Chapter 115: Pirate Warriors

"Mom’s on the move!!"

"We're going in too!! Stick to the plan—start by targeting the surrounding Marines and Whitebeard’s subordinate pirates!!"

"Go!! Chess Battalion!!"

At the eastern plaza of Marineford’s bay port, the Big Mom Pirates make their entrance. The Marines tremble at the sight of this bizarre force.

"What the—!? Candy!?"

"And all these weird creatures…!!"

"Don’t panic!! The Big Mom Pirates—Big Mom included—are mostly Paramecia-type Devil Fruit users!! Everything you're seeing is from their abilities!!"

Marines, unsure how to deal with the strange powers before them, are held together by the shouts of several Vice Admirals trying to keep morale from crumbling. But even for Vice Admirals, handling Big Mom’s troops and officers—many of whom are her children—is proving to be a struggle.

"The Cream Monster!!"

"The Demon Slash—Majigiren!!"

"Heh heh… If you think you can handle this, go ahead and try… Perorin♪ —Cracker!!"

"Yeah…!! All set and ready…!! —Advance!!"

“…! What the—!? There’s a whole bunch of guys with the same face!!”

On orders from Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte Family, one man appears in many forms. Like the Pacifistas with the face of Bartholomew Kuma, these tough soldiers, all made by one man, begin attacking the Marines.

"Uwaaaaah!!"

"That’s… a Sweet Commander!! 'Thousand-Armed Cracker'!!!"

"I can’t let my big brothers do all the work…!! Time to squeeze them dry!!"

"! That giant woman—!!"

"Sweet Commander Smoothie!!"

The highest-ranking officers of the Big Mom Pirates, known as the Sweet Commanders, begin to act. The long-legged woman—Smoothie—extracts fluids from people around her, growing larger as she slashes through enemies. Ahead of her, multiple Crackers each mow down Marines, pushing the frontlines alongside the Chess Battalion.

But the Marines don’t just sit and take it. From their ranks, a tall man leaps out to respond immediately.

"Ice Time."

"!? —It’s Aokiji!!"

"Kuzan-san!!"

One of the Navy’s strongest forces, Admiral Aokiji. A Logia-type Devil Fruit user, wielder of the Hie Hie no Mi—he instantly freezes the advancing Chess Soldiers and Cracker army.

His terrifying power and combat prowess are well known, worthy of all caution. Even Big Mom’s fiercest warriors furrow their brows at the sight.

"Brother Cracker!!"

"…I’ve never heard of Cracker having multiple bodies… Which one’s the real deal?"

According to Navy intel, Cracker can multiply limbs and objects—but this? Aokiji narrows his eyes. Even as a secret weapon, this seems far too unnatural.

"Well… guess I’ll just freeze them all and smash them. Simple enough."

"……!!"

With that, Aokiji moves again to freeze Cracker and the other Charlotte children. He can’t afford to spend too much time here. He needs to finish this quickly.

"Let’s wrap this up, fa—!!?"

—But his move was anticipated.

A black object strikes him mid-sentence—coated in flames and Armament Haki—blasting him away. He tries to evade with his fluid body, but not completely: blood trickles from the corner of his mouth. Regaining posture immediately, he looks up—and sees a warrior even he knows well from the Big Mom Pirates.

"'Wrap this up quickly,' you say… But I’m afraid I can’t allow that."

"…Sweet Commander Katakuri…!"

Said to be the greatest masterpiece of the Charlotte Family—over a billion in bounty—the second son, Sweet Commander Katakuri, retracts his extended arm and stands before Aokiji.

And in that moment, Aokiji realizes—this man is reading the future, anticipating his attacks… even his words.

"…If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. Just don’t lay a hand on my family."

"It is easier not to talk if the message gets across either way… But this fight won’t be an easy one. That much’s for sure…"

Aokiji swallows the words he’d intended about trying to thin their numbers beforehand. There’s no taking it easy now. Aokiji and Katakuri clash—and the battle between the Big Mom Pirates and the Marines intensifies, with their duel at the center.

---

On the western bay port of Marineford, a group of hot-blooded pirates, many sporting horns, had begun their charge.

