"Ugh... That really hurt, Whitebeard, you old guy!"
As Kaido snapped back to consciousness, he glared at Whitebeard. It was clear that Whitebeard's current state was far beyond Kaido's expectations.
But the moment their gazes met, everything else faded away.
For Kaido and Whitebeard, nothing else on Lodestar Island mattered—neither the tens of thousands of pirates fleeing in panic nor the notorious Warlords of the Sea. Only a few other monsters could even come close to being worthy opponents.
"Mamama...!"
Suddenly, a signature laugh echoed from afar. Charlotte Linlin raced over, riding her thundercloud Zeus and brandishing her long sword, Napoleon. Her laughter resonated in all directions.
"Looking pretty rough there, Kaido!"
Charlotte Linlin's oppressive gaze briefly scanned the disheveled Kaido, laced with mockery, showing him no respect at all.
Kaido ignored her taunts, focusing solely on Whitebeard, who stood on the deck of the Moby Dick.
"This version of you is really surprising, Whitebeard, but..."
Charlotte Linlin raised Napoleon high, her hair igniting into fierce flames as she radiated an overwhelming battle intent. "Let's see if your power still matches your old reputation!"
"Gurararara, you two are as annoying as ever."
Whitebeard looked up at the two hovering in the sky.
Before he finished speaking, Whitebeard's right foot suddenly stomped down on the deck!
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the front of the Moby Dick sank significantly under Whitebeard's immense strength. Using that terrifying recoil, Whitebeard gripped his naginata and leaped high into the air, slashing towards Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.
"Mamama, Kaido!"
"Ugh, come on, Linlin."
As they spoke, Charlotte Linlin jumped from Zeus, landing on Kaido's dragon head. Zeus swelled rapidly, enveloping the dragon's surroundings.
Lightning crackled as the dragon charged toward Whitebeard, with Charlotte Linlin standing atop it, her massive blade ready.
Grinning menacingly, Charlotte Linlin's muscles bulged, veins popping as she prepared to strike. Flames roared along Napoleon's blade, interwoven with purple-red lightning.
"Mamama...!"
"Ikoku sovereignty!"
The long blade came crashing down, meeting Whitebeard's incoming naginata midair.
With a deafening clang, the attacks of these two monsters collided.
Before their weapons could even touch, their Conqueror's Haki clashed fiercely.
As their eyes locked, black and red lightning crackled violently between them.
Countless thin arcs of black and red electricity spread out in all directions like branching roots.
This was a clash of Conqueror's Haki—a battle of pure aura.
Even the aftermath alone was enough to knock out many surviving pirates nearby, leaving them unconscious.
Meanwhile, the elite members of the Charlotte family dared not approach too closely during this clash between emperor-level monsters. In their minds, they recalled the brutal battle that had occurred at Whole Cake Island.
The struggle between monsters was not something others could intervene in.
Only when these beasts had torn each other to exhaustion would it be their time to step in.
Otherwise—
The only outcome for meddling in such a fight was death!
At the forefront of the Charlotte family, Katakuri watched the aerial battle with intense focus.
As a fellow user of Conqueror's Haki, being caught in this clash of emperors offered him some benefits for honing his own Haki.
While Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin remained locked in a standoff, Kaido below wasn't idle.
The massive dragon opened its mouth, gathering scorching heat in its throat.
Just as the blast was about to erupt, Whitebeard forced back Charlotte Linlin with a sudden burst of power from his naginata. He then formed a glowing white sphere on his fist and punched straight at Kaido's snout.
With a tremendous crash, Kaido's massive dragon body was sent plunging downward.
Whitebeard, left without a foothold, began to fall toward the sea. But before he could hit the water, a giant blue figure appeared and caught him securely.
"Pops, I've got your back."
Marco, in his phoenix form, caught Whitebeard on his back and immediately charged toward the dragon-shaped Kaido.
...
"This is the kind of battle I crave!"
Watching the scene above, Bullet felt his blood boiling with excitement.
Just as he was about to join the fray, dozens of figures blocked his path.
"Bullet, this is as far as you go."
Shanks, gripping Gryphon in one hand, stood solemnly in Bullet's way.
"Red-Hair, you...!"
Bullet swung his fist at Shanks with explosive force.
As his punch flew through the air, the sound of shockwaves erupted.
Black and red lightning arced as Bullet's fist sped toward Shanks.
Even before their weapons clashed, their Conqueror's Haki collided with terrifying intensity.
The powerful surge of Haki swept across a radius of dozens of miles, knocking out most of the pirates caught within it.
...
In the sky, Whitebeard and Marco were battling fiercely against the combination of Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, while the Red-Haired Pirates were engaged in a showdown with Bullet.
This scene was broadcast live to the world, with Festa watching intently in the control room, as well as countless viewers glued to their screens around the globe.
All attention was fixated on the terrifying power displayed by these monstrous figures—Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Whitebeard, Shanks, and Bullet.
Even through the screen, each clash sent shivers down viewers' spines, making them feel as though they were witnessing the terror and despair firsthand.
Faced with such overwhelming might, the spectators felt no more significant than ants.
This was the visceral reaction of civilians witnessing the battle between these emperor-class monsters.
...
"Shiryu, are you planning to intervene?"
Seeing Shiryu and others appear from the woods, Ben Beckman took a long drag from his cigarette and glanced sideways at them.
"We don't have much choice. Bullet is our partner—we can't just stand by and watch him get ganged up on."
Shiryu, chewing on a cigar, casually replied while eyeing the Red-Haired Pirates. But the way he drew his weapon suggested he wasn't as reluctant as his words implied.
Meanwhile, in a hidden corner, a shadowy figure watched everything unfold through a Den Den Mushi.
"Zehahaha, fight! Tear each other apart so I can sweep in at the end! Zehahaha!"
Back in the broadcast room, Festa, seeing this unfold, suddenly appeared unfazed. He leisurely lit a cigar, leaned back in his chair, and swirled a glass of red wine.
"No matter what happens after today, the world will always remember me, Buena Festa!"
But just as he finished his sentence, the screen flickered, and something drastic occurred.
A massive warship suddenly emerged from the clouds, and from its deck, a giant bolt of lightning crashed down between Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido.
In the next instant, a blinding flash lit up the screen, and a shockwave rippled outward.
The broadcast was momentarily disrupted, turning the screen into a blur of white static.
Startled, Festa's eyes widened in shock, the cigar dropping from his gaping mouth.
"W-what just happened...?"
Festa scrambled to the screen, hands and knees trembling, staring at the flickering image.
After a few seconds, the static cleared, and the distorted image gradually sharpened.
A figure had appeared at the center of the battlefield.
Kaido and Charlotte Linlin had been sent flying, crashing toward Lodestar Island.
Seeing this, everyone watching the live broadcast was stunned.
As they tried to comprehend what had just happened, the figure turned, revealing their true identity.