"This…"
Buggy doubted his own eyes, feeling dizzy and feverish. Otherwise, how could he be seeing such a scene?
In his over forty years of life, he had never imagined witnessing something like this.
Though these three had once been comrades, seeing them sitting together playing cards exuded a pressure that no creature should give off.
Five eyes stared back, attached to massive bodies and savage auras. The sheer weight of their presence left everyone trembling with a primal fear of giant beasts.
Only those with Conqueror's Haki could remain unfazed by such pressure, or even push back against it.
But the combined aura of these three? Each had ruled the seas for over fifty years, surviving through endless mountains of corpses and oceans of blood. How could their presence be compared to mere members of the Cross Guild?
"Th-three... three Emperors!!" One of Buggy's men subconsciously took two steps back, unable to believe his eyes or accept the reality before him.
The sight of these three sitting together was the most shocking thing he had ever witnessed.
Were these the opponents they were about to face?
They hadn't even seen Roy yet, and already they were facing these monsters.
Could they even continue fighting?
"Oi, Kaido, how should we kill them?" Charlotte Linlin said. As she spoke, Prometheus beside her burst into flames, and Hera crackled with electricity.
"No need for you two. I can handle this alone," Kaido hefted his kanabo onto his shoulder and stepped forward imposingly.
"Kaido!!" Gecko Moria glared at him with hatred.
"Not bad, gathering so many people. Hey, Red Nose, it seems you really are something," Whitebeard said to Buggy.
Buggy, suddenly praised by Whitebeard, felt a bit embarrassed and sheepishly said, "No, I'm not that strong… Wait, what did you just say? Who are you calling Red Nose? How dare you mock my nose! Whitebeard, do you have a death wish?"
Buggy stood on the ship's bow, pointing angrily at Whitebeard. The scene shocked the Cross Guild, who had just been frozen in fear.
Just then, sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a golden glow behind Buggy. In an instant, he looked radiant, almost divine.
"Captain Buggy!!"
His crew was moved to tears, praying with hands clasped, this was a miracle.
"At least he's useful for boosting morale," Crocodile muttered. He had been startled by the three Emperors, who wouldn't be? Aside from them, few could remain calm in their presence.
"Seems spirited. Are you ready to challenge me?" Whitebeard gripped his naginata, spinning it overhead.
Mihawk stared intently at Whitebeard's blade. Both wielded one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, and Whitebeard was a master swordsman himself.
"This is troublesome. I never expected Kaido and Charlotte Linlin to be here, too. We have to face three Emperors from the old era at once," Kuzan scratched his head.
"Hey, kid Kuzan, weren't you on good terms with the Whitebeard Pirates? Why not switch sides now?" Charlotte Linlin laughed.
"I'll pass. That guy wouldn't take me in anyway. Otherwise, I'd have joined the Whitebeard Pirates long ago," Kuzan said calmly.
"Where's Roy? Where did he go?" Crocodile stepped forward and asked.
"Wasn't he down below? I thought he'd finish you off before coming up," Whitebeard said.
"You mean he planned to take us all on by himself?" Crocodile clenched his cigar angrily.
"Obviously. That guy alone is enough. Even with your numbers, he could handle you in one shot. He probably took pity on you and let you come up," Kaido said.
"Kaido, stop boasting! With so many of us, how could he possibly do it alone?" Gecko Moria fumed.
"Who gave you the right to speak, loser?" Kaido said dismissively.
"Bastard! You're asking for death! I'll take your life right now!" Gecko Moria raged.
"Mamamamama, whether you believe it or not, doesn't matter. All I can say is, no one in the world can defeat him. And we will eliminate all the Celestial Dragons to create a world of our own," Charlotte Linlin laughed heartily.
"You've formed an alliance?" Mihawk asked.
"You could say that," Whitebeard replied.
"Where is Roy? I want to see him. I need to see him," Buggy said, finally realizing that fighting was impossible. With these three together, how could they win? Moreover, the Whitebeard Pirates had emerged, and Marco and the other commanders stepped forward.
Besides Whitebeard's commanders, Kaido's Three Disasters and the remaining Tobirropo were also present. Drake had returned to the Marines, but the others were still alive.
On Charlotte Linlin's side, Katakuri hadn't arrived yet, but the rest were there, watching them intently.
Three Emperor-level pirate crews against the Cross Guild, on paper, they were overwhelmingly outmatched. They could drown them in spit alone.
"You really haven't seen him?" Whitebeard asked, surprised.
Everyone on the Cross Guild's ship frowned. If Roy was really in Wano, had they encountered him?
"Wait, that old man," Mihawk suddenly realized something and exclaimed.
"Old man?" Crocodile and the others turned to Mihawk.
"The old man who gave us directions," Mihawk said.
"No way! He was just an ordinary old man. How could he be Roy? You've seen his Haki before," Gecko Moria said.
Recalling their encounter over two years ago on Egghead, where he was instantly defeated, that domineering and invincible Haki was the most overpowering he had ever felt; there was no chance to fight back.
"No, it could be him. That guy has a twisted sense of humor. Though I don't know how he changed his appearance, it's possible," Kuzan said.
"Completely different person. He looked like an old man. Unless he has some special Devil Fruit power, even if he used an ability, could he conceal his Haki that well?" Gecko Moria wondered.
"Possibly. His Haki control is precise enough to leave no trace," Mihawk said.
"It was him! No one else would mess with me like that," Buggy insisted.
Soon, the Cross Guild agreed, the old man who gave them directions was Roy.
"What is his goal?" Gecko Moria asked.
"Who knows? Where is he now?" Crocodile said.
"Hey, what do you want to do? Are we fighting or not?" Marco and the others shouted with laughter.
Crocodile, Mihawk, Kuzan, and Gecko Moria, the four decision-makers, stared at the three Emperors, unable to make up their minds.
"Hit! Hit!!"
Just then, a little girl ran over, waving a toy knife and shouting.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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