New World, a deserted island near Hachinosu Island.
Led by Seven, the members of the pirate crew were gathered on the shore, waiting for the arrival of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The reason they weren't waiting at the Hachinosu Island pier was due to a tradition in the Pirate World: fight first before starting a banquet.
Winning or losing didn't matter; what mattered was the fight itself.
Back then, when the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates encountered each other, they fought on an island for three days and three nights, leaving behind the legend of Buggy staring at Blackbeard for three days and three nights.
But Hachinosu Island was clearly unsuitable as a battlefield since it had just been rebuilt, so Seven specifically chose a deserted island as the testing ground for the clash between the two great pirate crews.
That old scoundrel Oda once revealed in the manga that there are more than ten or twenty million islands in the Pirate World.
More than ten or twenty million.
It's just that some islands are suitable for human habitation, while some deserted islands are unsuitable for various reasons.
As the Moby Dick came into view.
Seven could feel it—the fighting spirit Burning within Mihawk was ready to erupt, as if he were just waiting for Whitebeard to step onto the island to deliver a strike and test his depth.
This wasn't just a contest between the supreme grade blade black blade yoru and Murakumogiri; it was also Mihawk's pursuit of swordsmanship—
To duel with every Great Swordsman.
The other three Great Swordsmen of the Morning Star Pirates were all ability users and not pure swordsmen. Of course, Whitebeard was also an ability user, but they had never crossed blades before.
Mihawk seemed to remember something.
"No using the Captain's Privilege!"
Hearing this, Seven nodded.
"I know, I know."
The Captain's Privilege was the right of the Captain to have the first choice when facing a battle or finding treasure.
Behind the executives, the three undercover brats huddled together shivering, never expecting their first battle after joining the Morning Star Pirates would be against the Whitebeard Pirates.
Moreover, it happened so suddenly that there was no time to send this news back to Marineford (the World Government).
Two Emperors of the Sea clashing—were they going to be killed by collateral damage right at the start of their undercover mission?
Would this count as a workplace injury?
Shiliew gripped his blade Thunderstorm tightly, like a demon about to break its seal; after being on the ship for so long, he could finally have a proper fight.
Seven gave a reminder.
"Remember, just don't kill anyone."
After all, this was a duel between two pirate crews, not a life-and-death struggle. With Marco and Kuma present, a few injuries didn't matter, but they couldn't let things get out of hand.
It would be very troublesome if someone actually died.
Suddenly, at the bow of the Moby Dick.
A tall figure holding the naginata Murakumogiri leapt into the air from the bow, the blade wrapped in red and black Haki and the sound of shattering space as it swung down fiercely.
"Sky Breaker!"
Seeing this, Seven pulled musou isshin from his chest amidst Whitebeard's shocked gaze, stepped forward with his right foot, and swung a powerful normal attack.
Two brilliant flashes of blade light collided violently.
Between musou isshin and Murakumogiri, ball lightning instantly formed, and the raging Conqueror's Haki pierced the clouds, splitting the sky in an instant.
"hisashiburi dana."
"hisashiburi dana."
The two exchanged a look and tacitly headed towards the center of the island for their decisive battle, to avoid clearing out their crew members with their Conqueror's Haki.
On the Moby Dick, the division commanders led by Marco and Jozu leapt from the bow to the shoreline with roars, each picking their own opponents.
Flower Sword Vista, holding his twin rapiers, charged at Mihawk immediately.
Little Brother Seven was Pops' privilege, but Mihawk was different—whoever was faster got him.
Marco originally intended to choose Fujitora as his opponent, but Golden Lion Shiki blocked his path with a wicked grin, and the excitement on Marco's face was instantly replaced by deep helplessness.
A high-level match already?!
"Pineapple Head, this old man will give you a few pointers."
Having learned that Pure Gold was real and that the Morning Star Pirates were about to search for it after returning from Elbaf, Golden Lion's mood had never been so pleasant.
