Chapter 7: Earth-shattering Collision and Wano's Pursuit

In the massive Marine fleet, Admiral Sengoku's face turned terrifyingly grim. The surrounding officers remained silent, lowering their heads with unpleasant expressions.

At this moment, they had received news of two warships losing contact, and the life cards of two vice admirals were continuously burning, indicating their complete disappearance. With both vice admirals dead, what about the remaining six thousand Marines?

"Jon and Rona sacrificed themselves, and it's only been fifteen minutes." Sengoku gritted his teeth, slamming his palm forcefully on the table, leaving a deep imprint.

"Sengoku, calm down." Vice Admiral Tsuru reminded, though she was also shocked by the losses. However, in times like these, it was crucial to remain calm.

Sengoku's face turned red, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "These were three vice admirals and ten thousand Marines. They only held on for twenty minutes before all being sacrificed. Was it Whitebeard himself who took action? Or did the entire Whitebeard Pirates unleash their full power?"

"In more than a decade, this is the first time the Marines have suffered such massive casualties at once. If we hadn't delayed, it's like we handed them our flesh to feast on." It was a resounding slap in the face. Faced with the full force of the Whitebeard Pirates led by three vice admirals, resistance was futile. The sacrifice seemed utterly meaningless.

"Regardless, our plan must have been exposed, known to the Whitebeard Pirates. That's why this happened." Tsuru sighed. "Although we don't know where the problem occurred, we now face a question. Do we still attack the Whitebeard Pirates, who are fully prepared? Given his abilities, it's challenging to confront them, especially now."

At this moment, only someone like Tsuru could speak to Sengoku this way. "We must attack!" Sengoku was decisive. "We'll mobilize openly. Coming back without any achievements, facing such heavy losses, will make the Marines a laughingstock."

As Sengoku said, an attack was necessary, but there was a more prudent approach. "However, let the other ship retreat to G1 Branch. Otherwise, it will become a target for Whitebeard, only leading to needless sacrifices." At this critical moment, Sengoku wasn't blindly seeking revenge but instead analyzed the current situation, trying to minimize unnecessary casualties. Tsuru nodded in satisfaction. "I'll inform headquarters of your decision."

Tsuru's intelligence was not to be underestimated. Sengoku was the supreme commander of this war, with Tsuru serving as a strategist and assisting him. At the same time, she played a supervisory role to prevent any irrational behavior from the supreme commander.

"Inform Sengoku that headquarters approves of his decision. We must showcase the might of the Marines." At Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Kong issued the order. This plan was his brainchild, and the responsibility for the loss of three warships ultimately rested on him. Suppressing his anger, he couldn't help but feel this was an ill-fated beginning. Who leaked the plan?

"Investigate. Check everyone who had knowledge of this operation." The exposure of this operation caused significant losses to the Marines. In Kong's view, it was an internal issue within the Marines. However, he never imagined that the problem originated from Titch, who, with his advanced Kenbunshoku Haki, had eavesdropped on their conversations.

"Ah, be gentle." Titch took a deep breath, and alcohol was poured onto his wound. The intense, fiery pain was both harsh and refreshing.

The war was about to begin, and Titch couldn't stay hidden, healing inside. He applied a specially formulated ointment; in this world with advanced herbal medicine due to frequent injuries at sea, various medications for wounds were developed. The potent effects, combined with Titch's remarkable vitality, quickly healed his wound. However, for such severe injuries, he would still need several days of rest.

The ship's doctors were accustomed to such injuries, skillfully sewing up the wound, applying ointment, and bandaging it. In just a few minutes, Titch appeared outside, completely healed. Although in pain, it didn't affect his actions.

The timing was perfect. From a distance, they could see a massive warship approaching. Titch's companions stared intently, ready for any threat.

It wasn't the expected fleet; only one warship approached. "It seems the Marines know about the old man's capabilities. The rest of the warships must have returned." One of the pirates laughed.

The warship approached closer until it stopped a hundred meters from the Moby Dick.

