Crash!
Chunks of flesh flew through the air as purple-black venom sprayed in every direction. In the blink of an eye, the toxin had indiscriminately covered nearly the entire surface of the pirate ship.
At that moment—
From the deck to the stern, terrified screams of pirates erupted everywhere.
"Ah! Don't come near me!"
"How could this happen… Lord Sonic!"
"It's scorpion venom! The poison is inside me!"
…
The screams gradually weakened.
The venom acted quickly. Even the few who reacted fast enough to scramble toward the railings, intending to jump into the sea, collapsed in convulsions, poisoned before they could escape.
In less than half a minute—
The entire crew under Sonic the Giant Scorpion had fallen lifeless to the ground. Not a single soul survived.
"…Was that really necessary?"
Amid the hellish scene, Nao nudged aside two corpses at his feet and returned to the spot of Sonic's self-destruction. He glanced at the scattered organs on the deck and gave a small shrug.
Compared to before, his entire body was now wrapped in jet-black Armament Haki, like an indestructible suit of armor shielding him within.
From afar, he looked like a statue cast from black iron.
Clearly—
Sonic's final counterattack had only killed off the Beasts Pirates aboard this ship. It had no effect whatsoever on Nao.
He hadn't even needed to use the skill "Breaker's Edge" , which neutralizes all poisons.
Releasing the Armament Haki, Nao's figure returned to normal.
"All dead. Saves me the trouble of chasing them down one by one."
With Observation Haki, he swept across the entire ship to confirm no survivors remained. Then his gaze shifted toward the sky, where the rainfall had grown heavier and heavier.
He had already wasted more than ten minutes on this ship. It was time to pick up the pace.
Whoosh!
Lightning wings unfurled once again behind him. In the next instant, Nao's figure vanished, transformed into a streak of blue lightning that tore through the storm, screaming toward the distant horizon.
...
Hall Island.
This was originally an unknown, remote deserted island with steep mountains, covered in primal forest, and sparsely populated.
But since midnight, more and more ships had gathered. Countless forces had landed in secret, hiding in the shadows, all watching the mountain peak where two great factions stood locked in a tense standoff.
The clash of Emperors of the Sea was not something ordinary people dared to interfere in.
Yet the allure of the Road Poneglyph was simply too great.
Right now, three stone tablets stood side by side atop the mountain peak. Countless greedy eyes fell upon them, each calculating how best to strike in the chaos—
to swoop in like a sandpiper between clam and mussel, while also guarding against the oriole waiting behind, ready to seize the spoils.
Of course—
Some weren't thinking that deeply. They had simply come to watch the excitement.
Like, for instance, a few figures perched in the trees of the southeastern forest…
"They've been in a stalemate for almost an hour now."
After watching for so long without a single move from the mountaintop, Lucky Roux took a big bite of his chicken leg and complained,
"I've nearly finished all the meat I brought. Shanks, you still saying they're gonna fight or what?"
"With such a big showdown, of course they'll fight."
On a nearby branch, the red-haired man adjusted his straw hat and laughed heartily.
"Be patient. Don't be in such a rush."
"Boss…"
A bald crewmate, only a few days into the crew, couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked,
"That's a Road Poneglyph up there. Everyone wants a piece of it. Are you really not tempted at all?"
At those words—
Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and the other earliest crew members exchanged looks, their expressions a little strange.
"Of course he doesn't care."
Yasopp clapped the newcomer on the shoulder with a grin.
"Don't underestimate our captain. He may look carefree most of the time, but this guy… he was once a crewmember of the Roger Pirates."
"Ehhh?!"
The bald newcomer's eyes widened, and his jaw nearly dropped to the ground, "The Roger Pirates?? You mean that Roger? Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King?!"
"No kidding," Lucky Roo finished off his chicken leg in one bite and rolled his eyes.
"You think there's a second 'Roger Pirates' out there somewhere?"
The captain used to serve under the Pirate King himself?
The bald newcomer's eyes sparkled with stars as he looked at Shanks with admiration:
"No wonder you don't care about the Road Poneglyph. You must've even been to the final island, Raftel, yourself…"
"No, I haven't been."
Shanks denied it with a laugh. Scratching the side of his head, he said under the newcomer's astonished stare,
"I could've gone, but one of my crewmates fell seriously ill, so I stayed behind to look after him."
"Whaaat—" The bald newcomer let out a long, regretful sigh.
"What a shame. That was Raftel! That crewmate must've been your closest friend, right? To have a friend like you, he was really lucky…"
"No regrets. I remember the path to Raftel anyway. I figured once I became a captain myself and sailed the Grand Line in full, I'd go see it then. No hurry."
Shanks laughed again, a touch of nostalgia glimmering in his eyes.
"As for that crewmate… His name was Buggy. Yeah, he really was my best friend."
…What a pity.
Back in Loguetown of the East Blue, Shanks had personally witnessed Captain Roger's execution. Afterwards, he wanted Buggy to join his crew.
But Buggy had only resented him, refused outright, and the two had gone their separate ways.
Who knows how he's doing now? Surely he's left the East Blue by now, roaming the Grand Line. It's been years since they parted ways. Shanks found himself missing him dearly…
"Shanks!"
Suddenly, Lucky Roux's voice snapped the red-haired manout of his thoughts, "Look—something's happening!"
Shanks's spirit stirred. He hurriedly steadied his hat and looked up toward the mountain peak…
...
Boom!
Amid a tremendous explosive sound, two intersecting figures separated, landing on opposite sides of the mountain peak.
"That was close… almost got me."
Katakuri straightened his scarf and looked up at the opposite side, where the blue phoenix's wings were gradually dissipating. His gaze was icy:
"Since you've refused my offer to negotiate, it seems unless I wipe you all out here today, you'll never step aside willingly, will you… Whitebeard Pirates?"
"Negotiate? What a joke!"
Before Marco could respond, the Fifth Division Commander, Flower Sword Vista, let out a scornful laugh:
"Since you dared to target our comrades, one after another, you Charlotte Family should be prepared to face the full wrath of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Today we've got you cornered. If you've got the guts, come at us head-on. Let's fight it out fair and square instead of whining here!"