Overwhelming Momentum, a Mature Ace
"Beat me up? What an arrogant boast!"
Now that he's decided to return to his 'old ways,' Kaido certainly won't sit here waiting for the Straw Hat crew to come knocking on his door. Instead, he will:
"My men!!"
Shouldering the black spiked club beside him, the tall man 'Eight Precepts' strode out. He was no longer the so-called 'Four Emperors,' but simply the World's Strongest Creature!
"Come with me, let's teach those arrogant brats a lesson!"
"Woohoo!!!"
Amidst a chaotic cacophony of howls, all sorts of bizarre Artificial Zoan Devil Fruit users grabbed their weapons and filed out after their leaders! The samurai and ninjas of Wano Country exchanged glances before reluctantly rising to follow.
"Mommy mommy mommy~~ Kaido, that Straw Hat brat's head is mine!"
Laughing loudly, BIG MOM also took heavy steps, making the hall floor creak.
"Kids, come with me to settle scores with those who dared to ruin my tea party."
"Yes, Mom!"
Surrounded by her children, Big Mom removed her pirate hat and transformed into the giant sword 'Napoleon' as she strode out.
·······
"Beat Kaido?"
Inside the Beasts Pirates' castle, there stands a tall figure (263 cm) wearing Hannya mask. His long, gradient-colored white hair flows down his back, gradually changing from white to green and then to blue from the top of his head to the ends.
He wore Yamato a white top and red bottom, a huge Shimenawa tied behind his back, and carried a spiked club exactly like Kaido's. He also had handcuffs and chains on his wrists.
"I need to go see who it is—"
Brush,
The tall, masked man in the kimono also rushed towards the direction from which the sound came.
"To directly challenge Kaido, what courage!"
"Ace's younger brother has grown into a remarkable man."
"Of course, this is Captain Roman! To earn his recognition, one must be one of the top men on the high seas!"
To be honest, the Whitebeard Pirates' impression of Luffy was mostly limited to him being Ace's brother and a loyal friend. After all, during the Marineford War, most people were too busy fighting to even notice others. In comparison:
Roman, on the other hand, was far more familiar with the Whitebeard Pirates. He not only provided intelligence and 'secret medicine' before the battle, but also revived Ace afterward. Furthermore, he had frequent contact with the Whitebeard Pirates over the past two years. —If it weren't for Roman's support, how could the Whitebeard Pirates, beset by internal and external troubles, have survived until now?
Roman: I am Celestial Dragons, and I'm rich!
Therefore, their familiarity and trust in Roman far exceeded that of Luffy. But since Roman is willing to acknowledge him as his captain, he must possess extraordinary abilities. Moreover:
"Ace, are you really going to let your brother steal the spotlight?"
"I remember you used to say you were always talking about wanting to be the ' King of the Pirates'— "
"Yeah, he challenged his dad over a hundred times and got beaten up horribly..."
"The reason I used to shout that I wanted to be the 'King of the Pirates' wasn't my real dream. It was more out of spite towards that 'man'."
Ace is now long past the age of impulsiveness, recklessness, and acting without considering the consequences. As the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, he must demonstrate the responsibility of a captain.
"Me now..."
We must protect everything our father left behind!
"And my younger brother will surely become the King of the Pirates!"
"Unlike me, this is a dream from the bottom of his heart."
So:
"Let's go too."
As a mature-looking Ace leaped from the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates' captains followed in his footsteps. They easily tore through the Beasts Pirates' defenses and advanced towards the massive building in the center.
"Zhao guest wears a silk tassel, Wu hook sword gleams like frost and snow; silver saddle shines on White Horse, swift as a shooting star!"
Unlike the others who launched direct attacks, the deputy commander of the Bad People first raised his left hand, and characters flew out from the unwrapped bandages. The first sentence landed on the weapons of those around him, coating them with a cold, sharp white light; the second sentence wrapped around everyone's feet, immediately making everyone feel light all over.
Does it enhance lethality and movement speed?
"Xiao Mo,"
The deputy commander, maintaining a single formation, called out a name as they charged, and the child in the wide robe immediately reached behind him and grabbed:
"Shadow Cloak!"
