The battle in Udon Prison was still raging, the two clashed fiercely, their fight focused mainly on a clash of Haki.
Although Shanks weilded word, he only had one arm. Since Roy wasn't using a weapon, it wasn't really unfair.
At that moment, Atmos descended from the sky, locking his gaze on Beckman and the other two.
"You're not taking anyone," he growled, clutching a Den Den Mushi.
"Pops! We're in Wano. The Red-hair Pirates are here, too. Big bro is fighting Shanks right now, but their whole crew is backing him up," Atmos reported into it.
Beckman and the others stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
"That little brat Shanks… ganging up on others huh? I'll head over right now. If it's war he wants, then it's a war he's gonna get. Let's see if they have what it takes to face us now," Whitebeard's voice rumbled with domineering force from the other side.
On Moby Dick Island, Marco and the commanders had already prepared themselves. Once they received Atmos's call, they instatly mobilized, they could reach Wano in as little as a day.
Beckman's group had no choice but to pause. A full-scale war against the current Whitebeard Pirates? They'd be crushed.
Yes, the Red-Hair Pirates had a balanced crew, but that meant nothing against a horde of monsters. The Whitebeard Pirates were no longer a force they could contend wit. And the duel between Roy and their Captain still undecided...
"Captain, you don't need to come. The fight's over," Roy's voice came through.
The Den Den Mushi's face broke into a grin, and on the other side, Whitebeard smiled.
"You took care of him?"
"Yeah, it's done."
Roy had one hand clamped on Shanks' wrist, the other pressing a gun to his head.
"When it comes to Haki suppression, this guy is easier to deal with than Ryokugyu," Roy said casually.
Shanks, glared at Roy, he could already foresee the outcome if he tried to break free, mutual destruction, but he would come out more injured than Roy.
Shanks Haki slowly receded.
"We're leaving," he said to Beckman and the others.
Roy released him.
"Big bro…" Atmos seethed.
"It's fine. Let them go," Roy said with a smirk as he watched the Red-Hair Pirates leave.
There was no point in dragging this fight out, it would only end in mutual destruction.
"Big bro, what about this guy?" Atmos asked, grabbing Ryokugyu.
The Admiral glared up at Roy, his face still swollen and bruised.
"We're definitely handing him over to Cross Guild. Didn't they put bounties on Marines? Perfect chance to trade him in for cash," Roy grinned.
"You wound't dare! I'm a Marine Admiral!" Ryokugyu spat.
"Relax. You'll go down in history as the First Admiral to be captured and traded in for a bpounty," Roy laughed.
The bounty for a Marine Admiral was 3 billion berries, nearly equivalent to an Emperor.
Akainu's bounty, in comparison, matched that of Whitebeard and Roger.
Since Cross Guild had issued their bounty order, Roy thought it'd be a waste not to send them at least one Admiral.
The Marines might not be able to take down an Emperor, but pirates could definitely take down a Marine Admiral.
It was sure to be sensational news, worth witnessing a reversed Marineford War.
Would Marine HQ gather an army to destroy Cross Guild? Or would they use other means to retrieve Ryokugyu? Either way, Roy was looking forward to what came next.
"Atmos, let's move," Roy said.
"Yes!"
Atmos transformed into a giant dragon, carrying Roy and Green Bull into the sky. No one would have imagined a Marine Admiral would be captured.
...
Back aboard the Red-Hair Pirates' ship, Shanks looked up to see the dragon flying overhead.
"Captain, shouldn't we meet Luffy?" Lucky Roux asked.
"Not yet. It's not time," Shanks said.
"Then when?"
"When he's ready, we'll meet naturally."
Meanwhile in the Flower Capital, Luffy's crew was asking him the same thing.
"You're really not going to see Shanks?" Nami pressed.
"He's an Emperor. Why should we go seek him out?" Yamato asked.
Jinbe hadn't joined the Straw Hats, and Yamato was now the newest official member.
"Shishishi! It's fine. Not yet," Luffy said.
"'Not yet'? When will it be time?"
"Dunno."
The others just looked at him in silence.
Roy's next goal was Egghead, but with Ryokugyu in his hands, he decided to deliver him to Buggy first.
The Red-Hair Pirates' true purpose in Wano had been to stop Ryokugyu.
After capturing Weevil, Ryokugyu had come to Wano. Upon learning this, the Red-Hair Pirates, already nearby, moved immediately.
Shanks had been near Wano ever since learning that Luffy and Kaido would clash. He wanted to see if Luffy was truly the one Roger had been waiting for.
Now, it seemed he was. Which meant… the time to meet wasn't yet. They'd meet when Luffy had truly grown.
Roy delivered Green Bull straight to Karai Bari Island.
"It's a dragon!"
"Not Kaido, it's Whitebeard Pirates' Atmos. He's here again!"
"Quick, tell Lord Buggy!"
News of Luffy's victory over Kaido had spread across the globe, everyone knew.
Having defeated Kaido alone, Luffy had become an Emperor. Law and Kid, who had teamed up to defeat Big Mom, each received 3 billion berry bounties, though their strength was not at Emperor level.
With two of the four Emperors fallen, the new replacements were chosen, and one of them was Buggy.
Leader of the Cross Guild, Buggy the Star Clown.
Cross Guild had announced a major new policy, bounties on Marines.
The bounties were ranked by stars:
Fleet Admiral, 5 billion berries
Admiral, 3 billion berries
Vice Admiral, 500 million berries
Rear Admiral, 300 million berries
Buggy never expected anyone to actually kill an Admiral or the Fleet Admiral, the order's main purpose was to encourage attacks on the Marines and remove the fear they held.
"Lord Buggy, the Whitebeard Pirates are here again!"
"Again? Who is it this time?" Crocodile asked.
"It's… it's the Emperor Roy," the subordinate said nervously.
"Him again? What's he here for?" Buggy asked anxiously.
"Don't know."
"Let's go out and see," Crocodile said.
The group stepped outside, and when they saw who Roy was dragging along, the three of them froze, their expressions changing instantly.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu