Tacit Understanding!

Regarding Sengoku's orders, all the Navy officers understood them quite well.

After all, their current position in the Navy was somewhat delicate.

If pressed too hard, it could force Germa and the Beasts Pirates to unite against them. Before Nicholas appeared, even if Germa teamed up with Kaido, the Navy wouldn't have been too concerned. The absence of high-end combatants like Nicholas meant the losses wouldn't be substantial.

However, Nicholas's presence changed everything. Top-tier fighters like him could decisively influence the course of a large-scale war in the world of pirates. In One Piece, unless restrained by peers of equal strength or suppressed by multiple equals, top-tier fighters can dominate. Attempting to overwhelm such fighters with sheer numbers is futile; conqueror's haki alone can clear the field, even putting senior military officers at risk.

While Nicholas lacked conqueror's haki, the destructive potential of his thunderous Devil Fruit abilities was even more terrifying. Natural types are born for team battles, so seeing Nicholas and Kaido fight first is something the Navy would happily encourage.

...

"Hey, King, the Navy folks have stopped."

Watching the distant Navy fleet stop, cigar in mouth, Queen frowned slightly at King, showing he wasn't a fool, and deduced the Navy's intentions from their actions. While they prepared to battle the Navy, they overlooked a critical factor.

That Germa might have someone as formidable as Nicholas.

However...

King glanced at Admiral Fujitora and the others at the forefront of the Navy formation.

At this point, the Beasts Pirates have few options left. Moreover, knowing Kaido's personality, it's impossible to make him escape unless they can actually kill him. This understanding came from King's long association with Kaido.

Though surprised by Nicholas's appearance at Germa 66, there was no time to reflect further on the matter.

King's focused gaze was fixed on the man standing atop the Germa 66 fortress wall.

"Gahahaha!"

Kaido's hearty laughter echoed across the sea.

Nicholas heard Kaido's laughter and calmly observed Kaido, who seemed to be preparing something.

Doflamingo looked at the imposing Kaido with a twisted smirk. "Exciting, isn't it? How will this monster respond to Nicholas's greeting?"

Hawk-Eye and Kuma remained calm. They rarely let emotions dictate their actions.

Kaido's laughter suddenly ceased. Then, the colossal dragon opened its mouth towards the Germa War Fortress, and scorching breath surged from its throat.

"It's coming!"

"Stay alert!"

Upon seeing Kaido's actions, Judge shouted loudly. The artificial soldiers on the fortress wall looked grim.

Under everyone's gaze, a scorching breath, several dozen meters in diameter and expanding, flew directly towards the Germa War Fortress. Along its path, seawater evaporated, and even the air distorted from the intense heat.

Seeing the breath approaching, Judge despaired. The fortress couldn't withstand such an attack, not even if the soldiers self-destructed. The power of this attack was terrifying.

The three brothers, Judge's creations, stared in astonishment at the surging heat and the overwhelming sensation.

Clearly, this attack could easily destroy them.

At this moment, the three brothers began to question their existence, and they looked at Judge. Despite Judge's claims that they were the most outstanding creations of the Vinsmoke family, they looked like mere toys in the eyes of those powerful individuals.

"Boom!"

The scorching breath swiftly crossed a kilometer's distance and arrived in front of the Germa War Fortress.

"!"

"If we get hit by something like this, we'll probably turn to ash instantly!"

"We're done for!"

Feeling the overwhelming heat, the Vinsmoke brothers calmly spoke terrifying words. Clearly, before their birth, Judge had already eradicated their ability to feel fear through technology.

The searing breath, like a sea of fire, enveloped the Germa War Fortress, continually turning seawater into steam that billowed upwards.

Just as Judge and the others thought they couldn't withstand this attack and were preparing to retreat from the fortress wall using their technological battle suits, a deafening, explosive-like dull sound suddenly echoed in their ears.

Everyone involuntarily looked towards the source of the sound.

They had expected this terrifying attack to instantly destroy part of the fortress.

However, before their eyes, the surging sea of fire rushed along the walls of the Germa War Fortress, streaming towards both sides.

It was as if an invisible barrier stood before the Germa War Fortress.

"What's going on..."

An unsettled Judge stared blankly at the wall, where Nicholas stood with one hand extended.

Electromagnetic barrier!

It turned out that Nicholas had intervened to block Kaido's scorching breath.

On the warships,

Doflamingo excitedly laughed at the monsters exchanging greetings with each other. "Truly legendary monsters, hahaha!"

"However..."

Cigar in mouth, Crocodile leaned against the mast, releasing a puff of smoke as he spoke.

...

From a distance, Kaido, seeing his breath blocked, didn't launch another attack but instead hovered above the Beasts Pirates' fleet on his flame clouds.

While he hoped to spark a world-spanning war, he wasn't a fool.

Having been captured multiple times by the Navy, he knew full well their strength. If Nicholas hadn't appeared, he wouldn't have minded recklessly attacking Germa 66 first and then turning to face the Navy's 'counterattack'.

Yes, he knew he couldn't defeat the Navy, but it wouldn't be easy for them to take him down either. With his flight capabilities, who could stop him from escaping?

"Mr. Nicholas?"

Judge looked towards Nicholas.

Nicholas understood Judge's intentions and nodded.

Soon, the Germa War Fortress began to move towards the flanks of the Beasts Pirates, its cannons aimed squarely at the Navy.

Likewise, under King's command, the Beasts Pirates' fleet began to turn, their cannons also aimed at the Navy. It seemed both sides had reached an unspoken agreement.

Clearly, as the most powerful forces on the battlefield, neither the Beasts Pirates nor Germa 66 would allow the Navy to sit idly by and reap the benefits.

As the cannons turned, fuses were ignited.

Bang! Bang!

The cannons roared, and from the smoke billowed bullets that streaked through the air like torrents of red light, pouring down towards the Navy fleet.

The astonishing firepower interwove into a net of fire in the night sky in an instant.

"Hey, hey, isn't this a bit too much?!"

Watching the barrage raining down like a sudden storm, many Navy personnel on the warships couldn't help but show expressions of despair.

For strong individuals, the threat of cannons and bullets might be negligible, but for these ordinary Navy members, a stray bullet or a solid shot launched from a cannon could easily end their lives.

"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic!"

Watching the storm of bullets and the web of firepower weaving through the night sky, Kaido felt his blood begin to boil!