With a flick of her fair fingers, the shadow beneath the Daoist-robed child's feet was forcibly 'pulled' into her hand. Then, she waved it towards the elite Beasts Pirates opposite her, and the shadow in her hand suddenly expanded into a massive black curtain that enveloped hundreds of people in an instant.
Before the elite Beasts Pirates could tear open the curtain of darkness, the Bad People, who were close behind, had already charged forward, their attacks falling simultaneously before rushing past without stopping! Behind them, only a field of enemies fell like wheat being harvested.
Even if a few escaped, once the veil was lifted, they would face a swarm of samurai and members of the Whitebeard Pirates. Without formation, each member of the Beasts Pirates would have to face several opponents, and instant defeat was the fate of the vast majority of the unfortunate ones.
"Amazing!"
In response to Nami's sentiments, Roman offered his comments.
"That's the power of teamwork, but what if you encounter a tough opponent—"
Even so, Roman had to admit that the 'Bad People' organization's various abilities were indeed sharp and coordinated, and they were clearly skilled in group operations. — Especially with the vice commander's 'Word-Word Fruit' enhancing their coordination, they were an even more formidable team.
"Zoro, why don't you recite a few lines of poetry to give us a boost!"
Faced with Luffy punching away more than a dozen Beasts Pirates, the Green Algae Head swordsman with his three crisscrossing swords looked helpless.
"I'm not a superhuman, how could I..."
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't you usually recite poetry when you fight?"
"I·····!"
"Luffy, don't make things difficult for Zoro."
While observing the battle situation and adjusting his complex abilities to prepare for facing a truly powerful opponent, Roman came to Zoro's rescue.
"Zoro reciting poetry is just melodramatic; he's not some kind of 'naming fruit' user."
!?
"Swordsmanship... How can you call swordsmanship 'chuunibyou'? It's about aura, mindset, and the way of the sword... It would be strange if a swordsman didn't have names for his moves, right?"
Hawk Eyes: You traitor, shut up!
"Wow, Black Rhino FR-U IV! Forward—"
"Brachiosaurus Tank No. 5, move out!"
On the other side, Franky was driving a large motorcycle with a rhinoceros-head-shaped front, rampaging through the battlefield. Of course, the final battle had to include 'General Franky', otherwise Franky's main body wouldn't be able to withstand such a top-notch battlefield.
On top of the round, chubby Brachiosaurus tank, Chopper opened the tank hatch.
"I am the tank commander—Commander Chopper! Gunner Usopp, fire on the enemy!"
"Yes, yes, yes,"
Usopp's helpless voice came from inside, while Chopper turned to look at the excited Carrot and Brulee:
"Would you like to come inside the tank and have a seat?"
"May I?"
"Okay~~"
Swords and spears have no eyes, so ladies should naturally be given preferential treatment, even though the two of them are actually not weak at all.
"I want a seat too!"
Sanji immediately jumped onto the tank, but when he looked down:
"This place is full."
Chopper looked at the horrified Sanji with an invincible expression. Apart from Usopp, the pilot, there was no room left after Carrot and Brulee squeezed in. Even Chopper had to be held in Brulee's arms, which made Sanji angrily punch the tank.
"Usopp, Chopper, you two step aside and let me handle this..."
??
"Hey, you'd better aim before you fire!"
"I don't care, I'm sitting right here!!"
Are you a child?!
"Does anyone want to sit behind me?"
Robin was just about to take a step when faced with Franky's invitation.
"Then I'll trouble you."
Brook sat directly in the back seat of the Black Rhino FR-U No. 4, which made Franky click his tongue in annoyance.
"Shouldn't you be taking a beautiful woman with you when you go for a bike ride?"
"Wow, male friendships are pretty good too~"
Ah, this...
"Even in a world-class, top-tier war, everyone's still arguing and bickering. If we can't control the situation, we don't have a numerical advantage..."
Roman shrugged at Jinbe, the only one taking the battle seriously.
"You'll get used to it, don't overthink it—"
Roman pointed to Luffy and Zoro, who were going all out in the crowd ahead, and said, "Let's follow them. If we don't let those two get separated, we'll have succeeded."
?!
"Don't worry, all plans will eventually turn into a chaotic free-for-all."
Seeing Jinbe, who was sweating Jinbe after hearing her 'comfort,' Robin smiled slightly and stepped forward.
