On the deck of the Red Force, the air itself crackled with power.
"Red-Haired" Shanks had unleashed his Conqueror's Haki without restraint, a greeting aimed at the approaching Beasts Pirates. But this was far more than a simple greeting. The sheer force of the Haki was so immense that it was clear Shanks had gotten serious. The proof lay scattered behind him, where some of the newer recruits of the Red Hair Pirates had already collapsed, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure.
The sea around them surged, rocking the massive ship up and down on violent waves. Gusts of wind whipped across the deck, making the sails flap with thunderous snaps. The entire world had been painted a deep crimson, with thick, black-and-red lightning arcing across the sky.
"Hey, Shanks, are you sure about this?" Benn Beckman asked, a note of caution in his voice.
Shanks, however, looked completely relaxed. "It's fine, Beckman. We were always going to be enemies. There's no need for pointless formalities."
But just as he finished speaking, his expression shifted. The casual look on his face vanished, replaced by one of grave seriousness as he sensed something incredible.
"What's wrong?" Beckman started to ask.
The answer came a split second later: another wave of Conqueror's Haki, impossibly powerful, erupted from across the sea.
"Boom…"
In an instant, the world seemed to break. Two god-like streams of Conqueror's Haki collided between the two ships. All color bled from the world, leaving only the clashing, crimson auras. The sea churned violently, as if a great tsunami was about to swallow the ocean whole. The surface of the water boiled and foamed. Deep below, countless fish and even mountain-sized Sea Kings fled in terror.
Dela Island, caught directly in the middle of the cataclysmic clash, began to disintegrate. The ground buckled and tore itself apart. Every building on the island was instantly obliterated, blown away by the sheer force of the impact.
This was the power of two of the New World's Four Emperors. They hadn't even thrown a punch, yet their clashing wills were enough to tear the world apart.
In the sky, the two immense forces of Haki pushed against each other, neither giving an inch. It was as if two gods were fighting for ownership of this piece of the sea.
At this moment, it wasn't just Beckman who felt it. The other senior officers, like Yasopp and Lucky Roux, stared in disbelief.
"How… how is this possible? Shanks, he's…"
On the surface, it looked like an even match. But as masters of Observation Haki, they understood the terrifying truth. Their captain, Red-Haired Shanks, was actually being suppressed by Kaido. Shanks had made the first move, and Kaido had only unleashed his own Haki after being completely enveloped by the initial wave. If both had gone all out from the start, the outcome might have been very different.
Just then, Kaido's joyous laughter boomed across the world.
"Worororo…!"
Every person still standing on that vast sea could feel the sheer delight in that laugh. And Kaido certainly had a reason to be happy.
On the deck of the Beasts Pirates' ship, Katakuri and Doflamingo stared with utter disbelief at the two people standing beside Kaido.
It was King and Ulti.
Both of them were also looking down at their hands, feeling the change in their own bodies with a sense of shock.
"This… this is Conqueror's Haki!" King whispered, looking at his own palms. He recalled the incredible power that had just erupted from deep within his soul and clenched his fists tightly.
Compared to King's quiet astonishment, Ulti was so happy she looked like she was about to explode with excitement.
"This is Conqueror's Haki, Lord Kaido!" she screamed, jumping up and down. "I've awakened Conqueror's Haki, too!"
That's right. Stimulated by the immense pressure from Shanks' Haki, two members of the Beasts Pirates had awakened the rarest power in the world. This was exactly why Kaido hadn't shielded his subordinates. He had hoped that the pressure from a true rival would force them to awaken new powers. He had been tempering them with his own Conqueror's Haki during their training, but he knew that would only build their resistance.
The Haki of an Emperor, the will to stand above all others, could only be truly awakened under the most extreme conditions.
For King to awaken it was not a complete surprise. But Ulti… Kaido hadn't realized the girl had such incredible potential. This was a truly joyous occasion. As for the others, while they hadn't awakened Conqueror's Haki, Kaido could feel that they too had broken through their limits, their inner strength growing immensely.
His goal for this encounter was a complete success.
Thinking of this, he held nothing back. Kaido fully released his own monstrous Conqueror's Haki, sending it roaring toward Shanks.
——————
The clash of Emperors lasted for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was over in about ten seconds.
"BOOM!"
With a final, violent explosion, the two waves of Haki burst apart. The impact sent a shockwave that shook the very foundations of the sea.
Then, silence.
The world seemed to fall quiet. As the Haki dissipated, the ocean returned to its tranquil state. Aside from the ruined remains of Dela Island and the unconscious crew members on both ships, it was as if nothing had happened.
Seeing that Kaido had stopped, the overjoyed Ulti immediately launched herself at him, hugging his massive leg and shouting over and over. "Lord Kaido, Lord Kaido! I awakened Conqueror's Haki!"
"Oh!" Kaido said, dotingly stroking Ulti's head. He knew that her awakening came not just from her potential, but from her genuine desire to be acknowledged by him.
"I knew you had it in you, Ulti," he said, petting her head like she was a small cat. He then looked over at King and the others. "King, you also did well. As for the rest of you, don't rush it. Worororo! Just obediently take a few more of your boss's Thunder Baguas, and you'll have Conqueror's Haki in no time."
"..."
Jack and the others, who had been feeling a little disappointed, suddenly had dark lines on their faces. But deep down, their hearts grew warm. They knew this was their boss's strange way of comforting them.
The only ones who didn't seem to care whether they had Conqueror's Haki or not were Queen and Black Maria.
"Alright then," Kaido commanded, his gaze turning back toward the Red Force. "Bring the ship over. Since Red Hair came all this way, he shouldn't think he can leave so easily."
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