"Gulalala, Sengoku, long time no see. I've been waiting for you here." Whitebeard, holding his naginata, walked to the bow of the ship, laughing heartily.

"Hmph!" Sengoku remained silent. The two men stared at each other. Suddenly, Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, and simultaneously, both sides erupted with immense Conqueror's Haki. A "boom" echoed as arcs of lightning appeared in the air, signifying the collision of Conqueror's Haki. The sea began to churn, waves roared, and the air flowed rapidly, impacting each other. It seemed as if the sky and the sea were split into two halves, or rather, two different worlds. The currents flowed toward the enemy, and the atmosphere surged toward the opponent, as if the sky had been cleaved in half.

Titch leaned against the wall, stabilizing himself, his eyes widening as he watched this scene. Compared to these two men standing at the pinnacle of the world, his Conqueror's Haki was too weak. However, with a goal in mind, he believed that one day he would reach this level, even surpass them.

But he understood that he was still in the accumulation stage, not having truly grown yet.

Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki was also formidable. The collision continued, and Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki gradually weakened under Whitebeard's pressure. Being within the Marines, with all the restrictions from the World Government, how could Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki compare to Whitebeard's?

However, the confrontation between powerful individuals wasn't just about Conqueror's Haki. The collision of Conqueror's Haki lasted only half a minute, but for the Marines present and the pirates, it felt like a century. The spiritual suppression was agonizing, although it had no effect on the powerful figures.

As if they had silently agreed, both parties stopped at the same time. Admiral Sengoku unleashed his unique ability, and his size kept increasing, turning golden, eventually resembling a colossal Buddha.

This is the Mythical Zoan type, Hito Hito no Mi, Daibutsu Form - possessing terrifying defensive capabilities and the ability to unleash powerful shockwaves.

Sengoku maintained the Daibutsu Form, extending his massive palm forward, gathering formidable power in his palm. Whitebeard set aside the Cloud Zoom and raised his right hand. With his legs spread apart and right arm bent, he clenched his fist, which emitted a silver-white transparent halo, containing an extremely compressed vibrational force.

"Daibutsu Impact!" "Kūshin!" Sengoku and Whitebeard shouted together.

The world lost its color as a powerful shockwave released from the Daibutsu's body collided with the vibration force rushing from the other ship in the middle.

The brilliance was blinding; they couldn't open their eyes. Everyone had already found something stable to hold onto. The pirate ship shook rapidly, tilting on the edge of the sea, a buzzing sound in their ears, as if the world was about to collapse.

The collision of the pinnacle of the world at such close range was "too terrifying!" After finally recovering, they looked ahead. The sea sank, forming a spherical cavity with a diameter of a hundred meters under such an attack.

"Gulalala!" Whitebeard laughed loudly. With a stomp of his right leg, another "Kūshin" with a punch followed.

"Children, let's retreat. We won't play with them anymore." Whitebeard laughed, and his crew immediately acted, returning to their positions. The Moby Dick turned and sailed towards the distance.

Another Daibutsu Impact neutralized Whitebeard's Kūshin, but immediately after, the sea level began to rise. "Oh no, it's a tsunami!" In a short time, a tsunami, a hundred meters high, formed and surged towards the warships, creating a scene where the sky was covered in front of this kind of natural disaster.

"Launching such an attack? This is dreadful." Borsalino, who was usually carefree, became serious. As a Devil Fruit user, he had a natural awe of the sea, especially in the face of such a terrifying tsunami. However, he wasn't worried, knowing he could easily evade it with his ability. But what about others?

"What should we do? The warships will be crushed."

"Are we going to perish in the sea?"

"Don't worry. Admiral Sengoku is here!" Seeing the change in the Marines' mood, Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke. Facing a natural disaster like this, which human strength couldn't match, except for those monsters, it was inevitable to feel fear. She could understand their feelings.

"Daibutsu Impact." Sengoku faced the tsunami without changing his expression. With a "boom," the colossal shockwave from the Daibutsu's body collided with the approaching tsunami, and from a distance, the enormous tsunami was instantly split in half, leaving a circular void in the middle.