“Guh…! No good!! We can’t hold them back…!!”

“Reform the defense line!! Pull back!!”

“Watch out for the ones with the black horns!! They've got strange abilities!!”

The Marines attempted to intercept the charging pirates, but before long, orders came to pull back the line, and they began to move.

After all, when facing the most combat-hardened of the Four Emperors—the “Beasts Pirates”—a straightforward clash would never be enough to hold the front.

“Go!! Cut them down and slaughter them all!! Pleasures!! Gifters!!!”

“Gyahahaha!!! Roger that, Jack-sama~~~!!!”

“Feast your eyes on our powers~~~!!”

“What the hell…!? They're laughing…!!”

“There’s so many of them…!? And every single one is a Zoan-type user…!?”

These strange “laughing combatants” and the bizarrely transforming Zoan-type Devil Fruit users visibly dampened Marine morale.

Even so, the Marines couldn’t afford to be overwhelmed. Vice admirals and other high-ranking officers stepped forward to lead the defense against the Beasts Pirates.

“Shigan!!”

“Gahh!!”

“Don’t falter!! Hold the line at least until we take out the Whitebeard Pirates!!”

“Vice Admiral Dalmatian!!”

Like many of the Beasts Pirates, Vice Admiral Dalmatian was also a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. He and several Marine giants joined the fray in an attempt to push back the enemy forces.

However, unlike the other fronts, the absence of an admiral here was a major disadvantage.

“You lot!! You’ve got those sweet new powers…!! So go wild and tear it up!!”

“Yes, Sasaki-san!!”

“Hey, don’t let Sasaki outshine you!! Push forward and take down as many as you can!!”

“Sir!!”

“!? That’s… Sasaki and Who’s-Who!!”

Two men leading a horde of combatants known as “Gifters”—each formerly captains of their own crews, now elite officers called “Tobiroppo.” With their subordinates, they tore through Marine ranks like paper.

But another force was targeting the pirates from behind: the government’s human weapons, the Pacifista.

“Pacifista!! Target the Beasts Pirates!! Close in and trap them in a pincer!!”

“Oh my… Crashing the party? How rude.”

“Maria-sis. Should we do something about it?”

“Oh yes, let’s♡ Today’s not a day for pouring drinks or doing hostess work. Today’s a day for dancing wild and free!!”

“Yes, Maria-sis!!”

“!!?”

But even the Pacifista were met by a counteroffensive from another squad. While their performance was far from poor, the raw physical power of the Beasts Pirates far exceeded that of ordinary humans or soldiers. Several were strong enough to take down a Pacifista in a single blow.

“What the hell is this junk heap!? Out of my way~~~!!!”

“Ghh…!! That’s… Ulti!!”

And the leader of the Pacifista unit, Sentomaru, saw one of them get shattered by a headbutt. Sensing a threat, he infused his Haki and braced as the attacker charged straight at him. She, too, noticed Sentomaru and readied herself again.

“Ashigara Dokkoi!!!”

“Ul-Head Gun—ZUGAN!!!”

Sentomaru’s palm strike collided with the girl’s forehead, unleashing shockwaves all around.

Pushed back slightly and grimacing in pain, Sentomaru immediately reached for his battle axe.

“! My Haki… was overpowered…!!”

“Hah!? Your lame Haki’s nothing!! Get outta my way!! I’m here to back up Lady Nue…!!”

“Big Sis!! We were told not to enter the bay!! We’re supposed to be over here!!”

“Huh, really!? In that case, I’m off to follow Kaido-sama!! Move it, you axe freak!!”

“Tch… What a pain in the ass…!!”

“Watch out!! The Tobiroppo and the All-Stars are stepping in!!”

Dinosaur-type Devil Fruit users—Zoan-type Ancient Models. Their power and durability far surpassed even regular Zoan users. Even the mighty Pacifista were smashed apart by just one of these dinosaurs' attacks.

And now, the battlefield just ahead of Marineford’s bay port—where Marines had gathered in large numbers—

“Vice Admiral Maynard!!”

“Ghh…! Curse you, Jack!!”

“Stop him, no matter what!!”

