Free Web NovelChapter 697: 697 Descending Star
On Egghead Island, the battle between the pirates and the Marines was still ongoing, but both Kaido and BIG MOM were now contemplating a retreat.
Although both sides were still trading blows back and forth on the main battlefield—and the pirates actually had the upper hand because the Whitebeard Pirates, who had initially chosen to spectate, suddenly and inexplicably joined in—the problem facing them was that even if they rushed into the interior of Egghead Island, they would be blocked by that invisible barrier on the cloud layer.
If there were no Marines around to interfere, Kaido and BIG MOM could likely breach it by force with their strength, but they were currently being pinned down tightly by the Marine Admirals, and the few capable fighters among their subordinates were also being held back by Garp and a few other old-timers.
As for the Whitebeard Pirates, although they participated in the battle, they had no intention of pushing deeper. After clashing with the Marines on the outskirts for a bit, they pulled back again.
Sensing this, the Marines stopped provoking them, so expecting Whitebeard to help hold off the top-tier Marine combatants was simply unrealistic.
Because of this, Kaido and BIG MOM saw absolutely no hope of breaching Egghead Island and capturing Vegapunk.
Of than that, giving up completely was impossible.
If the two of them had previously just been coveting the Artificial Devil Fruits and gigantification technology in Vegapunk hands, then after seeing the various technological creations displayed on Egghead Island that were capable of changing the course of a war, Kaido, BIG MOM, and the other factions that had come to fish in troubled waters grew even more determined to seize Vegapunk.
However, just as Kaido and BIG MOM were about to order a retreat, the lights, holographic images, and everything else on the buildings of Egghead Island suddenly went dark.
At the same time, a stray flying slash penetrated the island clouds above and chopped straight into a building in the Labophase.
Although nothing happened to that building other than losing a bit of paint, it caused the eyes of all the pirates to light up and the hearts of all the Marines to tighten.
"Worororororo—! That damn barrier is gone! Boys! Charge!!!" fгeewebnovёl.com
Forcing Kizaru back with a swing of his club, Kaido transformed into a massive azure dragon and soared into the sky, roaring loudly to spread the news to all the pirates on the island.
Then, he opened his mouth, completely ignoring the magma fist Akainu furiously threw at him, and unleashed a Blast Breath toward the research layer above.
On the other side, Charlotte Linlin put her custom into perfect sync, raising Napoleon as Prometheus and Zeus gathered at the hilt and tip of the blade respectively...
"Maser Cannon!"
"Damn it!"
Akainu was forced to halt his attack on Kaido, turning around to intercept the Blast Breath, while Kizaru, who had been pushed back earlier, quickly blocked Charlotte Linlin Maser Cannon.
Green Bull, who was providing support from the rear, also rapidly conjured a towering wall of trees, stepping ahead to block Kaido and BIG MOM attacks.
Under the combined efforts of the three Admirals, the attacks of the two Emperors of the Sea were successfully intercepted, but their reaction filled the other pirates with ecstatic joy.
"Hahahahaha! That barrier really is gone!"
"Everyone, keep attacking! Force Vegapunk out!"
The pirate side morale, which had initially begun to sag, instantly skyrocketed. Emulating Kaido and BIG MOM, they abandoned their opponents one after another and unleashed all kinds of ranged attacks toward the research layer above.
Even though most of the Marines and CP agents knew that doing so was like drinking poison to quench a thirst, they still made the same choice as the three Admirals.
Instead of seizing the opportunity to attack the vulnerable pirates, they all turned back to protect the safety of the research layer, some even recklessly using their own bodies to block the incoming strikes.
Consequently, the World Government side, which already lacked the upper hand, became even more chaotic and overwhelmed.
On the other side, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates moved once again. Although not many of them deployed and Whitebeard himself did not make a move, it seemed as though they also wanted to compete for Vegapunk.
"Hmph! When did that old codger become so sinister?"
Kaido snorted coldly, feeling that Whitebeard previous inaction was to preserve his strength, and now that he saw hope, he jumped out planning to reap the benefits.
The reason he had not guarded against this before was because it did not seem like Whitebeard character. In the past, whenever the other party wanted something, they would just start fighting without a single word.
But what Kaido never expected was that Whitebeard personality, which had remained unchanged for decades, would actually alter in his old age.
In fact, Kaido perception of Whitebeard was not wrong, but he had not expected that an ambitious man named Marshall D. Teach was hidden within the Whitebeard Pirates.
Along the way, Teach had been instigating those "companions" who were worried about Whitebeard health, wanting the Whitebeard Pirates to also join the ranks of competing for Vegapunk.
It was just that they had been suppressed by Whitebeard before, and coupled with the fact that Egghead defenses looked foolproof, there had been no movement.
However, with the disappearance of that barrier, impulsive youngsters like Ace could no longer sit still. Even if Whitebeard would blame them later, they still rushed out along with Teach.
And apart from the Whitebeard Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, which had been slacking off all this time, also began to exert their power...
Back then, Dragon had invited Vegapunk, but unfortunately, he was rejected because they were too poor.
Now, the Revolutionary Army had infiltrated many countries, and while their funds were still not as abundant as the World Government, they were no longer as strapped for cash as before.
The most crucial point was, who wouldn’t covet these technologies developed by Vegapunk? The high-ranking officials of the Revolutionary Army unanimously agreed that they could no longer let Vegapunk continue to serve the World Government.
With the joining of these two major forces, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Revolutionary Army, the resistance on the World Government side became increasingly difficult.
To make matters worse, seeing the situation begin to deteriorate, the members of the Holy Knights, who were considered part of the high-level combat power, began to beat a retreat.
It was fine to let these pampered Celestial Dragons fight a winning battle, but once they encountered a disadvantageous situation, the performance of most of them would not be much better than Saint Best, who had fled back then.
After all, in their concept, their own lives were extremely precious, and a mere Vegapunk was completely unworthy of them risking their lives.
Seeing that the Marine defensive line was about to fall, and those Celestial Dragons of the Holy Knights were even planning to leave with the CP agents protecting them, all the powerful experts on Egghead suddenly felt a strange aura.
Immediately following that, two massive magic circles accompanied by flames and black lightning suddenly appeared on the clearing.
The outermost ring of the circles was filled with a cluster of incomprehensible, strange runes, while the inside featured a massive pentagram, with the number "5" written in each of the gaps between the five points.
"Boom—!"
An explosive roar erupted in the air above the magic circles, and two black, ominous auras burst forth from within them, surging straight into the sky.
The black auras churned as two figures slowly emerged from the centers of those two magic circles, respectively.
At the same time, a broadcast from the warships along the coast, lagging a step behind, rang out—
"Attention all Marines! Saint Saturn and Saint Mars of the Five Elders have arrived on Egghead Island. Anyone below the rank of commodore is not even permitted to look upon them!"
