The fleet of the Marines moved quickly.
In only a few days, the warships from Marineford had already arrived in the waters surrounding Jaya.
But by the time they arrived, the situation had completely spiraled out of control.
News of the World Government's plan to monopolize the Golden Sea had already spread across the seas. Over the past several days, countless forces had united in opposition.
Pirates, treasure hunters, underground organizations, and merchant groups all chose the same side.
Resist.
The Marine garrison stationed on Jaya was ambushed repeatedly by these forces and suffered heavy losses. Even with powerful fighters such as Marine Vice Admirals present, they were eventually forced to retreat from the island in chaos.
The reason was simple.
Profit.
The Golden Sea's gold deposits were too valuable. No one was willing to surrender such wealth to the World Government without a fight.
Most of the forces on Jaya had already received instructions from the powerful factions backing them. They knew reinforcements from the New World were on the way.
That knowledge gave them confidence.
Secret shipments of weapons soon began arriving on the island. Firearms, artillery, ammunition, and supplies were distributed among pirate crews and mercenaries.
Jaya Island was being transformed into a fortress.
Their plan was clear.
Use Jaya as a base and wage a full-scale war against the Marines.
This development had not been fully anticipated by Marine Headquarters.
By the time their fleet arrived, Marine forces had already been completely driven out of the island and even pushed away from the surrounding waters.
The region itself was naturally dangerous.
Massive whirlpools.
Hidden reefs.
And the terrifying Knock Up Stream.
These natural obstacles formed a powerful defensive barrier around Jaya.
If the war dragged on, the Marines would face serious disadvantages.
Meanwhile, pirate forces would continue strengthening their defenses, constructing fortifications and gathering more powerful allies.
Once that happened, capturing Jaya would become nearly impossible.
Because of that, the Marines chose speed.
Their strategy was simple: launch a decisive strike before the pirates could fully prepare.
Leading the operation was Admiral Freda, known as the "Black Dove."
Under his command were ten Vice Admirals, numerous elite officers, and tens of thousands of soldiers aboard a massive fleet.
Their objective was straightforward.
Crush the resistance in a single overwhelming attack.
If they succeeded, they could immediately establish a Marine fortress on Jaya Island and permanently secure the Golden Sea.
It was a bold plan.
Unfortunately for the Marines, events did not unfold as expected.
As the Marine fleet approached the waters of Jaya, they suddenly encountered a coordinated ambush.
Powerful pirates descended from the sky.
The New World's response had been far faster than anticipated.
Although many reinforcements were still traveling from distant territories, several of the most mobile and dangerous fighters had already arrived.
Among them were:
Marco, the Phoenix of the Whitebeard Pirates
Charlotte Katakuri, second son of Big Mom
King, the Conflagration of the Beast Pirates
"Thunder Tyrant" Kronos of the Flying Pirates
Laffitte, the Devil Watchman of the Nightfall Pirates
"Ghost Fire" Banner, third-in-command of the Satan Pirates
Six powerful combatants. All capable of flight. Their target was not the Marines themselves.
It was the fleet.
The battle began with overwhelming force.
Kronos struck first.
Lightning erupted across the sky as the Thunder Tyrant unleashed a devastating attack. Two Marine warships were instantly destroyed, sinking beneath the sea in a storm of electricity.
It was a warning.
Admiral Freda reacted immediately.
Using the power of the Repulsion-Repulsion Fruit, he created a massive defensive barrier that blocked Kronos's next attack.
Moments later, Freda launched himself toward Kronos, intercepting him before more ships could be destroyed.
If Kronos were left unchecked, the entire fleet could sink within minutes.
And that was exactly the pirates' plan.
Destroy the ships.
Stop the Marines from landing.
The sky above the battlefield exploded into chaos.
Kronos fought Freda directly.
Transforming into a gigantic lightning titan over one hundred meters tall, he dominated the battlefield with terrifying power. His thunderous fists clashed against Freda's repulsion barriers again and again.