Charging at the front alongside the Gifters was the Mammoth-type user: the Beasts Pirates’ All-Star “Jack the Drought.” He crushed a vice admiral and drove the front line forward. As their comrade fell, the Marines gritted their teeth and locked their sights on Jack—led by Vice Admiral Onigumo.

But then, someone else intervened to block his path. Jack was not the only All-Star on the field.

“──Are you sure it’s wise to focus only on Jack? Fufufu♡”

“!? You…!! ‘Joker the Calamity’…!!”

A stunning woman clad in a crimson dress suddenly raised her leg in a swift motion. The technique she unleashed was a martial art used by Marines and government agents alike.

“Rankyaku... Crimson Lotus!!!”

“!!”

“Waaaah!!!”

A red slash, sharper and faster than any ordinary Rankyaku, severed Onigumo’s right arm and caught several other Marines in the blast. With a white finger, she licked the splattered blood clean and returned with a smile to Jack’s side—“Joker the Calamity,” one of the All-Stars.

“Sorry, Jack. Looks like I stole your prey.”

“No problem. There’s no shortage of people to kill.”

“That’s true. Then shall we… build a mountain of corpses?♡”

“...! Guh…!!”

“Vice Admiral Onigumo!!”

“All the ‘Calamities’ are on the field… This is bad…!!”

“Damn it… Fire!! Stop them no matter what!!”

Onigumo, kneeling with his severed right arm held by his left, was called out to by the trembling voices of the Marines behind him.

But the situation wasn't improving. Not for the Marines—and not for the Whitebeard Pirates either.

“Pops…!! Luffy…!! Everyone…!!”

From atop the execution platform, Ace watched everything unfold.

A hellish sight. A battlefield like a nightmare. With every passing second, someone else died.

All of it—because of him. Because of the chain of events he set in motion. His chest ached, his breath grew strangely short.

Sengoku was issuing one rapid command after another, too preoccupied to check on Ace. Garp, too, had descended and was preparing something below.

Ace could only watch. He couldn’t do anything. All he could do was blame himself and pray that no more of his comrades, his family, would get hurt.

“Jihahahaha…!! Quite the scene down here…!!”

“!?”

“...!! Shiki…!! If you're coming, then come!! I’ll take you on myself!!”

The voice that came down from the sky, directed at Ace, belonged to none other than “Golden Lion” Shiki.

Sengoku immediately rolled up his sleeves and assumed a battle stance. With none of the admirals able to respond, and himself the current commander, he had no time to hesitate. He glared at Shiki, ready to personally join the fight if needed.

“Calm down, Sengoku!! Don’t worry—I’ll take care of all of you eventually. But right now… I’ve got business with him…!!”

“Eh…?”

Ace let out a dumbfounded sound. Shiki was looking directly at him.

What business could he possibly have with him? Was he planning to kill him before the execution could proceed? Ace’s expression darkened, and Sengoku, still on edge, remained fully prepared for any sudden attack.

But Shiki, with a gleeful smile, spoke plainly and without hesitation:

“Fire Fist Ace!! You’ve got talent!! It’d be a damn waste to let you die here!! Become my right-hand man!!!”

“!!?”

Just like he had done once before—he boldly extended the offer.

---

The pirates under Whitebeard’s command turned to look behind them, their eyes narrowing in suspicion at the sudden appearance of strange creatures.

“What the hell are those bizarre beasts…!?”

“They came out of Golden Lion’s ship!!”

From the fleet floating in the air by the power of the Golden Lion, Shiki, one ship had crashed into the icy ground. Out of the wrecked hull spilled a mass of beasts—each one an unknown, exotic species, wild and merciless in their attacks on humans. As the pirates fought back against the onslaught of these savage creatures, they finally noticed a certain man standing aboard Shiki’s ship.

“Huh!? That guy… isn’t that Dr. Indigo!?”

“Pirororororooo!! Surprised!? This is the result of my twenty years of research under Lord Shiki’s orders!!”

“Uhohohoho!!”

Standing on the edge of Shiki’s ship and laughing down at the pirates was a man dressed in a lab coat, resembling a clown, and beside him, a gorilla clad in clothes.

