…
Renn Hawk gazed down at the white ocean formed by one hundred thousand elite Marines. His mind was calm.
This was the Navy's true foundation.
As for their enemy, the Whitebeard Pirates numbered just over sixteen hundred core members, divided into sixteen divisions. Beneath them were forty-three New World pirate crews, for a total force of roughly fifty thousand.
Whether in top-tier combat power or overall military scale, the Navy held an overwhelming advantage.
These fifty thousand pirates from the New World were the perfect whetstone to temper the Navy's legion warfare.
On the condition that casualties were controlled, he intended to annihilate them completely and extract their value down to the very last drop.
Renn Hawk took a deep breath.
"Everyone, I am the commander of G-3 Base and Rear Admiral of Headquarters, Renn Hawk."
His voice was not loud, yet the noise of one hundred thousand people vanished in an instant.
"Many of you may know my record. Others may have heard rumors."
"Yes, it was I who ordered the bombardment of Demon Valley Town."
"It was I who led the bloodbath in Impel Down."
"And the controller of the Four Buster Calls is also me."
Boom.
The formation of one hundred thousand erupted into restrained turbulence.
Every major event in the Navy over the past period had been personally carried out by the man standing before them.
The Blood Hawk.
The man who, by himself, made every pirate in Paradise tremble in fear.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku has entrusted me with overall command of this war."
"Then I will bear all responsibility."
"But the troops under my command follow iron discipline."
"Merit will be rewarded."
"Mistakes will be punished."
"Orders will be executed."
"Prohibitions will be enforced."
"So as the elite of the Navy, I expect one thing from you."
Renn Hawk's voice rose sharply.
"Absolute obedience!"
"G-3 Base, step forward!"
"Step!"
Thousands of soldiers at the very front of the formation took one step forward.
Thousands of boots struck the ground in perfect unison, as if a single man had moved.
An aura forged of iron and blood surged upward, sending chills through the elite forces of Headquarters.
Then, under the stunned gazes of all present.
Thud.
Thousands of G-3 soldiers clenched their right fists and slammed them against their left chests, directly over their hearts.
The sound was deep and heavy, like war drums.
Their movements were flawless, precise to the smallest margin.
On the platform, Zephyr's pupils contracted.
Akainu's lips curled upward.
Aokiji's expression grew solemn.
Kizaru put away his usual levity.
Sengoku's body trembled with excitement.
This was a righteous army.
This was the future of the Navy.
"Now, all legions, dismiss in place!"
Renn Hawk continued issuing commands.
"Reform with G-3 Base soldiers as the core!"
"Ten men per squad!"
"One hundred per column!"
"One thousand per formation!"
"Begin immediately!"
The order was absolute.
…
The formation of one hundred thousand fell into brief chaos.
But the soldiers of G-3 Base moved like the most precise gears in a machine.
They acted swiftly and decisively, pulling surrounding Marines into their ranks and forcefully integrating them.
"You! You! And the eight of you! Move with me!"
"Pick up the pace! Stay in line!"
"What are you staring at? Yes, you! Get in formation!"
At first, the Headquarters soldiers hesitated.
But the first to react were the Marine officers.
They immediately began assisting with the integration, roaring orders at their subordinates.
"What are you standing around for? Didn't you hear Rear Admiral Hawk's command?!"
"All personnel, obey G-3 Base's deployment immediately!"
"This is an order! Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with under military law!"
Their roars acted like a stimulant.
The chaos stabilized rapidly.
In just over ten minutes, the framework of a brand-new iron army of one hundred thousand, forged around Hawk's will, had taken shape.
Renn Hawk observed the result, a faint smile forming.
As expected of the Navy's elite. The foundation was there. What they lacked was systematic integration and absolute obedience training.
He did not pause.
Live drills began immediately.
"Entire army, left wing advance one hundred meters! Right wing withdraw! Change formation!"
The moment the order was issued, the massive force began to move.
G-3 soldiers became the nervous system of this colossal beast, transmitting Hawk's commands to every corner at maximum speed.
"Keep up! We're the left wing, advance forward! Why are you retreating?!"
"One hundred meters! One hundred meters! Is that what one hundred meters looks like in your house? Run!"
"If you're unsure, follow the front line! Get it wrong and expect extra drills after the war!"
…
"Entire army, halt! Construct defensive formation in place!"
"Cancel defense! Switch to assault formation! Officers as spearheads! Prepare to pierce the enemy line!"
Complex legion commands were issued one after another without pause.
For nearly an entire afternoon, the formation below evolved from initial stiffness into seamless flow.
In the end, it became a precise, cold war machine.
Renn Hawk completed the final drill and turned toward Sengoku, giving a light nod.
Sengoku took a deep breath and turned to the signal officer beside him.
"Pass the order. Conduct a final inspection of all live broadcast Den Den Mushi."
"Ensure every corner of the world can witness this war."
"Our war."
"Everyone, stay sharp!"
"Whitebeard is coming!"
…
New World. Totto Land.
As the intelligence powerhouse among the Four Emperors, the Big Mom Pirates had already received news of the Whitebeard Pirates mobilizing in full force.
Inside the throne hall of Cake Castle.
One of the Four Emperors, Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, stuffed a massive piece of cake into her mouth.
Before her, a table made entirely of candy overflowed with intelligence from across the world.
Charlotte Katakuri, the strongest of the Sweet Commanders, stood quietly at her side.
His gaze lingered on the reports for a long time.
"Mom."
Katakuri finally spoke, his voice low.
"All intelligence points to one thing. This time, the Navy is serious."
"My instincts tell me Whitebeard is doomed."
"Mamamama…"
Big Mom swallowed the last bite of cake.
"Doomed? That old fossil is still the strongest man in the world."
"The era has changed, Mom."
"Between the lines of these reports, I can smell resolve. And blood."
"The Navy now…"
"Whitebeard cannot stop them."
Katakuri lifted his head and looked directly at his mother.
"So we have two choices."
"One, go to Marineford as well. Either take a share of the spoils in the greatest war in the world, or be dragged in and perish together."
"Two…"
A cold light flashed in his eyes.
"While the Whitebeard Pirates are fully pinned down at Marine Headquarters, we devour all of his territories."
"Mamamama!"
Big Mom stood up.
"Katakuri, worthy of being my finest son!"
"Whitebeard's territory…"
"Those are the most delicious cakes in the world!"
She licked her lips, greed filling her eyes.
"Compared to crashing head-on into Marine Headquarters, I much prefer staying home and tasting the fruits of victory."
The choice was obvious.
"But, Mom…"
Katakuri frowned.
"The Beasts Pirates will not just watch us swallow all the benefits."
"Kaido? That fool who only knows how to fight and kill himself?"
Big Mom snorted.
"You don't understand him well enough, Katakuri."
"To Kaido, territory is far less valuable than a war that truly excites him."
"And besides…"
She pulled a Den Den Mushi from her chest and dialed.
"Buru buru…"
Click.
From the other end came Kaido's voice.
"Wororororo! Linlin?!"
"Brat Kaido, I hear you're planning to join the fun?"
"That's right! This is the greatest war in the world! How could I miss it?!"
"Mamamama, then make it bigger."
"Go to Marine Headquarters."
"Turn the place upside down."
"And don't forget, Kaido…"
"You owe me a lifetime debt."
Silence fell on the other end.
Then…
"Wororororo!"
Kaido's wild laughter rang out again.
"Fine, Linlin!"
"For that lifetime debt, I'll go to Marineford and raise absolute hell!"