(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
When the news reached Marine Headquarters, Sengoku found himself in a difficult position.
Under normal circumstances, if a Marine base were under siege by pirates, Headquarters would naturally send reinforcements—especially against the combined assault of three Emperor crews.
Even if Marine Headquarters itself were under attack, it would likely be reduced to ruins, let alone the much smaller G-5 base.
After this battle, even the island itself might cease to exist. However, the World Government had issued a direct order: The Marines were not to intervene.
This left Sengoku trapped between two impossible choices. On one side was the World Government's absolute command.
On the other was the fate of G-5's soldiers—and Byakuya himself. Sengoku understood Byakuya's nature well. The man never forgot a grudge.
If the Marines stood by and did nothing, and Byakuya somehow survived the onslaught of three Emperor crews, then the bond between him and the Marines would be completely severed.
Sengoku recalled what Zephyr had once said:
{"Even if Byakuya is part of the Night Organization, under his leadership, they've never harmed a single Marine. On the contrary, they've helped eliminate countless pirates."}
A complicated expression crossed Sengoku's face as another memory surfaced—Byakuya's own words from the past:
"The Marines exist to uphold justice on the seas, not to be the World Government's lapdogs."
Just then, a sharp knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. A soldier rushed in anxiously.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Instructor Zephyr and Vice Admiral Garp have departed for the New World!"
Sengoku muttered under his breath, "So those two old fools have made their decision…"
On a Marine warship cutting through the waves, Zephyr glared at Garp.
"I'm going to save my student. What the hell are you tagging along for?"
Garp, completely unfazed, replied matter-of-factly, "My grandson is on your student's ship!"
"If your student is heading back to G-5 to throw his life away, do you think I'm just going to sit back and let my grandson die with him?"
The two locked eyes then burst into laughter. Zephyr understood Garp too well.
Of course, Garp wanted to save his grandson, but deep down, he likely also wanted to save Byakuya—and the entire G-5 base.
Back at Marine Headquarters, Sengoku made his decision. He would send reinforcements.
If the World Government wanted to remove him as Fleet Admiral over this, then so be it.
"I didn't want this damn job anyway!"
Sengoku knew that a battle of this magnitude was beyond ordinary Marines. Only the strongest forces on the seas could stand a chance.
When the battle started, anyone weaker than the admiral level would be reduced to collateral damage.
He immediately issued orders to all three Marine Admirals in the field. But after making three consecutive calls, Sengoku's face darkened.
Among the three, Aokiji was the quickest to agree.
His response made it clear that even if Sengoku hadn't ordered it, he would have gone to G-5 anyway.
This didn't surprise Sengoku—Aokiji and Byakuya had always been on good terms. It was only natural that he would step in now.
However, both Akainu and Kizaru refused.
Kizaru, true to his usual indifferent nature, chose to side with the World Government. After all, they were the ones signing his paycheck.
But Akainu didn't just refuse—he outright urged Sengoku not to defy the World Government over someone who was probably part of the Night Organization.
In fact, the World Government had guaranteed Akainu that he would be the next Fleet Admiral if he didn't get involved.
With that promise in hand, there was no way Akainu would go to G-5. A bitter smile crossed his face as Sengoku hung up the last call.
"I'm the Fleet Admiral… yet I have no real authority over my own admirals. I'm nothing more than a figurehead now."
Byakuya's words rang in his mind once more. For a long time, Sengoku remained silent. Then, with a deep sigh, he turned his gaze to the G-5 base on the map.
"Byakuya… this is the most I can do for you."
High above G-5, a massive bird flapped its wings—Morgans, the World Economy News Paper president.
Holding a Transponder Snail, he broadcasted the battle live to the entire world.
In major cities across the seas, massive screens lit up, displaying the G-5 base surrounded by three Emperor crews.
Over a billion people tuned in to witness what seemed to be a completely one-sided massacre. The world buzzed with speculation.
"How long do you think G-5 will last? Three hours? One?"
Someone scoffed.
"One hour? Hah! Whitebeard alone could level the entire island in under a minute! Now there are three Emperors… if they last more than thirty seconds, I'd be impressed."
Another chimed in.
"But isn't Fujitora as strong as an Admiral? That should buy them more time, right?"
"An Admiral? You're talking about three Emperors and their entire crews. There's no comparison!"
Then, a different question emerged.
"Do you think Byakuya will come back?"
A moment of silence. Then, someone snorted.
"Come back? To do what—die? Without the Marines backing him, no one could survive this siege."
"Just watch. Maybe even after G-5 is completely destroyed, Byakuya still won't show up."
The three Emperor-level pirate crews gradually closed in on G-5, entering the range of the fortress cannons.
Faced with an overwhelming pressure that could break any ordinary person, Issho stood alone at the front of the fortress wall.
Though his figure wasn't imposing, at this moment, he seemed larger than life in the soldiers' eyes.
