Boom!
On the deck of the Red Force, the crew watched in horror as their captain was struck by Kaido's attack. Shanks shot through the air like a cannonball, crashing into the ocean with a thunderous impact that threw up a wave a hundred meters high. The sheer force of the blow split the very sea, carving a deep chasm into its surface.
The faces of the Red Hair Pirates went pale with shock, and frantic shouts erupted from the deck.
"Captain!"
"Shanks!"
"Get the ship over there, now!"
In stark contrast to their anxiety, the members of the Beasts Pirates roared with excitement.
"Amazing!"
"That's our Kaido-san!"
"Lord Kaido is the strongest in the world!"
"Let's move in! Hurry!"
The colossal waves churned and then fell as a heavy downpour, crashing against the roiling surface of the sea. Slowly, the ocean began to calm, and the chasm gradually closed. After what felt like an eternity, under the worried gazes of his crew, a figure burst from the water and landed gracefully back on the deck of the Red Force.
It was Shanks. He was completely drenched and clearly not in good shape. Though there were no obvious wounds on his body, his ragged breathing was proof of the damage the attack had inflicted.
"Shanks, are you alright?" Ben Beckman asked, his voice laced with concern. The rest of the crew was too nervous to speak.
Shanks's expression was grave as he looked up at Kaido, who stood in the sky on his flame clouds, staring down at him.
"Don't worry," Shanks said, shaking his head. He then turned back to his crew, a relaxed smile on his face. "It's nothing. I was just a bit careless. Goes to show you should never underestimate an opponent!"
Seeing their captain smile, the crew of the Red Hair Pirates let out a collective sigh of relief. Only Beckman and Yasopp, whose Observation Haki was exceptionally strong, could sense that something was deeply wrong. They said nothing, however, choosing to play along.
"It's good that you're alright!"
"Hey, Shanks, you really need to get serious," Yasopp chimed in, his cheerful tone completely easing the tension on deck. "He's one of the Four Emperors, after all. Kaido of the Beasts is just as famous as you are."
The crew chuckled. So, their captain had just been caught off guard. Smiles returned to their faces.
"Yeah, don't worry," Shanks nodded, his gaze returning to the sky. "It won't happen again."
As soon as he turned away, his expression became deadly serious. Careless? He hadn't been careless for a single second. As an Emperor of the Sea, he would never make the mistake of underestimating an opponent in battle, especially not Kaido.
The truth was, he had failed to block that attack. Even with Gryphon held defensively across his chest, Kaido's Haki had bypassed the blade and flooded his body. A stinging, electric sensation still coursed through him.
What just happened? he wondered. How did he do it? How did he cut through my Conqueror's Haki?
Shanks knew that Haki had levels of strength. He had seen it himself years ago when Captain Roger fought Oden. Roger had used this very same technique, Divine Departure, to effortlessly shatter Oden's Haki-infused blades. But that was because Roger's Haki was simply on another dimension compared to Oden's.
But this was different. Had Kaido's Haki grown to the level of his old captain? No… that couldn't be it. Through their six-hour battle, Shanks could feel it. Kaido was stronger than he was four years ago, and his Haki had certainly grown, but it wasn't nearly enough to completely overwhelm his own. So what was it?
Shanks didn't know, and that lack of an answer filled him with a growing sense of unease.
Kaido, however, didn't care about the mystery. He only cared about the result. Seeing his God's Advent break through Shanks's Divine Departure and send the red-haired Emperor flying was deeply satisfying.
"Wororororo…"
His triumphant laughter echoed across the sea. Reverting to his human form, he descended from the sky and landed on the deck of his own ship. Behind him, King and the other All-Stars looked at him with pure adoration.
"Well, Red Hair? Do you still want to fight?" Kaido taunted. "If not, I think I'll pay a visit to Zou. After all, I've already told the world I would. If I don't follow through, I wouldn't be Kaido."
His wicked words made the expressions of everyone on the Red Force darken, especially Kozuki Sukiyaki. He knew exactly what Kaido wanted in Zou.
Shanks's brow furrowed. He had always been confident that his crew was enough of a deterrent to maintain some semblance of order on the seas. But now, the situation was spiraling out of control. He couldn't let it get any worse.
"Let's stop here," he said, his voice ringing with authority.
The declaration startled everyone.
"Kaido, you have Wano Country and everything you wanted," Shanks continued. "Let it end here. If you insist on hunting down Oden's family and retainers, then our Red Hair Pirates will have no choice but to fight you to the very end."
The old Kaido, who for all his brutishness was surprisingly calculating, might have taken the deal. He was never one to take a disadvantageous fight, and he wasn't entirely confident he could defeat Shanks. But this was a new Kaido.
"Heh…" A sneer formed on Kaido's lips. "Red Hair, who do you think I am? I am Kaido. Fight me to the end? Fine by me. Let's settle it. Today, on this sea, either the Beasts Pirates or the Red Hair Pirates will be destroyed. Only one of us is leaving here alive!"
"Oh!" As Kaido's words fell, King and the other All-Stars stepped forward, their powerful auras flaring as they stood behind their captain.
In an instant, the confrontation escalated. What had been a duel between two captains was now a declaration of all-out war between two Emperor crews.
Caught in the middle of this terrifying standoff were Katakuri and Doflamingo. Doflamingo, in particular, was sweating. He almost envied Judge, who had the good sense to have already fainted. He desperately needed this conflict to de-escalate. He was still under a mandatory summons from the World Government to participate in the coming war against Whitebeard. If he got stuck here, he could lose his status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—a status he cared about more than anything.
Thinking fast, he looked left and right. Then, under Katakuri's surprised gaze, Doflamingo put on his widest grin and swaggered forward.
"Fufufufufu… Now, I know I'm not qualified to speak in such company," he began, his voice smooth and confident. "But if you two esteemed gentlemen don't mind, why don't I act as a mediator? After all, if this battle continues, it seems to me that neither the Beasts Pirates nor the Red Hair Pirates stand to gain anything…"
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