Underhanded Tactics, Shanks Takes Action

Falling Star Island.

The sky had been clear and sunny, but at some point, clouds had gathered overhead, and thunder and lightning had begun to roll.

The calm sea grew turbulent, and a careful observer could even feel the ground trembling faintly beneath their feet.

The forest was battered by gusts of wind so strong that the trees could barely stand upright.

On a hillside halfway up a mountain, Whitebeard leaned on Murakumogiri, his coat whipping in the gale. Marco and the others stood beside him.

Every one of them was looking in the same direction.

The battle between Gild Tesoro and Kaido was so intense that it was impossible to miss.

As soon as they entered Whitebeard's territory, Marco had received the news. They had only waited on purpose.

"He's here."

When a sonic boom sounded in the distance, Marco and the others saw a shooting star streaking toward them, spewing blood as it hurtled toward a mountain not far away.

Rumble!

The earth shook violently.

The mountain exploded, engulfed in dust. Ice Witch Whitey Bay and a few others looked toward the cloud of dust, but Whitebeard, Marco, Vista, Jozu, and Thatch didn't even turn their heads. They stared up at the sky.

"Gaia!"

A rainbow-colored, sinister aura arrived in an instant and hovered in the air, looking down at everyone on the hillside.

Marco and the others glared at the aura with hatred.

Even Whitebeard's expression darkened, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Edward Newgate."

The sinister aura around his face parted, revealing Chaos's features: three parts arrogant, four parts self-assured, five parts indifferent, six parts contemptuous. The trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth made him look particularly wicked.

"Crack!"

Whitebeard didn't bother with words. A white bubble of air formed around his left