"When the emperor is angry, millions may perish."
This ancient saying, once applied to the rulers of old, now holds true in the New World, where the Four Emperors (Yonko) reign with overwhelming might.
Each Emperor not only possesses unrivaled military strength but also rules over vast territories, commanding fleets and subordinates akin to entire nations. Their wrath alone can plunge seas into chaos and shift the balance of power.
And now, Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, had given the order—
"Kill!"
The Red Hair Pirates, though fewer in number compared to other crews, were composed of some of the most elite and feared individuals on the seas. At Shanks' word, a bloodthirsty resolve exploded from their ranks.
Even the Grand Line's turbulent ocean seemed to quake as towering waves erupted, stirred by their bloodlust and the spiritual clash of Conqueror's Haki.
Though their ship, the Red Force, had been split in two by a mighty slash, both halves inexplicably remained afloat—held together by a strange and persistent force. Whether it was sheer willpower or some unseen mechanic of Haki or seamanship, they continued to carry the entire crew unimpeded.
Importantly, most of Shanks' men are not Devil Fruit users—a key strategic factor. Even in the sea, they retain their full combat ability. Their dominance doesn't rely on Devil Fruits but rather pure martial skill, Haki mastery, and battle-hardened resolve.
"Take the heads of the three of them—offer them to the Red Force as sacrifice!"
Yasopp—the world's strongest sniper and father of Usopp—roared, raising his custom rifle and charging toward Kaido, who stood closest.
"Three?"
Ragnar, calm amidst the storm, heard the cry and raised his weapon.
"When did you start believing... there were only three of us?"
With a twist of his arm, the three-pointed double-edged sword surged with black lightning, the aura of Conqueror's Haki bursting forth. It clashed with Shanks' Gryphon, the famed saber, both blades halting a full meter apart—but the space between them erupted as if struck by a divine thunderbolt.
BOOM!
Shockwaves detonated like cannon fire, displacing sea and sky alike. Rain split, and even the clouds above quivered in fear.
"Huh?"
Shanks' face twitched—not from pain, but confusion.
"Yasopp!"
His Observation Haki, among the most refined in the world, flared as he glimpsed a dark future.
At the same moment, Ben Beckman, engaged in a Haki clash with Yamato, recoiled. He, too, had seen the same premonition.
"Yasopp! Get out of there—now!"
Yasopp, no amateur to future sight, had seen it too.
A crimson blaze tore through the sky.
A fiery silhouette, wreathed in unquenchable flames, descended like a divine comet. The rain couldn't touch him—it evaporated before nearing his body.
"King!"
Ben Beckman roared, recognizing the Lunarian known as the "Wildfire." Once Kaido's right-hand man, King had vanished—only to return now as one of Ragnar's hidden aces.
"Ice Fang Slash!"
Before Beckman could react, Yamato, the daughter of Kaido and wielder of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami, brought down her Tetsubo (kanabo mace) engulfed in frost.
Even the rain around them froze mid-air, a testament to the chilling might of her Ice-infused Conqueror's Haki and Armament.
BOOM!
Beckman parried the slash, instinctively using the future he saw to launch himself backward, escaping the frostbite by a razor-thin margin. But something was off.
His speed was hindered.
He felt as if shackled—his joints tightened unnaturally, his body heavier. Yamato's Ice had lingered in the very air, slowing him down.
This delay, though momentary, was enough.
King the Wildfire reached Yasopp first.
"Damn it!"
Beckman cursed. He turned to Yamato, whose calm but fiery eyes met his own.
"I may not be a Seer like you all…"
Yamato's voice rang clear through the storm.
"And I may not have mastered Observation to glimpse the future."
"But just because I can't see it—doesn't mean I can't stop it."
Her declaration echoed Kaido's brutal philosophy.
"This world belongs to the strong."
Beckman's teeth clenched. The old man's words—those he tried to forget—suddenly rang truer than ever.
"In the New World, strength is law."
And Yamato had just declared her dominance.
"Die!"
At this point, Ben Beckman had completely abandoned any hope of rescuing Yasopp. Instead, he channeled his murderous intent into a terrifying surge of combat strength as he faced off against Yamato, the daughter of Kaido.
Since he couldn't save his comrade, he would eliminate the offspring of the Beast King!
Although Yamato was adapting and improving at an astonishing rate during the clash, her combat experience and control over her Mythical Zoan – Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami still lagged behind that of Shanks's right-hand man.
Ben Beckman, known for his unmatched intellect and elite marksmanship, was confident—if it came down to it, he could take Yamato down single-handedly.
"Bring it on!"
Despite facing the overwhelming assault of the Red Hair Pirates' strongest vice-captain, Yamato showed no fear.
Even while clearly at a disadvantage—cornered and pressured—she held her ground with iron resolve.
Under the life-or-death threat, both her Armament Haki and Devil Fruit powers evolved rapidly, a trait reminiscent of the growth shown by Luffy during his fight with Katakuri in Whole Cake Island.
This forced growth only made Beckman's eyes grow colder, a storm of killing intent brewing beneath his calm exterior.
On the other side of the battlefield—
Lucky Roux, Bonk Punch, Hongo, and Building Snake all joined the fray, hardening their weapons with Busoshoku Haki, their blades darkening into obsidian.
"Get out of our way!" one of them roared.
Clang!
Each swing cleaved through the air with a high-pitched ring.
The jet-black slashes, infused with powerful Haki, ripped through the darkness of the New World's night sky—illuminating it like lightning.
The ferocity of the Red Hair Pirates was on full display.
Even in the face of Kaido, a Yonko known as the "Strongest Creature Alive", they did not back down.
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