Chapter 278

Jack immediately issued the attack order.

"Bombard!"

The Marines immediately returned fire.

In an instant.

Above the crimson sea, the thunder of cannon fire erupted.

This war, one that could change the world, had thoroughly drawn back its curtain.

The news spread throughout the entire New World in an instant.

Upon learning of this news, the World Economic Journal also immediately reported it to the whole world.

Within a single day, countless news coveys flew toward every corner of the sea.

Newspapers scattered down upon every island on the sea.

The headlines alone.

Were enough to shake everyone's heart.

【A war that will decide the direction of the world has begun!】

……

Alabasta.

Princess Vivi gazed at the newspaper in her hand, a trace of worry in her eyes.

"Does it really have to go this far?"

"Father, do you truly think that person can overthrow the World Government?"

"I don't know."

The king, Cobra, who sat beside her on a chair, wore a solemn expression: "All I know is that, regardless of who wins or loses this war, the situation of this world will change greatly."

…………

Dressrosa.

Inside a room within Wang Gong.

King Riku sat upon Wang Zuo, gazing at the newspaper in his hand.

Standing below were Kyros, Rebecca, and Violet.

"Has it begun…"

"Grandfather, is there truly nothing we can do?"

Rebecca said unwillingly: "That person and Mr. Zephyr saved Dressrosa, after all."

"Rebecca."

Violet placed one hand on Rebecca's shoulder,

"You must not speak to the king that way."

"It's all right."

King Riku raised his eyes to look at Rebecca, and said to her seriously: "Rebecca, in this war we truly cannot do anything. Even if we dispatched every soldier currently in Dressrosa to assist them, in this war it would only be Bai Bai sacrifice of lives. What we can do now… is only to wait."

…………

Whole Cake Island.

"Mama, they've started fighting. Now is the perfect chance to seize Bai Huzi's and Kaidou's forces."

Perospero said excitedly to Big Mom.

"Forget it."

"……Eh?"

Big Mom, who had been burying her face in cake, raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze fierce:

"I said forget it. You… didn't hear me? Or is it… you want that bastard to come to Whole Cake Island again?!"

Perospero was scared out of his wits.

Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker, and the others nearby, recalling that figure like a god or a ghost, could not help but grow grave as well.

……

Holy Land Mariejois.

Within the World Government, there was bustling activity everywhere, all busy.

Inside the conference room.

"Jack and Queen, leading the Beasts Pirates, have launched an attack from the front and have already engaged the first Marine defense line under the command of Firefist Steel, Nezumi, and the others."

Kong, listening to his adjutant's report, nodded, then turned his gaze to Sengoku, Tsuru, and the commander of CP0 seated in the room.

"It's begun. From here on, let us proceed according to plan."

"Intercept them as far outside Mariejois as possible!"

As Jack and Queen led the Beasts Pirates to break through the first Marine defense line on the crimson sea, what appeared before them was an even greater number of warships, which, relying on their powerful firepower, unleashed a frenzied suppression upon the Beasts Pirates.

"Lord Jack, the cannon shells are spent. What do we do?"

"The Marine firepower is too fierce."

Jack's eyes were bloodshot, his expression savage and mad: "What is such firepower to me?"

"Bring the ship alongside!"

"Eh?!!"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, but… th-this kind of firepower, our ship can't get close either."

"Find a way to get alongside!"

"Eh?!!!"

"I'll handle it."

Quinn, a cigar clamped between his lips, stamped his foot heavily. His massive body leapt high toward the Navy fleet, and mid-air he transformed directly into a gigantic Brachiosaurus. Ignoring the cannon-fire entirely, he slammed down onto a Navy warship.

That warship was sunk outright by his impact.

"It's the Plague Quinn!"

The Navy instantly fell into chaos, and their suppressive fire stuttered for a moment.

Jack narrowed his eyes and immediately ordered, "Now's our chance — every man who can transform, charge in!"

One figure after another leapt high from the Beasts Pirates' ships, transforming into saber-toothed tigers, wolf-spiders, triceratops… and slammed brutally into the Navy fleet.

In an instant, the Navy fleet was thrown into utter disarray.

The Beasts Pirates' ships drew alongside, and on the decks of the warships they engaged the Navy in close-quarters combat, blade against blade.

Judging purely on individual strength, the Beasts Pirates' Zoan users far outclassed these ordinary marines.

Very quickly.

Jack, leading five hundred Zoan users of the Beasts Pirates, carved a path by brute force through several dozen Navy warships.

The Second Corps of the Revolutionary Army, led by their four army commanders, followed behind the Beasts Pirates, breaking through the Navy's first and second defensive lines in succession and penetrating deep into the belly of this crimson sea region.

Just at that moment.

More Navy warships appeared from the left and right flanks. Coordinating with the warships of the first and second defensive lines, they moved to encircle the Beasts Pirates' and Revolutionary Army's fleets.

"Fire!"

Kizaru roared, slashing with his blade.

Nearly a hundred warships fired in unison, the thunder of cannon shaking heaven and earth.

Under the fierce bombardment, the Beasts Pirates' and Revolutionary Army's fleets also lost over a dozen ships in short order.

Just as the Navy was preparing for the next round of shelling—

Ten great ships appeared in the sky.

"Tianji. Black Coffin!"

A woman's voice rang out across the heavens.

Thick pillars of steel plummeted from the high sky at terrifying speed, striking the Navy warships with pinpoint precision!

Warship after warship was destroyed by the devastating force carried by those steel pillars!

The powerful shockwaves from the exploding warships also disrupted the nearby vessels that had been preparing their next barrage, causing a chain reaction of misaimed shots. For a time the entire sea surface was lit up by the sparks of warship explosions and shell explosions.

"An attack from the sky!"

Kizaru glared up at the sky through gritted teeth.

That altitude, beyond the reach of cannon-fire.