The scientist known as Dr. Indigo—any pirate who knew the world before the Great Pirate Era would recognize the name. Shiki’s right-hand man, standing there with the gorilla at his side, sneering at the chaos below. He held up a vial in his hand and declared:

“A plant so rare and unique, even in the Grand Line!! The 'S.I.Q.' created from the 'I.Q.' plant!! Animals injected with it evolve into combat-focused forms and turn ferociously violent!! Their power... is enough to crush weak, soft-hearted pirates like bugs!!! Now go!! Captain Scarlet!!”

“Uhooo!!”

“Tch…!! They’re taking orders from that gorilla!?”

The savage beasts unleashed upon the icy land moved with purpose, their attacks precisely coordinated under the howls of the gorilla known as Captain Scarlet.

The pirates quickly caught on. Shiki’s ship hovered in the sky, surrounded by floating UFOs that made any approach dangerous. But they had no choice. They gritted their teeth and raised their guns and cannons.

“Don’t lump us in with your average pirate riffraff!!”

“Pirorororo!! You’re nothing but rats trapped in a sack!! All of you will die here!! Chemical Juggling!!”

From Dr. Indigo’s hands burst a barrage of green spherical gases, which he hurled toward the pirates on the ground, triggering explosions upon impact. Coupled with the approaching beasts, breaking through was no easy task.

But falling back wasn’t an option either. Not until Ace was rescued. All they could do was move forward.

“Nuuhhh!!!”

“!!?”

“Wha…!? What’s happening to the balance…!?”

“Waaah!! The ground is tilting!!!”

Then suddenly—across the battlefield, people began to lose their footing and collapse in droves.

Pirates, marines, prisoners alike—all felt the shifting terrain, and the average person tumbled and rolled helplessly.

“Don’t get close to Pops~~~~!!!”

Those of the Whitebeard Pirates, who knew the cause and how to react, quickly evacuated from the area.

But for those unaware, what they saw defied belief. This wasn’t just an earthquake.

“This ain’t just some tremor!!!”

Waves surged, ships tilted, and the ground itself shook.

Everyone stood stunned as Whitebeard gripped the air with both hands and pulled, unleashing a cataclysmic power that warped the world around them.

“The whole sea—and the island—are tilting!!!”

A force capable of destroying the world surged forth.

“Uwaaaaahhh!!”

“Uwaaah!! I can’t stand up!!”

“Damn it… that monster of a geezer!! The animals on the island—!!”

“Fuhahahaha!! What kind of broken old man is he!?”

“The town’s collapsing!!”

“Is Luffy okay…!?”

Chaos erupted everywhere—but for those directly in front of Whitebeard, it was different.

“Aha♡ Looks like that over-the-top ability of yours hasn’t weakened one bit!! But it won’t work on me while I’m flying!!!”

“Yeah… I know…!!”

The Phantom Beast Nue flew through the air, unaffected by the shaking ground, and launched an attack. Blue UFOs formed around her, lining up to fire lasers.

“Unidentified Presence... Melancholy Blue UFO Invasion!!!”

“…! Hmph!!”

“Whoops!!”

But Whitebeard, with a single earthquake-infused punch, knocked more than half of the blue UFOs out of the sky. Nue dodged in a smooth arc, escaping the shockwave, a playful grin on her lips.

“Ahaha!! Not bad at all!!”

“You think you can kill me with toys like that…!!?”

“Well, not you, sure!! ──But your family? That’s another story!!”

Nue acknowledged Whitebeard’s words. True, he was far beyond the reach of mere UFOs.

But his family, his crew, was a different matter. The aerial barrage from the UFOs would inevitably draw blood, or at the very least, slow them down.

Every punch Whitebeard threw to destroy UFOs or shake the ground wasn’t just to attack—it was to protect his comrades. Nue saw right through that, and with a sinister smile, decided to escalate things even further.

“If you're still worrying about your friends, then you’ve already lost. We’re not that soft anymore!!”

“…!! Don’t you dare mock my way of fighting, you loudmouth brat!!”