Despite the Admiral's formidable defense, Kronos gradually gained the upper hand.
Elsewhere, the pirates unleashed their own attacks.
Marco soared through the sky in phoenix form, fighting three Vice Admirals alone while remaining completely unfazed.
King transformed into a massive Pteranodon, dominating the skies with his superior aerial combat.
Charlotte Katakuri landed directly on a warship and fought two Vice Admirals simultaneously while his Homies rampaged across the deck.
These three were already legendary figures in the New World.
Meanwhile, Laffitte and Banner each engaged a Vice Admiral of their own.
But neither of them intended to fight for long.
Their goal was destruction.
Laffitte moved like a ghost.
With his bat-like wings and eerie speed, he slipped through the battlefield almost unseen. Even Marines using Observation Haki struggled to track his movements.
His hypnotic abilities made him even more terrifying.
In the middle of combat, opponents would suddenly freeze for a split second.
And that moment was enough.
Blood flashed through the air as Laffitte cut down Marine soldiers one after another.
Behind him, a Vice Admiral chased using Geppo.
But it was useless.
Laffitte was too fast.
Soon he reached the location he had been searching for.
The warship's ammunition storage.
Moments later—
BOOM.
A blinding explosion tore through the sky.
The entire warship detonated, shattering into burning fragments. More than ninety percent of the Marines aboard were instantly killed.
The explosion's radius exceeded one hundred meters, damaging nearby ships as well.
Debris rained across the battlefield.
Many Marines were killed by burning fragments flying through the air at deadly speeds.
The devastating blast revealed just how much ammunition these warships carried.
Only one minute later, another explosion erupted.
A second warship was destroyed.
By this point, the Marines realized the danger.
Four warships had already been lost.
Nearly one third of the fleet's combat capability had vanished in moments.
And the greatest threat was not Kronos.
It was Laffitte.
The Vice Admirals could not keep up with him.
And without them guarding every ship, the fleet was defenseless.
Meanwhile, Banner turned another warship into a nightmare.
His eerie blue ghost flames spread across the deck, coating the ship in frost.
Unlike ordinary fire, the ghost fire carried freezing cold.
Many Marines were frozen stiff before they could escape.
Those too weak to resist the cold collapsed immediately, their bodies turning into lifeless statues.
Yet Banner's ability was more than simple freezing. The ghost flames clung stubbornly to everything they touched. They were almost impossible to extinguish. And the eerie aura they emitted slowly eroded the minds of those trapped within them.
The longer the battle continued, the stronger Banner's advantage became.
Watching the battlefield collapse, Admiral Freda made a decision.
If the fleet continued fighting, the losses would become catastrophic. He refused to sacrifice the entire army here.
"Super Repulsion!"
A massive wave of repulsive force blasted outward, pushing Kronos back.
Using the opening, Freda shot toward the fleet at incredible speed. The approaching power was instantly noticed by the pirates.
Katakuri withdrew first, using his future sight to escape the Vice Admirals' attacks.
Marco and King pulled back as well.
Laffitte vanished into the sky.
Banner floated away in a cloud of ghost fire.
The pirates regrouped in the air.
Seeing the situation clearly, Freda issued an order.
"Retreat."
Though unwilling, the Vice Admirals understood.
The Marine fleet began withdrawing from the battlefield.
The pirates did not pursue. This was only the beginning.
High above the sea, hidden News Coo watched the entire battle.
These reporter birds belonged to Big News Morgans, who had created special teams to broadcast major battles across the world.
As a result, countless people witnessed the clash.
At Marine Headquarters, officials sighed with relief when the fleet finally retreated.
The outcome could have been far worse.
Still, the Marines had lost the race for Jaya. The pirates had mobilized faster. But the war was far from over.
The Marines began preparing for a long campaign.
Their next strategy was clear: Establish bases on nearby islands. Patrol the surrounding seas. And slowly isolate Jaya until the island was completely surrounded.
The first battle of the Golden Sea had ended.
But it was only the opening act.
A long and brutal war had just begun.