Chagos Island, high above.
Kaido's thunder-like wild laughter echoed across the sky.
"Wororororo! Come on, Red Hair boy! Use your strongest power to entertain me!"
The massive blue dragon body rapidly contracted, transforming into the more explosive dragon-human form. Kaido plummeted from the sky like a meteor, gripping his enormous kanabo with both hands, raising it high overhead while spinning wildly.
Black-red Conqueror's Haki crackled around him like living lightning!
"Raging Thunder Hakke!"
The pitch-black kanabo wrapped in terrifying Haki, trailing long black-red lightning, crashed down toward Shanks below with mountain-splitting force.
"Don't get too cocky, Kaido!"
Shanks' eyes focused, showing no fear as Gryphon hummed in his hand. The blade instantly turned pitch black as equally violent black-red Haki lightning surged from his body, coiling around the sword.
"Divine Departure!"
The next instant, the long sword and kanabo collided thunderously!
BOOM!
Countless black-red Haki lightning bolts shot out from their weapons' collision point like uncontrolled mad dragons, raging wildly. Just the escaping energy tore countless bottomless furrows in the surrounding hard ground like massive plows!
Violent winds swept the entire island instantly, breaking trees and shattering rocks wherever they passed. The powerful wind pressure even affected nearby seas, causing seawater to retreat abnormally as waves defied logic, spreading frantically outward and exposing wet seabeds where fish flopped helplessly.
The entire island began trembling.
Just their battle's aftershocks profoundly affected the other battlefield. Fortunately, both sides consciously moved their fight to the island's far side. Otherwise, aside from a few top officers, no one could stand firm in that area.
"Is... is this the true power of Pirate Emperors?"
Ace gaped, his eyes filled with shock. Did Roger face such monsters back then?
"Ptah." Kai spat out sand blown into his mouth by the wind. "That's right, that's the power standing at the world's peak."
At least in the current version, he silently added.
"Alright, stop gawking." Kai patted Ace's shoulder, pulling his attention back. "Captains have their battlefield; we have ours. Without outside interference, those two could fight three days and nights without determining a winner."
His gaze turned toward the distant, barely visible coastline. Faint crowds and traces of fortification were already appearing in his vision. Anyone could guess those were "welcome gifts" the Red Hair Pirates had carefully prepared for them.
However...
"They're underestimating the Beast Pirates a bit. Mere positional warfare..."
Kai's lips curved into a cold smile. He had some excellent helpers.
"Kuma, come with me."
Kai called out, then explosively launched himself like a cannonball toward the Beast fleet's largest warship, stretching over a thousand meters. For this war, two ships of this class had come along. Perhaps due to their size, they hadn't suffered underwater sabotage from the Red Hair Pirates' fishman forces.
Arriving on the first giant ship's deck, Kai stretched his limbs, grinning.
"Prepare for a big fight! Numbers!"
Before him stood ten enormously massive Numbers! Their heights were generally two to three times normal giants, with fierce appearances like demons from hell, with various horns growing from their heads, each exceeding sixty meters like small moving mountains!
What could be better than these thick-skinned Numbers for charging positions and tearing through defensive lines?
"ROAR!"
Hearing they could destroy freely, the Numbers immediately became excited, raising weapons like house beams while releasing deafening cheers.
Kai walked to the Number codenamed "One." At over two meters tall, he now only reached the other's ankle. He leaped up to One's neck level, grabbing the back of One's neck as his arm muscles instantly bulged, erupting with terrifying power completely disproportionate to his size.
"Away you go!"
The mountain-sized Number was actually lifted by him and thrown like a giant bowling ball toward Chagos Island's coastal defenses!
Several seconds later...
CRASH!
An earth-shaking explosion came from Chagos Island's coast. Dust rolled everywhere.
"ROAR! Battle!"
From the dust came One's excited roar. Then a massive kanabo swept out like a battering ram, instantly smashing defensive fortifications to pieces!
"Enemy attack!"
"Open fire! Quick, open fire!"
The Red Hair Pirates' defense line immediately sounded alarms. Pirates shouted as bullets and cannonballs mercilessly poured toward the massive figure in the dust like rain.
One's huge body immediately bloomed with blood flowers. However, such attacks were like scratching an itch for thick-skinned Numbers. He seemed to feel no pain, still wildly swinging his kanabo, attacking all moving enemies in sight.
On the other side, the Beast fleet's giant ship.
"Kuma, let's work together and send the remaining gifts over!"
Kai called out while continuing his actions, already seeking the next target.
"Understood." Kuma nodded, silently removing his black gloves to reveal bear paw-like hands with pads. His palms emitted invisible shock waves as he gently patted another Number called "Two Fang."
Mountain-like Two Fang rose weightlessly into the air at what seemed slow but was actually extremely fast speed, tracing a beautiful parabola precisely toward Chagos Island's coastal defenses.
Compared to Kai's powerful throwing, Kuma's operation was effortlessly elegant.
Under their efficient cooperation, the ship's ten Numbers were easily sent to Chagos Island's coast, instantly causing massive chaos in the Red Hair Pirates' defenses!
"Continue!" Kai didn't pause, jumping toward another equally massive giant warship.
On that ship's deck, fifty specially reinforced cages were neatly arranged, containing fifty mountain-sized fierce beasts. Under the Dango-Dango Fruit's influence, they waited unusually quietly in cages for orders.
"Kai-sama, the beast squadron's ready to deploy anytime!"
Managing this special unit was Headliner Babanuki, a tall, burly man.
