Chapter 511: Clash Above the Ice: The Unyielding Phoenix

Marco twisted gracefully in the sky and transformed straight into his Phoenix form. Though he looked a lot smaller than the immense golden eagle nearly a hundred meters long, the power radiating from him was no less impressive.

“That’s Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—the Undying Phoenix.”

“They say no matter what kind of attack he takes, he can always rise from the flames and live again.”

Some navy officers from the New World had arrived, so Marco’s spectacular transformation and his Devil Fruit abilities were quickly spreading through the ranks.

As soon as the transformation was done, Marco swooped through the air, flying right toward Tradis above.

“Never seen a bird like that before.”

“One Hundred and Eight Thousand Blades!”

Countless points of light rained down again, but this time every feather that appeared passed harmlessly through Marco’s body, doing no real damage at all.

Instead, Marco closed the distance and launched a stunning overhead kick straight at him.

Boom!

Crash!

In a flash both men reverted to human form. Tradis looked up, arm raised to block, but Marco’s kick struck home, smashing him down and blasting a huge crater in the frozen ground.

“Impossible—absolutely impossible.”

“How could Admiral Tradis get knocked down by a pirate in just one blow?”

“That’s terrifying. The Whitebeard Pirates are something else.”

Shaking himself off, Tradis climbed out of the ice pit, gazing up at Marco hovering above.

It had been ages since the Navy clashed on such a massive scale with a Four Emperors-level pirate crew.

He never imagined Marco would be this strong. If he hadn’t used his Devil Fruit powers in time, his left arm might have been broken by that kick.

The real problem—there were thirteen other division commanders like Marco. Maybe not all as powerful as him, but to even be a commander meant their strength couldn’t be underestimated. The Navy was in real trouble now.

“Tch, quit the act!”

Marco just sneered. As far as he could see, Tradis didn’t look hurt at all.

“Guess charging straight through won’t be so easy after all.”

“Giants on deck—you’d better keep an eye on the sky as well.”

The battle would likely play out mostly in the sky between him and Marco, but the Navy Headquarters still had some giant commanders drafted from the Four Seas.

Marco dove in a sharp rush, slicing through the air so fast that white shockwaves streaked out around him.

“Underestimating me, huh?” Tradis tilted his chin, turned back into golden light and shot into the heavens.

The two of them darted through the sky, gold and blue streaks clashing again and again overhead.

Third Division Commander Jozu saw Hawk Eyes wasn’t stepping onto the field, so he strode to the center of the plaza, dropped his head, and slammed both fists into the ice.

Rumble rumble rumble!!

“What’s going on? What’s happening?”

“Is that an earthquake? But we’re standing on ice!”

“Look! That’s Jozu, Third Division Commander!”

“Whoa, Captain, go for it!”

Living up to expectations, Jozu shoved his hands right into the ice, then heaved a massive chunk—nearly a hundred meters across—clean into the air, revealing the sea beneath.

“No…no way…”

“You’ve got to be kidding! Run, hurry up and run!”

“Move it! Clear the center! Everyone evacuate now!”

“Navy, let me send you a little gift.” Jozu grinned darkly, eyeing the open ground ahead where crowds of navy troops were still scrambling.

With a savage smile, he heaved with both arms and, with an explosive burst of strength, flung the gigantic ice block forward.

The ice block crashed down on the fleeing navy with immense force. If this hit, almost no one would survive. After all, even elite marines were human—the only options here were to run or die.

“Seriously? With everyone charging ahead, who’s guarding the front line from these pirates now?”

“And you, pirates, don’t get too cocky.”

Udyr vanished from his seat in a flash, and a pair of massive yellow Iron Fists suddenly appeared in front of the falling ice. His right arm bulged with power, slamming into the block.

Boom!

The giant ice slab shattered instantly, breaking into fist-sized chunks that rained down harmlessly.

He’d tapped into the power of his Mythical Zoan—Bear Fruit—spreading the force evenly around the whole block, so nothing big dropped that might flatten the navy below.

“Roar!!!”

Landing, he transformed into a yellow-brown bear nearly a hundred meters tall, letting out a thunderous growl that pierced the pirates’ ears in front. But even that massive sonic attack didn’t send Jozu retreating one step.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

“It hurts! It hurts so much!”

“Leave some behind to carry the wounded—we’ll take the rest and push forward!”

Jozu led the charge, barking orders to the smaller captains behind him while his diamond fists locked straight onto Udyr ahead. With a swing, he hurled a punch at Udyr’s front line.

Bang!

“Pirates are the biggest cancer there is. Not a single one of you escapes today.”

Udyr could feel Jozu’s strength—he was every bit a match for him.

There was no way to settle the fight quickly between them.

“Fine, let’s see whether you keep me busy or I rescue Ace first.”

Jozu had other ideas—if he could keep Udyr tied up here, every second bought made it more likely Ace could be saved. So honestly, he hoped Udyr stayed as long as possible.

Fists flew. Udyr and Jozu traded blow for blow, loving every second of the brutal brawl.

That was hell for everyone nearby—every strike sent shockwaves crashing out, blasting pirates and navy alike off their feet.

Elsewhere, other commanders were clashing with navy vice admirals, and in a heartbeat, the battlefield was split into dozens of smaller skirmishes.

Only Flower Sword Vista and a few other commanders stood quietly on the ice, gazes fixed on Hawk Eyes in the stands. Only Hawk Eyes was worthy of being his opponent.

And the Seven Warlords would eventually step in too. They couldn’t just let them do whatever they pleased, so a few commander-level fighters had to stay in the rear and watch them one-on-one.

The remaining pirates faced even greater numbers of navy soldiers hemming them in, unable to budge from their spot.

The summit war was now locked in a brutal deadlock, but in the other four battle zones, things were completely different. Under the Revolutionary Army’s organized assault, the Army was taking heavy damage.

The battles in West Blue and South Blue were already finished. Only in North Blue did Kuzan still face a handful of elite soldiers led by their general, putting up a stubborn fight.

And that was thanks to his Devil Fruit’s limitations. With powers like Sakazuki’s Magma Fruit or Borsalino’s Light-Light Fruit, you could devastate whole enemy armies.

But Kuzan still showed a hint of mercy—he hadn’t wiped out the Army entirely. That’s why it’d taken a little longer here.

“People brag about the Revolutionary Army, but in the end they’re just leftovers the World Government hasn’t found time to wipe out.”

Covered in wounds and barely hanging on, General Slavi mustered his last ounce of strength to glare across at Kuzan.

His uniform was torn all over, scars crisscrossing his upper body, blood oozing nonstop. He was clearly past saving.

“Who knows? But at least in the Revolutionary Army, you don’t have to worry about your wife and kids being dragged off into slavery. You don’t have to grovel for the Celestial Dragons either.”

But no matter what General Slavi said, it couldn’t sway Kuzan. He was a cold man, and the World Government’s crimes were no secret any longer.

For him, teaming up with people like that would betray his own sense of justice.