Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 286 Kuzan sweeps through the naval fleet.

New World G-1 Sea Area.

To resolve the issue of Mary Geoise, we must first suppress G-1, which is also the location of the Marine Headquarters in New Marineford.

At this time, the new navy's large fleet was in a standoff with the navy headquarters' fleet.

Although it was described as a standoff, the two sides were actually vastly different in size. Zephyr did not divide his forces, so he had 50,000 elite troops and nearly 60 warships under his command, including five steel behemoths—battleships.

Conversely, the fleet at the Navy Headquarters now seemed rather insignificant.

The fleet defending the outer perimeter of the G-1 sea area consisted of only six warships, a difference of at least tenfold.

There was no other way. Sakazuki had handed over almost all of the New World's forces to Bane, leaving not many warships at headquarters. And Aramaki couldn't possibly deploy all of headquarters' forces at once. Right now, he was building a defensive system at G-1, trying to use G-1 as a war fortress to block the New Navy's offensive and buy time and opportunities for Mary Geoise and the World Government.

On a standard-issue warship of the Navy Headquarters, two vice admirals stood side by side.

The man, with a burly and imposing build, was none other than Vice Admiral Ponsky of the Navy Headquarters.

The lieutenant general next to him looked much older; she was a short, wrinkled old woman wearing sunglasses and headphones, riding on the back of a pacifist.

She was also a veteran of the Navy, and her name was Brugurath.

Both of them are Devil Fruit users: Ponski is a Zoan-type user of the Sea Otter Fruit, while Brugrass is a Paramecia-type user of the Ride-Ride Fruit.

"Grandma, how can we possibly win this battle?" Ponsky looked at the massive fleet that stretched out in a single line across the distant sea, almost obscuring the entire ocean, and said with a helpless expression.

"If I, this old woman, could ride onto that ferocious-looking steel warship, maybe I could still put up a fight," Brugulas said, licking his dry lips.

Her ability is to ride anything that can be ridden and take control of it. As for what falls into the category of "ridable", that depends on how she uses her ability.

Clearly, she believed that the battleship was rideable.

Hearing this, Ponsky looked at the steel behemoth that was at least three times larger than the warship, with heavy cannons like fangs, exuding a terrifying and intimidating power, and then said, "I've been in the navy for so many years, and I've never seen such a terrifying warship. The new navy's equipment is obviously more than a level more advanced than ours. I feel like it could sink us with a single shot."

As for riding it?

Just kidding, didn't you see those two figures standing at the very front of the deck of that steel behemoth?

Former Marine Headquarters Admiral Aokiji Kuzan and former Marine Headquarters Admiral Black Arm Zephyr!

Two generals were standing there, and they had even heard that the hero Garp was there too, though he hadn't shown up yet. What were those two lieutenant generals supposed to do?

The gap is too big in terms of troop strength, warships, and commanders!

Ponsky felt a sense of despair; he couldn't see any possibility of winning at all!

Even at this moment, he dared not fire the first shot to provoke the other side. He seriously suspected that as soon as they opened fire, their fleet of only six standard-issue warships would be annihilated by the enemy in a single salvo.

Neither advancing nor retreating is an option.

"How stupid of me! Why didn't I understand when the Chief of Staff hinted at it a few days ago and just went with him?" Ponsky thought to himself, feeling troubled.

He was indeed a member of the World Government's loyalists. After Huang Mu arrived, he immediately got involved with Huang Mu. But how to put it, his loyalty was because the World Government was the orthodox one, and at the same time, it was also for the sake of promotion and wealth.

As a result, with the support of factions within the world's legitimate government, such as Aramu, he was quickly promoted from Major General to Lieutenant General.

But was he really willing to risk his life for Mary Geoise?

They were unwilling.

Knowing his situation, Chief Strategist Tsuru had contacted him before fleeing Marine Headquarters, giving him a hint. At that time, such a major event had not yet occurred, and Headquarters was still immersed in the atmosphere of celebrating the annihilation of the Four Emperors pirates. Ponsky did not understand the Chief Strategist's hint at all.

By the time he came to his senses, he had been forced to become a vice admiral who remained at Marine Headquarters and firmly supported Mary Geoise.

Upon learning that Zephyr was leading a large fleet, Huang Mu immediately dispatched him and Brugulas to intercept them.

Blue blue blue~

Just as Ponsky was lamenting that he was about to be finished, the Den Den Mushi he was carrying rang.

"Zeff-sensei?" Ponsky took out his Den Den Mushi, glanced at it, and whispered with a surprised expression.

He hesitated for a moment, but still answered the Den Den Mushi, though he didn't say anything.

On the other side, Zephyr's steady and powerful voice came through: "Ponsky, it's been a long time."

"Teacher," Ponsky said in a somewhat complicated tone.

"Teacher? Although I've only taught you for less than three months, it seems you still acknowledge me as your teacher," Zefa said with a smile.

