Chapitre 237: Chapter 237
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From deep within the ominous, heavy thunderclouds, countless bolts of lightning crashed down.
In that instant, blinding lightning enveloped all of Cake Island and the surrounding sea.
Thunder roared, the ground trembled, and the once calm sea began to churn, stirring up massive waves that washed the remains of shattered ships ashore.
All the pirate ships that had come to aid Big Mom were reduced to splinters by the divine-like punishment of the heavens!
This was a terrifying judgment that shook the very souls of those who witnessed it!
On the distant islands, both pirates and civilians looked up in horror at the apocalyptic scene unfolding over Cake Island.
Those with weaker mental fortitude collapsed to the ground, their legs giving way beneath them.
Living under the protection of a Sea Emperor for so long, they had forgotten what true danger felt like.
But now, they were beginning to realize that Totto Land, the kingdom they believed to be invincible, might actually fall!
Deep fear settled into the hearts of all who witnessed it, spreading rapidly in all directions.
Totto Land, the archipelago ruled by the Big Mom Pirates, was home not only to Big Mom's children but also to many civilians who regularly offered part of their souls in exchange for protection.
Given the complexity of this situation, it wasn't difficult for spies from other powers to infiltrate.
As a result, news of Warlord Zyhark's attack on the Big Mom Pirates spread quickly throughout the New World, carried by the eyes and ears of these spies.
Whether it was the Sea Emperors, the Warlords, or the kings of the underworld, all the major figures in the New World were stunned by this sudden development.
After all, even the Marines wouldn't dare to challenge the Four Emperors so recklessly!
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Sigh, that troublemaker Zyhark just can't seem to stay still. He's barely finished capturing Shiki, and now he's attacking Big Mom…"
In the office of the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku rubbed his temples in frustration after receiving the latest intelligence.
A battle between a Warlord and a Yonko, no matter the outcome, would have significant consequences for the Marines, and it could further destabilize an already chaotic era.
After all, both factions were major powers maintaining balance on the seas!
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be too hard to handle. But right now, they were in the middle of preparing for the Celestial Dragons' culling operation, and every decision had to be made with that in mind.
"Ahahaha! That brat Zyhark—does he think he can bring down the Yonko, just like that punk Shanks?" Garp laughed heartily, munching on a donut as he lounged nearby.
"If that were his only goal, it wouldn't be so bad. But I'm afraid he has something far more dangerous in mind."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
Having interacted with Zyhark a few times, Sengoku knew that he wasn't the type to act rashly, especially not for something as trivial as the Yonko's title.
There had to be more beneath the surface.
"What about the reactions from the other Emperors and Warlords?" asked the stern-faced Fleet Admiral Kong, turning to Sengoku.
After thinking for a moment, Sengoku replied, "No updates from the surveillance ships yet, but those crafty veterans won't sit idly by, that's for sure."
Kong sighed heavily.
If he had known that such a troublemaker would emerge out of nowhere, he would've handed in his resignation a year earlier!
For some reason, as Sengoku met Kong's gaze, he saw a hint of bitterness in his superior's eyes.
"About Zyhark and Big Mom…" Sengoku ventured cautiously.
"Keep monitoring the situation for now. We'll deal with the results once they come. Right now, the Celestial Dragons' matter is the priority," Kong said, closing the confidential files on his desk.
The Marines existed under the World Government's authority, and without the funds provided by the World Nobles, this machine of justice couldn't function.
Serving the Celestial Dragons first was the reality they had to face.
It was a sad truth that those on the side of justice had to protect those who slaughtered nations…
Sengoku lowered his head slowly, the reflection on his glasses hiding his expression.
Garp, meanwhile, casually picked at his ear as he stood up to leave the office.
Noticing the bold "Justice" written on Garp's back, Kong barked, "Garp! Where do you think you're going?!"
"My body's not feeling great, so I thought I'd head home for a little vacation," Garp replied nonchalantly.
"You idiot!" Kong's teeth ground together in frustration.
Despite his anger, Kong knew all too well that Garp was too laid-back to be swayed by any command, even from the Fleet Admiral himself. Trying to force him would only backfire.
Besides, sending Garp back to the East Blue for a vacation might not be such a bad idea.
