One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Why didn't headquarters attack in Chapter 272?

The life-or-death battle between the two great sea emperors began that afternoon and ended at dawn the following day.

No more, no less, exactly fifteen hours.

Earlier.

The war situation on the icy battlefield was already clear.

……

Boom!
In the northwest corner, two female swordsmen crossed paths and fell downwards respectively.

Kuina knelt on one knee, her wado Ichimonji (a type of Japanese scimitar) deeply embedded in the ice. After gliding for more than ten meters, she finally managed to steady herself.

The wind blew through her hair. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, looked up expressionlessly, and gazed at the opposite side.

Smoothie also knelt on the ice.

However, at this point in the game, Smoothie's condition is clearly much worse than her own.

Covered in blood and riddled with wounds, he barely managed to stay upright by supporting himself with his longsword, his breathing rapid and erratic.

When she looked up and met his gaze, she took several breaths before managing to speak with difficulty.

"Hey, you bastard..."

Smoothie gritted her teeth, glaring at Kuina, whose body was crackling with black and red lightning. "So what if you awakened Conqueror's Haki? Is that so great? What's the point of continuing like this?"

He has awakened Conqueror's Haki...

Okay, it is indeed remarkable, and she did indeed feel jealous, just as Kuina said, but... so what?
Until you master that advanced technique of entangling, it can only be used to clear out small fry.

Is Smoothie just a nobody?
of course not!

Perhaps the awakening of Conqueror's Haki has greatly expanded the upper limit of this female swordsman's growth, but that's a matter for a long time to come.

It will have no impact on the battle we are fighting today!

Why keep holding onto your Conqueror's Haki and then flaunt it?
"This..."

Kuina lowered her head, looking at the Conqueror's Haki surrounding her body. "I can't help it, I can't control it either."

Not everyone can be like Lord Shano, who, upon awakening Conqueror's Haki, can control it at will and with perfect ease.

"But now it seems it's not such a bad thing, is it?"

Guina spoke coldly, "At least it has made your mind even more chaotic. You were never my match to begin with, and with this added to the mix, you'll only lose even faster."

Ten moves.

She was confident that she could completely defeat her opponent within ten moves at most!

"What a joke!"

Smoothie roared angrily, "Chaos? Stop trying to guess what others are thinking! Do you think you can beat me just like that? Not a chance! I'm Mom's most valued daughter!"

She was just a tiny bit away from becoming this young girl's sister-in-law!

The longsword was suddenly raised high, releasing a dazzling blue light.

hum!
"Squeezing Transformation: Obelisk the Colossus!"

In a single instant, he pushed his ability to extract the fruit to its limit, his muscles bulging and his body growing to more than fifteen meters tall!

In this state, her strength and stamina will surpass the limits of her race, reaching a level only giants possess!
"it's useless!"

Kuina sneered, her fighting spirit intensifying. She gripped the Wado Ichimonji tightly in her right hand, while her left hand lightly brushed the blade as she uttered a low shout:

"Wind Control - Six Paths Whirlwind Slash!"

She had already thoroughly studied that manual of the Wind-Riding Sword Technique, and combined it with what she had learned and understood at the Isshin Dojo to research and improve many new moves.

This move...

It's perfect for dealing with such a large enemy!
laugh!
Her figure suddenly transformed into a streak of azure light, as if she and the wind had become one, rapidly flashing and weaving around Smoothie's massive body.

The blade whistled as it sliced ​​through the air, leaving a bloody gash with each strike.

Whether it's the arm, the abdomen, or... the back of the neck.

"Annoying flies!"

Smoothie roared and swung his greatsword, trying to catch Kuina's figure.

However, the opponent's speed was too fast, and its aura blended with the sea breeze, making it difficult to lock onto with Observation Haki.

If it were during his peak years, he might have been able to keep up with the pace based on his fighting instincts, but in his current state, he clearly cannot.

Almost all of his attacks missed their mark, and the few sword strikes that landed were blocked by his opponent's blade.

"You look so out of breath, is it because you've grown bigger and your stamina is being used up faster?"

Kuina's voice suddenly rang in Smoothie's ear. The latter's pupils contracted sharply, and he hurriedly turned around, but he did not see Kuina's figure.

Instead, they were astonished to see a giant blue-green tornado appear above the icy swamp, howling and sweeping towards them!

What is this!
Tornadoes move extremely fast.

Before she could dodge, she was swept up in it, her huge body floating high into the air, being torn apart like a rag doll.

She tried desperately to break free, but the sword energy in the gale mixed with the domineering aura emanating from her, like countless sharp blades, cutting wound after wound on her body.

"It's over, the final move!"

Following closely behind was Kuina's icy voice:
"Whirling Wind... Last Breath Slash!"

Smoothie felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and a figure appeared before her, while the blue-green tornado vanished abruptly.

