Ace's gaze was fixed on the strange pink door. But before he could figure it out, a very familiar face stepped out, freezing him in place.
"Kaido!" Ace shouted, his expression twisting into shock.
Following Kaido's appearance, the elites of the Beasts Pirates—Queen, Jack, the Six Flying Fighters, and King—emerged from the Anywhere Door.
The Whitebeard Pirates were utterly dumbfounded.
"What's going on?"
"How did the Beasts Pirates suddenly walk out of a door?"
"Are we seeing things?"
Marco and Jozu rubbed their eyes, thinking it might be an illusion. But no matter how hard they tried, the scene remained unchanged.
Ace quickly snapped back to reality, his face darkening with urgency.
"Sound the alarm!"
This island was Whitebeard's homeland, and many of its residents were ordinary people who couldn't withstand an attack from the Beasts Pirates.
In an instant, alarms blared across the island, and the loudspeakers echoed with the warning: "Kaido has invaded!"
The islanders, hearing the news, froze in disbelief before panic set in. Fear painted their faces as they scrambled to flee.
"What's happening? Isn't this island under the Whitebeard Pirates' protection? How did Kaido appear out of nowhere?"
"Did they sneak past our defenses? This feels like something out of a fairy tale!"
"Run! This is a battle between Yonko—nothing we can survive!"
The once-peaceful island descended into chaos, cries and hurried footsteps blending into a cacophony.
Whitebeard, hearing the commotion and seeing his lifelong rival, slowly stood from his seat. His enormous frame cast a long shadow as he stepped forward.
Kaido immediately locked eyes with Whitebeard, and the air between them crackled with tension.
"It's been a while, Kaido," Whitebeard said, his voice laced with challenge.
"Still feeling the pain from the last wound I gave you?"
Whitebeard's taunt was meant to sting, but Kaido didn't react with his usual rage. Instead, he laughed heartily.
"Ah-ro-ro-ro-ro! So what if it hurts, Whitebeard? You still didn't kill me, did you?"
"And if you can't kill me this time, I swear I'll kill you instead!"
Kaido's laughter was loud and confident.
Whitebeard paused, studying Kaido's face. It had been a long time since he'd seen Kaido wear such an expression of self-assuredness—the same confidence Kaido had shown during their first battle before Whitebeard had repeatedly beaten it out of him.
"Kaido," Marco interrupted, his pineapple-shaped hair standing out even amid the tension.
"That door behind you—what is it?"
Marco's sharp eyes were locked on the Anywhere Door. The clash between the Yonko mattered less to him than the mystery of how Kaido and his crew had arrived undetected.
The other captains of the Whitebeard Pirates also shifted their focus to the door. Moments ago, they had all witnessed Kaido's crew stepping out of it as if from thin air.
Kaido, reveling in their stunned expressions, couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
"Ah-ro-ro-ro! Whitebeard Pirates, what's wrong? Shocked?"
"Just wait. Soon you'll understand that the strongest pirate crew of this era is no longer yours but mine—the Beasts Pirates!"
With a wide grin, Kaido began explaining.
"This is the Anywhere Door! With it, we can go to any place we've been before!"
"Surprised? Impressed? Ah-ro-ro-ro-ro!"
King sighed, rubbing his forehead. His captain's tendency to overshare was as frustrating as ever.
"Why can't he keep his mouth shut?" King thought. "This kind of invention should be classified as a top secret. But, knowing Yoruha will probably invent even crazier things, I suppose it doesn't matter."
The Whitebeard Pirates stared at Kaido, their expressions turning grim.
"A door that can take you to any place you've been before?" Ace muttered, his face darkening further.
"That's... spatial power! If they use this for sneak attacks, it's unbeatable!"
Ace imagined a scenario where, while asleep in his room, enemies suddenly appeared through the door and launched an attack. Even someone as powerful as Whitebeard wouldn't escape unscathed.
But Ace quickly found himself doubting.
"That's impossible! Not even Vegapunk could create something this advanced! How did you manage it?" Ace demanded, his tone firm.
"I don't believe you! This has to be a lie!"
Marco, however, frowned as a memory surfaced.
"Wait, Ace. It's not entirely impossible."
"I recall hearing a rumor recently. The Beasts Pirates recruited someone called Ten-Sai—a scientist. Could it be..."
Marco's voice trailed off as he pieced the information together.
At first, he hadn't thought much of the rumor, assuming Kaido had recruited someone like Caesar Clown. But now, it seemed the situation was far more serious.
Kaido's expression brightened with glee.
"Ah-ro-ro-ro-ro! Marco, you're sharper than the others!"
"That's right! This door was created by our newest member, Ten-Sai Yoruha!"
Kaido gestured proudly toward Yoruha, his grin stretching ear to ear.
His pride in Yoruha was unmistakable, and his gloating face made it clear how highly he valued his newest scientist.
Yoruha, standing beside Kaido, let out a silent sigh.
"Why did I end up with such a show-off for a captain?" he thought.
Still, with his newfound Warlord-level strength, Yoruha managed to keep his composure despite the overwhelming attention.
With a calm yet confident tone, he introduced himself.
"Greetings, everyone. My name is Yoruha."
"But you may also address me respectfully as Dr. Yoruha," he added, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.