Their respective thoughts!

On the other side, the Nicholas Pirates were also caught up in a fierce battle.

"Ah, I never thought the day would come when I'd fight alongside pirates," Aokiji said as he pressed his hands to the ground. The chill emanating from his body quickly spread, forming frost that stretched across the terrain. In an instant, a vast ice field emerged.

He glanced up at the sky in the distance, where two overwhelming forces were clashing. The terrifying aura and the chaotic energy waves felt like a sword hanging over everyone's heads, ready to strike at any moment.

"Kuzan, focus! We must win this battle at all costs!" Sakazuki shouted after his attack, "Hellhound," was blocked by Saint Marcus Mars.

"Got it. But these abilities are troublesome. Controlling blood and the atmosphere... anyone else facing these two would have a tough time," Kuzan said, exhaling cold breath. He looked seriously at the Saint Marcus Mars and another Elder with curly white hair and a small round hat (Saint Saturn).

These two old guys are almost unbeatable. Fortunately, due to their Logia Devil Fruit abilities, Sakazuki and Kuzan were only minimally affected.

…

"Hey, big guy, aren't you going to fight back?" A blond youth in a white combat suit punched Urouge and mocked him as he attacked.

But Urouge ignored the taunt, using Armament Haki to endure the barrage of attacks.

"You're a boring guy. Fine, then die! Remember, you're being killed by a direct descendant of the Twenty Kings of the Celestial Dragons!" As he spoke, a pungent liquid seeped from his body, and he charged at Urouge.

The youth had consumed the Acid-Acid Fruit, making him an Acid-Man who could produce highly corrosive acid from his body. In battle, he would cover himself in acid, making it impossible for most enemies to approach.

Sizzling sounds echoed as the acid splashed onto Urouge's skin, releasing blue smoke. But what surprised the Celestial Dragon youth was that, despite the inhuman pain, Urouge still wore a smile, a mocking one in the youth's eyes.

Instead of anger, the youth felt alarmed and instinctively tried to distance himself from Urouge. After all, among the Celestial Dragons, there were not only swine but also cautious individuals.

"Karma!"

Just as the youth attempted to retreat, Urouge's body swelled to several times its original size, growing as large as a giant. His massive fist, now like a truck, smashed toward the youth.

"Acid Armor!"

Seeing the incoming fist, the Celestial Dragon youth wanted to dodge but found it impossible. It was as if this punch was somehow connected to him, making it unavoidable.

In desperation, he activated all his defensive measures. His body hardened like iron, covered in Armament Haki, and protected by a layer of acid armor.

For a brief moment, the youth felt invincible.

Then Urouge's gigantic fist, accompanied by explosive shockwaves, struck the fully defended opponent.

Boom!

A wave of energy blasted outward in all directions. The youth realized his earlier feeling of invincibility had been an illusion.

Crack!

Within an instant, his acid armor shattered, followed by the sound of bones breaking.

As the Celestial Dragon youth was sent flying, Urouge didn't even spare him a glance. According to the law of karma, the damage inflicted upon Urouge had already been reflected back, enough to kill the youth.

Looking at the enemies around him, Urouge sighed. Karma was powerful in one-on-one duels, but in large-scale battles like this, it wasn't as effective. After all, karma depended on the balance between two individuals. If there wasn't enough karmic connection, even if Urouge triggered it, the result wouldn't be miraculous.

Meanwhile, Vista stood at the front, surrounded by the elite Celestial Dragon forces known as the Holy Knights. As the second-in-command of the Nicholas Pirates, he had become their primary target.

Strangely, there were no members of the Nicholas Pirates around him, nor were there any Revolutionaries or Marines in sight. It was as if Vista was some kind of monstrous beast everyone avoided.

But the Holy Knights didn't hesitate, launching waves of attacks at Vista.

Instead of defending, Vista knelt on one knee, arms spread wide, gazing reverently at the sky as if embracing something.

"Descend, oh Sun."

As Vista's words fell, the air around him distorted, and the attacks aimed at him vaporized before reaching him. In that moment, an invisible flame enveloped his body.

"Praise the Sun \O/"

After completing his prayer, Vista charged forward through the rain of attacks. Wherever he went, whether buildings or people, everything vaporized into nothingness.

At that moment, Vista resembled a walking sun, incinerating anyone who dared approach him.

Within seconds, the Holy Knights, once considered the finest of the Celestial Dragons' elite, were almost completely annihilated.

"What a terrifying guy," Ben Beckman muttered, squinting toward Vista. Among Nicholas's crew, the only ones that really caught his attention were Nicholas and Vista. This giant of a man gave him a heavy sense of danger.

As someone who relied on his intellect, Ben Beckman knew that even if they succeeded in overthrowing the World Government, conflicts would inevitably arise. People's ideals differed, and ultimately, the strongest fists would decide the outcome. But all of that would only matter if they won this war.

In Ben Beckman's mind, the best possible outcome of Nicholas and Imu's battle would be mutual destruction. Otherwise, the survival of either would not bode well for them.

He wasn't the only one thinking this way.

Returning his attention to the battlefield, Ben Beckman continued sniping enemies, though no one seemed to notice that he wasn't fully committed to the fight.

Elsewhere, both Dragon and Sengoku also refocused on their own opponents.