The air was thick with anticipation as a battle of enormous proportion was brewing in the background. It is said that the nature itself feels when something huge is going to happen in this world. It happened during Marineford war and it was also happening today. While the war in Marineford was a beacon for the start of a new generation, the war today's was much different. Marineford war was based on honor, love and comradery. A war to announce the end of an era. But today's war didn't have that many emotions within it. Rather this war had a much greater purpose.
A war for dominance. A war that everyone knew was coming. The war for the seat of Yonko.
The Seven Sins moved in broad daylight. We did not have any plans for sneaking in or anything like that. Shrewd tactics might've worked in Marineford, but it'll not work. Not today. After all a fight between pirates is much different than a fight with the marines. We did not face any obstacle anywhere on our way to Hachinosu. The navy won't interfere in this fight. They were in a win win situation. It doesn't matter to them who wins today. It just means that they'll have one less trouble to worry about. Big Mom and Kaidou were busy with their own thing. And I've already told Shanks not to interfere. While the possibility of having Shanks as an ally was extremely alluring, I couldn't take any chance. I still don't trust him completely. But more than that, I wanted to this myself.
I wanted to a Yonko, an emperor of the sea. It would've hurt my pride if I needed his help.
Just as our ship neared Hachinosu, we were greeted with thousands of bloodthirsty pirates. Pirates that wanted blood to rain today. In the very center, with his usual manic grin stood Blackbeard with his Titanic Captains. I didn't see Catarina Devon or Avalo Pizzaro there. Which was expected. Catarina must be in disguise somewhere.
In front of this enormous army of pirates and a living island, we looked kind of bland with just a few ships. I didn't mind that. After all, I have come where I am today with just a single sword hanging from my waist. Flashy powers were overrated.
Our ships stopped advancing before reaching the island. I had no desire to dock at Hachinosu. This was much safer if we needed to retreat due to some unforeseen circumstances.
Kuzan didn't need me to say anything as he jumped from his spot. He stood in a frozen platform as his hand touched the sea. Ice spread from his fingertips as the front part of Hachinosu was frozen solid within a couple of seconds.
Ice Age
The five sins took our positions as we started walking though the frozen sea. Behind us, 500 men led by Jozu advanced. Blackbeard did not seem surprised with the addition of Kuzan in our group. Rather, he looked happy. Happy that today will be more exciting than he had expected. Cannon fire rained down on us as the artillery division started to do their job. Unlucky for them, we were already prepared.
Blood poured out of a small ship as hundreds of gallons of blood transformed within a heartbeat. Spears made of blood hovered in the air as they intercepted every single one of those cannons. Kuzan performed a swift hand motion beside me as another thousand spears made of ice hurled towards the artillery that they have placed.
As Akane intercepted the cannon fires and Kuzan destroyed the cannons, we marched uninterrupted. Screams started to fill air as the outskirt of the island started burning. I will not allow them to stop us before we reach the island.
Seeing that the artillery was practically useless, Laffitte screamed orders to stop firing. Just as the cannon-fire stopped, the blood spears hovering in the air dropped from their place. It's much more difficult for Akanae to manipulate the blood of another animal or person. And the fresher the blood is, the stronger her attacks will be. She didn't want to carry out days old animal blood, when we were going to a battlefield with fresh blood ready for taking.
It took us around five minutes to reach the island. Blackbeard did not say anything nor did he try to attack us again. He just grinned and waited as we reached the island.
Just as I took my first step on the island, my 'Future Sight' warned me of something. Seeing what it was made me grin as I locked eyes with Blackbeard. His smile widened further as he threw his hands up in the air.
"Zehahahaha! You will die today, Sword King. Let the war begin!"
Just as he finished speaking, the air turned tense and a burst of conqueror's haki hurled towards our forces. My hands moved as I unsheathed my sword. The pressure intensified once again as I unleashed my own conqueror's haki.
Two conqueror's haki clashed with each other as each tried to devour the other. A battle of wills. The losing side will face huge damage to their army.
I was surprised with how strong Blackbeard's conqueror's haki was. After all, it has only been a year since we last met. Training your conqueror's haki to this level in such little time is truly impressive. He is from the clan of D after all.
But he had one glaring miscalculation. I'm not just any conqueror's haki user. I am a haki genius who could use advanced conqueror's haki without any proper training. If he tries to clash with me by using haki, he has already lost.
"Impressive, Blackbeard. I expected something like this to happen. But you are still young."
Confusion spread across his face as he listened to my words. I did not wait for a response as I activated my haki to the fullest. My haki was now even stronger than it was in Marineford. The air shifted around me, the ground cracked beneath my feet as my haki was unleashed.
The situation that seemed like a stalemate vanished within an instant as my haki dominated over Blackbeard's haki easily. The burst of haki carried through the whole island as every single living being felt my presence. A presence that told them to drop down on their knees and bow to the true supreme being.
Thousands of pirates dropped on their knees and fell to the ground as my haki dominated them. It was a scene similar to Marineford. But I still felt as if the effect of my haki was less than before. That wasn't supposed to happen.
The manic grin on Blackbeard's face told me what he needed to know. It was because of him. When I fended off his haki, I had to use more force than necessary. As a result the effect of my attack was diminished by almost one-fourth. Blackbeard has calculated this beforehand. I was always planning on taking out as many pirates as I could with my initial attack. He also knew that his haki wasn't nearly strong enough to stop me. So, he used his own conqueror's haki to do damage control. Certainly a unique use of conqueror's haki.
One-fourth of almost ten thousand pirates is still 2500 more pirates. That was a lot of pirates. It seems that Blackbeard was still smart as ever. I thought that the side-effects of him devil fruit will consume him from within. But, now he seemed much more better than before. It almost seemed as if he was sane again. It must be his new devil fruit power's effect. He has somehow contained that self-destructive side of him.
This was dangerous. A sane psychopath is much more dangerous.
But I felt that I too was smiling like a maniac. I should be afraid. He is clearly stronger than me right now. I could easily feel it in my bones. My instincts were clearly screaming that he was much different from what he was one year before.
And yet I was excited beyond the level of what I should be. A strong opponent was now right before my eyes. An enormous obstacle. A challenge. An opponent that will allow for me to surpass my limit. An opponent that can satisfy my hunger for power.
I raised my sword high in the air as I gave the command that my troops were waiting for.
"Charge!"
Pirates from both sides ran with their weapons as the battle officially started. Kuzan ran fast as he moved towards in inner island. Akane, Crocodile and Buggy themselves also moved to their respective posts. Jozu led our basic infantry.
And I was up in the air as I rushed towards my target with a speed greater than sound. Seeing my advance, Blackbeard's right arm turned black as a massive claw made of darkness formed in his hand.
The air itself seemed to split in two as a sword and a claw clashed.