An unnatural silence fell over the ocean.
The waves themselves, which had been rising and falling just moments before, seemed to have settled into a dead calm. It was as if the sea was holding its breath, sensing the immense power gathered upon its surface and the great battle that was about to unfold. On the glassy water, the reflections of two massive pirate ships stared at each other.
One was the main ship of the Beasts Pirates: the Beasts King.
The other was the main ship of the Red Hair Pirates: the Red Force.
The two vessels faced each other, bow to bow, separated by less than two kilometers of still water. On their decks, the crews of the Beasts Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates glared across the gap, hostility radiating from every man. Yet, no one spoke a word. They all knew there could only be one focus here, and that was their respective captains.
Kaido of the Beasts and "Red-Haired" Shanks.
Kaido had no desire to waste time. While he was pleased by the surprise of King and Ulti awakening their Conqueror's Haki, having his day interrupted by an old rival made it impossible for him to be truly happy.
"Oi, Red Hair! Aren't you going to give me an explanation for this?" Kaido roared, standing at the bow of his ship. He slammed his massive kanabo, the Hassaikai, onto the deck with a thunderous crack.
Across the water, Shanks took a few steps forward, his own sword, Gryphon, held loosely in one hand. "Please don't misunderstand, Kaido," he called out, his voice carrying clearly over the sea. "I didn't come here to start a war. I'm here for one thing."
As he spoke, the crew of the Red Hair Pirates parted, allowing Kozuki Sukiyaki to walk to the front. Even with a mask covering his face, the intense hatred he felt for Kaido was palpable.
"I was asked to come here on someone's behalf," Shanks continued. "I'm here to ask you to return the position of Shogun of Wano Country to the Kozuki Clan!"
The moment those words were spoken, the Beasts Pirates erupted in anger.
"Hey, you bastard, Red Hair! Who do you think you are?" Who's-Who, unable to control his rage at the sight of his old enemy, was the first to step forward and shout.
Shanks, however, didn't even spare him a glance. "Oh, Who's-Who, it's been a long time," he said casually. "It looks like you're doing well with the Beasts Pirates."
That nonchalant dismissal made Who's-Who's eyes burn with fury. "Damn it... you bastard..."
He cursed under his breath, but he knew better than to make a move. He was painfully aware of the massive gap in power between himself and a Yonko. He couldn't do anything more than glare.
Fortunately, Kaido spoke up, his voice cutting through the tension. "Alright, Who's-Who, you can step back for now."
Given an out, Who's-Who reluctantly retreated. "Yes, Lord Kaido!"
Only then did Kaido turn his gaze to the masked man standing beside Shanks. "So that's how it is, Kozuki Sukiyaki. I was wondering why you went out to sea. Turns out you were looking for reinforcements. If you had this in you, where were you all those years ago?"
The members of the Beasts Pirates were shocked. Among them were not just pirates from the high seas, but also many samurai from Wano. They had heard from Kaido that the former Shogun was still alive, but most hadn't truly believed it. It made no sense that Sukiyaki would live in hiding while his son and grandchildren suffered. But now, seeing him with their own eyes, they knew it was true.
Kaido sneered. "What's the matter? Are you so ashamed that you don't even dare to take off your mask?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki, who had lowered his head, snapped it back up angrily. "Kaido, leave Wano Country! Wano does not belong to you!"
"Worororo!" Kaido let out his signature laugh. "Whether it belongs to me isn't for you to decide. I'm a pirate! On this sea, the winner takes all!"
"Enough!" Shanks stepped forward again. "Mr. Kozuki, allow me to handle this now." After calming the old man, Shanks addressed Kaido directly. "Kaido, Wano Country has belonged to the Kozuki Clan for 800 years. It's not a country you can just take over. And even if you occupy it, it's useless. The people of Wano will never accept your rule."
A cunning smile spread across Kaido's face. "Worororo! Hey, Red Hair, you've got one thing wrong." Seeing the confused look on Shanks's face, Kaido continued, "I don't need their approval. As long as they submit to me, that's enough."
Shanks's expression immediately darkened.
"And another thing... Sukiyaki," Kaido said, turning his attention back to the masked man. "Do you know what day it is today?"
Sukiyaki froze.
"Today is the day I appoint the new Shogun of Wano Country," Kaido announced with glee. "And you should know the candidate for the new Shogun. Her name is Kurozumi Tama!"
Sukiyaki's entire body trembled violently. "Tama? How is that possible? You bastard, Kaido, what did you do to her?"
"Don't worry," Kaido chuckled. "How could I bear to harm such a cute child? She's my daughter now!"
Sukiyaki couldn't believe a word of it. In his mind, Kaido must have used some horrible method to force Tama into this. "No! You must have used some despicable means to deceive Tama!"
Kaido didn't care in the slightest. "Think what you want. Whether I deceived her or not doesn't matter. Tama is now the Shogun of Wano Country. And Wano has a new name, too: New Onigashima. The Kozuki Clan is now history."
"No! The Kozuki Clan will not become history!" Sukiyaki cried out. "As long as Wano exists, the Kozuki Clan will never disappear!"
"Worororo! It doesn't matter! Be angry, roar, struggle all you want," Kaido mocked. "Unfortunately for you, as long as I'm standing here, you can't change a single thing!"
Kaido's arrogant laughter echoed across the silent sea. At that moment, Kozuki Sukiyaki felt truly powerless. He could only turn to the man beside him. "Lord Shanks, please... for the sake of the friendship you once shared with Oden, I'm begging you... save Wano Country!"
Shanks's expression became conflicted. Seeing this, Benn Beckman sensed trouble and quickly warned him, "Shanks, calm down!"
"Don't worry," Shanks said slowly. "I know who I am. I'm the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates. I don't have the right to act on my own feelings."
"Then I'm relieved," Benn said.
"However," Shanks continued, his voice hardening, "since I've come all this way, just leaving would be too embarrassing."
At that moment, powerful Conqueror's Haki erupted around him, crackling like black lightning around his sword, Gryphon. He stared at Kaido in the distance and roared.
"Kaido! I truly have no intention of starting a war with the Beasts Pirates. But I can't ignore the request of Oden's father! So, in the name of the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates, I'm making this declaration! From today on, the Red Hair Pirates are officially in a state of war with the Beasts Pirates! On any part of this ocean, only one of our crews can exist!"
The declaration shocked everyone on both ships. While it wasn't a direct challenge to an immediate battle, it drew an undeniable line in the sand, turning the two Yonko crews into irreconcilable enemies.
But just as the weight of his words settled, Kaido's mocking laughter boomed across the water once more.
"Worororo! Hey, hey, Benn Beckman... has anyone ever told your captain that when he tries to be scary, he's actually quite ridiculous?"
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