After all, the target of the Celestial Dragons' next culling mission just so happened to be the newly established God's Kingdom in the East Blue!
Thinking back on the intel from their spies, Kong rubbed his temples again in frustration.
Let's just hope Zyhark's crew doesn't lose their minds when they find out the country that worships them has been destroyed…
...
Meanwhile, the New World had already erupted into chaos.
As Sengoku had predicted, Zyhark's attack on the Big Mom Pirates had caused even more of an uproar than when Shanks made his move.
Aside from the string of major events Zyhark's crew had caused in recent months, the main reason for the uproar was due to Morgan's secret machinations.
Take the recent capture of the Golden Lion for example. Morgan had spared no expense in spreading the news everywhere!
Gradually, New World pirates began to stir, raising their sails and heading for the Totto Land waters they usually feared to enter.
These opportunists were hoping to snatch a piece of the action amidst the chaos.
At the very least, picking up some scraps wasn't a bad deal either!
As for the Yonko and the Warlords, they had yet to make any significant moves.
In any case, the situation had now become a complete mess.
...
Back on Cake Island.
After several minutes of heart-pounding tension, the terrifying lightning storm finally began to subside.
The island had undergone a complete transformation after the barrage of lightning.
The ground was riddled with craters, and countless candy-themed buildings had collapsed from the impact.
Although it was an exaggeration to say that the elite of the Big Mom Pirates had been completely wiped out, the majority of them had lost their basic fighting capabilities and were no longer a factor in the battle.
It wasn't that Zyhark's long-prepared attack wasn't powerful enough—it was just that, in the world of pirates, lightning wasn't considered the most devastating force.
Eradicating the enemy completely would have required a greater expenditure of stamina and energy, which wasn't a worthwhile trade.
On the battlefield, only the strongest officers—Katakuri, Smoothie, and the core commanders—remained standing.
As the backbone of the Big Mom Pirates, they weren't the type to be taken out by a single lightning strike.
Even so, the situation enraged Big Mom to no end.
"You brat! How dare you do something so unforgivable to my precious island and my subordinates!" Big Mom roared, veins bulging on her forehead as she gripped her emperor's sword. Zeus and Prometheus floated by her sides, her Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) uncontrollably bursting forth, forming red lightning that crackled around her.
This was her berserk state—something that only occurred when she was consumed by uncontrollable fury!
Standing calmly atop a pile of rubble, Zyhark made no response to Big Mom's enraged screams.
In addition to severely weakening the Big Mom Pirates, he also wanted to test whether her iron balloon-like defense would fail in her berserk state, just like in the original story.
Although it wasn't the most honorable tactic, the world of pirates was ruthless by nature.
If a conflict couldn't be resolved peacefully, then he had to gather enough information to ensure victory, no matter the means.
His companions had followed him into Totto Land with unwavering determination, so it was his responsibility to guarantee their safety—no matter the strategy!
"Katakuri, leave that brat Zyhark to me! You and the others take out the rest of his crew!" Big Mom's face twisted with rage as she issued her command to Katakuri and the others.
"Understood, Mama." Katakuri raised his trident, his eyes glowing with Haki.
Meanwhile, Smoothie, Cracker, and the other officers snapped out of their shock from the apocalyptic scene and unleashed their strongest Devil Fruit powers.
The true battle between the Yonko and the Warlord had only just begun!
After giving her orders, Big Mom charged forward, stomping the ground with such force that it shattered beneath her. She shot toward Zyhark like a cannonball, her emperor's sword crackling with red lightning. Even the air seemed to scream under the pressure of her attack.
"Elbaf Spear: Ikoku!!"
Her Conqueror's Haki-infused attack exploded forward.
"One-Sword Style: Cliff Sword!"
Zyhark braced himself, channeling all his power into the Sandai Kitetsu, unleashing a molten sword strike wrapped in advanced Armament Haki.
Boom!
The two forces collided in mid-air, creating an earth-shattering explosion.
Amidst the fire and smoke, Big Mom charged through, her iron balloon-like body taking no damage as she increased her speed, appearing in front of Zyhark in the blink of an eye.
At nearly nine meters tall, she cast a massive shadow over him.
"Mother's Flame!"
Prometheus's flames wrapped around her emperor's sword as she swung it down at Zyhark's head.
