The power of Elior's kick might not mean much to him, but for others, especially those who aren't among the world's strongest fighters, it was utterly terrifying.

The frozen sea shook violently, massive cracks split across the ice, and countless shards were blasted into the air. The explosion was so loud it reached even Whole Cake Island, shaking ordinary soldiers to their core.

Those who witnessed it firsthand were blown back by the shockwaves, hair whipping in the gale.Their fear rose to another level.

It was an emotion beyond terror.

Who could have imagined — unless they saw it with their own eyes — that a clash between two Yonko could be this overwhelming?

For ordinary people, seeing someone kick a stone into pieces with bare hands would be shocking enough.

But here, before their very eyes, one kick from Elior shook the entire ice field, shattered vast stretches of frozen ocean, churned the surrounding waters, and sent a hurricane tearing across the battlefield.

This was power beyond belief — godlike power that made people tremble. Could a human being truly wield something like this?

What is a god? Perhaps this is the power of gods.

And they — mere ants — were so insignificant. Even the aftershocks from the clash of Yonko sent them staggering back, powerless to resist.

Yet despite their fear, they could not look away.

The Marines prayed that both monsters, along with their crews, would destroy each other — or at least be weakened enough to be captured.

That was the Marine's hope, and the expectation of the World Government.

After all, during the Summit War, Whitebeard and Ace had both fallen. The Marine and the World Government had declared that moment their first great victory of the Great Pirate Era.

Since then, the Whitebeard Pirates had scattered into remnants, their influence erased.

That had been the Marine's first decisive triumph against the age of piracy — at least, according to the World Government's official history. And naturally, most Marines believed it to be true.

On Whole Cake Island, though, the people weren't praying for Big Mom's downfall like the Marine was.

They only wanted her to win.

Big Mom was terrifying, yes—she regularly took pieces of their lifespan as tribute.But where else could they go, except her Whole Cake Island and the rest of Totto Land?

Seek protection from the World Government?

Impossible.

If the World Government and the Marine could truly protect everyone, then people wouldn't need to live under the shadow of Emperors in the first place.

And so, not a soul on Whole Cake Island wanted Big Mom defeated — except for Stussy, the undercover CP0 agent in her midst.

"That brat is growing way too fast" Akainu growled.

As much as he despised Elior, he was forced to admit the boy's growth was terrifying. Even the Marine's highest brass felt their skin crawl just thinking about it.

How could someone so young possess such monstrous strength?

"Indeed" one of the senior officers muttered. "It's been less than half a year since he appeared. His origins are a complete mystery."

"They say he appeared out of nowhere inside Impel Down itself! To this day, we don't even know if the prison was breached from the outside."

"When can we finally rid the seas of this kid…?"

Even Sengoku himself had headaches over Elior. Justice burned in their hearts, no matter the form it took, but all shared one goal: to wipe out dangerous pirates like him.

The Marine were waiting for their chance—a chance to completely erase the monster called Elior.

The Gorosei themselves had decreed it: Elior could never be imprisoned in Impel Down. The only option was to kill him outright.

That order alone proved how dangerous he truly was to the World Government.

And some whispered among the top brass that this directive didn't even come from the Gorosei —it came from the shadowy will of the mysterious being who ruled from the depths of Mary Geoise.

That entity was so secretive that even Kong had only glimpsed its silhouette once. Sengoku had never seen it. Akainu certainly hadn't.

This was the foundation of the Celestial Dragons' power.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

The Big Mom Pirates were steadily being pushed back. Even Big Mom herself was being overwhelmed by Elior's relentless assault, shaking the resolve of the Charlotte Family.

Though the Big Mom Pirates vastly outnumbered Elior's crew, the Elior Pirates were far more elite. Every strike they landed drove their enemies further onto the defensive. One by one, Charlotte siblings fell. Their morale plummeted.

"Mama!"

"He's actually pushing back Mama—what do we do?"

"If this keeps up, Mama's in danger!"

"Damn that Elior Pirates!"

The Charlotte siblings shouted in fury, but there was nothing they could do.

"The boss is invincible!"

From a distance, Bonney gazed at Elior with pride. Watching him drive Big Mom to the brink filled her with joy. As his woman, how could she not be proud?

But in her distraction, she failed to notice danger creeping up behind her.

One of Big Mom's daughters — tall and long-legged — came charging with a massive blade.

"Die! Elior Pirates trash!"

Bonney froze at the rough voice and finally noticed the attack — but too late.

At the critical moment, Reiju struck first, blasting the Charlotte daughter away with a devastating kick.

"You idiot!" Reiju scolded. "How can you space out like that in the middle of a battlefield?"

"I didn't need your help!" Bonney snapped. "That weak sneak attack wasn't a threat to me at all!"

"Tch. My lord belongs to me this week" Reiju muttered with a smirk.

"As if! Keep dreaming!" Bonney fumed.

Elsewhere, Crocodile slashed with his Desert Spada, tearing into Charlotte Oven and leaving a deep wound across his stomach.

Oven staggered back, face pale, but Crocodile himself was bleeding as well. Oven wasn't weak, bounty or not — fighting him carried a price.

But compared to Oven, Crocodile was holding up better.

Across the battlefield, the pattern was the same: the Big Mom Pirates were losing ground.

The Elior Pirates had monsters like Bullet and World, along with first-mate level fighters like Shiryu.

Add in Germa 66's Judge, Law, Crocodile, and Weevil — each a powerhouse or with abilities that Big Mom's crew struggled to counter — and the outcome was clear.

The Big Mom Pirates were being crushed.

And the sight of Big Mom herself, repeatedly suppressed by Elior, shattered what little morale they had left.