The sea was calm and sunlit, but suddenly—
A massive shadow descended, instantly covering the deck of the Moby Dick.
Panic broke out at once. The Whitebeard Pirates' crewmen all stared tensely at the sky, where a bird-like beast of colossal size blotted out the sun!
"What the hell is that!!!"
"A bird? You've gotta be kidding! It's as big as a Sea King!!!"
"What is it trying to do?!!"
The underlings shouted in panic. The division commanders were calmer, but even their eyes grew heavy as they looked up at the giant bird looming overhead.
From it, they felt an unmistakable aura of deadly threat.
"This ain't some ordinary bird, yoi!!!"
Marco, the First Division Commander with his pineapple-shaped hair, spread his arms. They transformed into wings burning with blue flames.
As a Mythical Zoan user himself, he could tell this bird was extraordinary.
But that wasn't all—someone else was up there.
"Marco, stand down. That's not someone you can handle. Pull the apprentices back too…"
On the deck, the two sea emperors sat, not outwardly nervous like the others, but their solemn gazes betrayed their seriousness.
Because they could feel it.
That aura…
The aura of a King!!!
"Sassy britches, Golden Lion!!!"
Buzz—
With a casual greeting, a dominating, world-crushing presence erupted from the giant bird's back.
Crackle—crack—crack!!!
Black and red lightning burst outward from the bird, spreading in all directions. Planks of the deck began to split apart.
Countless Sea Kings turned belly-up, slowly floating to the surface.
"Thud…"
"Thud, thud…"
Marco's eyes widened as he saw apprentices collapsing unconscious, some of the full-fledged crewmen as well.
This was!!!
"This Conqueror's Haki… so strong it's…"
"Seems it's already too late."
Whitebeard took a swig of sake, looking at his sons dropping unconscious one by one.
Out of the massive Whitebeard Pirates, fewer than twenty remained standing.
"I didn't invite you, bratty Black Emperor… "
Whitebeard's tone was hardly friendly. After all, not long ago he'd fought this brat. He hadn't exactly lost, but he hadn't won either—and the press made it even worse, stirring trouble across his territories.
The Golden Lion recognized him instantly. Cigar between his teeth, lips curling upward, his bold voice carried not a shred of aged weariness.
"Jihahahaha… been a long time, hasn't it? Ever since we beat the Navy to a pulp at Marineford together."
"You've come up in the world, haven't you? Little brat from Roger's crew!!!"
Since escaping Impel Down, Shiki hadn't gone on a rampage. Instead, he'd been secretly studying, scheming.
It had been years since he and Orin last met.
Unlike the green rookie at Marineford, Orin was now in his twenties—strong enough to truly stand on equal ground with them.
"A gathering of old era remnants, and you didn't think to invite me?"
The giant bird's form shrank as it descended toward the deck.
By the time it reached Orin's shoulder, it was no longer a sky-darkening beast but a simple seagull, standing upright and steady.
A tall, well-built young man stepped forward, passing over the fallen bodies of Whitebeard's crew.
He paused at one figure, casting him a deep look.
It was one of the few non-commanders who hadn't been knocked out by his Conqueror's Haki.
"As expected, I couldn't knock you out. You're pretty capable, Teach~"
Orin smiled at him with a playful glint, patting his scarred shoulder before walking on toward Whitebeard.
For Orin, it was just a casual greeting.
But for Teach—it sent chills crawling down his spine. His toothless mouth gaped, pupils trembling, sweat breaking across his forehead.
This monster…
Why did he single me out?!!!
Not even Marco, the First Division Commander and mythical Zoan Phoenix, had earned this "honor."
Could it be…
Did Orin see something in me?
Teach's heart wavered, unaware that soon it would be shaken far worse.
Meanwhile—
Whitebeard's eyes flickered strangely at the sight.
Roger had once told him: those with the initial "D" in their name were very special in this world.
And now, even Orin…
"Hey… Shiki."
Orin walked up to the two men and casually sat cross-legged in midair, throwing a jab at the Golden Lion.
"You really dare bring that up? If you hadn't failed to hold off Sengoku and Garp, I wouldn't have been forced out of Marineford by the Navy so easily…"
Orin's retort was blunt.
If Shiki hadn't gone down first, Orin might have at least held his own against the Admirals. He wouldn't have looked so badly beaten.
But with two Navy legends entering the fray, escape had been his only option.
"Tch… If it hadn't been those two old bastards Sengoku and Garp ganging up on me, how the hell would I have lost?!!!"
Seeing Shiki so flustered, Whitebeard grinned wide.
"Kurararara… And after that battle, you got captured by the Navy, making way for Orin to be crowned the next King of this generation."
He poked at Shiki's sore spot.
As one of the original three sea overlords, Whitebeard himself wasn't the only one who had lost face compared to Orin in the eyes of the world.
That thought made his heart feel lighter.
Only Roger was missing from the picture…
Whitebeard felt a pang of regret. Orin's old captain had gone too soon, without witnessing his apprentice making even them stumble. The balance among the three overlords was incomplete.
Little did Whitebeard know—someday, Orin would betray his beloved Captain Roger as well.
"Let the past stay in the past~"
Hearing both Whitebeard and Orin dismantle him, the old Shiki might've flown into a rage and drawn his swords.
But the Shiki who had "studied" in Impel Down had tempered somewhat. He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he turned to his former ally Orin with words that sounded all too familiar:
"From Roger's crew… no, Orin. Whatever grudges we had, forget them. Just like back at Edd War, my admiration for you hasn't diminished one bit…"
"With the underground power you command, combined with the grand plan I've been cultivating all these years, we could rule this world instantly."
With cigar clenched in his teeth, Shiki's eyes blazed as he issued his bold invitation under Orin's astonished gaze:
"Join forces with me, Orin!!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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