Chapter 72: Only 5,000? Not Enough for Me!

Several days ago, the Five Great Families had assembled their forces for the impending campaign. The Donquixote Family, having caught wind of the movements, was also actively preparing for war.

The battle was about to begin! This fight would determine the fate of the North Blue: would it remain under the control of the Five Families, or would the emerging power of the Donquixote Family rise to dominance, swallowing the old guard and ruling the sea?

The forces of the Five Families gathered, their leaders positioned prominently above the assembled 5,000 men.

"Alright, listen up, everyone!" Dor, leader of the Foster family, surveyed the sprawling sea of men below, satisfaction evident in his eyes. "We must win this battle! Our position as the rulers of the North Blue will not be challenged!"

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Five thousand voices roared in unison, the sheer volume creating a magnificent spectacle.

"Victory is ours!" "Only we shall rule the North Blue! Victory!" "Victory!" "Fight with all your might! We will prevail!"

The leaders of the other four families added their voices, seemingly swept up in the fervent cries of the massive force.

"Excellent. Now, we move out!" Dor commanded.

The vast contingent of men began to mobilize, brandishing various weapons, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"Brother Dor, we're counting on you to lead everyone this time." "I trust that with Brother Dor at the helm, victory is assured." "We leave everything in your hands, Brother Dor." "We await your good news, Brother Dor."

The leaders of the other four families had no intention of joining the expedition against the Donquixote Family personally. Sending all five figureheads was deemed unnecessary. Thus, they entrusted command of the combined forces to Dor. Of course, their trust wasn't absolute; each had placed reliable subordinates within their own ranks. None of them were fools, each harboring their own schemes. Praising Dor now was merely a tactic to encourage him to expend more of his own resources – ideally, exhausting his own family's manpower completely. While they spoke of the Five Families ruling the North Blue, deep down, each family harbored ambitions akin to Germa's: sole domination of the sea.

Back at the Donquixote Family's base, a guard rushed frantically to report the Five Families' latest movements to Diamante.

"Lord Diamante! Terrible news! We've received word that the combined forces of the Five Families are heading straight for us!" the guard reported, breathless with urgency.

"Yahahahaha! Right on time! My fists have been itching for a fight!" Enel, overhearing the report, burst into wild laughter. He clenched and pumped his fists, brimming with excitement.

The expressions of the other officers remained unchanged; no trace of panic or urgency could be seen on their faces.

"Alright, you're dismissed. We understand," Diamante said calmly, waving the guard away.

Turning to the others, his demeanor became serious. "Everyone, it's time to prepare for battle."

"I can't wait!" Enel, ever the warmonger, declared impatiently.

"Then let's give them a fight they won't forget!" Pica added, his high-pitched voice ringing with anticipation.

"Behehehehe! Let's raise some hell!" Trebol chortled.

"I will also fight with all my strength," Ibes stated softly, her voice filled with quiet resolve.

Off the coast of the port town serving as the Donquixote Family's current base, dozens of ships sailed into view. This was the allied fleet of the Five Families, come to eradicate the newcomers.

"Run! Everyone, run! The Five Mafia Families are here!" "They're finally here? We've been waiting so long!"

The ordinary residents panicked, scrambling for safety. For the hidden members of the various mafia organizations embedded in the town, however, this arrival was the long-awaited cavalry.

Just as the massive wave of mafia soldiers prepared to land on the shore, they were met by the Donquixote Family members lying in ambush along the coastline.

"Fire! Fire everything! Kill these bastards!" A low-ranking Donquixote officer snarled, glaring fiercely at the disembarking enemy troops.

The air erupted with the sounds of gunfire and cannon blasts. Bullets and cannonballs rained down upon the landing forces.

"Damn it! These thieves set up an ambush!" "Everyone, take cover!"

Despite the incoming projectiles, the enemy soldiers didn't panic excessively. Clearly, such skirmishes were not unfamiliar; veterans of the underworld wouldn't be easily routed by such a display.

Diamante, Enel, Trebol, Pica, and Ibes stood at the forefront of the Donquixote forces, observing the enemy's response.