“Ahahahaha!! You really haven’t changed, Whitebeard!! But let’s see how much you can protect!! ──Now, come out!!!”

“!?”

Nue shot up into the sky and gave a signal toward the Beasts Pirates’ fleet. What emerged left not only Whitebeard, but the Navy and every other pirate outside the Beasts Pirates wide-eyed in shock.

“You’ve gotta be kidding…!!”

“There are multiple of those things as big as Oars!!!”

“!?!? Are they Oars’ descendants again…!? Why the hell are they with the Beasts Pirates!?”

Both the Marines and Gecko Moria—one of the Seven Warlords who had once sought such a being—turned pale.

On the island’s west side, a monstrous horde that resembled Oars had appeared, destroying warships and smashing Pacifistas along the way. Nue called out their name:

“Come now, Numbers!! It’s feeding time!!!”

“Jukiki~~!!”

“Kunyunyu~~♡”

“Hachaa~~!!”

“Nagigigigi!!”

“Gokiki~~!!”

“Jakiki!!”

These horned beasts, several times the size of giants, were the Beasts Pirates’ warriors—the Numbers.

That they resembled Oars in both size and appearance was no coincidence. Watching with envious eyes, Big Mom spoke their true nature aloud:

“So those are... the failed creations of the Ancient Giant Race that Kaido supposedly bought from the government’s research labs…!! Not bad…”

“They’re about as monstrous as you, wouldn’t you say…?”

“!”

Then, from her flank, came a slash—the strongest in the world. Big Mom caught it with her pirate hat, Napoleon, which housed a soul and could transform into a sword. Her lips curled into a wicked grin.

“Hawk-Eye~~…!! Even a man like you—if you get in my way, I won’t hold back…!!”

“No need to hold back… I, too, am quite enjoying this battlefield…!!”

“Hahahaha!! Is that so!? Then enjoy it… until you die!!!”

One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the world’s greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, clashed with Big Mom. Their blades collided, creating an unnatural shockwave and a series of metallic crashes. Watching them fight, “Flower Sword” Vista—Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates’ 5th Division, who had once put his own duel with Hawk-Eye on hold—gritted his teeth and ran.

“We need to break through fast…!! Thank god Hawk-Eye’s at least reasonable…!!”

Enemies surrounded them. Even Whitebeard himself had been stopped by Nue. And now, with a horde of ancient giants summoned by her, every Whitebeard pirate felt the urgency—if this kept up, it would be bad.

“Numbers!! Attack the warships and Whitebeard’s fleet—immobilize them!! Finish up, and I’ll give you a cut of the finest meat around, worth over 500 million berries~~!!”

“Jakii~~♡”

“Haccha♡ Hachacha♡”

Despite their seemingly low intelligence and inability to speak properly, the Numbers clearly understood Nue’s command. With glee, they began attacking the Marines’ ships and the vessels allied to Whitebeard.

“This is bad…!! We can’t stop them…!!”

“Damn…! I want to cut the video feed, but there’s no time…!! No matter—activate the encirclement walls!!”

“Are you sure, sir!?”

“We have no choice!! This is no time to worry about public distrust!! I’ll take full responsibility!!!”

The Navy was just as desperate as Whitebeard. Their plan to trap the Whitebeard Pirates in the bay and wipe them out was supposed to begin only after cutting the visual feed from the Den Den Mushi—for the sake of public image. But with Nue holding the visual feed, likely hidden in one of her UFOs, Sengoku knew delaying would be fatal. With firm resolve, he gave the order. The Marines moved to activate the encirclement walls.

“Gh…!! Even driving the troops back under that UFO bombardment is a nightmare…!!”

“We’ve got to reduce their numbers first…!!”

To buy time for the retreating Marines, one stepped forward. The only answer to a barrage—was a barrage of their own. Grabbing cannonballs prepared beneath the execution platform, the Marine hurled them toward the UFOs.

“Fist Meteor Shower…!!”

“!!?”

“…! So he’s finally come out…!!”

The cannonballs launched in rapid succession, tearing through the UFOs one by one. Sensing their destruction, Nue turned her gaze and felt her heart leap—so even he couldn’t sit still in this situation.

