The shockwaves from the Conqueror's Haki collision swept across the entire island like an invisible, raging tide.
The core members of the Red Hair Pirates tensed.
They knew Loki had come in anger, but they hadn't expected the Giant Prince's fury to be this intense.
The cigar in Beckman's mouth flickered in the fierce wind. He steadied his hat brim, his gaze profound behind his lenses.
Yasopp instinctively tightened his grip on his sniper rifle.
Lucky Roux—the man who'd prioritize eating even if the sky were falling—stumbled from the shockwave but still managed to reclaim the massive roasted meat leg that had nearly slipped from his grasp.
He grumbled angrily, "Bastard... almost wasted it!"
Despite his complaints, Lucky Roux's expression was grave. If not for Shanks using Observation Haki to foresee Loki throwing his warhammer and intercepting it with "Kamusari," they would have likely been sent flying by the terrifying impact.
After all, this was the Giant Prince's great hammer—even with their strength, they couldn't hope to block it head-on like Shanks.
Because they knew Loki's power better than anyone.
Back in Elbaf, it wasn't Shanks alone who subdued him; the entire crew had mobilized, enduring a brutal siege, to finally imprison the enraged prince in the Netherworld.
Now, Loki had returned with resentment and overwhelming rage.
As Shanks had predicted, this island might truly sink beneath the sea in the ensuing battle.
Amid the agonized wails of the affiliated pirate crew members being sent flying across the island, Shanks, who had just executed "Kamusari" was violently forced backward by the overwhelming force, his feet carving two deep furrows into the ground.
As he steadied himself, the massive warhammer, which had been deflected by his sword energy, emitted a resonant hum.
Like a meteor tearing through the sky, it retraced its path with residual Conqueror's Haki shockwaves, firmly caught by a towering, mountain-like figure in the distance.
Simultaneously, the colossal warship, massive as a floating castle on the sea, finally sailed into the bay.
Before the ship could dock, the giant warriors on its deck let out earth-shaking roars, leaping one after another from the dozens-of-meters-high gunwales!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each giant's landing sent tremors through the entire island, as if it were being stomped by monstrous beasts.
The leading giant warrior had once fought alongside the Red Hair Pirates, confronting Loki, whom they mistakenly believed to be his father's killer.
Naturally, he now stood firmly by Loki's side, despite the close ties between their crews.
Loki glanced at the giants continuously leaping from the ship and charging ashore, gripping the returned Iron Thunder tightly as he spoke in a low voice.
"None of you interfere."
"This is a personal matter between me and Shanks."
"I brought you here only to keep watch over the insignificant fools on this island—make sure they don't get in the way."
With those words, Loki's massive, over-sixty-meter frame abruptly bent forward, a terrifying shockwave instantly spreading from his feet.
In the next moment, Loki launched himself from the deck, soaring into the sky.
Instantly, his enormous form blotted out the sunlight, carrying an immense pressure like a falling star as he crashed onto the beach with a thunderous impact.
The entire shore seemed struck by a cannonball, sand erupting into the air to form a towering wave dozens of meters high, while the shockwave pushed back the nearby seawater for meters.
Though Loki and Shanks were still a hundred meters apart, the sheer intimidation of his size and power upon landing made the officers of the Red Hair Pirates tense up simultaneously.
This was the prince of the Giant Kingdom!
A monster over sixty meters tall, whose mere presence was enough to shatter the courage of ordinary humans!
The affiliated pirate crew members, who had just struggled to their feet, looked up to find themselves engulfed in a vast shadow.
Despairingly gazing at the towering figure that seemed capable of piercing the heavens, their legs gave way, all will to flee vanishing as they collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Ignoring these insignificant ants, Loki extended his massive tongue, licking the corner of his mouth as a ferocious, bloodthirsty grin spread across his face.
"Shanks!"
His voice boomed like rolling thunder, echoing in everyone's ears.
"Did you expect this prince to emerge from the Netherworld so soon? Hehahahaha!"
"Though I know you didn't truly intend to kill me back then, that's no reason for me not to seek revenge!"
As he spoke, Loki hoisted the giant warhammer Iron Thunder onto his shoulder, looking down upon the Red Hair Pirates, tiny as ants in comparison.
"Come, Shanks! Don't make me despise you! Fight me with everything you've got!"
Before the words faded, his tone turned icy.
"If your crew dares to interfere like last time—!"
"I don't mind killing... every! single! person! on this island!"
Facing Loki's verbal threat, Shanks remained calm as he stepped forward with his sword, raising his head to gaze intently at the enormous face filled with fury.
In a deep voice, he stated, "Loki, I suspect you're not here solely for revenge."
"To break free from a place like the Netherworld, you must have received help from the Fleet Admiral. The moment you escaped, you rushed straight to me!! What? Have you also decided to pledge your loyalty to that Fleet Admiral?"
At the mention of "Fleet Admiral," the rage on Loki's face strangely receded for an instant.
But in the next moment, he grinned widely, unleashing a deafening roar of laughter.
"Kehahahaha! Why not!"
"After all, the Fleet Admiral was the first to call me a hero!"
As he spoke, Loki suddenly raised his warhammer, and the terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted from him once again without restraint!
In the sky above, the previously churning black clouds instantly turned ink-black, with countless thick bolts of lightning dancing wildly within the clouds, weaving together into a thunderous hellscape.
Seeing this, Shanks wasted no more words.
There was no point in further discussion—since Loki had made his choice, they would let their strength do the talking!
He held his sword horizontally, adopting a combat stance, as an equally domineering crimson aura surged skyward, rivaling the raging thunderclouds above!
The next moment, both moved simultaneously!
Loki's massive body erupted with astonishing speed that defied his size, charging forward with overwhelming force.
His warhammer wrapped in black Armament Haki and furious Conqueror's Haki, directly summoned the heavenly lightning, transforming into a hammer of the thunder god that tore through the sky as it came crashing down!
Facing this world-shattering blow, Shanks advanced instead of retreating.
His figure flashed, turning into a crimson streak of light as he fearlessly swung his sword to meet the hammer that was several times larger than his entire body!
No fancy techniques—just a simple, pure collision!
Sword and hammer violently clashed mid-air!
At the moment of impact, the world turned stark white, and all sound vanished.
It was as if a mute button had been pressed on the entire world.
Then, an indescribably blinding flash of light erupted from the point of impact!
Crimson sword energy and black-purple lightning wildly tangled and annihilated each other, forming an ever-expanding sphere of energy.
A crisp cracking sound echoed, like the shattering of a celestial pillar.
Under the horrified gazes of all the Red Hair Pirates' officers, the solid island beneath their feet began to fracture from the center where Shanks and Loki stood, splitting open into a bottomless chasm!
The fissure, like a black lightning bolt, madly spread toward both ends of the island.
Wherever it passed, mountains crumbled, the earth split, and dust filled the sky!
Under the force of their strongest strike, the entire island was torn in half!
Meanwhile, the endless black clouds shrouding the island could no longer maintain their form under this terrifying shockwave that pierced heaven and earth.
They churned like ink stirred by an invisible giant hand, surging violently before being utterly torn apart and scattering to both sides!
Then, golden sunlight cascaded down like a waterfall.
The island, long enveloped in darkness and thunder, was instantly illuminated by the blinding sunlight, bright as day.
The power of a single strike was enough to shatter an island!
The cigar Beckman had been holding between his teeth had unknowingly fallen to the ground.
Yasopp stood gaping, staring dumbfounded at the island split in two and the sky now visible through the divide.
Even the usually carefree Lucky Roux forgot to chew on the meat leg in his hand, exclaiming in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me! They're really going to sink this island?!"