The Big Mom Pirates lacked an effective aerial defense, making their lines incredibly easy to breach. After all, the concept of an "air force" was practically non-existent in this world, and naturally, they had very little experience dealing with such strikes. Only after suffering a few painful setbacks had they beefed up their numbers of large-caliber firearms and rocket launchers to counter the assaults of these living, flying constructs.
Marcus of the Triangle Pirates led the charge. The great ringed blade in his hand moved in a flawless, lethal dance, ending a life with every swing. He tore through the ruins of one high-rise and pushed into the next, finding almost no one capable of stopping his advance.
Behind him, Rock rode atop a metallic griffon, his arm transformed into a pitch-black gun barrel, relentlessly firing high-explosive shells to cover Marcus's path.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG...
The sounds of violent explosions were unending. A vast number of animated constructs charged madly into the fray. With the Big Mom Pirates' defensive grid shattered, the artillery on nearby high ground could no longer provide support, and their defensive lines on the streets quickly fell into a desperate struggle.
Several Dragonians plowed into the enemy ranks like heavy tanks, carving a bloody path of carnage.
"Stop them, Joscarpone!"
"Together now, Mascarpone!"
Two siblings with long, snake-like necks appeared on the battlefield. Both were tall and slender, gripping naginatas. They were dressed in identical outfits; white tunics, pink cloaks, gladiator-style sandals, and a decorative golden ring around each of their necks.
Charlotte Mascarpone, the 34th son of the Charlotte Family, Snakeneck Tribe!
Charlotte Joscarpone, the 29th daughter of the Charlotte Family, Snakeneck Tribe!
They were fraternal twins who always moved in unison. Each intercepted one of the Dragonians, locking them in fierce combat.
Zzzzt—Zzzzt—
Suddenly, a piercing sound of thunder erupted, as if a thousand birds were chirping at once.
KABOOM!
A bolt of lightning, as thick as a water barrel, shot from out of nowhere, obliterating a ruined shop beside the street. Countless fragments of stone exploded outward, and a violent gale of wind blasted through the area, burying over a dozen Big Mom pirates beneath the rubble.
Lightning danced through the crowd like a living thing, overturning scores of Chess Soldiers and pirates. Those poor souls were either scorched black by the discharge or sliced open by a hidden blade; few remained standing.
Watching from the high-rise, Perospero gritted his teeth in fury. "That bastard Vito! Candy Wave!!!"
Without a second thought, Perospero swung his arm, turning his hand into liquid purple candy. He sprayed a massive deluge of it downward, sending a flood of sticky, violet liquid surging through the street like a tsunami, rushing toward the lightning bolt.
"Thunder Claw!!!"
A roar echoed through the air.
Five streaks of lightning flashed by, sharp as terrible blades. In an instant, they tore the earth asunder, slicing right through the surging candy flood.
"Look out! Get out of the way!"
Perospero's face turned pale with shock. He shouted a warning and immediately smashed through the nearby floor-to-ceiling glass window, diving down from the building.
BOOM!RUMBLE—
The next moment, the four-story building was struck by the five bolts of lightning. It was cleaved into six segments, instantly collapsing into a heap of rubble that crushed the surrounding streets and houses.
The ground shuddered violently as the building fell, kicking up a massive wall of dust and debris that radiated outward like a shockwave.
The street was turned into a complete mess, choked with stones and masonry, burying countless soldiers beneath the debris.
"Damn it, what a troublesome person!"
Mont-d'Or stood atop his floating books, staring at the figure below with a grim expression.
Thanks to Perospero's warning, some had managed to jump clear, but others were not so lucky, either sliced apart by the razor-sharp lightning or buried alive beneath the falling stone.
"To think so many officers would be gathered here. What a pleasant surprise!" Vito stood in the center of the street, arcs of electricity still dancing across his body. He grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. "Perospero, Mont-d'Or... I've managed to catch quite a few big fish in this net!"
Perospero picked himself up from the ground, looking somewhat disheveled. He wiped the dust from his cheek, his expression darkening further.
It wasn't just frustration over that last attack; it was the realization that their defensive line had completely collapsed. Even the enemy's reserves, the main force of the Chris Pirates and the Kingdom Army, had joined the fray, successfully breaking into this controlled sector.
"Hahaha! As expected of our Captain, every move he makes is world-shaking!"
Marcus laughed loudly as he leaped from a half-collapsed tower. BOOM! He landed heavily, cracking the ground beneath his feet, the sheer force of his impact kicking up a storm of dust.
"Damn you, Marcus! I'll crush you into pulp! Candy Maiden!!!"
The moment he saw him, Perospero's temper boiled over. He raised his hand, molding a massive amount of golden candy into the shape of a multi-meter-tall Iron Maiden, which he sent crushing toward Marcus.
Marcus narrowed his eyes, swinging his blade in a single stroke. A sharp, invisible slash sliced through the golden Maiden, splitting it in half and sending the pieces crashing to either side of him.
"Mont-d'Or, where are you looking!"
Rock sat astride his metal griffon with a wicked grin, his arm-turned-cannon aimed straight at the airborne Mont-d'Or.
"Machine Gun: Rapid Fire!!!"
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—
Flashes of fire ignited from his muzzle, spitting out fist-sized, pitch-black shells.
"Damn you, Rock!"
Mont-d'Or was caught off guard, frantically maneuvering his books to dodge left, right, up, and down.
The streets and buildings below paid the price, shredded by the relentless barrage. Dust flew, debris scattered, and many of the Big Mom Pirates were caught in the crossfire, their bodies mangled and torn to shreds.
"Get out of the way!"
Saint-Marc leaped dozens of meters from the ruins of a high-rise. To Rock's astonishment, he delivered three heavy punches into the metal griffon beneath him.
WHAM—
His fists sank into the griffon's body, tearing the metal construct into pieces that exploded outward like shrapnel. Rock cried out as he plummeted, flailing wildly in the air.
"More-More: 10x Speed!!!"
A blur shot through the air, moving faster than the human eye could track. It snatched Rock mid-air and set him down safely on the street.
"Myles Dimitri!"
Perospero and Mont-d'Or's expressions sank. Another troublesome bastard has arrived, they thought.
Dimitri turned back with a calm demeanor, looking somewhat dissatisfied as he shouted at Vito and Marcus: "Pick up the pace! Enel has already succeeded on his end. He's starting to squeeze their living space!"
Pere, pere, pere... pere, pere, pere...
The sound of a Den Den Mushi rang out from Perospero's pocket. He glanced at Vito and Dimitri before reaching in to answer it.
Click.
"This is Perospero!"
"It's terrible, Perospero-sama! Mama and the Golden Ring Aeridar have crashed into the Mirror World to fight, and the landing mirror exits on the coast have all been smashed by the God of Thunder, Enel!"
"Nani—?!"
"Also, Snack-sama has been killed by Enel! He is confirmed dead!!!"
"Are... are you joking…"
Perospero staggered back two steps, his face etched with utter, soul-crushing disbelief.
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