Charlotte Linlin sat on her throne with a look of longing on her face. Then she spoke to the tall, muscular man in the first seat beneath her, a man with short crimson hair and a scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Katakuri, take your younger brothers and sisters to Punk Hazard. I want that aberration!"
"But, Mama, Whitebeard is still there."
"Can't you wait until both sides are badly worn down? Or until that aberration is defeated by Whitebeard?"
"But…"
Seeing the dangerous glint in Charlotte Linlin's eyes, Katakuri fell silent for a while before saying, "Yes, Mama!"
"That's more like the finest masterpiece of my Charlotte Family! Heh heh! Ma! Ma!"
Elsewhere, at the Beasts Pirates' base.
King the Conflagration, one of the All-Stars, wore a mask, a helmet with goggles, black clothes, black gloves, and a pair of black feathered wings on his back. Mysterious flames burned around his body as he watched Kaido transform into a dragon and ride the clouds into the distance. He sighed helplessly.
He knew that after receiving the news, his captain had headed for Punk Hazard.
King had a very steady personality, and he was exceptionally bold as well. When Charlotte Linlin attacked and Kaido's people were thrown into panic, King directly kicked the Big Mom Pirates down into the sea and mocked them harshly.
He was an Ancient Zoan user of the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon, allowing him to transform into a pteranodon and fly through the sky.
At the same time, whether the mysterious flames on his body were related to his pteranodon powers remained unknown. The flames might be another ability of his.
King understood very well what kind of person his captain was. For Kaido to be this impatient, he had probably taken an interest in that aberration.
Although Kaido possessed a great many subordinates and a vast force, he was still a lone wolf. He liked running all over the world by himself to commit suicide, to the point that even his subordinates often had no idea where he was. He liked fighting many enemies alone, and he would challenge the Marines by himself without bringing any subordinates.
Moreover, though Kaido seemed rough and crude, he was actually extremely shrewd. He had joined forces with the shogun of Wano Country to destroy the Kozuki Family, seizing Wano Country as his base. Wano was difficult to attack and easy to defend, rich in resources, and possessed advanced Seastone-processing techniques. At the same time, Kaido sealed off fishing boats and information so the people would not grow interested in the outside world, making it easier for him to rule.
"Judging from the intelligence that came in, aside from that aberration, there is also the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Dire Wolf, a Mythical Zoan griffin, and on top of that, the aberration is about to fight Whitebeard. The difficulty is far too great."
"And the spies present aren't only ours. News about that aberration should already be known to the Marines and Charlotte's side as well. In that case…"
King thought for a moment, then gave his orders.
"Prepare the ship. Set sail. This may be a good opportunity, an excellent chance to take advantage of the situation and break through the forces under the Charlotte Family and Whitebeard."
In the original story, when Whitebeard participated in the Summit War, the Beasts Pirates took the opportunity to attack Whitebeard's territory, only to be stopped by Shanks.
Now, this was also a good opportunity.
On Punk Hazard, the battle on the ice was unfolding in full swing. Though intense, for the moment no one was going for the kill.
Even so, it was still clear which side held the advantage.
Seeing that nothing unexpected was happening in the battle below, and with Tiger, Kuma, and the others holding the fort on the ship, Roy was not too worried. He stepped forward and looked straight at Whitebeard.
"Come on, Whitebeard. The title of the world's strongest should change hands."
"Gurarararara! Can't wait anymore, can you? Fine. Aside from that brat Kaido, no one has dared to challenge me like this in a long time. Roy, don't you go dying on me!"
Their voices rang across the sea.
Whether it was those who had not made a move yet or the two sides currently fighting on the ice, everyone froze. Their movements slowed, and as if by prior agreement, they all stopped.
In the next second, Roy and Whitebeard both disappeared at the same time.
Before everyone's eyes could even react, the two of them were already standing on the island of Punk Hazard.
"Let's not affect the battle between our men. We'll go into the island."
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
The moment the words fell, the two of them walked toward the depths of the island at the same time.
Everyone, whether they were crew members from either side or spies and reporters hiding in the dark with excitement surging through their bodies, stared at the figures of the tall man and the shorter man as they entered the depths of the island.
Then, after the scene remained frozen for several minutes, an even fiercer battle broke out once again!
If the earlier battle had still carried a hint of sparring, then this time, while still avoiding fatal injuries, every move was truly made with full force.
All of them were holding in a breath, wanting to win this battle.
Blades slashed, fists collided, and the roar of guns and cannons resounded across the entire sea.
Deep within the island, Roy and Whitebeard stood facing each other.
"Looks like those crew members of yours are pretty capable." Listening to the increasingly intense sounds around them, Whitebeard spoke.
"If they can't keep up with the pace of the times, they'll be eliminated by the times."
"Are you ready, Whitebeard?"
"Gurarararara! Of course I am. Come on, let me see just how many Devil Fruit powers you still have on you!"
Laughing, Whitebeard raised the naginata in his hand. In an instant, a halo of light shrouded the blade.
But at that moment, Roy had no intention of making a move at all. He stared closely at Whitebeard's body for a while, then slowly shook his head.
"No. From my perspective, you still aren't ready."
"Hm?"
Whitebeard frowned. The vibration power on his blade disappeared, and he looked at Roy in a deep voice.
"What do you mean?"
Whitebeard had acknowledged Roy's strength. Otherwise, he would not have come into the island with him to fight.
"I think that although your body is still at its peak right now, it's unavoidable that a lot of hidden injuries have still been left inside you, as well as aftereffects caused by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. The current you can no longer bring out one hundred percent of your strength."
As he spoke, Roy took out an ordinary-looking, grayish-green, unremarkable little bean from his Spatial Ring.
"Eat it. After you eat it, then fight me."
Roy tossed the Senzu Bean to Whitebeard, who caught it.
"Eat this thing?"
Whitebeard looked at Roy's serious eyes, then looked at the little bean in his hand.
After confirming that Roy was not joking, Whitebeard's crescent-shaped mustache curved, and he chewed the Senzu Bean.
"Gulp."
"Hm?!!"
(End of Chapter)
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