"Punch me into the sky? What nonsense!"
Now that he had decided to return to his old ways, Kaido certainly wasn't going to sit around and wait for the Straw Hat Crew to come knocking. Instead—
"Listen up, boys!!"
Grabbing his massive, pitch-black kanabo, the towering man strode outside with heavy, commanding steps. He was no longer just a so-called "Emperor of the Sea"—right now, he was simply the strongest creature in the world!
"Come with me and teach those cocky little punks a lesson!"
"Whoooaahhh!!!"
With wild, chaotic roars, an army of artificial Zoan Devil Fruit users grabbed their weapons and charged out after their boss. The samurai and ninja of Wano Country exchanged glances before sighing and following suit.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma~ Kaido, that little Straw Hat brat's head is mine!"
Laughing loudly, Big Mom took a heavy step forward, the floor of the hall creaking under her weight.
"Kids, come with me! We've got some fools to punish for messing up my tea party!"
"Yes, Mama!"
Surrounded by her children, Big Mom removed her pirate hat, which transformed into a massive sword—Napoleon—as she marched outside.
…"Punch Kaido into the sky?"
Inside the Beasts Pirates' castle, a tall figure (263 cm) wearing a Hannya mask stood. Long white hair, fading from white to green and then to blue at the tips, flowed down his back.
He wore a traditional Wano outfit, white on top and red below, with a massive shimenawa rope tied around his waist. On his back, he carried a kanabo identical to Kaido's. Thick shackles and chains still dangled from both wrists.
"I need to see who it is—"
With a swift motion, the tall, masked warrior in a kimono dashed toward the source of the sound.
——————
"Challenging Kaido head-on? That's some guts!"
"Ace's little brother has really grown into a remarkable man."
"Of course! He's the captain of Roman's crew! If Roman acknowledges him, then he must be one of the greatest men on the seas!"
To be honest, most members of the Whitebeard Pirates still thought of Luffy as "Ace's little brother" or "a loyal and trustworthy friend." Back during the Summit War, everyone was too focused on fighting to really pay attention to him.
Compared to that, Roman was much more familiar to them. Before the war, he had delivered intelligence and even secret medicine. After the battle, he saved Ace's life. Over the past two years, he had also worked closely with the Whitebeard Pirates—without Roman's support, they wouldn't have survived through those tough times.
Roman: I'm a Celestial Dragon. I have money!
So their trust in Roman was much greater than in Luffy. But if even Roman recognized Luffy as his captain, then Luffy had to be something special.
Besides—
"Ace, are you really going to let your little brother take all the glory?"
"I remember you used to go on and on about becoming the Pirate King!"
"Yeah, and you challenged Pops over a hundred times… and got beaten up every single time."
"When I used to shout about becoming the Pirate King… thinking back, that wasn't really my dream. It was more about proving something to *him*."
Ace had outgrown his reckless, impulsive days. As the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, he had to take responsibility.
"Right now…"
He had to protect everything Pops left behind!
"And my little brother—he's going to be the Pirate King!"
"Unlike me, that's his true dream from the bottom of his heart."
"So—let's go!"
With a determined look, Ace leaped off the Moby Dick, and the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders followed. They tore through the Beasts Pirates' defenses with ease, charging straight toward the massive fortress in the center.
"The Zhao warriors wore lavish headbands, their Wu swords gleamed like frost and snow; silver saddles shone upon white horses, thundering forward like shooting stars!"
Unlike the others who launched direct attacks, the second-in-command of the Outlaws raised his left hand first. As the bandages unraveled, words floated in the air.
The first line landed on the weapons of his allies, coating them in a chilling white glow. The second line wrapped around their legs, making them feel light as feathers.
Enhancing both attack power and speed?
The vice commander called out while keeping their formation tight.
A small boy in a wide robe reached behind him and grabbed at his shadow.
"Shadow Cloak!"
