"Hmm?!"
Seeing Gurd suddenly draw his sword in anger, Whitebeard and Red Hair were shocked. Engaged in their Haki clash, neither could afford distraction.
Almost simultaneously, both made the same decision—turning their blades to meet the incoming greatsword as their Haki surged violently.
"BOOM!!!"
The three weapons clashed midair without physical contact, their respective Haki carving out separate dominions in space!
Lightning crackled as countless black-red Haki bolts radiated from the trio. The violent shockwave instantly engulfed the three massive ships moored together.
Pirates foamed at the mouth, collapsing one after another.
"Damn it, they're all out cold!"
"Is this war?!"
"Wait and see—they're not fools to act recklessly."
Except for officer-level fighters, every pirate lost consciousness under the triple Haki impact.
"Look at the sky!"
All eyes turned upward where a massive thundercloud vortex had formed directly above, countless lightning bolts flickering within its depths.
The heavens... were warping!
After an immeasurable time, the Haki dissipated.
At the negotiation area:
Whitebeard staggered back, plopping onto his seat, while Gurd and Red Hair slid backward until their heels hit the steps, forcibly halting their momentum.
"This guy!"
Shanks' eyes darkened, sweat trickling down.
Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
He knew better than to underestimate a young warrior's growth, but for Gurd to reach their level in such short time was unbelievable.
Had Gurd been captain of the Beasts Pirates, it might make sense. Yet with Kaido above him—how had he overcome that barrier?
Conqueror's Haki, the mark of a supreme ruler.
Those who wield it are born to lead, not follow. How else could one become a true conqueror?
Gurd sheathed his greatsword, gaze icy.
"You spilled my drink."
"..."
Whitebeard and Red Hair stared blankly.
Over this?
With a cold snort, Gurd turned to Red Hair.
"The era spiraling out of control? So what!"
"If balance matters so much, go lick the Celestial Dragons' boots—help prop up their rotting regime. Don't stand here blocking the tide of progress."
"Without cataclysmic change, how can any era truly transform?"
"Must we pin all hopes on some distant future? On the next Joy Boy? On Nika?!"
"Zeha ha ha!"
Gurd's mocking laughter rang loud.
"Red Hair, your chosen future isn't the only path. Every person holds the power to reshape this world!"
"..."
Shanks' face darkened as he slowly sheathed his sword.
Joy Boy. Nika.
He never expected Gurd to know these names. The man's understanding of hidden truths might rival his own.
Gurd's expression calmed.
"This isn't your battlefield. You'll change nothing here. If you want to stop me, meet me on the warfront."
"What a failure."
Shanks sighed, turning to leave.
"Earth Calamity, I won't let the world fall to the Beasts."
"We'll see."
After Red Hair departed, Gurd addressed Whitebeard: "Time's short, old man. Best prepare quickly—though don't fret. I'll assist you."
"Assist me? Gu ra ra ra!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily: "Brat, I am Whitebeard! What need do I have for help from a snot-nosed kid like you?"
"I meant helping collect your corpse!"
Gurd smirked and turned to leave.
"And don't worry about your sons—I'll take care of them too. I'll deal with Blackbeard as well, so dance to your heart's content and bid farewell to this new era!"
"..."
Whitebeard watched Gurd depart with a long sigh.
"What a cunning brat!"
His thoughts had been completely seen through.
When Ace left, he knew the situation would escalate beyond redemption, yet he had no reason to stop him.
Teach had his eyes on his position and would eventually make his move to replace him—it was only a matter of how.
Even if Ace hadn't left, Teach would have found another way. This war was utterly unavoidable.
Without settling things with Blackbeard, tragedies like Doma's would only repeat. Too many pirates coveted his head, and with precedent set, they would test the waters step by step until they devoured everything.
It wasn't that he didn't want to recall Ace—he simply had no choice.
As the Beasts and Red Hair departed, the Whitebeard Pirates continued their feast, though the atmosphere had shifted subtly.
The division commanders and captains alike sensed the approaching storm of war.
Days later, the newspapers set the world ablaze.
[Fire Fist Ace Imprisoned!]
[New Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea: "Blackbeard" Teach!]
[Enies Lobby Falls!]
Each headline was a world-shaking event!
The entertainment section even featured Cavendish's debut, with scandalously bold photoshoots, but the news was drowned out by the greater headlines.
First debut—failure!
In a Sea-stone reinforced bedroom, Cavendish's split personality erupted again, his face half-white, half-black, both sides sharing an unprecedented unity of thought.
"We'll definitely cut them down!"
Hoenn Fortress.
Young officers scattered across the North Sea gathered, with Sasaki and Who's Who also arriving under orders.
"Big Brother Kaido wants to join the fun?"
"That's right."
"Let him do as he pleases."
Gurd waved dismissively.
With war looming, it was only natural for Kaido, who thrived on conflict, to want in. But Gurd had his own matters to attend to and wouldn't be joining him.
"Prepare to set sail!"
"Yes!"
Soon, over a dozen Hoenn warships departed.
Destination: Sabaody Archipelago.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters...
The highest-level meeting was underway.
Ace's imprisonment forced the Marines to make a choice.
Releasing Fire Fist was impossible—doing so would disgrace Marine justice. Yet ignoring the situation wasn't an option either.
Whitebeard would undoubtedly come to rescue Fire Fist!
War was inevitable!
Thus, they had to steer the conflict in the Marines' favor.
"Recall elite officers from all seas!"
"What about the North Sea?"
"We have no spare forces to deploy there!"
"Recall Sakazuki immediately!"
Soon, the meeting reached its conclusion.
"Public execution for Fire Fist!"
Additionally, they would summon a total of 100,000 elite officers worldwide to counter the Whitebeard Pirates!
As the meeting adjourned, veteran officers gathered in the Fleet Admiral's office.
"The Beasts will surely make their move."
"If that happens, we'll have no choice but to call upon God's Knights!"
Sengoku and the others wore grim expressions.
Just the Whitebeard Pirates alone were enough to make the Navy go all out. If the Beasts Pirates also got involved, Marine Headquarters might very well be sunk beneath the sea.
But the arrow was already on the bowstring—they had no choice but to shoot.
They never expected that Blackbeard would deliver Fire Fist to them. Now they could only take things one step at a time.
No matter how much they prepared, the situation was bound to exceed their expectations.
Moreover, the Navy also needed a major victory to boost morale!
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