The Assault on the Snow Country  

Zephyr and his company arrived at Drum Kingdom, responding to a report of a suspicious ship. They didn't hold high hopes. Such reports were common and rarely amounted to anything concrete. But...

"...Surprised. We hit the jackpot," Zephyr muttered, peering through his binoculars.

His gaze was fixed on a galleon. He recognized it instantly, having seen it during their clash off the Alabasta coast. More importantly, the giant on board was unmistakable.

"That's Feiyun, the 'Giant Shadow.' I haven't spotted the 'Witch' yet, but she must be on the island," Berg reported.

"Contact the Drum Kingdom army... or rather, the defense force here. Tell them we're about to engage in battle, and a bounty head is lurking in the nearby town."

"The 'Witch' can travel across the sea alone, so there's a possibility she'll escape even if we manage to capture the others..."

"No way. It's more effective to announce our attack and draw her out."

Someone who would abandon their comrades to save themselves wouldn't have killed a Celestial Dragon to protect others. Both Sengoku, who had fought her before, and Zephyr understood this well.

"She's the same type as Roger. The kind who would die quickly if they lacked strength..."

"And a troublesome type if they have the strength to back it up. Berg, contact Lonz and Saul immediately. We're surrounding the ship."

"Yes, sir!"

The deck bustled with activity. Three nearby warships gradually formed a blockade, and by the time they deemed it sufficient, the enemy had prepared for their assault. The first to move was – the giant known as "Giant Shadow."

"She's moving! It's the 'Giant Shadow'!"

"No shit. There's no other human that big."

They couldn't help but sigh at the sight of her towering figure, easily ten times the size of a normal giant. In terms of sheer size, she was unmatched. The only things comparable would be sea monsters or Island Whales.

But even giants were susceptible to cannon fire. Bombarding her relentlessly from four warships would surely inflict some damage. Her size made her an easy target.

"Lonz and Saul, focus on suppressing the 'Giant Shadow.' Sengoku and I will board the ship and finish them off."

With Lonz and Saul, two Vice Admirals, they had enough firepower to deal with Feiyun. Even with the size difference, their Haki could compensate to some extent. Considering that she was also a Haki user, it was a reasonable assignment.

Feiyun, her gigantic form unable to fit on the ship, waded into the winter sea and swung her Armament Haki-hardened fist towards a warship.

"Don't think you can defeat me with that!!"

Zephyr and Sengoku deflected the massive fist and headed towards Kanata's ship. They dodged and blocked incoming cannon fire as they landed on the deck, immediately assuming defensive positions.

Zephyr's hardened arm met the tip of a spear, stopping its advance with a metallic clang. "Quite a greeting," he remarked.

"There's no need for courtesy with those who barge in uninvited – and against an Admiral, I doubt you'd fall for a simple surprise attack," Junshi retorted.

"Naturally. You seem strong yourself, but... where's the 'Witch'?"

"She's currently off the ship. She'll be back eventually, but I doubt you're planning to wait around sipping tea."

"Of course not – Here I come!!"

Zephyr parried the spear and lunged towards Junshi. Junshi deflected the attack with a swift spin of his spear, creating distance before thrusting towards Zephyr's throat. Zephyr narrowly dodged and closed the distance again, but Junshi anticipated his move and swept his legs out from under him.

"Tch!"

Zephyr used his Observation Haki to predict and counter Junshi's attacks, but he found it frustratingly difficult.

(This guy... he's troublesome in a different way than the 'Witch.')

Junshi didn't possess the ability to see the future, but he controlled the flow of the battle by exploiting his opponent's weaknesses. Zephyr disliked fighting this type of opponent, but he was confident he wouldn't lose.

He pushed Junshi back with a Haki-imbued fist, creating several meters of distance. Junshi wielded a three-meter-long spear known as the "Six Harmonies Great Spear," different from Kanata's. Its wooden shaft, imbued with Armament Haki, offered both strength and flexibility, allowing him to absorb and redirect impacts.

"So, you can hold your own defensively as long as we maintain some distance, huh?"

"I wouldn't be so optimistic as to think I can defeat you."

Even so, he wasn't completely nullifying the damage. While his technique surpassed Kanata's, his Armament Haki wasn't as strong. Moreover, his Observation Haki didn't quite match Zephyr's, so his defense wouldn't last forever.

