After completing his latest enhancement within the Kamui Dimension, Ryūjin did not waste any time.
With a single thought, space twisted around him.
A spiraling vortex appeared on the deck, and his figure emerged from it moments later.
The sight was nothing new to those aboard the ship.
Whether it was Nami, Nico Robin, Crocodile, or Miss Friday, everyone had long since become accustomed to Ryūjin's strange spatial abilities.
"Ryūjin-san, you've returned at the perfect time."
Nami immediately looked over.
"Miss Friday just brought us the latest intelligence."
Ryūjin nodded and glanced toward Miss Friday.
"Go ahead."
Miss Friday stepped forward respectfully and unfolded a map.
"Ryūjin-sama, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Marine Hero Garp, and the Three Admirals have already returned to Marineford."
She pointed at several marked locations.
"At the same time, Kaido and Big Mom, who had been confronting Marineford from the surrounding waters, have started moving again."
"This is their latest position."
Her finger stopped at two locations on the map.
Ryūjin examined it briefly.
Then he nodded.
No unnecessary comments.
No lengthy discussion.
The ship simply continued toward its destination.
With Ryūjin's current reputation, every movement he made attracted worldwide attention.
Before he had even approached Kaido's fleet, news of his route had already spread across the seas.
An atmosphere of tension quickly descended upon the world.
After all, the waters outside Marineford had already become a gathering point for monsters.
The Beasts Pirates.
The Big Mom Pirates.
The Red Hair Pirates.
Three of the Four Emperors were present.
Only Whitebeard remained absent.
The region was already sensitive enough that a single spark could ignite a war capable of changing the balance of the entire world.
Now Ryūjin had entered the equation as well.
Nobody could remain indifferent.
The seas felt like a powder keg waiting to explode.
---
Beasts Pirates Flagship
"Lord Kaido!"
A pirate rushed into the meeting hall.
Kaido had been discussing matters with the Three Disasters and the Flying Six when the interruption arrived.
The pirate's face was visibly tense.
Kaido's expression darkened.
"You'd better have a good reason for barging in."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
An oppressive pressure filled the hall.
Cold sweat trickled down the pirate's forehead.
He swallowed hard.
"Lord Kaido... we've found Ryūjin."
The room immediately became silent.
The name alone commanded attention.
Even Kaido and his top officers could not ignore it.
"Where?"
Kaido's voice was low and dangerous.
"To the southeast."
"Approximately twenty kilometers away."
The pirate answered without hesitation.
"Based on his current route, he's heading toward Marineford."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
Twenty kilometers sounded distant to ordinary people.
To monsters like them, it was extremely close.
Kaido narrowed his eyes.
"Show me."
The pirate quickly spread a map across the table.
Kaido, King, Queen, and Jack gathered around.
The marked position left all of them frowning.
Ryūjin's location placed him almost equally distant from Marineford, Kaido's fleet, and Big Mom's fleet.
His target was impossible to determine.
That was what made the situation troublesome.
Ryūjin's actions had always been unpredictable.
He had fought the Seven Warlords.
He had fought the Marines.
He had fought Emperors.
It seemed every major force on the sea had crossed paths with him.
Trying to predict his intentions was nearly impossible.
King stepped forward first.
"Lord Kaido."
"Allow me to intercept him."
"I'd like to see what qualifies him to stand above you."
Kaido considered the suggestion briefly.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
His eyes gleamed sharply.
"He defeated Whitebeard."
"I'll handle this myself."
A savage smile spread across his face.
"In this boring world, I hope Ryūjin can finally give me something interesting."
For years, Kaido had viewed life as meaningless.
He constantly searched for ways to die.
Execution.
Battle.
Suicide.
Nothing worked.
The Marines alone had captured him dozens of times.
Yet nobody could kill him.
Not even himself.
Then Ryūjin appeared.
Truthfully, Kaido had wanted to meet him for a long time.
Circumstances simply hadn't allowed it.
Now that opportunity had finally arrived.
There was no chance he would let it pass.
"Pass down my orders."
"All ships change course."
"We're intercepting Ryūjin."
The command spread throughout the fleet immediately.
As one of the Four Emperors, Kaido's every action was closely monitored by countless eyes.
The sudden change in direction quickly attracted worldwide attention.
Before long, people discovered the destination of the Beasts Pirates.
Ryūjin.
The news spread like wildfire.
The entire world exploded with excitement.
Kaido was moving against Ryūjin.
One was an Emperor who had dominated the New World for decades.
The other was the terrifying newcomer whose rise had shaken the entire sea.
The collision between them promised unimaginable consequences.
---
Red Force
"Captain."
Benn Beckman lowered the newspaper in his hand.
"Ryūjin's intentions remain unclear."
"But Kaido is very likely heading straight for him."
Yasopp laughed.
"Drop the words 'very likely.'"
"That suicidal idiot is definitely looking for Ryūjin."
Lucky Roux bit into a chicken leg.
"If things keep going this way, Kaido might actually get what he wants."
Another officer nodded excitedly.
"If anyone in this world can kill Kaido, it'd probably be Ryūjin."
The room fell quiet.
Nobody refuted the statement.
Kaido's title as the Strongest Creature was famous worldwide.
Yet Ryūjin's recent achievements were simply absurd.
Shanks rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"These troublemakers..."
