"Gurararara! Sengoku, how do you feel about the strength of our Seventh Division Commander?"
"Now it's my turn to be your opponent!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily as he looked at Sengoku, still entangled by the twin blades Kunpeng and Ranqiu.
"Hmph! The Seventh Division Commander? Neither of you is getting away today. You'll both be sent straight to Impel Down. The rest of the Rocks Pirates' division leaders will soon be joining you!"
"Gurararara! Then let's see how much you've improved. Show me if your strength has gotten any better!"
As he spoke, Whitebeard activated his Advanced Conqueror's Haki. The blade Tensaigura surged with both Armament and Conqueror's Haki as he slashed toward Sengoku.
Sengoku didn't back down. His arms crackled with dual-color Haki as he met Whitebeard's strike head-on.
Their attacks clashed in mid-air, creating a massive shockwave. Lightning burst forth around them, and the sky above split apart with a deafening crack.
"The sky… it's tearing open!"
A nearby crewmate, clearly inexperienced, could only stammer in awe.
Even Lind, though mentally prepared, couldn't help but feel a chill run through him as he watched the scene unfold.
"So this is what real power looks like…"
He murmured to himself, silently vowing to master Advanced Conqueror's Haki as soon as possible—every top-tier fighter had it in their arsenal.
In the end, Whitebeard held the upper hand. While Sengoku was still officially a Vice Admiral, he might already possess strength at an Admiral's level.
But in terms of sheer presence and spirit, he was still far from the Sengoku who would one day become Fleet Admiral.
As for Whitebeard, though not yet the world's strongest man, as the First Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates, he could already be considered the number two figure among the pirates.
Seeing that he was losing the Conqueror's Haki clash, Sengoku didn't waste time worrying. After all, Marines rarely trained in Conqueror's Haki anyway.
Soon, both descended onto the island Lind had scouted earlier. There, the battle began anew—this time with fists instead of Haki.
Compared to the earlier fight with Lind, Sengoku now unleashed far more of his true power.
Each time their blows collided, shockwaves rolled across the island, leaving it riddled with craters and gashes.
"Gura Shock!"
"Great Buddha Shockwave!"
Another massive clash split the island straight down the middle, carving a deep rift through its center.
Lind watched from a distance, awe spreading across his face.
"So this is the power of Admiral-level fighters? It's terrifying…"
As he watched the chaos unfold, a bold thought began to take shape in his mind.
"There shouldn't be any other top-tier Marines left on Sengoku's ship, right? Should I…"
Though hesitant at first, he quickly steeled himself.
"Maybe it's not the most honorable move, but I'm a pirate now. The Marines are the enemy."
"The only real question is whether this will disrupt Whitebeard's fight with Sengoku…"
After weighing his options, Lind made up his mind. Mercy toward the enemy was cruelty toward himself.
Without further delay, he flew toward the enemy warship.
There was no need for his sword. His powerful telekinesis alone was enough to seize full control of the warship and every Marine aboard it.
The gap in power was too great. The Marines couldn't put up the slightest resistance.
"LIND!"
Sengoku, who was still locked in combat with Whitebeard, roared in fury when he saw what was happening. His eyes turned bloodshot with rage.
"Gurararara! Well done, Lind! Sengoku, get ready to pay ransom for your men!"
Whitebeard didn't seem the least bit surprised. They were pirates. Who cared about fairness or martial virtue?
Besides, Lind hadn't killed anyone—just captured them. That level of restraint was practically benevolent for a pirate.
As Lind pulled the warship toward their own, Sengoku grew visibly anxious.
He tried to break free from Whitebeard to rescue his subordinates.
Out in the open sea, even a Mythical Zoan user like Sengoku was vulnerable without a ship.
In desperation, he chose to take a hit from Whitebeard, enduring the full impact of a Gura Shock, then used another Great Buddha Shockwave to disengage and rush toward Lind.
But Whitebeard and Lind had already anticipated his reaction. In perfect sync, they launched a coordinated assault on Sengoku.
At the same time, Lind continued using his telekinesis to multitask—fending off Sengoku while transferring every Marine on the captured warship to the pirate ship.
"Tie them up and knock them out! These guys are our future booze fund!"
The pirates aboard Whitebeard's ship erupted with joy. These weren't just any Marines—they were Sengoku's elites, the Navy's top fighting force. The Rocks Pirates rarely got such a win over the Marines.
"Wahoo! Lord Lind forever!"
"Lord Lind is unbeatable!"
Charmed by the promise of profit, many of the crew began buttering Lind up on the spot.
"Gurararara! Sengoku, looks like the Navy's going to have to open its wallet this time!"
"Hahahaha! Mr. Sengoku, who knows when Kong, Garp, or Zephyr will show up. Try not to get captured yourself!"
Whitebeard and Lind both laughed as Sengoku's face grew darker by the second.
"Hmph, pirates will always be pirates. This isn't over yet!"
Despite his scowl, Sengoku was inwardly relieved. He could tell Lind's goal wasn't wholesale destruction.
They don't want to push the Navy too far. That means they still fear its power.
Kong's going to have a headache cleaning this up, Sengoku thought.
With an unspoken understanding between them, the three continued to fight for another full day. Because Lind didn't need to focus entirely on dodging, he was able to conserve his energy and keep up the support.
Now it was just a matter of who would speak first.
Sengoku and Whitebeard were both men of pride. Sengoku couldn't bring himself to beg for escape by threatening mutual destruction. Whitebeard would never offer Sengoku a ship and just let him walk.
Eventually, Lind spoke up.
"Brother Newgate, it's been more than a day. The Navy's reinforcements will probably be arriving soon."
"We're not going to take Sengoku down anytime soon. I say we fall back. I'll distract him while you get everyone out. With my telekinesis, I'll catch up quickly."
"Gurararara! If you say so, Brother Lind. The Navy's going to lose face big time over this!"
"Your bounty's definitely going up—probably from 300 million to 600 million, no problem!"
With that, Whitebeard unleashed a shockwave to push Sengoku back and retreated to the ship.
"Gurararara! Let's go, boys!"
Once Whitebeard was gone, Lind jumped back into the fight.
After a full day and night of intense combat, even a Mythical Zoan like Sengoku had begun to feel the strain.
Lind, on the other hand, had conserved his energy by relying on hit-and-run tactics with Kunpeng and Ranqiu, and was still in peak condition.
Using his advantage in stamina, he charged at Sengoku again for one final melee exchange.
But it was clear Sengoku didn't want to keep fighting either. He matched Lind's strength, turning their clash into little more than a sparring session.
For over an hour, they "fought," neither pushing too hard.
Finally, Lind decided the timing was right.
"Hahahaha! Sengoku, enjoy your time on the island. Rescue should be on the way soon!"
"I'm taking your ship with me, by the way. Oh—and make sure my bounty reads 666,666,666."
"Sengoku, I'm out. Try not to miss me too much! Hahahahahaha!"
With a booming laugh, Lind flew up to the warship and used "Ship Flight" to take off, vanishing into the sky with a stolen ship under his feet.
Sengoku could only watch from the ground, fuming as Lind flew away with his vessel.
Alone, with a face like thunder, he turned back toward the island and waited silently for the Navy's rescue to arrive.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!