Zephyr and Junshi moved simultaneously, their fist and spear colliding. Each clash generated shockwaves, and with the limited space on the deck, avoiding them was becoming increasingly difficult. Scotch and the others had retreated to the edge of the ship to stay out of the way.

If Kanata and the others who were at Kureha's place returned, they might be able to turn the tide of this desperate situation, but... the circumstances were far from easy.

***

"...Surprised. There's someone besides the 'Witch' who can handle Zephyr to this extent... But it seems there's no one else on board," Sengoku observed.

Feiyun was being restrained by the two giant Vice Admirals. Junshi, whom they were encountering for the first time, was occupied with Zephyr, and among the remaining crew members on the ship, there didn't seem to be anyone strong enough to challenge Sengoku.

Sengoku took a step forward, intending to incapacitate the remaining crew – and caught David's fist as he charged towards him.

"I'm in charge of defending this ship...! I won't let you do as you please!"

"Then show me you can protect it...!"

David's fist exploded due to his Devil Fruit ability, but Sengoku, clad in Armament Haki, remained unscathed. The difference in their fundamental strength was simply too vast. David's ability couldn't even scratch Sengoku, his Haki impenetrable.

"Damn it... Damn it! Why am I so...!!"

Sengoku was holding back to avoid destroying the ship, but he wasn't going easy on David. The harsh reality of his overwhelming defeat shattered David's confidence.

"As expected, the only real threat is the 'Witch' herself. If we take control of the ship, she'll back down."

He knew how much Kanata valued her comrades. Subduing the crew would likely make her surrender without a fight. Sengoku was well aware of her strength, and he preferred to avoid a direct confrontation if possible.

He sent David flying with a powerful blow, rendering him unconscious, and prepared to incapacitate the remaining crew members.

"What the hell are we supposed to do about that!? We can't handle someone like Sengoku!!"

Kuro frowned, "What do you mean, what are we supposed to do...? Kanata and Zen aren't here, so we have no choice but to deal with it ourselves, right?"

"Why are you so calm!?"

While Scotch was panicking, Kuro remained composed and assessed the situation. With Kanata and Zen, their strongest fighters, absent, things were looking dire. They had contacted them via Den Den Mushi earlier, but they were some distance away, so they needed to buy time. Junshi was fully occupied with Zephyr, and Feiyun was struggling against the two Vice Admirals. They couldn't expect much help from them.

Kuro and Scotch were no match for Sengoku – but,

"We have no choice but to fight. We've been entrusted with this ship!"

Even Kuro, one of the weakest on the ship, was saying this, so Scotch had no choice but to fight, even if it was a losing battle. With his cutlass in hand, he mustered his courage, knowing defeat was inevitable but refusing to back down.

Just then, a man emerged from the ship's interior. Sengoku narrowed his eyes and paused his advance and put up his guard up.

"──I'll be your opponent. I owe Kanata a debt of gratitude."

Tiger crouched low and launched himself towards Sengoku with incredible speed. His Fishman strength was overwhelming, forcing Sengoku back several meters across the deck even as he blocked the attack.

"Guh...!"

"Tiger! Thanks for the help, but you'll end up with a bounty on your head too!?"

"I don't care! The Marines wouldn't protect a Fishman anyway. Becoming a wanted criminal is nothing to me."

Sengoku frowned at Tiger's words but couldn't refute them. Considering the current state of the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and the Marines, he had no words to counter Tiger's argument.

Even if Sengoku himself disagreed with their ways, as a member of the Marines, he had to obey. Not everyone could live like Garp.

"...If you interfere, I won't hold back, no matter who you are!"

Sengoku finally activated his Devil Fruit ability, transforming into a giant Buddha. Even at the sight of his colossal form, rivaling a giant's size, Tiger glared back, refusing to yield.

"So that's a Zoan-type... my ability won't be very effective, I guess."

Against a Zoan-type that primarily enhanced physical abilities – or rather, against someone as strong as Sengoku – Kuro's "Darkness" gravity manipulation was a risky move. If he tried to pull Sengoku in, Kuro himself would likely be the one getting hurt.

The Buddha-like Sengoku raised his fist and swung it down towards Tiger, who dodged, leaving a massive hole in the deck.

"Woah!? If we let Sengoku rampage like this, things will get bad, right!?"

"The ship will break before that... We need to somehow drive him out or knock him into the sea."

