Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari
----------
Despite the Whitebeard Pirates' captains glaring and questioning in anger, Shanks remained calm and unwavering in the middle of the tension. His actions conveyed his resolve as much as his words.
"If you're determined to fight, then let us be your opponents," Shanks declared firmly, his expression serious. "Whether it's you Whitebeard Pirates or the aces of Wanokuni!"
His statement drew immediate hostility. The Whitebeard commanders' expressions darkened, their anger simmering, while Yamato tilted her head slightly, momentarily confused by his bold declaration.
Shanks, however, understood the reasoning behind his own actions, even if it meant stepping into this volatile situation. His goal wasn't to exacerbate the battle but to prevent further escalation between the forces. The clash for supremacy should focus solely on the two at the top—Whitebeard and Alex.
A broader war, spilling over to the crews and their forces, would shift the conflict into a chaotic free-for-all. If the battle's aftermath destabilized either side too severely, the situation could spiral into something far worse than just a fight for the title of the strongest.
This was precisely the reason Shanks had come here: to prevent such an all-out war from engulfing the New World.
Turning his attention toward Hancock, he added calmly, "Of course, I won't let you continue using your abilities unchecked to cause more problems."
His statement, though measured, didn't sit well with Hancock. She narrowed her eyes in irritation, her lips curling into a disdainful sneer.
"Such unpleasant words," she said sharply, her tone dripping with contempt. "And you think you're qualified to influence the thoughts of me?"
Hancock raised her arm dramatically, her voice commanding as she called out: "Wendy! Salome! Anubis!"
In response to her summons, Salome, the massive python that faithfully followed her, hissed loudly as its body erupted into flames. The serpent's form swelled to an enormous size, and its long body coiled and stretched upward into the air.
But Salome wasn't flying under its own power. Instead, a strong gust of wind materialized beneath it, condensing into a tangible force that lifted both Hancock and her serpent.
"My Empress!"
The wind itself seemed to come alive, its elemental form gathering into a visible human-like face with delicate features. The entity, which Hancock had named Wendy, spoke with a reverent tone, its voice carried on the breeze.
However, Hancock's summons weren't limited to Wendy. Another being emerged, far darker and more ominous. Composed of jet-black energy, this new entity seemed to resemble a swirling black hole, its presence radiating malice. From the depths of its darkness, a distinct and grotesque face appeared, its expression ferocious as it scanned the battlefield below.
"I see many souls ripe for harvest," said the entity known as Anubis, its voice a low growl.
The sight of these supernatural beings struck fear into the hearts of the onlookers. The gathered pirates quickly recognized the truth—they were witnessing the power of Homies, creatures crafted from souls. And, given their formidable presence, it was immediately clear these were no ordinary creations.
"It's just like BIG MOM's Homies…" one pirate muttered, his voice shaking. "But… it's worse."
"Those… those are made from her own soul, aren't they?"
And the truth was just that.
After inheriting the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit from Charlotte Linlin, Hancock had delved deeply into its potential. Her mastery of the fruit had allowed her to craft Homies with extraordinary abilities, enhancing her already fearsome combat skills.
Salome, her loyal python, was now imbued with flames and an immense, towering physique. Wendy, a spirit born of the wind, served as both her mount and a means of flight, allowing her to travel alongside Alex with ease.
Meanwhile, Anubis, the manifestation of dark elemental energy, was her weapon of intimidation and destruction, a creature that embodied the terrifying depths of her power.
The last and most dangerous of Hancock's summons was Anubis, her main attacker and the embodiment of maximum destructive output.
Anubis had the terrifying ability to forcibly extract the soul of anyone whose Haki was insufficient to defend against it—or, worse, anyone who was already overwhelmed. Additionally, it could unleash stored souls, channeling them into devastatingly destructive attacks using the powers of the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Shanks gripped Gryphon tightly, his senses honed as he gauged the ominous presence of Anubis. The threat this Homie posed was unmistakable, and the strength of the woman controlling it was far greater than he had anticipated.
This revelation forced Shanks to reevaluate the situation. Previously, even with the Whitebeard Pirates, he had been confident in suppressing a single ace. But now, facing Hancock—whose power rivaled that of New World legends—and Yamato, whose reputation preceded her, he realized this would not be an easy task.
However, Shanks couldn't allow the domineering empress in front of him to escalate the conflict further.
"In that case," Shanks said, his voice steady and resolute, "don't blame us for being rude!"
The Red-Hair Pirates, standing between Hancock and the Whitebeard Pirates, now found themselves sandwiched between two of the New World's most formidable forces. As tensions escalated, they realized that, seemingly overnight, they had become the common enemy of the strongest players in the world.
The air was thick with pressure, and the situation was becoming increasingly dire.
"Wait!"
Marco's voice broke through the rising tension. He stepped forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Shanks, as though trying to discern something deeper. Memories stirred within him—he had known Shanks since their time as young trainees during the golden age of Roger and Whitebeard. That shared past gave him pause.
Marco raised his hand, signaling for the Whitebeard Pirates to hold back their angered captains.
"Marco, what are you doing?!"
"They're stepping all over the Whitebeard Pirates!"
But Marco seemed unwilling to strike just yet. Placing himself in Shanks' shoes, and knowing more than most about Whitebeard's condition, he hesitated to push the Wanokuni forces into a full-scale war. Though his comrades' anger boiled over, Marco sought to de-escalate the situation, buying time for everyone to reassess.
Just as Marco opened his mouth to speak, the battlefield above trembled violently, halting all arguments. All eyes turned skyward as a massive noise reverberated across the island.
A whistling roar echoed through the heavens.
The battlefield shook from the overwhelming clash between Alex and Whitebeard. The sheer force of their battle had split the island in two. At the center of the devastation were the two titans, their figures locked in relentless combat, their blows shaking the very sky.
In that moment, all other conflicts were dwarfed. No matter their differences, all present recognized that the true focus lay with the two combatants above.
As the dust and debris cleared, the two fighters stepped back briefly from their ferocious exchange.
Whitebeard's naginata, Murakumogiri, returned firmly to his grip. With a powerful turn, Whitebeard spun his massive frame and delivered a devastating strike. It carried the full force of his fruit, unleashing a monstrous shockwave that swept outward in a deadly arc.
"BOOM!"
The sky above fractured into a spiderweb of cracks, the air itself tearing apart as the void trembled beneath the seismic force.
Alex responded immediately. Using the power of his More-More Fruit, he unleashed a colossal slash. The air screamed as the attack met Whitebeard's shockwave head-on, neutralizing the quake's devastating energy.
In the same instant, Alex disappeared in a blur, his acceleration enhanced a hundredfold by the More-More fruit.
Whitebeard's Observation Haki flared to life as he attempted to track Alex's movements, but his senses failed him. For a brief moment, Whitebeard realized he could no longer detect Alex's presence—a fleeting but critical lapse in his ability to react.
Then it happened.
"Pfftt!"
Alex's blade, Akizakura, struck home.
The attack landed cleanly across Whitebeard's back, cutting through even the layers of Armament Haki that reinforced his body. The slash tore a massive wound into the legendary pirate's flesh, blood spilling in torrents. Not even the monstrous physique of Edward Newgate, the Strongest Man in the World, could fully withstand the power of Alex's attack.