Chapter 82: Ch 82. Ace Joins, Pirate Conduct
The vast sea churned under the pressure of war.
Dozens of Marine warships surged forward, slicing through the waves, and at the helm of the fleet, Admiral Kizaru, glowing with radiant energy, led the charge straight toward Whole Cake Island.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Relentless artillery fire roared through the sky.
Shells rained down like falling stars, hammering the sugary surface of the island. Explosions bloomed across the candy-colored landscape, blasting pits into the cake-like ground and its root-covered soil.
Suddenly, a massive shadow descended overhead, casting the entire fleet in eerie darkness.
Kizaru looked up.
High above, Noah's Ark was rising, its presence solemn and majestic.
Without a hint of hesitation, Kizaru reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi, contacting his superior.
"Admiral White Dove, that seems to be the mysterious person's ship. Shall we intercept?"
"No need," came the calm response from the other end. "Our objective is the total annihilation of the Big Mom Pirates—nothing more."
"Understood."
"Kizaru, this time, I want you to go all out. I'll triple your salary."
Kizaru's eyes lit up like a kid given candy.
"Ola ola~ Then I'll be sure to thank you properly, Admiral White Dove!"
In the blink of an eye, Kizaru transformed into a brilliant beam of light and shot toward Whole Cake Island.
Meanwhile, on another ship.
Roman, under the guise of "Admiral White Dove," used the powers of his Illusion-Illusion Fruit(Maboroshi Maboroshi no Mi), and began switching into his official identity.
Snap!
With a single snap of his fingers, the illusion peeled away.
The calm, smiling face of Roman was revealed—soft, composed, and infinitely confident.
In the next instant, Roman pressed his palms together.
A pure white aura surged from his body, spreading across the battlefield.
"Susanoo—White Dove!"
"Peak Armament Haki: Imbuement!"
White and black—Susanoo's light and Armament Haki's shadow—intertwined like yin and yang, dancing in perfect unity.
"Soru!" (Shave)
Roman vanished in a flash.
His mastery of the Marines' Six Styles (Rokushiki) had reached perfection. Like a soul reaper, he flickered across the battlefield, harvesting the lives of pirates with surgical precision.
With every strike, the strength of the Big Mom Pirates was reduced.
Most of the core family members had already retreated into Brûlée's Mirro World.
Standing on the scorched shores of the island, Katakuri clenched his fists, his face full of complex emotion as he watched the Marines close in.
Without another word, he turned and entered the mirror.
Clink.
The mirror shut.
And with it, the heart of the Big Mom Pirates vanished from Whole Cake Island.
But it wasn't over.
Plenty of subordinates and affiliated groups remained on the island—guests of the tea party, unarmed, caught off-guard by the surprise assault. They were now the primary targets. Most of them hadn't brought weapons—all their guards were down in Big Mom's sanctuary.
Roman, as White Dove, moved like a Shinigami among them. Strike after strike. Haki and sword. Will and fury. He fell pirate after pirate.
Not far above, Kizaru, fired up by the promise of triple pay, entered his own godlike state. Light bullets cascaded from the sky like divine punishment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Marines watched in awe.
"I didn't know Admiral Kizaru was this strong…"
"Wasn't he just slacking all the time?!"
"This is insane. He's terrifying!"
"So who's stronger… White Dove or Kizaru?"
"Why don't you stop talking and start earning military merit to rise into higher ranks?!"
A calm voice broke into the group.
They turned, startled.
Roman stood beside them, arms crossed, expression neutral.
"A-Admiral White Dove!"
The soldiers immediately saluted.
Roman waved it off.
"I'm exhausted. Most of the island is cleared. You guys handle the sweep. I'm going to rest."
"Yes, sir!"
As Roman left, the soldiers stormed the island, eager to loot the fallen pirate stronghold.
But something was wrong. They found… nothing. Not a single Belly.
"What the helly?!"
"Someone beat us to it?!"
"No… maybe Big Mom's crew took everything."
"I don't care. Keep looking!"
The Marines, their greed now inflamed, even went to Kizaru. They offered him treasure to destroy Big Mom's palace. He obliged. Still—nothing.
Not a single coin.
At a distance, Roman stood under the fluttering banner of justice.
He watched the madness unfold, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"Truly… more savage than pirates."
Then he turned and walked back to the warship; into his private room.
Meanwhile, in a towering newspaper office…
Morgans was working overtime.
Fresh off the prints, the News Coos were already flying across the Grand Line.
Front page headlines were;
"Mysterious Organization—ZERO! Annihilates Big Mom Pirates from the Start!"
"Whole Cake Island Under Marine Buster Call Purge!"
"Arrogance or Strategy? Marines' Boldest Operation Yet!"
From island to island, from coast to coast, two names echoed:
White Dove. Zero.
Their legends were growing faster than the sea itself.
Aboard the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard lay on his throne-like chair, IVs still hanging from his body.
Beside him, having spent 200 Bellies, Marco scanned the newly delivered newspaper.
The moment he opened it, his face froze.
Crew members noticed.
"Marco, you okay?"
"What happened?!"
"Don't just stand there—say something!"
Marco exhaled sharply.
"Big Mom… was defeated. By a man named Zero. And he's not alone. There's an organization behind him."
Silence.
Utter silence spread across the ship.
Even Whitebeard's brow furrowed.
"Didn't think Big Mom's tea party would end in disaster."
"This sea… is about to get a lot more chaotic."
His voice echoed like thunder on deck.
At that moment, a crewmate ran over.
In his hands, a Devil Fruit.
"Pops! Don't worry about all that depressing stuff. Look! I just fished this up from the sea!"
Among the crowd, Blackbeard turned to his crewmate, his gaze landing on the fruit.
His pupils contracted instantly.
Inside him, a storm brewed.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit (Yami Yami no Mi)…mysterious organization…Zero…"