was what a "real" naval battle looked like. Those reckless charges straight into enemy lines? Those only happened when the Marines were chasing the Straw Hat Crew for fun. A proper naval battle wasn't just about brute force—it wasn't like driving a tank straight ahead!
At the same time—
"Moonwalk!"
One by one, Marine officers leaped from their warships into the air. Though the Marines had far fewer ships than Blackbeard's side, their technology was far superior. Forget anything else—one side had iron warships, while the other was still using wooden sailing ships…
Seeing their long-range cannon fire getting crushed by the Marines, the pirate elites quickly changed tactics. Some dove into the sea, some ran across the waves, and a few even attempted to use a crude, half-baked version of "Moonwalk" they had somehow learned. They rushed toward the Marine warships, planning to board them and fight up close. Unfortunately—
"Shigan Lotus!"
"Chaos Blades!"
"Wave-Cutting Slash—"
Marine officers unleashed a storm of ranged attacks, cutting down the pirate elites before they could even land.
Of course, some pirates took the opportunity to "play dead" in the water. After all, everyone could see—
"It's not that we're not trying. The Marines are just too strong!"
In one-on-one fights, the strength of Marines and pirates was fairly even. But in large-scale battles, the Marines easily dominated. Anyone who had played team-based games knew—sometimes, having "teammates" was worse than having none at all!
And most pirates? They were terrible teammates.
At least, that's what Coby thought as he observed the battlefield.
"The Blackbeard Pirates' formation is breaking."
After taking a round of cannon fire and failing their boarding attempt, the massive Blackbeard fleet started to fall into chaos.
Some ships maintained formation and continued firing at the Marines. Others had taken too much damage and slowed down. Some were on fire or taking on water. A few couldn't handle the losses and started turning away…
"It doesn't seem like they have any strong fighters… Wait, that's bad!"
Coby's relief quickly turned to alarm. If the strong enemies weren't here, that meant—
"They're all on Roman's side."
Vice Admirals "Pink Rabbit" Gion and "Brown Pig" Tokikake exchanged glances, then turned their eyes toward the white dove perched on the deck.
"No need… Hmm, you two can move a little closer to Whole Cake Island."
Roman-1, the white dove, figured it was best not to sound too confident. If things really got dangerous, calling for Marine backup wouldn't be the worst idea.
After all, Luffy's grandpa was a Marine hero, and the Marines in this battle were from Garp's faction. In a worst-case scenario, asking for help would be perfectly reasonable.
For now, though—
"Wait a second, I've got a feeling…"
—
"Rubber…"
"Zeahaha! It won't work!!"
Teach's quake-infused punch slammed forward, ripping the space itself apart with dark, jagged cracks! For a brief moment, a broken and shattered world flashed into view.
Even Roman's invisible Armament Haki was twisted and distorted under the power of the Quake-Quake Fruit, as if it might shatter at any moment!
Luffy immediately countered with a Conqueror's Haki-coated punch, but the impact still sent him flying backward, his feet dragging deep trenches in the ground.
"Luffy! Don't go head-to-head with him! Our Haki—"
"I know," Luffy replied.
He dodged Teach's next punch, having already reverted from Gear Fourth.
Luffy's Armament Haki was on cooldown.
Roman's state was slightly better, but as the "armor" taking most of the hits, he was already reaching his limit.
"Gear Second!"
Although Gear Second doesn't need Haki to sustain it, using it right after Gear Fourth means Luffy is burning through his lifespan just to keep fighting.
"It's better than dying, right?"
Hearing Luffy's carefree response, Roman had nothing to say.
Just as he was considering whether to call Momousagi and the others over for "help"—
"Zehahaha! Victory is mine!!"
Teach burst into laughter and charged again, completely abandoning defense. His fists came crashing down like a collapsing mountain, instantly trapping Luffy and Roman in the impact zone!
The ground beneath them shattered and sank, forming a massive crater in an instant.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
"If your power is overwhelming enough to crush everything, then all resistance is meaningless! That's just how this world works—"
"I will create a world of true freedom!!"
Clasping his fists together, Teach roared as he leaped into the air.
At the same time, Leah, sitting on his left shoulder, reached forward and placed her hands over his left fist.
In an instant, darkness crept up his knuckles!
Then—
The power to shatter all things and the power to consume all things fused together.
The space around Teach's fists suddenly shrank, as if the entire world was being violently compressed.