"Great, we're saved." The surviving Marines showed smiles on their faces. "Full speed ahead, chase them. Don't let the Whitebeard Pirates escape!" Sengoku shouted.

Upon close inspection, the Whitebeard Pirates had already fled, continuously moving away into the distance. Sengoku, still seething with anger, couldn't allow the Whitebeard Pirates to escape like this. If the Marines didn't demonstrate their strength, where would their dignity be in the face of such significant losses?

Three days later, Sengoku's warships were still chasing the Moby Dick of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Meanwhile, various forces in the New World had already focused their attention on the clash between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines. The exposure of this operation had revealed all the losses of the Marines in the war.

Having discovered the trace of the Whitebeard Pirates, three warships were dispatched to delay time, with three vice admirals. G1 Branch swiftly moved forward, engaging in a lightning-fast battle that would make everyone, all powers, react. If this operation succeeded, even if the Whitebeard Pirates were not annihilated, they would suffer severe losses, altering the entire landscape of the New World.

However, if it failed, considering the friendly relations with the Whitebeard Pirates, they wouldn't provoke the Marines actively. If they encountered the Marines, they would either run or let their subordinates practice. Whitebeard himself wouldn't take action. Once he killed a vice admiral, it would be a complete provocation against the Marines.

With the exposure of the operation, the Whitebeard Pirates had no reservations. Before Sengoku arrived, they annihilated the three warships that came to delay them. In terms of information, Admiral Kō had angrily cleansed the internal affairs of the Marines. Needless to say, they found several spies.

In the New World, various forces ridiculed the Marines. The reputation of the Marines in the New World plummeted, and the frequency of pirate attacks on Marine branches increased significantly.

However, in secret, they vigorously cultivated spies, making every effort to infiltrate the Marines. If they hadn't known about this operation, the Whitebeard Pirates would still act as usual. The outcome was evident. Those sons who had fought against the Marines had reservations and wouldn't recklessly use the powers of the Gura Gura no Mi, especially facing a large Marine fleet with Sengoku holding them back.

This undoubtedly sounded an alarm in their hearts, intensifying their development in information warfare. Large numbers of spies flooded into the Marines, leaving the internal affairs of the Marines in chaos.

Due to the suddenness, the battle where the three vice admirals died had no reporters present. Titch also remained hidden, not exposing himself. Later, only a few photos of the clash between Whitebeard and Sengoku were leaked.

Compared to the showdown between the two world-class powerhouses, the deaths of the three vice admirals were splendidly ignored.

On the open sea, "Meteor Volcano!" Lava chunks shot out like meteors, heading towards the Moby Dick of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Hasshoku Qinqiouyu!" Borsalino's hands crossed over his chest, and countless light bullets shot out, hundreds and thousands of them. "Ice Chick Bird." A giant bird made of ice charged straight towards them.

In the Whitebeard Pirates, powerful figures jumped out to resist these attacks. Sengoku's warships had been chasing the Moby Dick, having several close encounters. Finally, after several attempts, they managed to break free, only to be caught up by the Marines again.

Overall, the Marines were on the offensive, while the Whitebeard Pirates were on the defensive.

Titch hid in a corner, not intervening too much. He left such

matters to his comrades. Two swords were sheathed at his waist, along with two pistols. These were two lead-ball pistols, firing bullets that caused immense pain, as seen in the hands of Doflamingo who killed his father and brother.

These two pistols, one golden and one silver, were high-grade firearms. They were exquisitely crafted, with excellent handling. It was said that Titch had seized them from a noble.

Titch was instantly captivated when he saw them. A comrade who favored knives had an eye on that coveted prize, the cursed sword. So, they traded. As for the knives, Titch didn't lack any; he possessed the Purgatory and Raiu, along with the Royal Sword, which was just as formidable as the previous two.

Titch was somewhat surprised to discover that the sword he sneakily acquired was also one of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords when he examined it closely.