Standing on another island, Hancock gazed toward the tiny speck of land far in the distance, her heart heavy with worry. "Lord Grimm…"
Even from this great distance, she could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from the clash.
She could only imagine what kind of relentless shockwaves Grimm was enduring, fighting right at the center of it all.
"Keep your focus, Pirate Empress!"
Vista shouted as he swung his twin swords toward her.
Hancock dodged sideways, then snapped out a high kick wreathed in blazing golden‑yellow flames.
Vista crossed his blades to block, but the force of the blow sent him flying backward dozens of meters.
"What monstrous strength… is she truly just a newcomer?"
Vista frowned, still reeling. Though her bounty had already reached 250 million Berries, the power Hancock had displayed since the battle began left even this seasoned veteran in awe.
"Get out of the way, Vista!"
Hearing the shout behind him, Vista leaped aside instantly. Jozu, his entire body transformed into impenetrable diamond, charged forward like a war chariot.
"Hmph — a straightforward brute‑force attack."
Hancock casually brushed her long hair back over her shoulder. Suddenly, deep crimson flames erupted around her, and she reached out with both hands toward her chest.
Out of thin air, a massive battle‑axe over three meters long, forged entirely of red fire, materialized in her grip.
"Divine Flame Execution!"
In her high‑heeled sandals, Hancock moved with astonishing speed, appearing directly before the diamond giant in an instant.
Before Jozu could react, she slammed the flaming axe straight against his crossed arms.
"Impossible! Challenging Jozu in a contest of raw power?!" Vista cried out in shock.
Jozu was renowned throughout the Whitebeard Pirates as one of the strongest in terms of sheer physical force. No one dared to clash with him head‑on — not even Marco.
Yet this tall, graceful woman had struck him directly with a giant axe that looked as if its handle alone would snap under its own weight. Was she mad?
But the reality proved otherwise. Hancock was far from mad — in fact, she pushed Jozu back.
Ever since gaining the power of the Inferno Judge, and combined with years of rigorous self‑training, she had grown far beyond who she once was.
And the strength of the Inferno Judge lay not only in its purifying flames, but also in overwhelming physical might.
"Ugh!"
Jozu let out a heavy grunt as he stumbled back more than ten meters.
The fiery axe in Hancock's hands dissolved into sparks of light and vanished, yet she lifted her chin proudly, as if silently showing off her victory.
"Commander Jozu… defeated in a test of strength?!"
"Unbelievable! The man who can lift entire mountains just like that… beaten?!"
"As expected of Empress Hancock!"
"She is the strongest ruler Amazon Lily has ever had!"
The warriors from both sides fighting nearby turned their heads at the commotion, just in time to see Hancock clash with Jozu and force him back.
The Whitebeard Pirates stared in disbelief, their jaws practically hanging open, while the morale of the Kuja surged instantly.
At that moment, a cry of pain rang out — Marigold, wielding a massive trident, had just taken down two more of Whitebeard's crew.
She twirled her weapon with a confident smirk. "What are you all standing around for? The battle is far from over!"
Shaken back to attention, everyone raised their weapons once more and plunged back into the fight.
Near the shoreline, Mannoroth was locked in combat with nearly half of the Whitebeard Pirates' non‑Devil‑Fruit users.
Leading them was Marco, the Phoenix — user of the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit, who possessed the power of flight.
Transforming into a bird of bright, icy‑blue flames, Marco slammed his body hard against Mannoroth's massive frame.
"So tough…"
The moment he made contact, Marco felt the immense durability of the giant's body.
When he looked closer, he saw that Mannoroth had raised one hand to block the blow — and surprisingly, flesh and muscle were now growing over the bone.
Partial Flesh Regeneration — an ability Grimm had purchased for Mannoroth using his reward points. It was extremely costly, requiring 1,000 Holy Light Points alone.
Unlike before, points were now far harder to earn. Slaying enemies or winning battles barely yielded any; to gain them at all, one had to fight opponents of equal strength — and even then, the amount was pitifully small.
That was also why Grimm had never summoned any additional companions: the cost of 5,000 points was now astronomical.
But those 1,000 points had been well spent. Even with only partial regeneration, Mannoroth could wield his full might without restraint.
"What in the world?!"
Marco's usual half‑lidded eyes snapped wide open.
After fighting for a full day and night, he had assumed Mannoroth was nothing but a walking skeleton — yet now, flesh was growing right before his eyes.
Mannoroth raised his newly restored arm, a hint of amusement in his tone. "At least now… this arm can unleash my full power."
With that, he swung his fist directly at Marco.
Even though Marco hardened his arms in Armament Haki to block, he was still sent flying hundreds of meters away, tumbling wildly through the air before finally regaining his balance.
"That arm covered in flesh… its strength has more than doubled. This giant is far more dangerous than we thought."
Izou, his lips painted red, frowned and turned to his men. "Have Squard and the others arrived yet?"
An hour after the fighting began, Izou had sent word to summon the affiliated pirate crews under Whitebeard's banner — such as Squard's Great Manta Ray Pirates, Elmy's crew, and others.
In total, there were twenty‑eight allied crews, numbering over ten thousand men.
"Commander Izou! Captains Squard, Elwan, Makugai, and Kinga are leading their fleets and will arrive shortly!" one of his subordinates reported quickly.
"Only four? Well… it will have to do." Izou nodded.
Most of Whitebeard's affiliated crews were scattered across the New World, while a few remained in the first half of the Grand Line.
Gathering them all within a single day was simply impossible.
Whitebeard had never intended to start a major war, so he had brought only a fraction of his forces. As always, fate had other plans, and the battle had erupted anyway.
Meanwhile, Hancock launched a relentless offensive, driving Jozu back step by step.
If not for his diamond armor shielding him, he would have been rolling on the ground in agony by now.
"Flame Arrows!"
Hancock formed a massive glowing heart with her lips, drew it back like a bowstring, and unleashed a storm of fiery projectiles.
Anyone struck by these arrows would be engulfed in flames and suffer excruciating pain. Yet strangely, the fire did not seem lethal…
In truth, Hancock had not called upon the flames that purify everything in existence.
Instead, she used the fire that purifies sin. The more evil a person had committed, the greater the damage it inflicted.
To the flames, these men of the Whitebeard Pirates were guilty of many crimes — but not worthy of total annihilation.
Though there might be exceptions, they were few and far between.
But being slowly burned alive was so agonizing that many of them thought death would be a kinder fate.
And that was exactly what Hancock wanted: for them to confess and repent their sins under the light of the Holy Flame.
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