High above the battlefield, the Sky Fleet of the Souta Pirates floated among the clouds.
"Yahahaha! Looks like the Beasts Pirates are getting pushed back!"
Enel stood atop the lead aerial warship, electricity crackling wildly across his body.
His eyes gleamed with excitement as arcs of lightning danced over his skin.
His Observation Haki spread across the battlefield below, constantly scanning, analyzing, selecting targets.
He clearly saw the Flying Six of the Beasts Pirates—
each one injured, battered, and struggling to stay in the fight.
"Queen the Plague isn't here."
Shiryu of the Rain bit down on his cigar, eyes narrowed.
After a quick sweep of the battlefield—and using the Souta Pirates' intelligence network—
he immediately understood the reason for the Beasts Pirates' disadvantage.
Shiryu had always paid particular attention to Queen, the mad cybernetic genius.
Once his own Mythical Zoan fruit abilities reached a higher level, Shiryu planned to undergo scientific body modification as well.
He didn't care about flashy flamethrowers or electric cannons—
but making his invisibility ability permanent?
That would make killing even more exquisite.
Meanwhile, the G-18 Fortress Marines had launched a desperate counterattack, tying down much of the Beasts Pirates' mid- and lower-ranked forces.
"Red-Haired Shanks… that little brat."
Barrett stood at the bow, staring down at the clash between Kaido and Shanks—
two mountains of Conqueror's Haki colliding, shaking the atmosphere itself.
His fist tightened.
At this moment, his Conqueror's Haki was still not equal to theirs.
Not yet.
But he had the Devil's Body—
the awakened power of his Fusion-Fusion Fruit.
Even if his Haki was lacking, he would force a battle.
"Mmm~ really want to butcher those injured Beasts Pirates while they're down…"
Catarina Devon—the Crescent Moon Hunter—licked her lips, her eyes shining with cruel hunger.
Her gaze drifted toward the wounded Flying Six—
and especially toward Howling Gab, the Red-Hair commander who had slain one of them.
Hunting wounded strong warriors was one of Catarina's greatest pleasures.
Shiryu shared that hobby.
Nearby, Sanjuan Wolf and Vasco Shot wore brutish, eager smiles, staring down at the two Yonko crews locked in war below.
"YEHHAHAHAHA!
LET'S SLAUGHTER THEM!!"
Enel moved first—
his body dispersing into thunder and vanishing from the deck in a flash.
"Ten Thousand Thunders!"
With manic laughter, Enel unleashed a massive, indiscriminate lightning barrage across the battlefield—
a storm of spears of lightning tearing down from the sky.
His arrival was impossible to ignore.
"Annoying bastard…"
Ben Beckman and King both snorted coldly and casually slashed away the bolts aimed at them.
The strikes aimed at Kaido and Shanks never reached—
their overwhelming Haki shredded the lightning apart the moment it approached.
But the Flying Six?
They screamed.
"HEY HEY HEY! ENEL YOU MANIAC! WE'RE ALLIES!!"
Sasaki and Who's Who roared in fury.
"You stupid lightning freak! I'll ask Souta to beat you half to death!!"
Ulti yelled, clutching her injuries, though still full of fire.
She knew one thing very clearly—
if she pouted at Souta and asked him,
he would absolutely go beat Enel senseless.
On the Red-Hair side, Lucky Roux immediately lunged back to shield the wounded Howling Gab from the lightning bursts.
"Tch… those two monsters' Haki is insane… I can't take them yet.
Guess I'll just break their vice-captain instead!"
Enel grimaced, glancing at Kaido and Shanks—
even he had the instinctive sense to not provoke those two directly.
So—
he descended straight toward Ben Beckman.
King clicked his tongue, irritated, but for now—
he needed Enel's help to hold off the Red-Hair commanders, with so many of the Beasts Pirates injured.
Barrett stepped off the ship, boots treading on air—
Geppo propelling him directly into the clash of Kaido vs. Shanks.
A battle among kings—
and he forced his way into it.
"Barrett, brat! Nobody asked you! Fight your own enemies!"
Kaido roared.
"Barrett! Don't do this!"
Shanks shouted, frustration in his voice.
They had once been crewmates—
once part of Roger's family.
Kaido — 57
Barrett — 43
Shanks — 37
To Kaido, Barrett was a kid.
To Shanks, Barrett was a senior.
"Hmph…
Let me see the strongest power Roger and Rayleigh taught you!"
Barrett's grin twisted, feral and venomous.
He had never forgiven Rayleigh for not teaching him the highest level of Conqueror's Haki.
If Rayleigh had fought him seriously back then—
the result would have been very different.
Since Barrett refused to step aside—
The three tyrants' Conqueror's Haki collided at once.
BOOM.
The shockwave ripped G-18 to its foundations—
fortress walls collapsed, cannons shattered, buildings crumbled—
the world itself shuddered.
In the chaos—
Shiryu, Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, and Sanjuan Wolf leapt from the sky and entered the battlefield.
Their orders, straight from Souta Kiryuu:
Eliminate the Red-Haired Pirates' key survivors.
Strike the wounded first.
No distractions.
No theatrics.
Just killing exactly who Souta required dead.
Shiryu transformed into a swift hunting falcon—
Catarina Devon transformed into a Fox-Woman with nine tails—
and both launched straight toward Lucky Roux as he shielded the wounded Howling Gab.
Their target was clear.
Kill one of Red Hair's core officers.
Cripple their strength.
"LUFFY!! GAB IS IN DANGER!!"
Yasopp's eyes flashed red—
Future Sight activated—
and he instantly foresaw the assassination.
His shout tore across the battlefield.
The Souta Pirates' arrival had instantly reversed the momentum.
Shiryu and Enel were not inferior to the Beasts Pirates' Calamities.
In fact, in raw combat presence—
they were even more dangerous.
This was a disaster for the Red-Haired Pirates.
They might lose everything here today.
"STOP THEM!!"
King bellowed—now able to command again with Enel's interference distracting Beckman.
If Howling Gab had killed one of the Flying Six—
then Howling Gab must die in return.