After all, with Issho's strength, he could easily carve out a path for himself and escape before the pirates completely surrounded the base.
But he didn't. He chose to stand his ground alongside the soldiers and defend G-5 together.
Issho made this decision purely from the depths of his heart. Abandoning the soldiers to flee on his own was something he could never do.
More than that, he believed—he knew—that Byakuya would return at the crucial moment.
Ferguson, his expression heavy, approached Issho and whispered, "Vice Admiral Issho, the pirates are within firing range."
That meant the battle was about to begin.
Hearing this, Issho took a deep breath and bellowed, "All soldiers, listen up! Fire every round we have as fast as possible!"
"FIRE!"
With Issho's command, over a hundred cannons were fired simultaneously.
Flames burst from the barrels, and a hail of cannonballs streaked through the sky, leaving graceful arcs before plummeting toward the pirate fleets.
The relentless bombardment formed an impenetrable web of projectiles in the air. As the shells rained down, three figures from the Emperor crews stepped forward.
King let out a sharp screech as flames erupted from his body.
Transforming into his pteranodon form, he soared into the sky, slicing through the falling cannonballs with his razor-sharp wings.
With each flash of black steel, the shells split apart midair, exploding like fireworks. Marco, also taking flight, transformed into his phoenix form.
With a single flap of his wings, his ethereal blue flames surged forward, engulfing the incoming cannonballs meant for the Whitebeard Pirates.
The shells detonated instantly, consumed by the burning inferno. On the Big Mom Pirates' side, Katakuri took the lead under Linlin's watchful gaze.
His arms morphed into a finely woven net of mochi, catching the shells midair.
With a sharp pull, he compressed the entire payload into a single mass, causing them to explode harmlessly within his grasp.
These three weren't just any fighters. They were the strongest under their respective captains, second only to the Emperors themselves.
Their power placed them somewhere between the second and first tiers of the sea's strongest.
While they might not fully match a Marine Admiral, they could still put up a fierce fight against one.
Yet within G-5, the only Admiral-level combatant was Issho. Once the battle began, these three alone could keep Issho occupied.
That was without factoring in Kaido and Big Mom, who lurked nearby, ready to strike. Not to mention the strongest man in the world—Whitebeard.
For the first time, Issho's unwavering belief wavered. Even if Byakuya did return… would it really change anything?
Before he could dwell on it further, a thunderous voice erupted from the Whitebeard Pirates' ranks:
"Where's Byakuya?! Get him out here and make him confess his accomplices! Otherwise, your entire G-5 will be buried alongside Ace and Thatch!"
From the Beasts Pirates, another shout rang out:
"Byakuya killed two of my Tobi Roppo! Today, he dies to avenge them!"
Katakuri hesitated under Big Mom's fierce glare, then steeled himself and declared, "Byakuya infiltrated Totto Land as a member of the Night Organization, causing devastation to our people! The Big Mom Pirates are here for vengeance as well!"
But for some reason, as soon as he spoke, his unease only grew.
Katakuri had always known Byakuya was affiliated with the Night Organization.
To protect his family, he had buried that knowledge deep within him, never daring to expose it. But now, it turned out that Mama already knew.
That realization made him tense up even more. If Byakuya thought he was the one who leaked the secret… wouldn't Byakuya hunt down and destroy his entire family?
Faced with Big Mom's thirst for revenge, Katakuri saw only one way out.
The best outcome now was for the three Emperor crews to kill Byakuya and the Night Organization, eliminating any chance of retaliation.
That was why he had stepped forward to block the cannon fire earlier. Hearing the accusations from all sides, Issho let out a bitter chuckle.
Byakuya… this guy really knew how to cause trouble. And the worst part? Byakuya stirred up chaos, then left him, an old man, to clean up the mess.
Issho sighed internally, then steadied his mind and replied in a firm voice:
"Byakuya isn't in G-5 right now, but the Marines will never bow to threats from pirates. If you want a fight—then fight it is!"
Fergus and the soldiers roared in unison:
"FIGHT!"
At that moment, the Marines' morale, which had been sinking, surged back up. Each soldier had resolved themselves to fight to the death.
Seeing this, King's eyes flashed coldly.
He had suffered a loss at Issho's hands once before. Now that the odds were in his favour, it was time for payback.
With a sharp flick of his wings, King unleashed several powerful wind blades, their speed rivalling the slashes of a master swordsman.
Issho sidestepped nimbly. As he drew his cane sword, a massive purple tiger manifested along the blade.
With a deafening roar, the tiger lunged forward—shattering the wind blades in an instant.
(T/N: From tomorrow (19.02.2025) until Sunday (23.02.2025), I will not update anything as my family and I go on vacation. So, I am taking this chance to relax from work. Monday (24.02.2025), I will return and upload as scheduled. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I need this vacation so much. I love you guys and will see you again next week.)
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 10 advanced Chapters for you guys.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > OP:OPM NOVEL TIER