Nami took Roman's hand and walked side by side, like a couple about to step onto the dance floor, leaving Jinbe, who was lagging behind, deep in thought.
Is this really okay, facing two Four Emperors?
Or is it because I'm not cheerful enough that I feel out of place?
"Stop them!"
Shock!!!
The black-haired, freckled man charged forward without stopping, his domineering aura sweeping across the battlefield first. The elite Beasts Pirates facing him instantly rolled their eyes back, foaming at the mouth and collapsing to the ground! This caused the other elites to change their expressions drastically.
"It's Conqueror's Haki Impact!"
"Get out of the way—"
Amidst the violent tremors, a burly man with skin resembling plate armor and a height exceeding ten meters thundered in. He possessed the head of a rhinoceros, his ferocious single horn resembling a sharp ram, and his large hands capable of engulfing the body of a strong human with a single slap.
Wherever its thick, massive feet, larger than a regular millstone, tread, stones are crushed like sand, walls are torn like paper, and even the slightest step can cause a massive earthquake and billowing dust.
"It's Lord Agate, the 'True Striker'!"
"We're saved! The master's power is so great that even the Six Sons are ashamed of themselves!"
"Hahaha, pirates! You'll be reduced to a pile of minced meat before Lord Agate's 'Bone Crusher'!!"
The newcomer was a member of the Beasts Pirates named Agate. Although he was only a True Striker, he was originally a Great Pirates with a bounty of 200 million. After obtaining the Artificial Devil Fruit, Rhino Mode, his strength underwent a qualitative change! He was even able to go toe-to-toe with the All-Stars in terms of strength. He was Jack's favorite subordinate. If it weren't for his poor agility, he would have been qualified to compete for the "Six."
"Die!!"
Facing the man charging straight at him, Rhino True Striker raised his enormous battering ram, which was the size of a bunker, high in the air and swung it down at his opponent with a huge roar like a thousand muffled thunderclaps and a terrifyingly large shadow!
Before the giant hammer even arrived, the immense air pressure had already unleashed a ferocious impact that caused the earth to collapse and the ground and surrounding buildings to immediately crumble and disintegrate. Dozens or even hundreds of tons of sand and gravel exploded in all directions like rolling thunder.
The power comparable to the All-Stars is no joke!
Facing the battering ram crashing down with overwhelming force, amidst the swirling dust, a fist met it without hesitation.
This fist wasn't covered in Armament Haki, the arm wasn't bulging with muscles, and the person was just an ordinary 'normal' height. Facing the falling giant battering ram, using a mere fist to deal with it was as absurd and laughable as using a tiny needle to block a heavy iron hammer.
However, an even more absurd and ridiculous scene unfolded—the battering ram, crashing down with an irresistible force like an avalanche, seemed to strike not a powerless fist, but the Red Line!
HODO!...
A deafening roar echoed across the entire battlefield, causing chaos and confusion. The battering ram suddenly rebounded violently. The immense force of the impact caused the giant rhinoceros to lose his grip on the weapon, the monstrous weapon infused with Seastone flying straight into the sky! His massive body swayed unsteadily, and he staggered back with a thunderous crash, his heavy footsteps making the entire battlefield seem as if it were situated on a vast ocean.
"Not bad strength,"
The man's fist remained perfectly still, and a skilled person might even have noticed that the rhinoceros's True Striker ram hadn't touched the man's fist at all.
"It's my turn."
The next instant, the man leaped into the air, appearing abruptly in front of the Agate True Striker! To the Agate's stunned silence, the man's fist landed calmly on skin as thick as a door panel and as hard as steel. Then:
Thump!!
Suddenly, a huge fist print with five clear fingers bulged out on Agate's back as the rhino True Striker! Even with the abnormal resistance of Zoan, it couldn't withstand an attack that shredded his internal organs into a mushy mess!
With his eyes rolled back and blood flowing from his seven orifices, Rhino True Striker Agate fell backward like a mountain of gold or a toppled jade pillar. Only another True Striker Beasts Pirates beside him exclaimed in disbelief:
"Conqueror's Haki Entwine, Armament Haki unleashed?!"
"You got it right,"
In a flash, a face with freckles appeared before his eyes—the last thing he saw.
"A punch as a reward."