"Send the newest batch of artificial Devil Fruits to Kaido."
"Free of charge."
"Consider it an investment."
Hearing Doflamingo's words, everyone present revealed confused expressions.
Artificial Devil Fruits were not cheap to produce.
And the success rate was extremely low.
Each successful fruit cost nearly thirty million berries to create.
According to their agreement, Kaido was supposed to purchase them with money.
Giving them away for free like this was practically a losing business deal.
"I know what all of you are thinking."
Doflamingo glanced around before grinning.
"Don't question it."
"You just need to understand that this 'foolish investment' won't be a loss."
Across the world, things once again became lively.
The newspaper-delivering seagulls barely had time to fly any distance before every paper sold out completely.
This time, without the Marines' enormous resources and territorial control, a worldwide simultaneous broadcast was impossible.
Any force that wanted information had no choice but to send people directly into the New World.
For a time the entire New World became turbulent once again.
Even the unrelated Emperor crews the Red Hair Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates—were dragged into the situation.
Whether they liked it or not for the sake of maintaining balance in the New World, they were forced to act like its police force.
One week later.
The sea region designated for the confrontation.
Faintly, countless ships could already be seen drifting around the surrounding waters.
Every vessel carried a different flag.
Even the ship types varied greatly.
"They're here!"
At that moment someone suddenly shouted.
Everyone looked toward the direction he pointed.
On the horizon an endless fleet appeared.
The massive number of ships stretched across the sea so densely that they seemed to cover the entire ocean surface.
Upon closer count there were nearly five hundred ships!
Kaido stood atop the flagship, a giant sake barrel placed beside him.
Behind him on both sides stood the two remaining All-Stars Jack and King.
Further back stood the Flying Six, followed by the Numbers.
This time Kaido had truly gone all out.
He had mobilized every force, island, and nation within his sphere of influence.
With all elites fully deployed Kaido had assembled an army exceeding fifty thousand men!
It was even larger than the Marine forces gathered during the Summit War.
Not only that Kaido's side had also spent enormous amounts of money recruiting numerous independent pirate crews and powerful fighters.
The scale of the lineup was so outrageous that people almost felt like Kaido was preparing to attack Marine Headquarters itself.
"Hiss!"
After seeing Kaido's formation everyone felt their hearts tremble.
Only now did they truly realize Kaido had never been joking.
He genuinely intended to wage all-out war against Whitebeard.
Immediately every observing force began rapidly reporting the situation back to their respective leaders.
For a time the sounds of Den Den Mushi calls echoed nonstop.
No one bothered hiding information anymore.
In intelligence warfare, every second was worth gold.
There could not be the slightest delay or mistake.
"Whitebeard's forces have arrived too!"
On the opposite side of the sea another massive fleet emerged from the horizon, nearly matching Kaido's side with close to five hundred ships of its own.
At the front stood the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard stood proudly at the bow, gripping his naginata.
The sight was almost identical to the image he presented during the Summit War.
The only difference was that Whitebeard still had IV tubes and medicine attached to his body.
Standing behind him on both sides were Marco and Renji.
Further back stood the rest of the division commanders.
To face Kaido, Whitebeard had also gathered every force under his command, including all affiliated crews, islands, and nations.
Since they did not need to leave the New World this time, the number of troops gathered far exceeded those present during the Summit War.
Although they had not reached Kaido's fifty-thousand-man army Whitebeard's side still fielded over thirty thousand troops.
If they were going to fight then they would fight beautifully.
And they would fight to win.
"What a pity."
After seeing Whitebeard's formation especially Whitebeard himself many people quickly came to the same conclusion.
"Whitebeard clearly hasn't fully recovered."
"And because of the damage suffered during the Summit War, Whitebeard's forces are significantly weakened. Their numbers are far below Kaido's."
"In this battle… Whitebeard is probably going to suffer."
That thought represented nearly everyone observing the scene.
Whitebeard was indeed terrifyingly strong.
But Kaido was not much weaker.
On top of that Whitebeard's injuries from the Summit War had not yet healed.
His top-level combat power was at a disadvantage.
And the number of troops under him was also far fewer than Kaido's side.
The possibility of Whitebeard losing this war truly seemed much higher.
"Kaido!"
Standing across the sea from one another Whitebeard finally spoke.
His voice, infused with Conqueror's Haki, crossed dozens of nautical miles of ocean and reached Kaido's ears directly.
"Been a while."
The moment he opened his mouth he was merely chatting casually.
Something nobody else had expected.
Kaido, however, showed little surprise.
He also mixed Conqueror's Haki into his voice as he replied:
"We've fought countless times over the years."
"Sometimes I lost. Sometimes I won."
"Though, of course…"
"I lost far more often than I won."
Kaido did not mind admitting that he was inferior to Whitebeard.
To monsters at their level only battles of life and death truly mattered.
Everything else could temporarily be ignored.
"But I have a feeling…"
"This time, I'm going to win!"
"Gurarararara!"
Whitebeard's iconic laughter echoed across the sea once more.
"You're overthinking things."
"Ever since our days aboard Rocks' ship, you've always wanted to surpass me."
"But what was the result?"
"Even now, aren't you still beneath me?"
Did Whitebeard and Kaido look like two men about to start a war?
Not at all.
Although their words carried a trace of mockery toward one another—
That was as far as it went.
Overall, there was not the slightest killing intent between them.
Instead it felt more like two old men reminiscing about the past.
"No way…"
"They're actually using Conqueror's Haki as a loudspeaker? That's way too extravagant!"
The spectators surrounding the battlefield had completely different reactions.
Looking at Whitebeard and Kaido everyone wore stunned expressions.
That was Conqueror's Haki!
An ultra-rare ability that only one in several million people could awaken!
A power so precious so desired and envied by countless people yet in the hands of Kaido and Whitebeard, it was merely being used as a megaphone.
Insane.
Absolutely insane.
"So this is what a battle between Emperors looks like…"
Although the Summit War had also been shocking and certainly involved clashes of overwhelming strength that war had relied far more heavily on strategy and planning.
Pure power clashes had not been the main focus.
But now the confrontation between Whitebeard and Kaido was direct, raw, and unmistakable.
At this moment the fleets of both sides slowly approached each other.
Very quickly they stopped before an uninhabited island.
Kaido leapt into the air and landed directly onto the island.
"Newgate!"
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