"Why can't they stay quiet for once?"
"If they start fighting now, the sea is going to become even more chaotic."
He stood up.
"Prepare the ship."
"I'll try to stop this before things get out of hand."
---
Ryūjin's Ship
"A pair of Queens."
Robin placed her cards down elegantly.
"Nami, your turn."
"I've got a pair of Aces."
Ryūjin casually tossed down his cards.
"Beat that."
"Hehe!"
Nami grinned proudly.
"I've got a pair of Jokers."
"Take that, Ryūjin-san."
Ryūjin stared at her.
Robin stared at her.
A brief silence followed.
"Nami."
Ryūjin looked genuinely concerned.
"Is something wrong with your head?"
"You used a pair of Jokers to beat a pair of Aces."
Nami blinked.
Then she looked at her cards.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Her face instantly turned red.
Robin couldn't help covering her mouth as she laughed softly.
Meanwhile, the unfortunate Crocodile remained at the helm.
As always.
Working.
Steering.
Handling navigation.
While everyone else played cards.
Ryūjin had actually tried inviting him before.
Watching Crocodile play cards with a cigar hanging from his mouth sounded entertaining.
Unfortunately, Crocodile had rejected the idea without hesitation.
"Lord Ryūjin."
Crocodile suddenly looked through his binoculars.
"A ship is approaching."
Smack.
Ryūjin casually placed down an Eight.
"Who is it?"
Without even turning around.
Crocodile adjusted the binoculars.
"It appears to be the Red Hair Pirates."
"Red Hair?"
Nami looked surprised.
"One of the Four Emperors?"
"I wonder why he's coming."
Ryūjin shrugged.
"Maybe he's here to ask me for some face."
"Ignore him."
"Let's continue."
Nami was speechless.
Robin was equally speechless.
There probably wasn't another person on the entire sea capable of dismissing an Emperor so casually.
Still, after spending so much time beside Ryūjin and witnessing one unbelievable battle after another, their perspectives had changed considerably.
The title of Emperor no longer inspired the same awe it once had.
The card game continued.
Only when Crocodile personally escorted Shanks onto the deck did Ryūjin finally set down his cards and stand.
Neither Shanks nor the officers accompanying him seemed offended.
The Red Hair Pirates were known for their easygoing nature.
Status and reputation meant little to them.
It was one of the few things Ryūjin genuinely respected about them.
"Ryūjin."
Shanks smiled.
"You're even younger in person than you appear in the newspapers."
Ryūjin gestured toward a nearby table.
"Take a seat."
The two groups sat opposite each other.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ryūjin got straight to the point.
"Alright, Shanks."
"You didn't sail all this way to compliment me."
"Say what you came to say."
Shanks smiled helplessly.
"As expected."
"Then I'll be direct."
He looked at Ryūjin seriously.
"What's your objective?"
"Marineford?"
"The Marines?"
"The Four Emperors?"
"What exactly are you after?"
Ryūjin leaned back slightly.
"Actually, I have a question too."
Shanks nodded.
"Go ahead."
Ryūjin's gaze sharpened.
"What exactly is your relationship with the Celestial Dragons?"
The smile on Shanks' face froze for a fraction of a second.
The reaction vanished almost instantly.
To anyone else, it would have gone unnoticed.
Ryūjin saw everything.
A storm erupted inside Shanks' heart.
Very few people knew the truth of his origins.
Even among his own crew, almost nobody understood the full story.
Yet Ryūjin seemed to know something.
"What a strange question."
Shanks maintained his composure.
"I have no relationship with the Celestial Dragons."
Then he asked casually:
"Why would you ask that?"
Ryūjin shrugged.
"Just curious."
Naturally, Shanks didn't believe him.
But since Ryūjin clearly had no intention of elaborating, he shifted the conversation back to his purpose.
"I received reliable intelligence."
"Kaido is heading straight for you."
"Both of you are influential figures capable of affecting the entire world."
"If a fight breaks out between you, the consequences will be enormous."
Shanks looked directly into Ryūjin's eyes.
"So I'd like to ask a favor."
"For the stability of the seas."
"Can you give me some face and avoid fighting Kaido?"
"Wouldn't it be better for everyone to sit down, share some drinks, and enjoy themselves?"
Nami and Robin exchanged strange looks.
Ryūjin had guessed correctly.
Shanks really had come to ask for face.
Ryūjin laughed openly.
"Sorry, Shanks."
"Your face isn't worth anything to me."
Shanks sighed.
"That's disappointing."
"Then stop thinking about it."
Ryūjin rose to his feet.
"If it's bothering you so much, let's settle it another way."
His eyes flashed.
"Beat me."
"Then I'll give you face."
Shanks rubbed his forehead again.
"Is that really necessary?"
Ryūjin grinned.
"You don't have a choice."
The moment the words left his mouth, he disappeared.
Body Flicker Technique.
A blur crossed the sea.
Ryūjin appeared atop the ocean itself.
Then Ice Release erupted.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The sea froze instantly.
Ice spread in every direction at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Within moments, more than ten kilometers of ocean had transformed into a vast frozen battlefield.
The temperature plummeted.
The ocean became a continent of ice.
Shanks and the two officers beside him stared in disbelief.
Their eyes widened.
One thought appeared in all of their minds.
"Isn't freezing the sea supposed to be Aokiji's ability?"