In the distance—
Whoosh, whoosh!
Several towering World Government officers alighted atop a ridge. They guarded the port where the Grand Line meets the Red Line, inspecting travelers who abandoned their ships to cross through the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Their auras were sharp, strength unquestionable. Yet at the sight of the apocalyptic clash raging afar, their faces blanched with helpless dread.
"Which two great swordsmen are those? Why bring their duel here?!"
"This must be reported to the Gorosei at once!"
"Whoever fights here is disrupting the port's order—arrest and execute them!"
"Wait—there! Isn't that Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors?"
"Heavens, it is her. No mistaking that face and build! And the one fighting her looks like… looks like Creed!"
"How is a Four Emperor at the Red Line—and crossing blades with Creed?!"
"Creed, the 'Fifth Emperor' of the New World, total bounty six billion belly!"
"We should withdraw—this is too dangerous!"
Their anger at the brazen duel melted into cold fear once they recognized the combatants. Battles of that level were not spectacles for them to gawk at.
But just as they moved to retreat, a single sword cry rolled across hundreds of li—
At that lone note their knees buckled. All of them dropped at once, strength fleeing their bodies like tidewater.
The next instant, sword aura roared like a mad sea. Lightning, ice, and fire crisscrossed; night poured over the sky. Even the Red Line beneath their feet cracked under that dreadful kenkī—splintered and sank at terrifying speed—
"No—!"
They had time for one final scream before the sword storm devoured them to dust.
Out at sea, two figures were dueling in crossing arcs. Blades spat unmatched slashes, their hewing strikes carving the surrounding waters into a realm of death. One lingering sword intent even held back the ocean itself—parting a corridor hundreds of li long where one could stride upon bared seabed.
"Redfield! So the Bat-Bat Fruit landed in your hands. Congratulations—immortality without the Perennial Youth operation."
"If you've stepped beyond life and death, why not do something grand? How can you stomach serving as anyone's subordinate? Join forces with me—let's rule the world."
Shiki's voice carried open sincerity. But Redfield did not waver.
"Shiki, you're mistaken. This 'immortality' was a gift from Captain Creed."
"Without him, I'd have died old in Impel Down. So—save your breath."
"Now come—give me your full strength!"
Redfield's vampire form unfurled; blood-crimson sword aura surged like a sea, staining sky and water alike.
Shiki was about to answer when a sky-splitting sword cry thundered from afar—followed by the avalanche roar of mountains collapsing.
Rumble—rumble—rumble!
They glanced sideways—and both faces changed.
In the far distance, lightning, hell-fire, and xuan-ice raged; night fell, yet two suns burned within it, shedding ten thousand sword shards. Under those omens, torrents of red earth crashed down like bleeding cliffs, and the iron-hard scarps at the ocean's edge crumbled first of all, pounded to rubble like bean curd beneath a titan's fist.
Masses of soil plunged into the sea, hurling up waves a hundred meters high that rolled like tsunamis to every horizon.
"Creed and Big Mom are fighting for real. At this rate, hundreds of li of the Red Line will be ruined!"
"With a commotion like this, the Gorosei in the Holy Land will be alarmed for sure! Damn it—why bring the fight onto the Red Line of all places? Don't they know Mary Geoise is right on top?!"
Shiki's molars ground. He absolutely could not allow the Five Elders—or, worse, Imu, the ruler of the Celestial Dragons—to discover his plot to abduct Shirahoshi.
"You're distracted—while fighting me?"
A cold snort bloomed at his flank, along with a blade-wind that shook the soul.
"Sō Zanpa (Double Slash Wave)!"
Shiki flipped head-over-heels, then drove both blade-feet upward, releasing twin arcs. Ever since he severed his legs to escape Impel Down, he'd lashed the famed Sakura Ten and Kogarashi to his stumps; a single Zanpa (Slash Wave) could split a hundred li of ocean—two at once doubled the force.
Boom!
The blast hurled Redfield back, and Shiki shot toward the Red Line's doomsday maelstrom.
If he drew out the Gorosei—or even Imu—everything would be finished!
"Going to help? Did you ask me first?"
Redfield would not let him pass so easily. His parasol-blade fell; sword light cleaved ten-plus li to pen Shiki in.
"Even if you reach them, Big Mom can't escape defeat today."
Redfield's tone was ice.
"No one knows Big Mom's strength better than I do. Creed can't possibly beat her."
"And you can't stop me!"
Shiki whipped out two more swords—one in each hand. With the two on his legs, he became a four-sword torrent, power spiking until Redfield felt sudden, crushing pressure.
"So—you were holding back. How little you think of me."
Redfield laughed, unafraid.
Just then, something changed at Creed and Big Mom's battlefield: of the two suns blazing in the night, one shrank rapidly, its light guttering—then that dying sun streaked toward them like a flaming meteor.
No—that wasn't a sun.
It was something blasted flying straight at them—
(End of Chapter)
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