Kai nodded satisfyingly. "Open the cages, release all beasts! Time for them to have some fun!"
"Yes!"
Pirates immediately acted, opening cage doors one by one.
Chagos Island's coastline was now in complete chaos. The Red Hair Pirates' carefully constructed traps and temporary bunkers had been reduced to almost nothing under the ten Numbers' reckless, destructive rampage.
But Numbers with insufficient intelligence who only knew charging without dodging paid heavy prices. Their massive bodies became perfect targets, covered in wounds from dense sword slashes and cannon bombardments, blood flowing freely.
To reduce massive ordinary crew casualties, Red Hair Pirates' affiliated captains had to actively leave cover and engage these mad giants in intense combat.
Ship doctor Hongo, just returned to battle, watched the increasingly tight front lines with furrowed brows. "Beckman, aren't we joining? Fargo and Gab's losses are mounting."
The Beast fleet's main force was now close, about to land.
"Don't rush; wait more." Beckman showed no expression, his voice flat. "What we need to do now is conserve strength."
Even though it pained him, for war's final victory, he had to be ruthless. These officers' main targets were officers like Kai and Queen—they absolutely couldn't waste too much energy on preliminary skirmishes.
Fargo and others were sufficient.
Just as his words ended...
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Sharp breaking sounds came from the sky!
"No good! This time it's beasts! Lots of beasts!"
Yasopp, closely monitoring the Beast fleet through his sniper scope, loudly warned.
As his words fell, fifty massive shadows crashed down like meteors onto the already battered coastal defenses.
"ROAR!"
"AWOO!"
"SCREECH!"
Various wild beast roars instantly filled the air. Upon landing, the beasts followed Kai's orders, beginning an indiscriminate rampage on everything around them.
This time, without effective restraint from affiliated captains, the beasts almost effortlessly demolished the Red Hair Pirates' remaining coastal fortifications!
Thus, the Beast fleet's final landing obstacle was completely cleared.
"Hahaha, finally my turn to perform!"
As ships just reached shore, Queen eagerly transformed into a massive brachiosaurus form, aiming at Red Hair positions and frantically shooting scorching lasers like they cost nothing!
Boom boom boom boom!
High-energy laser beams exploded continuously in the Red Hair Pirates positions, raising seas of fire!
Jack, Who's-Who, Sasaki, Ulti, and Page One also roared while transforming into their respective Ancient Zoan beast forms, charging into battle like unleashed wild beasts, fearing they'd miss enemies if late.
"Kai, let's compete! See who defeats more enemies!" Yamato also shouted excitedly, leaping from Rayquaza.
During descent, white fur rapidly covered her skin. Werewolf Yamato, entering battle!
"Die, enemies!"
"Namuji Hyoga!"
The white wolf girl became a blur, weaving through crowds as her kanabo wrapped in bone-chilling freezing air froze enemies into ice sculptures before shattering them.
"Very energetic, Yamato." Kai smiled slightly, about to jump from the deck.
Suddenly.
Bang!
An extremely faint gunshot seemed to come from far away. Kai's alarm bells rang.
Danger! Danger! Danger!
His Observation Haki frantically warned. Kai couldn't hesitate—pitch-black Haki quickly covered his entire body.
The next moment, a black bullet flew from somewhere, striking him directly. Kai felt chest pain and sudden weakness that came fast but left quickly.
Seastone bullets!
Looking down, a bullet crushed flat by tremendous impact quietly dropped onto the deck.
"Is that Yasopp?"
Kai frowned slightly. Though the bullet only broke through his Armament Haki defense, causing pain and brief weakness, it proved the opponent's powerful sniping skills.
Just as he instinctively bent to pick up that Seastone bullet for examination...
BUZZ!
Observation Haki warned again. This warning came so violently and suddenly, leaving no time for thought!
Kai instinctively dodged sideways.
Puchi!
Almost simultaneously with his dodge, his left shoulder near the collarbone exploded in blood!
Familiar weakness again! Familiar Seastone bullets again!
"Damn, is Seastone so widespread now? What is this? Capitalists selling rope to hang themselves?"
Kai couldn't help cursing internally. Price increase—he definitely had to raise prices!
In the distance, the Red Hair Pirates position.
"Pity."
Beckman lowered his smoking rifle, saying flatly. "I originally wanted to directly eliminate Natural Disaster Kai."
He thought his plan was perfect enough. First, his shot would create a "threat passed" relaxation even if missed; then Yasopp's more cunningly angled deadly second shot was the real killing blow.
Unfortunately, Kai still dodged at the last moment. There wouldn't be such good opportunities ahead.
Though demoralizing, Beckman suddenly felt they couldn't win. So far, none of his tactics have achieved perfect results.
"Shanks, we'll have to rely on you."
Beckman gazed toward the distant intense battle, sighing inwardly. Even if all these officers lost to opponents, as long as Shanks defeated Kaido, they'd have victory chances.
Such was a Pirate Emperor's influence!
"That's one of only three All-Stars in the Beast Pirates—not so easy."
Nearby, Yasopp was optimistic, already turning his sniper rifle to precisely eliminate landing Beast Pirates like death's roll call.
"Next comes hand-to-hand combat."
At Beckman's command, long-suppressed Red Hair officers charged from positions, seeking their opponents.
On the other side, Rayquaza.
Kai rubbed his left shoulder wound—under his powerful healing ability, it no longer bled and visibly recovered.
"Damn, prepare for my fury!"
Kai's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.