With a flick of his wrist, he ripped his own shadow off the ground and hurled it forward. In an instant, the shadow expanded into a massive dark veil, swallowing up hundreds of elite Beasts Pirates.
Before they could tear through the darkness, the Outlaws had already charged in. Their attacks landed all at once as they passed through like a storm, leaving nothing but fallen enemies behind.
And for the few who managed to break free?
They were immediately met with the incoming samurai and Whitebeard Pirates.
With their formation in shambles, the scattered Beasts Pirates found themselves outnumbered, and most of them were taken down in an instant.
"That was amazing!"
Hearing Nami's admiration, Roman gave his analysis.
"That's the power of teamwork. But if they run into a real tough opponent—"
Even so, he had to admit that the Outlaws were incredibly well-coordinated. Their combined abilities were sharp and precise, and with their vice commander's Word Fruit strengthening them, they were an exceptionally powerful team.
"Zoro, why don't you recite some poetry to buff us too?"
Luffy punched a dozen elite Beasts Pirates into the air with a single strike, grinning as he looked over at Zoro.
The green-haired swordsman, who had just slashed through his enemies, looked completely exasperated.
"I'm not a Devil Fruit user. That's not how it works—"
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't you always say poetry when you fight?"
"I…!"
"Luffy, don't make things harder for Zoro."
As Roman observed the battlefield and adjusted his complex abilities in preparation for the real strong opponents, he decided to "help" Zoro out.
"Zoro reciting poetry is just him being dramatic, it's not like he has some 'Naming-Naming Fruit' ability."
!? "Swordsmen... How can you call a swordsman's way 'dramatic'?! It's about spirit, willpower, and the way of the sword! A swordsman without names for their moves would be the real weird one!"
Mihawk: You ungrateful disciple, shut up!
"Whoa! Black Rhino FR-U No. 4, move out!"
"Brontosaurus Tank No. 5, let's go!"
Meanwhile, Franky was tearing through the battlefield on a massive bike with a rhino-shaped front. Of course, he had to bring out General Franky for this battle—his real body wouldn't survive on a battlefield this intense.
Atop the round Brontosaurus Tank, Chopper popped open the hatch.
"I am the tank commander—Commander Chopper! Gunner Usopp, fire at the enemy!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
Usopp's helpless voice came from inside. Chopper then turned to look at the excited Carrot and Pudding.
"Do you guys want to sit inside the tank?"
"Can we?"
"Sure~~!"
Weapons don't discriminate, but ladies always get special treatment—though, to be fair, these two weren't weak at all.
"I wanna sit too!"
Sanji immediately jumped onto the tank, but when he looked inside, he froze.
"It's full."
Chopper gave him an unbeatable look. With Usopp in the driver's seat, and Carrot and Pudding squeezed in, there was no room left. Chopper himself was even being held in Pudding's arms, making Sanji furious as he pounded on the tank.
"Usopp, Chopper, you two move aside and let me—"
"Hey, at least make sure you can actually aim before saying that!"
"I don't care! I'm sitting right here!!"
Are you a child?!
"Anyone want to ride behind me?"
Hearing Franky's invitation, Robin was just about to step forward.
"Much appreciated—"
But before she could move, Brook had already taken the back seat of the Black Rhino FR-U No. 4, making Franky click his tongue in annoyance.
"Isn't a ride like this supposed to have a lady on the back?"
"Yohohoho, but the friendship between men is wonderful too~~!"
Ah…
"Even in a world-class battle, everyone's still as loud as ever. If we don't take control of the battlefield, we're at a disadvantage in numbers..."
Jinbe, the only one seriously focusing on the fight, voiced his concerns.
Roman just shrugged.
"You'll get used to it. Don't overthink it—"
He pointed at the crowd, where Luffy and Zoro were charging ahead without a care.
"Let's just keep up and make sure those two don't get separated. If we can do that, we're good."
!? "Relax, every plan always turns into a full-on brawl in the end anyway."
Jinbe broke into a cold sweat after hearing Robin's "comforting" words, but she simply smiled and walked forward.
