Across the New World, several large-scale battlefields had gradually fallen into an unspoken calm. The clashes between top-tier forces slowed one after another, as if all sides had silently agreed to pause.
Yet this peace was nothing more than a temporary ceasefire.
Smaller conflicts still burned across the seas, scattered and relentless. These skirmishes lacked the weight to shake the balance of the New World, and many of those involved had no interest in leaving their posts to watch the upcoming Swordplay Tournament.
Everyone understood the truth.
Once the tournament ended, the flames of war would reignite even more fiercely.
Among these conflicts, the war in the Golden Sea showed no sign of slowing down.
The immense wealth hidden beneath those waters was too great a prize for the Marine and the World Government to abandon. At the same time, pirates and rival forces would never allow the Government to claim it uncontested.
Around Jaya, several small islands had already been transformed into battlegrounds. What were once quiet outposts had become blood-soaked fronts where both sides clashed without restraint.
The Marine still held the advantage at sea, but even with that edge, they could not dominate the battlefield entirely. The situation remained chaotic, unpredictable, and costly.
The scale of the conflict had grown steadily.
The Marine had committed nearly thirty thousand troops, pouring in manpower and resources, yet their gains remained minimal. On the opposing side, pirate forces continued to expand as well.
The Whitebeard Pirates sent their merman squad leader, whose dominance in the ocean allowed him to tear apart warships with terrifying ease. Other Yonko crews followed suit. The Flying Pirates, the Beast Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates each dispatched powerful commanders.
The addition of these high-level fighters shifted the balance.
What had once been a defensive struggle for the pirates slowly turned into localized counterattacks, forcing the Marine onto the back foot in several regions.
Within the Nightfall Pirates, Laffitte continued to command operations, now joined by Nelson.
For Nelson, this battlefield was both a test and a revelation.
At first, he had been confident in his ability. His Devil Fruit power had once allowed him to toy even with Kizaru, which had reinforced his belief in his own strength.
But here, that confidence was shattered.
True monsters of the sea possessed overwhelming Armament Haki, coating their entire bodies in impenetrable defense. Against such powerhouses, his ability was nearly useless.
He had learned that lesson the hard way when facing Zephyr.
The former Admiral's full-body Armament Haki had completely nullified Nelson's ability, nearly ending the fight in an instant. Only a desperate teleportation had saved him.
The same was true for Kronos, a Mythical Zoan user with monstrous durability and equally terrifying Haki.
For the first time, Nelson clearly understood a harsh truth.
His ability was not invincible.
Even so, he did not falter.
He knew his strengths and weaknesses with clarity.
His swordsmanship had only just reached the level of a competent swordsman. Becoming a true master would require time. His mastery of the Six Styles remained unpolished, and while his Armament Haki was decent, it could not compare to the elite fighters on this battlefield.
Only his Observation Haki stood out.
In that area, his talent was undeniable.
Compared to the monsters surrounding him, his shortcomings were obvious. Yet among ordinary fighters of the sea, he was already exceptional.
If he wanted to bridge the gap, he would have to rely on his Devil Fruit.
If he could push the Steal-Steal Fruit to awakening, his strength would undergo a complete transformation.
That was his path forward.
A flash of steel interrupted his thoughts.
A Marine Vice Admiral struck with lethal precision, aiming directly for Nelson's neck.
The blade never landed.
Nelson vanished at the last instant, reappearing beside his opponent like a phantom. His counterattack was swift and merciless, severing the Vice Admiral's sword arm in a single stroke.
Before he could finish the kill, another Vice Admiral intervened, forcing Nelson to withdraw.
Even so, his presence alone cast a shadow over the battlefield.
He was not the strongest fighter present, but he was the most unpredictable. Like a blade suspended overhead, he could strike at any moment, then disappear without a trace.
Even Admirals had failed to capture him.
That fact alone made him a constant threat.
Elsewhere, the battlefield reached a fever pitch.
In the sky, Admiral "Black Pigeon" Freda clashed against two formidable opponents, Marco and King.
Explosions echoed as flames and shockwaves collided midair.
Despite holding the advantage, Freda could not secure victory. Both of his opponents possessed flight and extraordinary resilience. One wielded the power of ancient Zoan durability, while the other burned with regenerative phoenix flames.
Below them, the ground told a different story.
Gunfire thundered. Cannons roared. Bodies fell one after another as pirates, Marines, and soldiers of the Government's army fought in brutal close combat.
The earth itself seemed dyed red.
The true centerpiece of the battle, however, lay at sea.
There, Zephyr faced the terrifying "Thunder Tyrant" Kronos.
Lightning tore through the sky as Kronos unleashed his Titan form, a colossal body towering over a hundred meters. Waves spiraled outward, forming a massive whirlpool with the two at its center.
Zephyr held the advantage in technique and raw power.
But Kronos possessed something else.
Endurance that bordered on the absurd.
No matter how many times he was struck down, he rose again, his recovery ability turning the battle into a relentless stalemate.
Not far from that clash, Nelson watched with narrowed eyes.
"What a monster," he muttered.
The gap between himself and these figures was undeniable.
Yet instead of fear, he felt something else rising within him.
Resolve.
Across the battlefield, other figures carved their own legends.
Charlotte Katakuri stood out among them.
Facing multiple high-level opponents at once, he not only held his ground but gradually seized the advantage. His mastery of Observation Haki had reached new heights, allowing him to peer further into the future with each passing battle.
Two Vice Admirals had already fallen to him.
His bounty reflected his growing threat, rising to an astonishing 1.1 billion Berries.
Even when facing an Army Commander, a fighter comparable to a lower-tier Admiral, Katakuri remained composed, his control over the battlefield nearly flawless.
The war continued to escalate.
Losses mounted on both sides, but the World Government bore the heavier burden. Several high-ranking combatants had already fallen, while the pirate side's core elites remained largely intact.
The Golden Sea had become a grinder of flesh and blood.
A battlefield where time itself seemed to devour lives.
For the World Government, the pressure was mounting.
For Marshall D. Teach and his crew, the situation was different. They were already reaping the rewards of the Golden Sea.
Every delay worked in their favor.
Every drop of blood spilled weakened their enemies.
Beyond the battlefield, another storm was brewing. The Swordplay Tournament approached.
On Parage Island, deep within the territory of the Nightfall Pirates, forces from across the world began to gather.
Unlike Sicily Island, which had hosted the World Expo on the fringes of contested territory, Parage Island lay at the very heart of Teach's domain.
This was his home ground. And he welcomed everyone.
Through the World Economic News, Teach openly invited the world to come.
To some, it was arrogance. To others, it was confidence. To the most perceptive, it was a declaration.
The Nightfall Pirates were no longer merely rising. They were preparing to stand among the Emperors.
Within the Sageros Sea, their territory had already been fortified into an impenetrable stronghold. Information rarely leaked out, and what little did emerge only deepened the mystery surrounding them.
Like a fog that concealed everything beneath it, their domain remained unknowable.
And that only made the world more eager to look closer.
Because in this era of upheaval, everyone understood one thing.
The balance of the world was shifting. And when it finally tipped, it would not be a gentle change.
It would be a storm.