"Go ahead. Leave this to us."
Hyogoro drew the samurai sword that had been with him for decades from his waist.
The five hundred warriors behind him roared in unison, the sound so powerful that the stone slabs on the square trembled.
The Beasts Pirates charged forward.
The two torrents collided violently in the center of the square, and the sounds of metal clashing, roars, and screams exploded in the night sky.
Luffy didn't turn around.
His target was just ahead—the skull-shaped hall, and the monster that had occupied Wano Country for twenty years.
Inside the main hall of Onigashima, however, the atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.
The All-Stars, the Flying Six, and the cadres who remained on Onigashima all gathered together.
Jhin stood at the front, his eyes behind the mask showing no emotion.
"A fight has broken out outside."
Ulti, one of the Flying Six, was the first to lose her composure and jumped up.
" The Straw Hat Pirates are already at our doorstep, and we're just sitting here waiting?"
"I'll tear them apart!" Page One also stood up.
Queen, who had just been beaten up, couldn't hold back any longer and brandished a huge Gatling gun, shouting that he wanted revenge.
Other cadres also volunteered to join the fight.
Jin didn't speak, but simply turned his head slightly to look into the depths of the hall.
Footsteps came from the direction of the corridor, unhurried.
The footsteps grew louder as they approached, finally stopping in front of the side door of the main hall.
The door was pushed open.
Roy walked in. He didn't look at anyone, but simply walked to the center of the hall, stood there, and put his hands in his trench coat pockets.
The hall fell silent.
Those cadres who had just been so passionate suddenly fell silent.
It wasn't because they were afraid of Roy —though they were—but because there was an inexplicable sense of oppression about him.
That sense of oppression is completely different from Kaido's Conqueror's Haki. It doesn't press down on your body, but on your instincts, making you think twice before you speak.
Ulti opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed her words the moment Roy's gaze swept over her.
Roy looked at the Beasts Pirates ' executives with an indifferent expression, as if he were watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.
He knew what they were thinking— the Straw Hat Pirates were already at their doorstep, why weren't they being sent out to fight them?
Why let these intruders rush unimpeded into the heart of Onigashima?
Jhin spoke, his voice as steady as ever:
" Captain Roy, you know what's going on outside. What do we do now?"
"Everyone, stay quiet."
As Roy finished speaking,
The air in the main hall seemed frozen.
Ulti, one of the Flying Six, clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.
Page One pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.
The other cadres also wore stern faces, their eyes filled with incomprehension and anger.
They couldn't understand it.
The Straw Hat Pirates have already reached the gates, Hyogoro's samurai are locked in fierce combat with the remaining troops in the plaza, and the Supernovas are charging towards the Skull Palace.
And these most elite officers of the Beasts Pirates were actually ordered to stay in the main hall and not move?
What's the logic behind this?
Ulti's breathing became more and more rapid. She suddenly stood up, took a step towards Roy, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.
Jin raised his hand to stop her.
His face, hidden by the mask, was expressionless, but his actions spoke volumes—do not question Roy's decision.
Ulti bit her lip and knelt down again, but everyone could see the unwillingness on her face.
Jin turned to face the other officers, his voice low and calm:
"If Captain Roy said so, he must have his reasons."
"Stay quiet and await the next instruction."
This wasn't a harsh statement, but no one dared to refute it.
It wasn't because they were convinced—in fact, most of the officers were cursing under their breath—but because in the Beasts Pirates, there were only two people who could reason with them:
One is Kaido, and the other is Roy.
One of them is the captain of the Beasts Pirates, wielding supreme authority; the other has been Beasts Pirates for twenty years.
Furthermore, they spared no expense in helping them improve their strength, coupled with the prestige Roy had cultivated over the years by controlling the entire New World.
This prevented them from even having the thought of resisting.
The hall fell silent again, with only the faint sounds of shouts and explosions coming from outside.
At this moment,
Roy stood in the center of the hall, his fingertips lightly tapping the back of his other hand.
His Telekinesis surged from his body and spread out silently.
This force penetrated the stone walls of the main hall and covered every inch of the Onigashima.
Among the Straw Hat Alliance group, an extremely faint aura suddenly fluctuated.
The fluctuation lasted for less than half a second, so faint that Kaido's level of Observation Haki couldn't detect it.
But Roy noticed.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
The seed that was planted before the Paramount War is not yet ready to sprout.
But it won't be long—before long, that seed will blossom and bear fruit in the most unexpected place for the enemy.
In the square,
Hyogoro's samurai and the Mink Tribe warriors are locked in a fierce battle with the Beasts Pirates ' remaining forces.
The samurai's blades were wreathed in Armament Haki, and each strike left deep, bone-revealing wounds on their enemies.
The Mink Tribe warriors used their speed to weave through the enemy ranks, the Electro on their claws sending shivers down the spines of the ability users.
However, the Beasts Pirates ' remaining forces were not to be underestimated.
Those who remained were the elite of the elite, including many Zoan Devil Fruit users, whose tough skin allowed them to continue fighting even after being stabbed more than a dozen times.
The two sides fought fiercely in the square, with neither able to gain the upper hand.
Meanwhile, on the west side of Onigashima.
Yamato, carrying a spiked club, rampaged through the corridors of Onigashima.
She had thoroughly searched the barracks, warehouses, and watchtowers on the west side, but apart from a group of terrified henchmen running away with their heads in their hands, she hadn't found a single decent opponent.
"Where are they! Where are all those intruders!" She grabbed a henchman she had beaten to the ground, her tone full of impatience.
The henchman pointed a trembling finger toward the Hall of Skulls:
"I heard... the Straw Hat Pirates are rushing towards the main hall..."
Yamato, and the henchman fell to the ground, scrambling away as he fled.
"The main hall?"
Yamato grinned, hoisted his spiked club, and strode off toward the Skull Palace.
The wooden clogs underfoot made a series of crisp clattering sounds in the corridor.
Luffy and his crew broke through the encirclement at this time, easily dealing with the scattered Beasts Pirates soldiers they encountered along the way.
The group quickly arrived at the Skull Palace.
The Skull Palace was quiet at this time.
There were no guards, no officials, and no one blocking the way. Only a few oil lamps flickered on the walls, casting an intermittent glow on the interior of the Skull Hall.
On the stone wall directly in front of us is a huge skull relief, with two eerie blue flames burning in the skull's eye sockets, giving it a sinister look.
Zoro and Sanji landed at the same time, standing on either side of Luffy.
Trafalgar Law, Kid, Apoo, Hawkins, Bege, and Drake followed closely behind.
Then came the Nine Red Scabbards, the Straw Hat Pirates, and the Heart Pirates.