Blackbeard moved with incredible speed. Although the Whitebeard Pirates were attacking his territories, they encountered very little resistance. After reclaiming two islands, Whitebeard realized something was wrong. He ordered Marco to investigate and soon discovered that Blackbeard had already taken most of his crew and fled.
Blackbeard was willing to abandon his land just to eliminate the Straw Hats.
"Teach, that bastard, has some nerve," Whitebeard sighed deeply. "It seems he understands the threat the Straw Hats pose. I underestimated how desperate and arrogant his ambition truly is."
Ace looked at his father, his face full of worry. "Pops, isn't Luffy in serious danger?"
Whitebeard shook his head to reassure him. "Ace, do not worry. The Straw Hats are not as simple as you think. They likely have other allies helping them. Besides, I will not stand by and watch my benefactor face such danger. To hell with the territory. We are going straight to the North Blue!"
Just as Blackbeard feared the Straw Hats, Whitebeard feared the Blackbeard Pirates. If he could eliminate Teach now, Whitebeard was willing to fight to the death, even if they both fell together. He knew that leaving Blackbeard alive would only bring harm to his children after he was gone. He refused to let his family be bullied or killed by that man.
Meanwhile, in Wano Country, the Red Hair Pirates had blocked the coast and were confronting Kaido's massive fleet.
Kaido was absolutely furious. "Red-Haired brat! Are you trying to protect the Straw Hats? How dare you stand in my way! Do you have a death wish?"
Shanks stood calmly on the bow of his ship. "Kaido, please do me a favor and show me some face this time. The Beast Pirates should stay right where they are."
Kaido roared with laughter and anger. "Who do you think you are? When I was fighting Roger, you were just a brat on his deck! Why should I give you face? Do you think you have some kind of fruit power that makes people listen to you?"
The crew of the Red Hair Pirates couldn't help but chuckle. It was the first time they had heard someone suggest their captain had a "Face-Face Fruit" power, but given how often Shanks relied on his reputation, it almost made sense.
Shanks' expression turned serious as he looked at his crew. "Since Mr. Kaido won't cooperate, we have no choice. Everyone who hasn't mastered Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki infusion, line up! Mr. Kaido is offering a free training session. Make sure you pay close attention to his Thunder Bagua!"
Hearing this, the crew actually started to line up like eager students. Kaido was so insulted that he forgot all about sailing away. He turned his entire fleet around to crush the Red Hair Pirates. Shanks smiled; he had succeeded. He planned to keep Kaido busy for days. As for Luffy, he would have to rely on his own strength and luck.
A day later, the Blackbeard Pirates arrived in the North Blue. Shortly after, Big Mom's forces arrived to meet them. Another day passed, and Fleet Admiral Akainu arrived with a massive Marine force, intending to let the pirates weaken each other before moving in to finish them off.
While the Marines and Yonko thought they were being stealthy, Shakky had already sent word to Carl. Carl immediately shared the news with the rest of the crew.
"Big Mom and Blackbeard have teamed up to fight us in the North Blue?" Nami asked, her voice shaking.
The news was staggering. If this clash happened, it would be as massive as the Summit War. The Straw Hats were facing multiple enemy groups at once, and the numerical disadvantage was terrifying. Even without Kaido's involvement, the situation was grim. To make matters worse, Akainu had brought two Admirals along to act as "fishermen" in the conflict.
Luffy, however, looked excited. He didn't seem to care about the numbers; he only saw an opportunity to test himself against the strongest people in the world. Still, he knew a war was dangerous for his friends. He turned to look at Carl, seeking guidance. After years of traveling together, Carl was the person Luffy trusted most to make a difficult choice.
Carl thought about the situation carefully. The odds were against them, but they weren't in a hopeless position yet. There was a huge difference between a tactical retreat and running away in fear. If the Straw Hats ran now, it would destroy their reputation.
"Luffy," Carl said, his voice steady. "The situation is bad, but that doesn't mean we will lose. You want to be the Pirate King—the freest person on the sea. You can never admit cowardice when facing your competitors."
Luffy adjusted his straw hat and gave a wide, confident grin. The rest of the crew stood tall, seeing that their captain had made his choice.
"Carl is right," Luffy said. "We've been risking our lives since the day we set sail. We can't reach our dreams if we run away just because things got difficult. We'll fight them all! Even if we lose, we won't lose our spirit. Besides, my crew is the strongest. There's no way we'll lose!"
Luffy's confidence surged, and his Conqueror's Haki flared out instinctively, knocking out all the fish in the surrounding sea. His crew felt his iron will, and their own fighting spirits rose to match his.
Reiju watched them in total disbelief. From her perspective, running away was the only logical thing to do. She believed it was better to survive and fight another day than to throw your life away in a hopeless battle. But the Straw Hats didn't see it that way. They truly believed they could win against two Yonko and the Marines simultaneously.
She realized then that this was the difference between them and the Vinsmokes. Germa might dominate the North Blue, but they were too afraid to even enter the Grand Line. They had lost the battle of wills before it even began. The Straw Hats, however, had no fear at all.
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