Zyhark's eyes flashed red as he crossed his Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri in front of him to block the attack.
Bang!
The moment their blades connected, the overwhelming force surged through Zyhark's body and into the ground beneath him, causing the earth to crack and split apart.
This was the monstrous strength of Big Mom at her peak!
Without the enhanced durability he gained from the Fountain of Wishes, I would've been crushed into the ground with just that one hit…
Zyhark couldn't help but marvel at the sheer power of Big Mom's monstrous race.
"Is this all you've got, brat? You think you can take me down with that?" Big Mom sneered, her single-handed grip on her sword exerting even more force as she taunted him.
Her immense strength continued to rise, pressing Zyhark to the point where he could barely hold her back.
Understanding the vast difference in their strength, Zyhark's eyes flashed. In an instant, a devastating bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking Big Mom directly.
However, the lightning, which would have incapacitated any other pirate, had no effect on Big Mom.
She didn't even bother to dodge, continuing her sword swing as if nothing had happened!
So even in her berserk state, her iron balloon defense remains intact?
Seeing Big Mom completely unaffected by the lightning, Zyhark frowned.
"Watch closely, brat. This is how you truly wield lightning!"
Big Mom grabbed Zeus with her free hand, unleashing a surge of purple lightning.
"Thunderbolt: Thunder Drum!"
Crack!
A massive thunder pillar, nearly identical to Zyhark's, struck down at his position!
In an instant, the fragile ground finally reached its breaking point, shattering into countless pieces.
As a Goro Goro no Mi user, Zyhark wasn't affected by the lightning itself, but without any solid footing, he was left vulnerable. Both he and his blades were sent crashing into a deep pit.
"Heavenly Fireball!"
Big Mom didn't give him a chance to recover, sending another fireball from Prometheus straight into the pit.
The explosion filled the crater with flames, illuminating the entire battlefield.
Amidst the roaring flames, arcs of electricity flickered as Zyhark's form reappeared in mid-air.
In the split second before the fireball hit, he had used his elemental form to avoid most of the damage.
Big Mom, with her vast combat experience, wasn't surprised. She immediately leaped onto the expanded Prometheus and charged into the sky with murderous intent.
"Devour."
Having gathered enough information on Big Mom, Zyhark knew that a quick victory was impossible, so he activated his Devour mode for a prolonged battle.
"Ikoku!"
"Black Lightning!"
The two clashed in mid-air, their blades infused with immense power, creating a storm of lightning and fire that spread out in all directions.
The shockwaves rippled through the air like waves, distorting space around them.
Looking up, one could see the sky darken as the clouds began to collapse inward, forming a massive abyss at the center.
The sky had split open!
With this cataclysmic display of power that only the strongest warriors could produce, Zyhark and Big Mom's battle truly began.
High above, lightning and fire clashed as Haki shook the heavens. From time to time, powerful bolts of lightning, fireballs, and shockwaves rained down, exploding across Cake Island and the surrounding seas.
Watching this apocalyptic scene from afar, the elite members of the Big Mom Pirates who were still on other islands stood frozen in disbelief.
They couldn't even fathom what would happen to weaklings like themselves if they were to get involved in such a battle!
Even the pirates who had survived the lightning storm and retained their consciousness were filled with an overwhelming urge to retreat, using their injuries as an excuse to move to the backlines.
But, under the pressure of Big Mom and the high-ranking officers, they didn't dare leave the battlefield entirely.
As they stood there, unsure of whether to advance or retreat, the head chef, Streusen, appeared behind Big Mom, giving them a slight sense of relief.
"Those ranked as officers or above, go and support Linlin and Katakuri! The rest of you, return to your respective islands and hold your positions!"
Having been by Big Mom's side the longest, Streusen understood the consequences of Linlin and Katakuri being caught in the heart of the battle.
The nearby forces wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity, so they couldn't afford to send all their troops to Cake Island.
The pirates, now free from their fear, quickly turned their ships around and fled.
Only a few of the stronger ones—such as Charlotte Moscato of Ice Cream Island and Charlotte Amande of Nuts Island—continued toward Cake Island with their original intent.
The entire battlefield was descending into chaos and reaching its boiling point.
(End of Chapter)
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