Unlike Kanata, who had frozen the sea to create a platform for battle, fighting on the ship made it difficult to catch Sengoku off guard. If they could get Tiger, a Fishman, into the sea, his fighting capabilities would increase significantly, but they knew Sengoku wouldn't allow that.

Before Tiger could move, Sengoku unleashed a shockwave from his palm, sending Tiger and the crew members behind him flying.

"Guh, aaah...!!"

Tiger quickly regained his balance and leaped towards Sengoku once more. His fist collided with Sengoku's Haki-clad one, and they were both pushed back as they disengaged.

From behind, the crew members attempted to provide cover fire, but it was futile against someone like Sengoku.

"Damn, he's strong as always...!"

"Hey, you guys! Stop letting Tiger do all the fighting! Provide some support, support!" Scotch shouted and charged towards Sengoku with his cutlass raised. He knew they couldn't win, but as the one entrusted with the ship, he couldn't just stand by and watch their guest fight alone. He didn't expect his attack to do any damage, but he hoped to create an opening – just then, Junshi, who had been sent flying, crashed into him.

They rolled across the deck together, finally coming to a stop against a wall.

"Junshi! Hey, are you alright!?"

Kuro called out to Junshi, who had rolled away with Scotch, but there was no response. Blood trickled down Junshi's head as he stood up, ready to face Zephyr's next attack.

However, contrary to expectations, Zephyr didn't pursue him. Instead, he stood beside Sengoku and crossed his arms. "You're still too green. You're not strong enough to defeat me."

"Zephyr, what are you playing at! We need to take control of the ship before the 'Witch' returns!"

"Calm down, Sengoku. He's quite strong, you know. It took some effort to handle him."

Zephyr hadn't held back at all. Junshi had bruises all over his body, but the blood was from a cut on his head. It wasn't a deep wound. On the other hand, Zephyr had only a single scratch on his cheek, otherwise unharmed. Junshi wouldn't be satisfied with this outcome, even if it was considered a good fight.

"Besides... it's too late."

Zephyr turned his gaze towards Drum Island – and at that moment, an ice spear flew towards his throat at supersonic speed.

He caught it with both arms, clad in Armament Haki, using a technique similar to a sword block – then, Kanata's kick slammed into the spear's shaft, sending Zephyr flying.

Before Sengoku could react, Kanata turned towards him and delivered a powerful kick to his side.

"Guh, nuuu──!?"

Her Haki was significantly stronger than before. Sengoku stumbled back but quickly regained his footing at the edge of the ship, firing a Haki-imbued shockwave towards Kanata.

Kanata blocked it head-on with her own Haki, her red eyes glaring at Sengoku.

"You seem to have enjoyed yourself quite a bit, Sengoku."

"You witch...!! You've grown this strong!"

The air crackled with their clashing Haki. The ship wouldn't survive if they continued fighting like this. Kuro was about to say something, but Kanata moved before he could.

"It's too cramped here. Let's have our date on the sea."

As Sengoku threw a punch, Kanata met it with her own fist, generating shockwaves as she spoke. Before anyone could ask what she meant, a massive face appeared at the edge of their vision.

"Nn~ Hee-Haw!! Here we go!! Facial Growth Hormone!! Hell's Heel!! WINK~ Nuwink!!"

A mere blink, amplified by eyelids enlarged with the Facial Growth Hormone, created a powerful shockwave. Sengoku, caught in the blast from the side, was thrown off the ship. He immediately kicked off the air to return, but collided with Kanata, who had also leaped from the ship.

The sea froze instantly beneath them as they landed simultaneously.

"Zen!"

"Understood!"

As Sengoku was thrown off the ship and Zephyr returned, Zen, clad in Armament Haki, launched an attack. Their masterful exchange of blows was too fast for the limited space, and they moved onto the ice platform along with Zephyr.

Kanata stood on the ice, facing Sengoku, her anger simmering quietly.

"Kanata!"

Dragon, who had returned to the ship, threw the white spear that had been left in Kanata's private quarters towards her. She caught it and coated it with Armament Haki, turning it black and hard.

"...A year ago, the situation was similar."

After she had killed the Celestial Dragon, Sengoku had pursued Kanata and her crew as they attempted to escape from the port.

This time, they were surrounded, with no escape route. They had no choice but to fight and win if they wanted to survive.

"I won't let you escape this time. Prepare yourself."

"I never intended to run forever. Now it's my turn to crush you."

Their Conqueror's Haki clashed, their fist and spear collided – and the heavens split open.