Then, as his locked fists came crashing down—
Even the very fabric of space was torn apart like a ripped curtain!
A streak of black light shot downward toward Luffy and Roman.
"Quake-Dark Annihilation!!"
A thunderous explosion shook the world, the land itself trembling violently!
The sky shuddered in fear.
The earth groaned in pain.
The sea howled in agony.
A deafening sound, so massive it could no longer be heard—so terrifying it defied description—roared across the horizon!
A towering black-and-white energy beam shot thousands of meters into the sky, ripping through the storm clouds that Nami had created.
It was as if a massive torch had set fire to a cotton field—
In an instant, the dark clouds were burned away, leaving a giant circular hole stretching across a hundred miles, letting sunlight pour down onto the devastated battlefield.
Most of the attack's power had been concentrated in a single area, so Cake Island remained largely intact.
But where Roman and Luffy had stood—
Only a massive void remained.
A bottomless black crater, as if it reached all the way down to the planet's core!
Everyone watching the battlefield felt a chill run down their spines.
"Luffy!!"
"Roman?!"
"How… how could this happen…"
"No wonder the Admiral is so feared… That attack was insane!"
Judging by the sheer force behind that blow, it might have even pierced through the planet's crust.
Straw Hat Luffy and his strategist were as good as dead—
"IT'S NOT OVER YET!!"
With Luffy's furious roar, a pair of tattered wings lifted him out of the bottomless pit.
Staggering as he landed on the battlefield once more—
His battered armor cracked all over—
But he *refused* to fall.
Teach was on the verge of losing his mind.
"Huff… How are you two still standing?!"
Even Teach himself was struggling to keep going after such an intense battle.
A fight lasting *ten days and nights* only happens when two evenly matched warriors are holding back, keeping their attacks within a controlled intensity—
Like the friendly duel between Ace and Jinbe.
Or the ideological clash between Akainu and Aokiji.
Or the slugfest between Kaido and Big Mom, where they just kept hammering away at each other with basic attacks—
If they had *really* gone all out from the start with things like *Flame Emperor*, *Hellhound*, or *Mourning Cannon*—
There wouldn't be any *days* of fighting.
It would've been over in minutes.
Or rather—
It would've been over in *life and death*.
"Hah… Hah… Hah…"
Across the massive crater—
Luffy was gasping for air, bracing himself on his knees.
Bruises and swelling covered his entire body, marks left by the Quake-Quake Fruit's relentless attacks.
But—
"You okay, Roman?!"
If Luffy had taken this much damage and was barely staying on his feet, then as the *armor*—
"Don't panic."
The battered white armor trembled slightly as a dazed white dove shook its head, unable to stop its constant nodding.
"I think... I hear singing..."
"Ahhh!! Roman, this is no time to sleep—!"
Even Luffy, as slow as he could be sometimes, could tell that the broken armor was actually Roman's body. And with the dove looking like it was already hearing the sounds of the afterlife, Luffy was starting to panic.
But—
As long as he maintained his paper-based form, no matter how much of his body was destroyed, Roman could always restore himself. What was truly affecting him wasn't just the damage—it was the clash of powerful Haki and the repeated shockwaves from the Tremor-Tremor Fruit tearing through his paper body.
At the same time, he started hearing something strange.
How should he describe it?
When Teach unleashed that devastating attack just now, his paper body was torn apart. Yet, the closer he got to the brink of death, the clearer the music became!
It was like countless tiny wind chimes ringing in harmony, forming a melody both ancient and endless. The sound grew louder, grander—like billions of voices coming together in an awe-inspiring symphony. It was vast, powerful, and overwhelming.
This wasn't just a sound—it was the deep, hidden resonance of every cell in his body, vibrating together. It was the song of life itself.
Like a conductor standing before an orchestra of trillions, Roman focused, listening intently to the voices of every single cell. The music was so strong that it felt like it wasn't just inside him—
Could it affect everything around him?
Without thinking, Roman instinctively waved his hand as if conducting the melody, guiding the sound in the direction he desired—
Whoosh~~?!
"What... is this...?"
Luffy, barely standing at the edge of a massive crater, watched as everything around him started changing in a strange way. The ground, the rubble—everything turned into pure white paper, swirling into the sky like a blizzard.
The battlefield was no longer a battlefield—it was now a world of paper.
"Paper Dance—Awakening!"
The white dove on his shoulder suddenly opened its eyes—
And in them shone a fully energized Roman!
"Pure White World!"
(End of Chapter)