Before Ponsky could even speak, Bruglas snatched the Den Den Mushi from his hand, saying angrily, "Zeff, you betrayed the Navy. What a disgrace! You've betrayed all those years of trust in you!"

"Ah, Brugulas?" Zephyr asked, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "We haven't spoken in a long time since that incident. It seems you still harbor resentment towards us?"

"Hmph, you, Sengoku, and that bastard Garp, you're all vermin who fawn over Tsuru. Back when I was running for Grand Strategist, none of you supported me, even though my intelligence was far superior to hers!" Bruguras said through gritted teeth.

Zephyr listened to these words in silence for a moment, and then said, "That's just wishful thinking on your part. Although we've fought together for many years and have a bond of camaraderie that we can rely on, I've always believed that your emotions are too unstable and you're prone to extreme radicalism. Whether it's strength or strategy, you're inferior to Xiaohe. The position of Chief of Staff is too important, possessing influence that can sway naval strategy. You're simply not suitable for it."

"Absurd! That's just your prejudice. Even without your support, I'm already in the position of chief strategist!" Bruguras said resentfully.

Indeed, after Chief of Staff Azuru fled the Marine Headquarters, Aramaki immediately appointed Brugras as the current Chief of Staff of the Marine Headquarters.

"This is the best demonstration of your obsession and extremism. You know perfectly well what those bastards in Mary Geoise are like, you know perfectly well, but for the sake of this battle of egos, you chose them," Zephyr said, his tone somewhat angry at his lack of self-control.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

"Shut up! What right do you have to talk to me like that? You were once a general, didn't you have your hands stained with darkness? Sengoku, as a marshal, committed countless sins. That bitch A-He, who knows how many dirty jobs she did for Mary Geoise behind the scenes. Now you've enjoyed all that fame and power, and you're just leaving, standing on that moral high ground, saying these things to us. Don't you feel ashamed?" Bruglas paused slightly, then coldly mocked, "Standing on that moral high ground, don't you feel cold?"

Hearing these words, Zephyr's tone remained calm as he replied, "You're right, we are all people whose hands are stained with darkness and sin. After being scolded like this, I can't even refute you. However, the current situation will not change because of your words, and my decision will not be shaken. At this moment, there is only one thing I want to say, and that is to surrender. If you are really smart, you should know that you can't stop us."

"Even if I die here, I will never associate with you hypocrites! Die, Zephyr!" After cursing fiercely, Bruguras squeezed the Den Den Mushi to pieces.

Ponsky, who was standing to the side, was completely stunned by what he saw!

It's not a girl. That's my Den Den Mushi!

You want to fight to the death here? I have no such intention. Can you give me a chance to go first?

However, it's clear that it's too late.

After squashing the Den Den Mushi, Brugulas was truly overcome with emotion, acting somewhat recklessly. He roared furiously, "Full fleet, fire! Blow that steel behemoth to smithereens! I want Zeff dead!!!"

As she finished speaking, the cannons of all six warships began to rotate, pointing at the steel behemoth.

Meanwhile, aboard the battleship, Zephyr, looking at the Den Den Mushi that had been disconnected and the movements of the opposing warship, said with a slightly helpless expression, "Looks like the attempt to persuade them to surrender failed. Was I a little too confident in my influence? I was still thinking I could convince Ponsky."

Kuzan adjusted his sunglasses and said, "Teacher, everyone has their own aspirations, and we should respect their choices, shouldn't we?"

Before Zephyr could speak, Kuzan raised his hand and said, "Fire! Annihilate them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chilling blast of cold air erupted from beneath Kuzan's feet, spreading along the steel deck and instantly reaching the sea surface, forming an ice line. This ice line quickly reached the location of the six warships, and the freezing air swept past, freezing them in place, leaving them unable to avoid the shelling.

If it weren't for the sake of the fleet's subsequent voyage, Kuzan could have frozen the entire ocean in an instant.

"Feed," Ponsky looked at the ice spreading up the deck with a horrified expression, as if he wanted to say something.

But the next second, a violent roar of artillery fire erupted. As the warship beneath his feet fired its shells, the massive fleet opposite him unleashed a dense barrage of shells, like a rain curtain.

Several shells struck the battleship where Zephyr and Kuzan were positioned precisely, but failed to penetrate its defenses. The thick steel hulls withstood all the shells, and the ship, being so large, didn't even sway.

Following closely behind, six standard naval warships were engulfed in this salvo, with cannons roaring, sparks flying, smoke billowing, and wood chips flying everywhere.

Amidst the smoke and fire, on the gradually sinking deck of the warship, Ponsky roared angrily, "Grandma, you've ruined us all! Teacher Zephyr was right, you're really biased!"

But before he could finish speaking, Kuzan had already stepped onto the shattered deck. Then, freezing air erupted, and in the blink of an eye, Ponsky, Brugrass, and the other marines were frozen into ice sculptures.

(End of this chapter)