Looking sharp, aren't you, Roger! Whitebeard said with a broad grin, gripping his naginata as he faced the Pirate King.
"Oh, how long has it been, Newgate? I searched for you for ages!" Roger laughed in return.
"Ah? Searched for me?" Whitebeard looked surprised.
"Indeed—but let's save that for later! For now…" Roger paused, smiling faintly as he stared at him.
"Hand over your treasure!" they both shouted at once—then burst into laughter.
"Alright then, men—attack!" Whitebeard's naginata flashed as he roared.
"Since that's how it is, let's take everything they have!" Roger brandished his sword with a laugh.
"Bista! You've kept my dagger safe, right?" Fang Yi fired an arrow while calling to Bista.
"Heh… It's safe with me now!" Bista blocked the arrow with his twin swords.
Yet immediately he felt a sharp pain—it struck him. He realized Fang Yi's accuracy had triggered the Precision skill.
Although it didn't incapacitate him, repeated hits would cause trouble. Bista frowned at Fang Yi's smile.
Just as he thought he'd outgrown Fang Yi's earlier threat, he now recognized that Fang Yi had grown even more—and that maybe he wasn't cut out to face him anymore.
Before long, Phoenix-form Marco dove toward Fang Yi, but Fang Yi remained calm: Wangzai swiftly carried him out of Marco's path.
When Marco resumed his assault, Shanks intercepted him.
"Oi—red‑headed kid, move aside!" Marco growled at Shanks.
"Sorry, Yi‑ge's after his dagger. I'm stepping in!" Shanks smiled.
With Shanks' help, Fang Yi could ignore Marco and refocus on Bista, who had closed in. Two slashes came straight for him.
"Those won't affect me anymore, Bista!" Fang Yi stayed composed, perched atop Wangzai.
Thanks to Wangzai, Fang Yi didn't worry about defense or mobility anymore. Bista—slower on foot and beset by arrows—couldn't keep pace.
The towering strongman Joz, noticing Bista slipping, activated his ability and charged Fang Yi.
"Glittering Crash!"
Fang Yi patted Wangzai's head. Knowing danger, Wangzai instantly fled—but they were too close. Suddenly, Barrett appeared between Fang Yi and Joz.
"Hey assassin, stand back! Let the marksman do her job!" Barrett barged in, halting Joz's diamond-hardened body.
The battle raged all day. By nightfall, both sides paused to rest.
At dawn, combat resumed—most fighters bore light wounds but still fought on; those incapacitated were carried aside.
"Shanks, Buggy—did you spot the guy with the hat?" Fang Yi asked.
They looked where he pointed: a seemingly ordinary young man wielding a longsword.
"That one?" Shanks tilted his head.
"Yeah. Every time I aim at him, he vanishes—hiding behind allies or disappearing entirely from sight," Fang Yi said quietly.
Shanks and Buggy exchanged surprised glances. Even the formidable Whitebeard Pirates had strict standards; such an invisible trickster would be highly unusual in their ranks!
"Let that be their problem. Focus on our fight. If we win this, the Captain gets one step closer to his dream. We must crush them—let's go!" Fang Yi declared.
Shanks and Buggy nodded.
They battled hard day after day. By the second night, more fighters were wounded—even Fang Yi and Wangzai were bandaged. Fang Yi's endurance stood out, but he could feel his performance was only half of normal; his draw speed slowed. There's real merit in these almost immortal bodies.
Only the most enduring—Barrett, Joz, and similarly robust fighters—could sustain several days without collapsing.
"How are you holding up, Yi‑ge?" Jaba came by with a smile.
If not for help and Fang Yi scaling back later in the afternoon, he might have faltered under Marco's regenerative prowess.
By Day 3, Fang Yi held on. He'd let Shanks handle Marco—who he knew resisted Precision—while Fang Yi took down the would-be future Yonko Teach, knocking him into unconsciousness in retribution for his future deeds.
On Day 4, the fighting halted and gave way to a joint feast. Most fighters were completely spent; on Whitebeard's side, only a few future commanders and Whitebeard himself remained.
Unexpectedly, Buggy also endured to the end.
"Say, this sake's good—mind sharing?"
"This jacket's sharp—where'd you get it?"
"Hold on… your loot's worth only three bags of jerky!"
"Hey—don't hog all the rations—we're bargaining, not looting!"
By early morning, the former battlefield had turned into a bustling market. Both crews swapped goods freely.
"It should've been chaos, but now it's gifts and trades!" Rayleigh muttered, amused.
"I brought worm baits that attract Sea Kings—they're worth that much, especially since you're with Whitebeard's crew," Fang Yi told a crowd of fascinated pirates; he'd drawn unusual items from lotteries.
"You gotta be kidding—a tiny bait that pulls Sea Kings? No way," Marco scoffed, yet he eyed it closely.
Though skeptical, he knew Fang Yi's weird items often held surprises.
If you don't trust me, we don't trade, Fang Yi smiled.
Marco rolled his eyes—but suspected Fang Yi wouldn't lie; there was something real about it.