Linderland Island's ruined harbor.
Aboard the World Pirates' ship, the crew stared at the overwhelming tsunami on one side and the massive lion-shaped waves on the other, panic instantly spreading through the ranks.
"Captain World, we're caught in the middle!"
"This is on the level of a natural disaster, right?!"
"Shut up, rookie! Our captain isn't afraid of anything like that!"
In truth, World showed little fear. If he dared to land here in front of both Shiki and Whitebeard, then naturally, he had the strength to back it up.
"Shiki and Newgate… those bastards…" World cursed, his aura beginning to surge.
Conqueror's Haki!
(Note: In the movie, World never used Conqueror's Haki, so I'm just assuming he got rusty after being frozen for thirty years.)
A powerful burst of Haki erupted from his body, coiling up along both arms—this was Conqueror Haki coating!
At the very moment the lion swarm and the tsunami were about to swallow Linderland Island whole, World made his move.
With both arms wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, he thrust them outward, launching punches to either side. The wild Haki surged forward at incredible speed, smashing into both the tsunami and the lion swarm.
In an instant, it was like an explosion at the center—water vapor blasted into the sky over Linderland Island. A massive hole was torn open in the tsunami, the lion swarm lost its cohesion, and the seawater blown into the air came crashing down like torrential rain over the island.
Then, beyond the island, the tsunami and lion swarm collided head-on. The already violent sea turned into a battlefield, waves crashing against each other, spawning layers of surging tides, countless undercurrents, and massive whirlpools. The fish, sea beasts, and even Sea Kings lurking beneath had no time to escape—they were torn apart, crushed into pulp, their blood staining the ocean in dark red patches.
A catastrophe of this scale couldn't possibly subside quickly.
Yet it was almost as if the forces feared the overwhelming might of Shiki, Newgate, and World. After colliding and compressing against each other, they dispersed outward in other directions.
Moments later, the sea was still turbulent—but no longer as apocalyptic as before.
Watching the surging currents and remnants of the tsunami roll away into the distance, a fleet from the Whitebeard Pirates had, at some unknown moment, already drawn near.
Two years ago, Newgate had spent a fortune to build his flagship—the Moby Dick—and it now led the fleet.
The towering Newgate stood at the bow, gripping Murakumogiri. Draped in his captain's coat and wearing a pirate hat, his crescent-shaped mustache curled upward as he grinned wildly.
Behind him, his "sons" of the Whitebeard Pirates all looked eager for battle.
"Gurarararara! I was wondering who dared to barge in here—so it's you, World…" Newgate laughed heartily, greeting him first.
"What an irritating laugh. After all these years, you're still just as annoying as ever, Whitebeard…" World replied with a displeased expression.
From the other side, Shiki let out a villainous laugh.
"Jihahahaha! You find him annoying too? Want to team up with me, World? Let's kill Whitebeard together right here!"
Shiki had just said Whitebeard would never stoop to teaming up with someone like World.
But Shiki himself didn't have that same level of pride. More ambitious and ruthless, he was one of the sea's true overlords.
Even though he didn't think World would agree, he still tossed it out there—no harm in trying. Who knew? Maybe it'd work.
As expected, World had no intention of teaming up with Shiki. Just as he turned his head to mock Shiki, he suddenly sensed something off and snapped his gaze toward the distant horizon—where the raging waves should have been receding.
Not just him—Newgate and Shiki also noticed it, both turning to look.
"Ice Age…"
A biting frost erupted from the far end of the sea. The surging waves and currents visibly slowed, as if the ocean itself had been paused, freezing solid into ice—leaving behind only a narrow channel just wide enough for a single ship to pass through.
Newgate's eyes showed a hint of confusion, but Shiki, after a brief pause, seemed to realize something, his grin widening even further.
At that moment, the frozen wall of tsunami ice at the horizon suddenly shattered.
A savage, domineering chain axe, wrapped in Haki, smashed straight through it, scattering ice shards into the air and blasting open a hole just large enough for a massive three-masted ship to sail through.
As the icy mist gradually dispersed, the silhouette of the Oro Jackson emerged from the waterway.
On the deck, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban stood in a three-headed formation at the center. Slightly to the left at the bow, Valthior yanked hard, smoothly retracting the chain axe he had thrown.
The power that froze the sea naturally came from him—no mistake about it, it was basically a copy of Kuzan.
But then again, Kuzan hadn't even made a name for himself yet. Who knows if he'd even eaten the Ice-Ice Fruit at this point? So how could this be called copying?
If anyone were to judge later, it'd be Kuzan copying Valthior, alright?
That's the advantage of debuting first!
"Hahaha! Looks like we're not late!" Roger stood on the deck, laughing as he looked toward World's pirate ship near the island.
Rayleigh rested a sword on his shoulder, a confident smile on his face. "Not only are we not late—you could say the timing is perfect…"
Gaban gripped his axes with both hands, grinning. "Getting all these guys together in one place is rare on the seas… Today's going to be one hell of a fight!"
Not far away, Valthior said coldly, holding his chain axe, "Don't get too carried away. Priority number one is grabbing the Poneglyph on World's ship!"
"Jihahahaha! Roger! We finally meet again! I've been waiting for you in the New World so long I was starting to get bored!" Shiki floated into the air, laughing loudly.
Newgate stepped forward as well, gripping Murakumogiri, a grin spreading across his face. "It's been years since we parted in the West Blue. I thought you'd never come to the New World again…"
Shiki and Newgate had a deeper connection with Roger—they'd crossed paths many times.
World, on the other hand, had met Roger before, but there was no real relationship between them.
So after Shiki and Newgate finished greeting him, World simply stared at the Roger Pirates with a dark expression.
Though they were far apart, at their level, perception was sharp. World could faintly sense it—this suddenly appearing Roger Pirates crew was radiating a strong hostility toward him.
Hearing their words, Roger placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, Ace. A grin spread across his face.
"Yeah, it's been a while… but don't get the wrong idea—I'm not here to catch up with you two today."
Before Shiki and Newgate could react, Roger suddenly drew Ace, a fierce smile appearing as he pointed the blade straight at the World Pirates and shouted:
"Byrnndi World! Hand over the Poneglyph on your ship!"
Already irritated, World instantly understood—his instincts had been right. Roger had come for him.
There was no way he'd hand it over obediently.
Cracking his neck, World sneered, "If you want what's mine, come take it with your life, Roger!!!"
It was a declaration of war.
The next second, Roger swung Ace, a slash soaring through the air.
"Divine Departure!!!"