After Big Mom fell, her children, remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, and the Revolutionary Army became nothing more than fish on a chopping block.
Carl planted the cursed sword, Muramasa, into the ground beside him and casually summoned a still-intact chair, sitting down leisurely.
With one hand propping up his chin, he watched the battlefield ahead, which had turned into a one-sided massacre.
Lucia descended behind Carl and gently massaged his shoulders. This scene stood out starkly amidst the battlefield's cacophony of shouting and killing.
No one in the Marines found this inappropriate. From Admiral to soldier, everyone believed it was perfectly natural.
After all, Carl had personally defeated three Emperor-level combatants in succession. When had they ever seen such a hands-on Fleet Admiral in the past?
After a battle of such magnitude, wasn't it only fair for him to enjoy a moment of comfort?
As for the pirates and the Revolutionary Army, even though Carl appeared to be riddled with openings while seated, none dared to make a move against him—unless they were utterly insane.
Ahead, the blood-soaked Perospero leapt into the air, conjuring a bow from syrup and unleashing a rain of arrows upon the Marines below.
Swish!
Borsalino appeared above the Marines in a flash. A glint of cold light reflected off his amber-tinted sunglasses as he crossed his arms, and two beams of blinding golden light shimmered between his hands.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
In an instant, countless golden light bullets poured from his hands, colliding with the descending candy arrows. In a blink, the arrows were reduced to dust.
Perospero, still in mid-air, widened his eyes as the golden glow intensified in his pupils.
The next moment, before he could even cry out, his form was swallowed by the golden rain.
Borsalino adjusted his glasses and dispersed into particles of light, vanishing once again.
On another front, Daifuku frantically rubbed his body, commanding his genie to battle a group of Vice Admirals.
To be fair, his Puff-Puff Fruit ability was peculiar. Judging by its name, few would expect such a manifestation. The genie he summoned boasted considerable combat power, and even several Vice Admirals struggled to deal with it.
However, judging by Daifuku's sweat-drenched face, his stamina was nearly depleted, and defeat was only a matter of time.
"Ah, what an interesting Devil Fruit ability you've got there, kid," came a lazy voice.
Daifuku froze. On the ground behind him, an ice sculpture shaped like a human steadily rose—it was none other than Admiral Aokiji.
Panicked, Daifuku attempted to recall his genie, but it was too late. Aokiji's frosty arms rested on his shoulders as he whispered into Daifuku's ear, "Calm down, won't you?"
Crack, crack, crack…
Bone-chilling cold enveloped Daifuku, freezing him from the inside out into an ice sculpture.
Aokiji extended a finger and gave the sculpture a gentle tap, shattering Daifuku into shards of ice with a crisp crack.
After dealing with Daifuku, Aokiji nodded at the stunned Vice Admirals, offering a casual "Good work."
Just as he turned to seek his next target, Aramaki's raspy voice echoed nearby, "Oh~ Squeeze them dry, every last one of them!"
Aokiji raised an eyebrow, turning toward the source.
There stood Aramaki, seemingly in bliss, amidst a patch of grass. Behind him were countless vine-like tendrils, as thick as pythons, skewering pirates and Revolutionaries alike.
The tendrils pulsed as they drained the moisture from their victims, leaving behind dried husks.
Ahead of him, Smoothie struggled against the onslaught. Her massive frame loomed like that of a giantess, wielding an equally enormous blade to cut through wave after wave of vines. But the tendrils were relentless, and several had already wrapped around her body.
In desperation, she abandoned her weapon and grasped the vines with her hands, activating her Wring-Wring Fruit ability to absorb their moisture.
As she drew in more water, her body visibly swelled, growing to an enormous size. Yet compared to Aramaki's look of indulgent pleasure, Smoothie's expression was one of pain.
Her body was nearing its limit, while the vines only grew more numerous. If this continued, she would burst apart.
Noticing Smoothie's waning strength, Aramaki sneered, "What's wrong? Had enough?"
With a wave of his hand, the tendrils withdrew from Smoothie's body. Exhausted, she collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
As Aramaki approached, his form began to morph, growing into a towering treant.
Smoothie gritted her teeth, grasped the massive blade stuck in the ground beside her, and roared as she charged at Aramaki.
Unfazed, Aramaki raised a colossal, Haki-coated fist and sent her flying with a single blow.
Smoothie crashed to the ground, and before she could recover, roots burst forth, binding her limbs tightly and rendering her immobile.
Aramaki loomed over her, his cold gaze devoid of pity. To him, anyone opposing Carl and the World Government was nothing more than trash to be eradicated.
In Smoothie's terrified eyes, Aramaki raised both massive fists and slammed them down mercilessly.
Boom!
Smoothie let out a final scream, her body shrinking as water and blood seeped from her wounds.
When her voice fell silent, Aramaki returned to his normal form, brushing off his hands as he glanced at the mangled remains before striding away.
-----------
+250 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg