217 With the Justice System

G-5 Branch.

"..."

Hawke's hand swung down sharply. "Kill!"

"Ooohhhhhhh!!!"

The instant the order was given, tens of thousands of elite Marines erupted in an earth-shattering roar!

In their eyes, there was no fear, no hesitation.

Only the madness born from crawling out of Impel Down's sea of corpses and blood, and the unyielding spirit forged during the Summit War.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

Their perfectly synchronized footsteps made the steel fortress tremble!

"Stay in formation! Don't get lost!"

Zoro barked lowly as he drew Wado Ichimonji from his waist with one hand. The snow-white blade gleamed with a chilling light of death under the gloomy sky.

"Whoosh—!"

He was the first to burst out from the formation.

Behind him, every soldier of the Swordsman Unit had razor-sharp eyes.

They were like unsheathed blades, following their leader straight into the enemy ranks!

"Green-head! Don't you dare steal the spotlight!"

Sanji's black visor slid shut, and his right leg ignited in a blazing orange flame. His whole body became an orange comet as he shot forward right behind Zoro.

Behind him, the Assault Unit followed closely. Every one of them was a Rokushiki expert. Their feet tapped the icy surface with such speed that afterimages were left behind.

"All units, follow my command! Advance steadily!"

Dane gripped his famed blade, his gaze calm as a mountain.

The Central Army under his command was the branch's most unbreakable shield.

They didn't charge recklessly, but pressed forward step by step in tight formation, guarding the flanks of the assault forces.

"Where the lightning shines, there lies Justice!"

Hibari stood atop the fortress's highest sniper tower. Her slender fingers traced graceful paths through the air.

With each flick of her fingertip, a thick lightning spear descended from the heavens, precisely piercing through a pirate's skull.

Her arms spread wide, ten fingers moving so swiftly they blurred.

In an instant, hundreds upon thousands of lightning spears converged beneath the clouds, weaving a deathly net of electricity that descended upon the battlefield!

"Zzzzzz!!!"

Under the blazing electric net, hordes of pirates were vaporized in the flash of light, reduced to trails of charred smoke.

"Boom—!"

Tens of thousands of Marines surged forward like an unstoppable iron tide, crashing into the massive crowd made up of two Yonko crews!

"Slash!"

"Aaagh!!"

A pirate captain with a bounty exceeding 100 million swung his massive axe toward Zoro, who was leading the charge. "Die, Marine!"

"Whoosh—!"

A blinding white light flashed by.

His world froze.

The next second, his body split in half, warm entrails spilling across the ice.

Zoro didn't even glance at him. Without breaking stride, he continued to slash forward.

Behind him, the Swordsman Unit followed closely, their blades dancing, cutting down the terrified pirates around them into pieces.

"Wha... what the hell?!"

The pirates' pupils constricted in shock. These Marines were far too strong!

What they didn't know was...

Every single soldier of the G-5 Branch was an elite handpicked by Hawke himself from G-3.

They had all survived the hell of Impel Down.

They had all witnessed the supreme glory of the Summit War.

Their loyalty to Hawke and their faith in Justice had long been forged into their very bones through countless blood-soaked battles.

Facing the most brutal pirates on the seas, they felt no fear—only the thrill of the hunt.

The ice field became a vision of hell: flesh and blood flying, screams and clashing weapons merging into a symphony of slaughter.

The Marines' battle formation was like a precise meat grinder, advancing relentlessly, crushing the pirates' ranks to dust.

Broken limbs and corpses paved the ice, and blood dyed the pale-blue tundra a shocking crimson.

This was the Army of the New Era!

...

High above the battlefield.

"..."

Four figures faced off in the sky.

Garp looked at Kaido across from him, a trace of boredom flickering on his face.

After so many years of beating up pirates, he was getting tired of it.

Kaido was strong—but that was all.

The ones he truly wanted to beat senseless were those damn parasites perched atop the world—the ones who treated human life like dirt!

He raised an eyebrow toward Sengoku, subtly tilting his chin toward the direction of the Five Elders.

"..."

As lifelong comrades, Sengoku understood instantly.

Wasn't he thinking the same thing?

Back when he was Fleet Admiral, he'd had to endure the constant interference of the World Government...

Forced to obey the idiotic orders for the sake of "balance," his anger had burned quietly for years.

Now, the shackles were gone.

And the real enemies stood right before them!

"Hawke!"

Sengoku called out in a low voice, his gaze piercing through the chaos until it met Hawke's.

In that instant, with one look, their plan was exchanged.

"Mm..."

Hawke immediately understood.

Old man Sengoku and old man Garp wanted to swap opponents!

And of course they did—because for those two living fossils of the Marines, punching Celestial Dragons was far more satisfying than fighting Yonko!

Hawke's mind rapidly reconstructed the battle map.

Borsalino and Saturn had a long acquaintance. Letting him handle that old man would be perfect.

Zephyr's gaze had been locked from the beginning on the most vigorous of them—Warcury.

That guy's Mythical Zoan fruit gave him monstrous vitality and defense—just Zephyr's kind of opponent...

But I want to fight a Five Elder too...

Damn, there aren't enough of those old men to go around!

Then...

Hawke made his decision.

"Issho-san, Aramaki-san!"

"Kaido and Big Mom are yours!"

"As you command."

Issho nodded calmly, the staff-blade in his hand vibrating slightly as an invisible gravitational field began to warp around him.

"Hahahaha! Hawke-kun, I've been dying for this!"

Aramaki bellowed with laughter as vines sprouted wildly beneath his feet.

"Borsalino, Saturn is yours!"

"Yo~"

Borsalino's mouth curved into a wide grin.

"Well, he's an old friend of mine~"

But beneath his amber shades, his eyes sharpened to a deadly edge.

"For Vegapunk... for Bonney... for Kuma..."

"This time... I won't hold back!!!"

"Zephyr, Warcury is yours."

"Hmph! My Black Arm hasn't been this excited in years!"

Zephyr grinned, baring his teeth in a bloodthirsty smile. The power of his prime roared through his veins once again.

"Then..."

Hawke's gaze fell upon the man in the white Taoist robe, wielding the First Generation Kitetsu—the sharpest aura among them all—Nusjuro.

"The strongest one... is mine."

Finally, he looked toward the sky, his voice rising sharply.

"Sengoku, Garp!"

"The last two are yours to pick!"

"Buahahaha! Good kid!"

Garp's laughter echoed through the heavens. He turned away from Kaido.

"Peter! Mars! You two old bastards—come die!!"

Sengoku abandoned his fight with Big Mom as well.

"Boom!!!"

Hawke's figure turned into a scarlet bolt of lightning, ripping through the sky as he charged straight at Nusjuro!

Borsalino, Zephyr, Garp, Sengoku—four top-tier powerhouses—followed right behind!

"Boom!!!"

The battles that would decide not only the war—but the very future of the world—had begun in full!

"..."