Following the Perfect Lion, he, the Golden Lion, was about to become the Eternal Lion.
That's why he felt like playing around with a kid.
Marco thought for a moment, and a smile appeared on his face again: "Since Senior Shiki is interested, I'll accompany you for a fight."
At this time, Pops and Little Brother Seven had already moved far from the shoreline to the center of the island to avoid affecting them; even so, the raging red and black Haki still made everyone feel very uncomfortable.
No one else in the Whitebeard Pirates could match Golden Lion, so Marco had to hold the line.
He couldn't let his younger brothers take the brunt of it, could he?
Diamond Jozu immediately set his sights on the giant even taller than himself, Kuma, charging with his diamond-clad fists.
The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders swarmed Fujitora in groups of two or three. After seeing Vista and Marco falling into a disadvantage, they moved on to besiege Mihawk and Golden Lion.
Even Shiliew enjoyed the treatment of being ganged up on.
Ginny, meanwhile, sparred with the pirate she believed to be a woman, Izo, in a display of "health-preserving" marksmanship; whether with sniper rifles or pistols, they both practiced the art of missing on purpose.
Finally, the three undercover brats mustered their courage and, in a pincer formation, charged at a harmless-looking, ignored fat black man.
Teach grinned knowingly.
"Look at these brats, looking down on me!"
This situation was just like years ago when the Red-Haired Kid and Red-Nosed Kid of the Roger Pirates were in front, with the White-Haired Kid Beelzebul commanding from behind.
Back then, he had three teeth kicked out by the Red-Nosed Kid; now he would get his revenge on these three brats.
On Whitebeard's ship, Teach hid both his ambition and his strength; dealing with three interns naturally didn't require him to reveal his true power.
Teach became happier the more he fought, and after knocking out a tooth from the brat with horns on his head, he finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Zehahahaha~"
Sensing several gazes sweeping over simultaneously, Teach cursed inwardly and quickly flew backward.
"Come on again, brats."
Seeing this, the three undercover brats instantly realized: Was this fat black man hiding his strength?
A huge secret! This is the real secret! We must report this to Marineford (the World Government).
Teach never imagined that his mischievous streak would get him targeted by three brats. What kind of pirate crew has so many undercover agents?!
On the first day, the three undercover brats were captured after exhausting themselves.
On the second day, the members of the two pirate crews all stopped fighting and gathered to eat meat and drink wine, occasionally looking toward the center of the island where the two Captains still hadn't stopped.
On the third day, dense cracks appeared all over the island, and Mihawk and Marco hurriedly ordered their respective crews to board their ships and move away.
On the fourth day, the two Captains still hadn't stopped... Wano Country, Onigashima.
Headquarters of the Beasts Pirates.
"Nani?!" Kaido put down his wine jar and looked at his younger brother, King: "A great war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Morning Star Pirates? At Hachinosu Island?"
Kaido was extremely tempted, wishing he could transform into a dragon and rush to Hachinosu Island immediately to fight Whitebeard and Beelzebul for ten days and ten nights.
However, this was a critical stage in the Beasts Pirates' plan for Wano Country.
The Daimyo of Ringo, Shimotsuki Ushimaru; the Daimyo of Kibi, Fugetsu Omusubi; and the Daimyo of Udon, Uzuki Tempura, were about to be taken down by the Beasts Pirates.
Although Oden hadn't asked for help.
But if he went to Hachinosu Island now and provoked Whitebeard into leading his crew to Wano Country to visit Kozuki Oden, what would happen then?
It wasn't that he feared Whitebeard, but he didn't want to add unnecessary variables. Having planned for Wano Country for years, how could he let it all go to waste because of a momentary impulse?
Kaido suppressed the throbbing in his heart, telling himself over and over—
Now is not the time to be reckless! Once Wano Country is secured, I'll go find Beelzebul and fight for ten days and ten nights.
"Hmph, let that kid enjoy himself for one more year."