Instead, countless extremely sharp sword lights slashed in from all directions at the same time!
"puff--"

Blood gushed out like a fountain, and multiple deep, bone-revealing wounds instantly appeared on Smoothie's massive body. She could no longer hold on, and her enormous body crashed to the ground, sending icy shards flying everywhere.

"Isn't it dawn yet?"

She tried, but still couldn't get up. Smoothie stared blankly at the sky, managing a weak, self-deprecating smile.
"We've only been fighting for a few hours, and I'm already... I must be the first general to be defeated, right? How embarrassing..."

"There's nothing shameful about losing to me."

Kuina walked over slowly, casually flicked her wrist to wipe away the blood remaining on the blade, and said calmly, "However, you're wrong about the last part."

Ok?
"What do you mean?"

Smoothie frowned and looked at her.

"After all, you are the second-ranked person among the four generals."

Kuina glanced at her. "Even if I use all my strength, it won't be easy to deal with you. And in the other top executive battles, there are those where the difference in strength is far greater than that between us."

This refers to...

Smoothie followed Kuina's gaze and was immediately startled.

On the glacier, biscuit crumbs piled up like mountains, and atop the mountain lay a man with purple hair tied in a bun, covered in blood, lying motionless.

“Unlike you, as the first mate, I have to keep an eye on the battle situation from time to time.”

Kuina said calmly, "Twenty minutes ago, your Snickers brother was already defeated by an angry father. The reasons and motivations for both sides to participate in this war are not even in the same league..."

"The power that he unleashed to save his daughter could never be compared to that of a general who was used to being afraid of death."

"It's a cracker, you idiot!"

Smoothie corrected him angrily, but quickly slumped down in dejection:
"Indeed, that guy, it's been a long time since we've seen him fight in his true form. If the biscuit soldier's disguise is torn off, he could easily become our weakest link..."

"..."

Kuina raised an eyebrow, glancing at her with slight surprise. "Why the sudden change to this resigned attitude?"

"You've already won, haven't you?"

Smoothie struggled to turn over, lying on her back on the ice, and let out a bitter sigh:

"I wasn't too optimistic about Mom's side to begin with. Cracker lost so quickly, and it seems like Katakuri and Perospero are both tied up by your people and can't get away..."

"Now even I have been defeated, and two of the four generals have fallen. Is there any suspense left in this war?"

boom!
As if in response to her words, a loud bang suddenly came from high above.

Smoothie turned her head with difficulty and saw a tall, strong figure crashing onto the ice not far away like a meteorite.

When the dust settled, she could clearly see the face of the man who had been beaten black and blue and was unconscious.

It turned out to be the last person among the four generals who had not been mentioned—

"Snag?!"

Smoothie's mouth dropped open. Who had defeated her this time?
------

Naval Headquarters, Marinevando.

In the main conference room at the highest level of the fortress, several high-ranking officials, including Fleet Admiral Sengoku, were gathered.

Several staff officers were busily working in front of the whiteboard.

He would occasionally summarize and organize the latest news from the front lines and distribute it to the senior executives present. He would also sometimes project the photos he had taken onto the whiteboard.

As per usual.

Whenever a war breaks out between the Four Emperors, or even just a minor skirmish, the Navy will send out surveillance ships from afar to observe and analyze the situation.

This time, they received advance notice of the impending war, so naturally, it was no exception.

"Has there been no progress with Green Bull yet?"

Having stayed up all night, Zhan Guo, with dark circles under his eyes, made himself a cup of bitter coffee and asked in a deep voice, "It's almost dawn, what's the latest battle report?"

"Reporting to the Marshal, only one surveillance ship has been deployed at the Fallen Ones' headquarters. The last message came back an hour ago."

A staff officer wearing glasses immediately stood up and responded:

"Mr. Aramaki seems to still be locked in a fierce battle with that 'Falling Star,' completely blocked at the outer edge of the Milky Way Ocean, unable to advance even an inch."

Are they still neck and neck?

Zhan Guo rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

That smile was definitely tricky...

However, Huang Mu's failed infiltration operation cannot be blamed on him.

After all, no one in the headquarters expected that the Fallen Ones, while launching an expedition against the Treasure Trove, would still have the resources to keep their second strongest fighter at home.

"Kaido has also stopped Shanks' side."

Crane tossed the documents back onto the table and said calmly, "This also means that the all-out war that has broken out in the world will inevitably come down to a fight to the death, and will not stop because of external interference."

Charlotte Pirates, The Enders Pirates.

Regardless of who wins or loses between the two.

All of these will inevitably have a tremendous impact on the new world order!

"That might not be true."

A newly promoted lieutenant general with a face full of scars said coldly:
"Since the pirates are all fighting and don't care about anything else, then I don't understand, everyone, why doesn't the headquarters take advantage of this good opportunity to strike and reap the benefits?"

(End of this chapter)