The Moby Dick's great whale prow cleaved the blue. On deck, the Whitebeard Pirates were deep into a feast. Barrels stood in for stools, whole sides of meat hissed over bonfires, and roaring laughter braided with the surf. It was the daily life of a king of the sea.
"Division captains, one more round of arm wrestling."
"Jozu, you monster, you got even stronger."
"Hey, look." A lookout pointed toward open water. "The fish out there look… crazed."
Everyone crowded the rail. Ahead, schools of fish in their thousands fled the jungle-shrouded island as if terrified, silver scales flashing under the surface. A few small sea beasts sprang clean out of the water in panicked arcs. Chaos rolled seaward from the shore.
Edward Newgate's trademark laugh rolled across the deck. It did not drown in surf or beasts' cries. It pinned the moment in place like a harpoon, and all that panic in his crew settled.
He held his bisento one-handed, seated on his throne, gaze fixed past the commotion on the forested island.
Kozuki Oden, the bighearted daimyo from Wano Country, was happily working through a bowl of oden. Squinting, he lifted a slice of daikon, blew on it, and called around his mouthful, "Hey, Shirohige, there's some serious customer on that island."
He sounded not the least bit afraid. If anything, he was itching for it.
Whitebeard's grin widened. That was good enough as an answer. To send every creature in a sea territory into mindless flight, that presence was no ordinary foe.
"Come on, even the Sea Kings' pups are bolting. What kind of freak is that." Thatch set down his roast with a groan. "Great. There goes our seafood dinner."
"Marco, want to fly a look." Thatch prodded.
Marco hung upside down from the mast. Blue-flame wings stirred a lazy breeze. He waved it off. "Where's the fun in that."
As the Moby Dick closed, the island sharpened into detail. Colossal beasts stampeded out of the interior in terrified roars, as if something behind them outstripped any natural predator. They barreled for the beaches and some leaped straight into the sea.
Thunk.
Whitebeard set down his enormous sake bowl. The bowl-bottom thudded on deck and smothered the chatter.
"Boys, make for shore." His order was clipped, his eyes bright with a king's curiosity toward a peer.
"Ouououou."
"Landing party. Drag that skulker out and drink with him."
Meanwhile, on the far side of the island.
A few Marine warships, smoking and broken, lay stranded crooked on the sand. Masts snapped. Hulls gaped with wicked rents.
Hundreds of Marines lay scattered, either unconscious or groaning, no will to fight left.
The Roger Pirates, by contrast, were too relaxed. It looked like they had just finished a warm-up. A few hands were polishing blades with captured uniforms and complaining their opponents had been boring.
Gol D. Roger held a Marine staff officer up by the collar with one hand, the easy grin on his face saying he barely cared.
"Hey. If you want me, send Garp or Sengoku."
He tossed the officer aside like an empty sack. The man bounced and went limp.
Roger clapped the dust from his hands and drew breath to order a party.
"A ship. It's a ship."
Buggy's shriek sliced the idle air. He stood atop a huge rock with a spyglass raised. "Captain, a whale ship. It's the Whitebeard Pirates."
Everyone on the beach froze mid motion.
"Oh." Silvers Rayleigh nudged up his glasses, eyes sharpening below the lenses. "Roger, we just finished a fight."
Roger did not tense. He split into a grin brighter than treasure. His fighting spirit seemed ready to punch a hole in the sky.
"Whitebeard, huh. Kūhahaha. Been too long."
He twisted and bellowed toward the shade of the biggest coconut tree.
"Hey, Kael. Nap time's over. The sun's still up. Up and work."
Kael Grylls was under sunglasses and the rare peace after battle. Hearing Roger's lungs at full volume, he sighed, took off the shades, and sat up.
Roger loped over, hooked a big arm around Kael's neck, dragged him a step aside, and dropped his voice.
"Listen, Kael. Do not butt in. He's mine. I am going to have it out with Newgate, clean and proper. Nobody interferes. Might be the last time we meet."
Kael's mouth tugged into an I knew it line.
What could he say. The man had a terminal diagnosis and still kept a skull full of adventure and brawls.
"Right, right, Captain. Whatever makes you happy."
Roger only needed to swing Kamusari on instinct. Kael had a lot more to think about.
While they "conspired," Buggy hit an even higher note from the rock, voice loaded with disbelief.
"What is that. A samurai. So fast. He is coming alone."
On the sand, every Roger pirate turned toward the tree line where jungle met beach.
A figure erupted from the green like a shot, twin swords at his hip, clothes pure Wano, geta clicking, speed so unreal he dragged a hard line of dust behind him. His face blazed with giddy, undisguised excitement as he sprinted and shouted.
"Hahaha. All I have to do is take the treasure, right."
Behind him, Whitebeard pirates chased, winded, their voices breaking.
"Captain Oden, wait. Stop. Up ahead is the Roger Pirates. They are not small fry."
Kozuki Oden did not hear a thing. His eyes were fixed on the crew ahead.
He drew both blades backward in a reverse grip, Ame no Habakiri and Enma singing free. His geta bit the sand as he drove forward, faster still.
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