Though the surprise attack had caused initial chaos, it hadn't inflicted significant casualties. Furthermore, their ammunition was limited; this barrage wouldn't last long. Ultimately, the outcome would be decided by fists and blades.

"Damn that Donquixote Family! Attacking us while we land! What kind of intel gatherers do we have? Useless eaters!" Dor's face darkened with fury. Being caught off guard before even setting foot ashore was infuriating.

"Charge! Full force! There are five thousand of us! Are we afraid of them? Charge! Go up there and slaughter them all!" Dor roared in anger.

Hearing their commander's order, the men of the Foster Family surged forward, leading the charge towards the Donquixote lines. The troops from the other families, however, advanced just a fraction slower, clearly reluctant to be the vanguard.

On the Donquixote side, Dor's bellowing was heard clearly. The sheer number – five thousand – sent a jolt of unease through the rank-and-file members. They hadn't expected such a massive force. It seemed the Five Families were truly determined to eliminate them this time. A wave of pessimism washed over the lower ranks; the disparity in numbers felt overwhelming.

"Yahahahaha! Only five thousand? That's not even enough for me!" Enel, oblivious to the grim expressions on his subordinates' faces, declared with supreme confidence, dismissing the enemy numbers entirely.

Enel's infectious laughter seemed to bolster the others. Diamante, Trebol, and Pica quickly followed suit.

"Just five thousand ants," Diamante scoffed disdainfully.

"Behehehehe! Time to really cut loose!" Trebol giggled.

"Big-Eared Bastard," Pica's voice piped up, "let's see who kills more this time!"

"I will not betray God's trust," Ibes murmured resolutely.

With that, Enel shot forward like a lightning bolt, charging headfirst into the approaching wave of five thousand men.

Honestly, while five thousand sounded intimidating, they wouldn't necessarily last long in a real fight. If there were exceptionally strong individuals among them, it might be a different story. But if they were all relative weaklings? They'd be routed quickly. After all, the world of pirates was full of stamina monsters capable of fighting for days on end. Enel and the others, at their current level, were likely stronger than many pirates just entering the New World – especially since Haki users were exceedingly rare in the first half of the Grand Line.

"Don't get cocky! There are five thousand of us! You think you insects can stand against us?! Kill them!" Dor heard Enel's outrageous declaration and seethed with resentment.

"Armament: Hardening!"

Enel went all out from the start, activating both his Armament and Observation Haki simultaneously. With so many enemies, getting caught by a cheap shot wouldn't do.

"Aaargh!" "Gyaah!"

Screams and cries of agony echoed across the battlefield.

One punch, one kill. Enel moved like a god of death.

"Big-Eared Bastard, don't think you can get ahead of me!" Pica roared, refusing to be outdone. He charged into the enemy ranks like a raging bull into a flock of sheep, smashing through everything in his path.

"Tch, Sissy! You planning on taking a leisurely stroll? Thinking you can surpass me? Try again in a hundred years! I've got more killing to do!" Enel shot back dismissively, his arrogance unchecked.

"Just you watch! Who's afraid of who?!" Pica retorted, ignoring Enel thereafter and focusing solely on crushing the enemy.

"Half Moon Glaive!"

Diamante swung his longsword, unleashing a massive wave of sword energy that cut down a swath of enemies in an instant.

"Let my sword be your burial," Diamante declared with a flourish.

"My turn then! Behehehehe! Sticky Meteor Shower! Sticky Hell!" Trebol cackled gleefully, unleashing streams and globs of his sticky substance.

"What is this stuff?!" "So disgusting!"

The enemies' cries of disgust were like cheers to Trebol. He didn't care how repulsive his techniques were; effectiveness was all that mattered.

Ibes, in contrast, fought with simple, unadorned efficiency, steadily clearing out the rank-and-file soldiers around her.

"Incompetent fools! Charge! Kill them!" Dor raged, watching his men being slaughtered. He felt no sorrow for their lives, only humiliation at the loss of face.

Far away, Doflamingo witnessed everything unfold through his Observation Haki

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