Just as Whitebeard was making his fateful call to Mike, the winds of the New World were stirring elsewhere, shifting in ominous and unpredictable ways.
On the island of Onigashima in Wano Country, dark, churning clouds blotted out the sky, casting the land in a perpetual twilight.
The massive, skull-shaped castle at the island's peak stood in silent menace, like a slumbering, ancient beast exuding a suffocating pressure.
At the very top of that castle, a towering figure leaned against a railing, the fierce gale whipping his cloak violently behind him.
"Wororororo…"
A deep, rumbling laugh echoed from his chest, carrying across the sky with a dangerous, inscrutable edge.
It was Kaido, the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates and one of the Four Emperors of the New World.
His massive body was a monument to raw power.
Long, wild black hair cascaded down his back, framing a pair of fearsome dragon horns.
His bare torso was a roadmap of scars, dominated by the striking X-shaped mark on his right abdomen.
He wore dark green, baggy pants tied with a thick shimenawa rope, a purple fur-lined cloak draped over his shoulders, and in his hand, as always, was an enormous gourd marked with the kanji for "heaven."
He looked less like a man and more like a demon god incarnate.
At this moment, he was gazing out into the distance, his eyes gleaming with a predatory excitement, as if he'd just spotted the most intriguing prey.
"Marine Headquarters… publicly executing 'Fire Fist' Ace…" Kaido grinned, a savage expression that stretched nearly from ear to ear.
"How amusing. That old bastard Sengoku really isn't afraid of Whitebeard flipping the whole damn table over."
"Wororororo… It's been a long time since something this exciting happened." He raised his gourd to his lips and took a long, deep swig of sake.
Suddenly, he turned and roared, his voice booming like a thunderclap that shook the very foundations of Onigashima.
"Listen up, you brats!"
"Get moving! Prepare the ships—we're going to join the fun!"
"This war… how could it possibly be complete without me?!"
"This boring world is finally about to get interesting!"
Kaido strode back into the castle, each step landing with the weight of a thousand pounds, making the ground tremble.
He could hardly wait to see how this glorious, world-breaking war would play out.
In response to his command, the entire island of Onigashima erupted into a chaotic frenzy.
Members of the Beasts Pirates poured out from every corner of the castle, their voices a cacophony of bestial roars and excited shouts.
"OOOOOOOOH!"
"Finally, a chance to stretch our legs and smash some skulls!"
"Destination—Marineford! Set sail!"
At the harbor, a fleet of massive, fearsome pirate ships stood ready.
The flag of the Beasts Pirates flapped fiercely in the sea breeze as the armada slowly departed, its course set straight for the headquarters of the Marines.
.....
Meanwhile, at the base of the Red Hair Pirates in another part of the New World.
"Captain, urgent news!" a crewmate burst in, panic written all over his face.
"Marine Headquarters is going to publicly execute Fire Fist Ace!"
The cheerful, boisterous atmosphere of the pirate hideout vanished in an instant.
"What?! Ace was captured?!"
"How is that even possible?!"
"Have the Marines completely lost their minds?! He's Whitebeard's Second Division Commander!"
"A full-scale war… it's inevitable!"
The room exploded into an uproar of shocked and disbelieving voices.
"Quiet!"
BAM!
Shanks slammed his hand on the table, and the noisy room fell instantly, deathly silent.
His face, usually relaxed and smiling, was now terrifyingly dark.
His one good arm was clenched into a fist so tight the veins bulged on the back of his hand.
"Beckman…" Shanks's voice was low and hoarse, each word forced through gritted teeth.
"Is the news confirmed?"
"It's confirmed," Ben Beckman, the crew's calm and collected vice-captain, replied with a grim nod.
"The Marines have made a global announcement. Their elite forces are gathering at Marineford from all over the world. This time, they're serious. They're going for an all-out, head-on clash with Whitebeard."
"Damn it!" Shanks slammed his fist onto the table again, leaving a deep, splintered dent in the hardwood.
"That old fool Sengoku, has he lost his mind?! Doesn't he realize what this means?! It means a war to the death! The second they start fighting, the balance of the entire world will be shattered!"
"Captain, what should we… what do we do?" another pirate asked, his voice filled with worry.
"We stop this war," Shanks declared, his voice filled with unshakeable resolve.
"No matter what, we can't let them fight. This sea can't handle any more turmoil."
"Captain…!" Just then, another pirate rushed in, panting heavily.
"The Beasts! The Beasts Pirates are making a move!"
"What? That bastard Kaido wants to get involved too?" Shanks's eyes turned icy.
Of course.
That war-crazed lunatic who thrived on chaos would never miss a "grand event" like this.
"That's right, Captain!" the pirate gasped. "Their fleet has already left Onigashima and is heading towards Marineford!"
"..."
Shanks fell silent.
He knew the war between Whitebeard and the Marines was bad enough.
But with Kaido joining the fray, the situation would spiral completely out of control.
"We have to stop Kaido first," Shanks muttered, his mind made up.
"Beckman, get the crew ready." He turned to his right-hand man.
"We'll intercept him before he gets anywhere near Marineford. We can't let that madman make this situation any worse."
"Understood," Beckman acknowledged and turned to leave.
Shanks stood in place, waiting.
If the Marines were mobilizing everyone, the Warlords would have been summoned too.
He wondered if Mihawk would go.
He'd better check.
He pulled out his Den Den Mushi and dialed the familiar number.
"Bruru bruru… Bruru bruru…"
...
Inside the palace of Alabasta, Mihawk was preparing to depart when his Den Den Mushi began to ring.
"Hmm?" He answered the call.
"Mihawk, are you heading to Marine Headquarters?" Shanks's serious voice came through the line.
"What's this, Shanks? You want to get involved too?" Mihawk asked, his tone neutral.
"..."
The silence on the other end was all the answer he needed.
"Shanks," Mihawk said calmly.
"I advise you not to get involved in this matter."