"Is he finally going to become the Pirate King?"
Kaido received the news. His eyes showed no surprise, only envy. Ascending to the vacant throne had always been his dream. He had once been one of the pirates closest to achieving it.
However, after the great battle in Wano Country, Kaido suffered a crushing defeat, and the Road Poneglyph he possessed was lost. He had accepted his fate, realizing he no longer stood a chance.
At that moment, Kaido understood—only Kuke could become the Pirate King. No one else stood a chance.
"Decades of effort couldn't bring me closer to that throne, and now someone achieves it in just two years."
Frustrated, Kaido drank furiously.
"That old hag is so lucky. At least she gets to see the legendary final island," Kaido thought of Charlotte Linlin. The mockery he once felt for her had turned into envy.
This was probably the only opportunity in his life, and it didn't include him.
At the Whitebeard Pirates' camp, Whitebeard, covered in bandages, suddenly sat up from his sickbed.
"Dad, the Pirate King is about to emerge," Marco reported.
The Whitebeard Pirates were known to be among the least ambitious pirates regarding fame and fortune. Yet, Marco and the others couldn't help but feel their breathing quicken at this news.
"Dad, will other pirates be willing to let Kuke become the Pirate King?" Diamond Jozu asked with a frown.
Most pirates dreamed of becoming the Pirate King. At the same time, they didn't want anyone else to claim that title. Even the relatively indifferent Whitebeard Pirates didn't want to see a singular ruler dominate the seas.
"Do you think ambitious pirates might unite to stop the Sun and Moon Pirates?" Flower Sword Vista speculated.
The sons instinctively looked toward their father, Whitebeard. Though defeated, he was still regarded as the second most powerful pirate after Kuke.
"Gurararara! Whether anyone dares to make such a move, I don't know. But I won't be part of it," Whitebeard declared. His words caused his face to twitch in pain, aggravating his injuries.
"This kind of monster… any pirate who tries to stop him is asking for death. Even joining forces would be futile."
"Just watch. Even Kaido, that reckless lunatic, probably wouldn't dare make a move," Whitebeard confidently predicted.
Indeed, as Whitebeard expected, Kaido made no moves.
"Stop him? Don't make me laugh. If Whitebeard couldn't do it, why should I risk my neck?" Kaido muttered, rubbing his bald head, where once majestic hair and horns stood proudly. In the last fight, he lost both his pride and his features.
Many pirates awaited the response of major pirate crews like Whitebeard's, Kaido's, and Red-Haired Shanks's.
To their disappointment, none of these powerful crews showed any signs of action.
"Damn it! Are these Emperors of the Sea so afraid of him? Are they really going to let Kuke become the Pirate King and rule over all of us?"
"I respect and admire Kuke, but I don't want another ruler over my head," some pirates grumbled.
"What are they scared of? Have they lost their courage after being defeated? Can't they think of joining forces?"
"Exactly! One-on-one might not work, but two-on-one or three-on-one should be enough to beat him."
"Not should. Definitely. Look at history—many monsters caught by the Navy were taken down by teamwork. Golden Lion, Barrett… these terrifying monsters were defeated because Garp and Sengoku joined forces. In history, no monster has ever won against a two-on-one."
At the Red-Haired Pirates' base:
"Kuke is coming?"
Shanks stared at Mihawk, who had just set down the phone.
"It was Kuke on the line," Mihawk confirmed.
Shanks's long-awaited moment had arrived. His eyes held anticipation but also doubt.
If it had been right after the Sabaody Archipelago, Mihawk would have been 50% confident in defeating Kuke and claiming the title of the strongest swordsman. Now, that confidence was zero.
"This is bad. Mihawk, why don't you leave?" Shanks suggested, feeling a headache, toothache, and every other ache imaginable.
"Boss, didn't you say we'd challenge the Sun and Moon Pirates and Kuke as challengers?" Lucky Roo asked, confused.
Their target was coming. This should have been an exciting moment.
Shanks awkwardly chuckled. "Did I say that?"
"Yes, you did," the entire crew confirmed, denying their captain any chance of wiggling out of it.
"Fine, I said it. But that was months ago. How could I have known that in just a few months, Kuke would become such a monster? Whitebeard lost in minutes, Big Mom is now part of his crew… Challenge the Sun and Moon Pirates? Forget it. Let's go to bed. Taking a beating is all that'll happen," Shanks grumbled.
"Boss, this doesn't suit your character."
"To hell with character! Have you seen what Kuke's done? Facing him, character means nothing," Shanks cursed again.
He might have been confident in a fight if there was even a 20% chance of winning. But right now, it was impossible. Facing certain defeat and humiliation, Shanks wasn't keen on the idea.
"Mihawk, are you really not leaving?" Shanks asked, hopeful.
"No. If you're not here when Kuke arrives, I won't get the chance to fight him," Mihawk replied coolly.
For his sake, Shanks couldn't leave.
Shanks's jaw dropped. "..."
Could this be happening?
"Kuke… What does he want? I didn't provoke him. Why should I stay? I have things to do. Important things," Shanks stammered, his voice trembling.
"That's between you two. All I know is you can't leave," Mihawk said expressionlessly.
Shanks nearly burst into tears. "I was wrong, okay? Please let me go."
Mihawk remained silent. His stoic demeanor left Shanks with no choice.
Shanks felt his frustration rise. He couldn't yell or lash out; the situation was unbearable.
"Don't push me, or I'll…" he began, drawing his sword.
"Good," Mihawk said, immediately drawing his black blade, Yoru.
A battle?
The prospect of a duel between swordsmen excited Mihawk. "Even though you've lost an arm, Shanks, I'm not particularly interested. But a warm-up before facing Kuke would be nice."
Shanks was speechless.
"Fine, you win. I'm not leaving," Shanks grumbled, slumping back into his seat with a defeated look.
He sat there sulking, fuming silently.
After a while, the restless Shanks nudged Mihawk with his elbow. "Do you think we could beat him together?"
"Yes," Mihawk replied confidently.
Individually, he had no confidence. But together, they would undoubtedly win.
"I think so too. Two of the sea's monsters joining forces could beat anyone," Shanks agreed.
"But would you do it?"
"Even if we wanted to, it wouldn't matter. Why would Kuke agree to it?" Mihawk pointed out.
"True," Shanks conceded.