Chapter 220: The Tides of Battle Shift: A Fierce Stand on the High Seas

Seeing their plan unfold without a hitch, Perospero finally allowed himself a smile as the tension in his chest faded. They had secured the first victory in this battle, which should make it much harder for the Navy to keep up the pursuit when it came time to retreat.

“Catch your breath while you can. We might need to get back in there soon!” Charlotte Linlin had no intention of letting Ledfield face both Garp and Sengoku alone without doing something about it.

It wasn’t just that Ledfield was a comrade Karl had recruited—anyone with an admiral-level strength couldn’t be thrown away so lightly.

Especially when he was a Mythical Zoan user. If they abandoned someone like that, the pirate crew would crumble from within, and that was the last thing she wanted.

“Now the real fight begins!”

“Warm-up’s over!”

Ledfield’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Once he saw Charlotte Linlin and the others retreat safely, his entire presence exploded with power.

A deep red wave of Conqueror’s Haki erupted from him, an overwhelming pressure radiating out in every direction.

Ripples swept outward from the heart of the island, pulsing like a massive heartbeat. Each throb sent violent shockwaves blasting across the battlefield—the waves hit hard as a hurricane, knocking people flat and leaving everyone struggling for breath.

“This is bad—it’s Conqueror’s Haki!” a Navy officer cried, panic in his voice.

“Quick, cover the unconscious! Get them out of here!” Despite his wounds, Jeremy bellowed his orders while the Navy scrambled, dragging their unconscious comrades toward the distant shore where Cook’s battleship was anchored.

They’d sailed in from Punk Hazard, and because their ship was farther out, it survived the earlier destruction.

It was chaos—the Navy fell like leaves in a raging river, one after another overwhelmed by Ledfield’s Conqueror’s Haki.

With defeat all but certain, the Navy began a full retreat. The sheer force of Garp, Sengoku and Ledfield’s clash could have wiped them out, so now the only thing that mattered was escaping the battlefield before more lives were lost.

As they withdrew, the sounds of destruction and trembling earth echoed behind them. It felt like Ledfield, Garp and Sengoku’s battle might shatter the entire island.

Ledfield vanished from sight. In the blink of an eye, he blitzed towards Sengoku and Garp with an overwhelming surge of Conqueror’s Haki.

To Garp and Sengoku, Ledfield seemed to split into dozens of afterimages—one moment his figure blurred, the next he was right in front of them, launching a fierce strike with his longsword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His sword, shrouded in Conqueror’s Haki, drove straight for Sengoku’s heart.

“Buddha Shockwave!”

From the center of the island, a golden Buddha stood tall, Sengoku’s face exuding calm as a brilliant golden light shot out. At the same time his right hand unleashed a devastating shockwave.

Clang!

Ledfield’s sword met Sengoku’s open palm. The blade never actually made contact—there was still space between them, the two pitting their Conqueror’s Haki directly against each other.

Zzzzzzt!

“Iron Fist!”

Garp darted in from the side. While the others were locked in deadlock, he threw a crushing punch.

Boom!

Crack! The surprise punch flung Ledfield backwards, a sharp wave of pain signaling his right hand had fractured.

Still, his face stayed calm. With a simple motion of his left hand, he grasped and twisted—his injured right was good as new.

“Dark Emperor’s Night!”

Ledfield’s massive black wings swept out as countless bats erupted behind him, swarming straight at the two Navy legends.

Screech! Screech! Screech!

The night grew impossibly thick, and thousands of blood-red eyes peered at Garp and Sengoku—it was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The bats crashed over them like a tidal wave, completely surrounding them with nowhere left to run.

As Ledfield hovered in the sky with his mighty wings, he glanced at the distant Charlotte Linlin and soared toward her position.

Landing on the ship’s deck, he called over to Charlotte Linlin. “Go—now!”

“Zephyr’s just behind us!”

Charlotte Linlin snapped her gaze toward a darker part of the sea. Sure enough, faint lights were closing in from the left.

It was almost pitch black, which was why Zephyr’s fleet got this close before being noticed.

Ledfield kept his Observation Haki going the entire time. The moment he sensed Zephyr’s approach, he ramped up the pace of the battle.

He used a wave of bats to keep Garp and Sengoku busy—that’s the only way they’d get out in one piece.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma!”

“We’re pulling out, everyone!”

Charlotte Linlin wasn’t happy about it, but now wasn’t the time to dwell—she gave the order and the fleet started retreating.

Sensing Linlin’s aura fading, Ledfield didn’t head straight for Skypiea. Instead, he chose to escort her all the way back to Cake Island.

But just a few hours into their journey, Ledfield appeared on deck, looking genuinely surprised.

“Battle stations—everyone get ready!”

The fishman lookout heard Ledfield’s warning and didn’t hesitate. They sounded the alarm, and soon the deck was crowded with crew members pouring out from below.

“What’s going on?”

“Could it be another enemy?”

“Seriously, what is happening?”

“…”

Everyone swarmed out onto the deck, only to find the sea empty. They glanced around in confusion.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma!”

“Ledfield.”

Ledfield turned back from the prow. “Your old rival just showed up.”

It was true—Charlotte Linlin and Karl’s longtime nemesis John was closing fast, his ship flanked on either side by Silver Axe and Wang Zhi. The three of them surged through the waves, heading straight for their vessel.

Ledfield had tangled with this trio before—his Observation Haki had memorized their signatures well. When all three entered his range at once, he sounded the alarm right away.

“What?!”

“Old rival?”

Linlin stood still, thinking it over. Couldn’t be Golden Lion or Newgate—they still had a decent relationship. In the New World, besides those two, only John could fit the bill.

Right now, in the New World, her only longstanding rival besides Golden Lion and Newgate was John.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma!”

“John? Is it really him?”

Ledfield nodded. “And not just him—Silver Axe and Wang Zhi are with him.”

He didn’t look fazed in the slightest. Even if those three teamed up, Ledfield was confident he could handle it himself.

“You hang back for now. I’ll handle this part.”

“This is my chance to finish John once and for all.”

If John had come all this way for a fight, then Charlotte Linlin was determined to give him an unforgettable welcome. Ledfield caught on right away and retreated to the other side of the ship, waiting for the signal.

Perospero, Borsalino and the rest waited quietly on the deck, bracing themselves for the coming storm.

They’d just survived a brutal battle, but luckily the ship was stocked with emergency medicine—enough for everyone to recover and get back to peak condition fast.