The pirates quaked. To them, he was a devil.

But to the Marines, he was a hero. A legendary Marine who once stood on equal ground with Roger and Whitebeard.

“Vice Admiral Garp!!”

“He’s here…!! Hero Garp has entered the fray!!”

“Old man…!!”

Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, the “Fist of the Navy,” had shot down the UFOs with cannonballs and now stood once again as a fearsome threat before the pirates—just another Marine, yet a legend among them.

“As long as I still draw breath, the Navy won’t fall!! If you wanna win—try killing me first, you little brats!!!”

“Garp…!! You… Sengoku… and that damn brat over there… I’ll turn you all into cinders…!!!”

“!? This is bad!! It’s Kaido!!!”

Watching Garp destroy the UFOs and leap into battle, Kaido began charging his energy midair, his mouth wide open. The Marines and even Ace gasped in dread.

“Blast Breath!!!”

“Great Eruption!!!”

“!!?”

“Uwaaaaaaaahhh!!?”

“Kh…!!”

However, the massive heat beam fired toward the execution platform was narrowly blocked by a large-scale eruption of magma.

Still, even that wasn’t enough to completely neutralize the immense blast from the giant dragon. Magma and flames swept across the plaza, scorching marines in their path. Yet, the man who managed to minimize the damage as much as possible was one of the Navy’s top powers.

“Admiral Sakazuki!!”

“Kaido…! I hear you’ve got a hobby for suicide… If you’re that eager to die, I’ll be happy to kill you myself… Prepare yourself…!!!”

“Worororo…!! Now this is getting interesting… Let’s see how long you can hold out! If you think you’ve got what it takes, then come and try it!!!”

With eyes burning with the rage and heat of magma itself, Admiral “Akainu” Sakazuki — a Logia-type user of the Magma-Magma Fruit — glared down Kaido. Kaido, entertained by the tension, prepared to unleash another attack.

Nearby, having just evaded the blast, Shiki clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Tch… Just when I was in the middle of recruiting him, that damn Kaido goes off wrecking everything…!!”

“…!! I’m not joining your crew!! The only one I’ve sworn loyalty to is Whitebeard!!!”

“Jihaha… Gotta admire your loyalty…!! But hey… you’ll come around eventually. You’ll be begging to join me yourself…!!”

“!! Don’t be ridiculous—”

“That kid over there… ‘Straw Hat Luffy,’ was it? He’s your little brother, isn’t he?”

“!!?”

Ace, who had stood firm and unshaken until now, suddenly turned pale. He instantly realized what this man was planning. His brows furrowed in fury at the smirk stretching across Shiki’s face.

“You bastard…!! Don’t tell me…!!”

“Jihahahaha!!! I don’t show mercy to my enemies. Whitebeard, the Navy — they’ll all die here. But crewmates… well, crewmates are a different matter. There are favors only you can ask of someone like that, right?”

“You son of a…!! You’re going after Luffy!?”

“I won’t need to lay a hand on him myself!! Jihaha…!! Now then, if you say you’ll join me, maybe I’ll save you… and maybe I’ll even spare your little brother, too?”

“…!!”

Ace clenched his teeth hard. He never expected to leave this place alive. Sengoku, and the rest of the Marines, wouldn’t allow it. But right now, the combined forces of the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom, and the Golden Lion held the upper hand. The Navy was no longer in a position to calmly carry out the execution. It could still happen at any moment — but it was just as likely someone like Whitebeard or even Shiki himself would interrupt it.

Depending on how you looked at it, Luffy — out there on the battlefield — was in more danger than Ace, who was bound to the execution platform. That helplessness gnawed at him. He could only pray. There was no way he could accept Shiki’s offer — but with Luffy in mind—

“Luffy… run…!! Don’t come here…!!”

“—Hah… Hah… I will save you, Ace…!! I promise…!!”

But that prayer would never reach him.

The battlefield boiled with heat and madness, filled with the stench of blood, gunpowder, and death.

None had yet broken in spirit. That is why each one of them charged headfirst into hell—into the Paramount War that would decide the fate of the world…!!
There was no falsehood in calling it a war at the summit of all things…!!!