Meanwhile, Nami took Roman's hand, walking side by side with him like a couple stepping onto the dance floor.
Watching from behind, Jinbe fell into deep thought.
Facing two Four Emperors… are they really this relaxed? Or… am I just out of place because I'm not enjoying myself enough?
"Stop them!"
Boom!!!
A black-haired man charged forward like a storm. His overwhelming presence swept across the battlefield before he even arrived. The elite soldiers of the Beasts Pirates who met his gaze instantly rolled their eyes back, foaming at the mouth as they collapsed to the ground.
The remaining fighters paled in shock.
"It's Conqueror's Haki!"
"Move—"
With a deafening tremor, a towering figure, over ten meters tall, stomped onto the battlefield. His skin had the texture of armored plates, and his head resembled a massive rhinoceros, with a vicious, sharp horn jutting forward like a battering ram.
His enormous hands could easily crush a full-grown man. His feet, thicker than millstones, crushed stone into dust with each step. Even the slightest movement sent tremors through the ground, shaking the battlefield and kicking up clouds of dust.
"It's 'Shinuchi' Agate!"
"We're saved! Lord Agate is even stronger than the Tobi Roppo!"
"Hahaha! Pirates! Lord Agate's 'Bone Crusher' will turn you all into minced meat!"
The newcomer was a high-ranking member of the Beasts Pirates named Agate. Though he was only a Shinuchi, he had once been a notorious pirate with a bounty of 200 million berries. After eating a *Smile* fruit that granted him the *Rhino-Rhino* form, his raw strength skyrocketed!
He was strong enough to challenge the All-Stars in raw power and was one of Jack's trusted warriors. If not for his sluggish speed holding him back, he would have long been promoted to the Tobi Roppo.
"Die!!"
As he charged straight ahead, Agate raised his enormous siege hammer, nearly the size of a fortress. With a thunderous boom, he swung it down, casting a terrifying shadow over his opponent.
Even before the hammer landed, the sheer force it carried shattered the ground and nearby buildings. The impact sent shockwaves rolling outward, blasting apart massive chunks of rock and debris like an exploding mountain.
The strength of an All-Star-level fighter was no joke!
Amid the dust and chaos, a single fist shot forward to meet the attack.
It wasn't covered in Armament Haki. The arm didn't bulge with exaggerated muscles. The man wielding it wasn't even particularly large—just an ordinary human in stature. Compared to the descending siege hammer, his punch seemed as ridiculous as trying to block a warhammer with a sewing needle.
But then, the impossible happened.
The moment the hammer made contact, it was as if it had struck not a mere fist but an immovable mountain!
CLANG—!!!
A deafening shockwave erupted across the battlefield, sending soldiers scrambling in panic.
The hammer, instead of crushing its target, was forcefully rebounded by the impact. The immense recoil wrenched the weapon from Agate's grip, launching it high into the sky.
Agate himself stumbled backward, his massive frame swaying. The battlefield trembled beneath his feet as if it were caught in a raging storm at sea.
"Not bad."
The man who had thrown the punch remained completely still. If a true master were watching, they'd realize—the hammer hadn't even touched his fist.
"My turn."
In the blink of an eye, he leaped forward, appearing right in front of the retreating Agate!
Before the stunned beastman could react, the man's fist casually tapped against his steel-like chest.
Then—
*THUD!*
A massive dent in the shape of a five-fingered fist bulged out of Agate's back!
Even with the resilience of a Zoan-type, his organs were pulverized instantly. His eyes rolled back, blood oozed from every orifice, and he collapsed like a crumbling tower.
A nearby Beasts Pirates fighter gawked in disbelief.
"Conqueror's Haki infusion?! External Armament Haki?!"
"Correct."
In the next instant, his vision blurred.
A face with black hair and sharp eyes appeared in front of him—
The last thing he ever saw.
"Here's your prize: one punch."
(End of Chapter)
----
You can read 30 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu