“Why are you here?”
Sengoku’s voice dropped from the battleship.
He had imagined many possibilities: perhaps Garp couldn’t find Whitebeard and the others and returned empty-handed.
Or perhaps Garp successfully located them and fought to the death.
Yet the only thing he never expected was that Whitebeard and his crew, who should have been fleeing in panic like prey, had actually doubled back.
Wait…
not “them.” Just Whitebeard alone?
Sengoku’s gaze quickly swept across the coastline behind Whitebeard; there wasn’t a second silhouette in sight.
What was Whitebeard’s goal in returning alone?
To shake off the dead weight so he could unleash his full combat power?
The moment that thought popped up, Sengoku instinctively rejected it.
Sengoku understood Whitebeard: he was not a warmonger, and under normal circumstances, there was no way he would double back like this.
That left only one truth.
A faint smile slowly surfaced on Sengoku’s face.
Gazing down at Whitebeard, he spoke in a measured, calm tone: “Where are the others?
Hiding?
Waiting for me to clash with you so they can seize the chance to sneak aboard and steal the ‘Heavenly Tribute’?”
Having his plan seen through, Whitebeard’s expression remained completely unchanged.
To be frank, anyone using a bit of their brain could guess there was something fishy about doubling back; he never expected to fool Sengoku in the first place.
“That’s right,” Whitebeard admitted in a deep voice.
Standing on the ship’s railing, Sengoku slowly paced along the deck edge, his tone composed and unhurried: “Your idea is indeed feasible, but only just.
Besides, you’re running out of time.”
The moment the words left his mouth, without giving Whitebeard any time to respond, he spun around abruptly and barked orders at the Marine soldiers behind him.
“Hear my command!
Move the battleship back three nautical miles!
Point all cannons skyward and fire!”
As the order dropped, the roar of machinery instantly exploded.
The engines of the World Government battleship surged, white foam churning at the stern as the massive hull shifted backward.
At the same time, cannon after cannon raised their barrels, aiming directly into the sky.
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH!
Pitch-black cannonballs trailing fiery streaks shot high into the air, tracing arcs across the sky before raining down, explosions detonating one after another.
Whitebeard’s gaze sank slightly.
Just as Sengoku said, time was against them.
Hearing the commotion, Garp on the island would undoubtedly rush back at once.
Furthermore, the World Government battleship had already backed off a certain distance into the sea.
If Whitebeard forcefully unleashed the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit now, the massive tidal waves and shockwaves would likely sweep up Ron and the others as well.
“Cunning bastard,” Whitebeard muttered under his breath.
Ron and the rest stopped hiding, quickly regrouping beside Whitebeard.
Sengoku truly lived up to his future title as the “Resourceful General.” In merely a brief moment, he had overturned an unfavorable situation and tossed the difficult problem right back to Ron’s side.
“We don’t have much time.
We must make an attempt before Garp gets back.
If we can’t pull it off in the end, we retreat immediately, understand?” Whitebeard instructed from the side.
Yet before his voice fully faded, he suddenly felt a tight squeeze around his waist.
Whitebeard looked down to see the beast claw of the transformed Ron gripping his belt tightly.
“Hey, Ron, what are you doing, you bastard?” Whitebeard asked in surprise.
“Aren’t we short on time?” Ron’s voice rumbled.
“Then we charge straight in, obviously.
I’m not going back empty-handed on this trip.”
With that, Ron tossed Whitebeard straight toward the World Government battleship.
“You bastard!”
Whitebeard cursed, but quickly adjusted his posture in mid-air.
Flipping his body, he gripped his naginata with both hands, Haki spreading along the blade while a white sphere of concentrated energy gathered at the tip—the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
At the same time, Ron didn’t stop, scooping up Kaido and Stussy in one go.
“Hey, hey, hey, can’t I just wait for you guys here?!” Stussy flailed her hands in the air.
“Or at least…
aim properly if you’re throwing us, Ron!”
Kaido showed no fear whatsoever.
Instead, looking as if he had just taken a shot of adrenaline, he raised his spiked club high, shouting in pure excitement: “Charge, charge, charge!
Ron, let’s go!”
“I really shouldn’t have tagged along with you guys…” Stussy closed her eyes in despair.
Ron didn’t throw them.
Holding onto both of them, he pushed off with all four limbs, his beast form sprinting across the water as he charged full speed toward the battleship.
Mid-air, Whitebeard had already closed in on the warship.
Sengoku looked up, the silhouette descending from the sky reflecting in his eyes.
“These lunatics!” Sengoku cursed, activating his Devil Fruit ability without the slightest hesitation.
Brilliant golden light flared.
A massive golden Buddha rose up from the battleship’s deck.
Its giant palm spread wide, black armor-like Haki coating the massive golden fist.
Locking onto Whitebeard’s trajectory, Sengoku threw a savage punch upward.
THUD!
Fist and blade collided mid-air.
A deafening roar echoed across the entire sea, terrifying shockwaves blasting outward like a tsunami.
Visible ripples squeezed through the air around the battleship.
The sea was pressed into a massive crater, surging waves rolling away to both sides.
Under the immense impact, the deck beneath Sengoku’s feet cracked instantly.
The entire battleship sank down noticeably, the ship’s hull groaning in strain.
“Hah!”
“Raaah!”
Both sides poured even more power into the clash.
Whitebeard’s naginata pressed down an inch, while Sengoku’s fist drove up two inches.
Shockwaves of energy burst outward with even greater violence, ripping up deck planks chunk by chunk, sending them swirling into the air only to be torn to shreds.
After a few seconds of deadlock…
The flooring beneath Sengoku’s feet could finally hold no longer.
Crack…
BOOM!
The floor collapsed completely, Sengoku’s figure dropping straight down alongside the shattered deck planks.
Whitebeard smoothly pulled his momentum back and landed steadily onto the battleship deck, leveling his naginata in front of him as his gaze locked onto the massive hole billowing thick smoke.
Before the dust could clear, a piercing golden beam shot out from the opening.
Whoosh!!
Sengoku vaulted up from the crater, quickly adjusting his stance mid-air as his eyes swept the surroundings like lightning.
The four-tailed Ron was gone.
Kaido was gone.
Stussy was gone too.
Sengoku’s face darkened instantly.
Without even thinking, he knew those three had slipped into the warship’s interior while he was clashing with Whitebeard.
“Damn it,” Sengoku growled through gritted teeth, reverting to his human form.
“I will never let it be lost under my watch!”
He spun around, about to charge into the cabins.
Just then, a tall figure appeared right behind him.
“Sengoku,” Whitebeard said slowly, “I haven’t gone down yet.”
Inside the battleship.
Ron, Kaido, and Stussy were tearing wildly through the corridors.
The hallways were narrow and winding, with iron doors positioned every set distance.
Decks, stairs, corridors, cabins—Ron’s group tore through them like a red-hot iron blade cutting through butter, leaving a trail of wreckage wherever they passed.
Alarms blared throughout the entire battleship, red warning lights flashing frantically.
Within moments, the ship’s interior was thrown into complete chaos.
“Left, left!
No, right!” Kaido yelled directions from behind.
“Shut up!
Just follow Ron!” Stussy snapped back, panting for breath.
BOOM!
With a massive crash, the largest and sturdiest iron door inside was sent crashing down by a single punch from Ron.
Behind the door lay a massive cargo hold.
Piles of treasure chests were stacked neatly along both sides of the room.
“Hahahaha!
We hit the jackpot!” Stussy’s grin stretched wide, her eyes glittering.
She dashed into the cargo hold in large strides, pulled a burlap sack from her waist, popped open a treasure chest, and squatted down to frantically stuff it full.
Ron and Kaido, however, weren’t distracted by the glittering gold.
In complete sync, the two rushed toward the chests, quickly flipping open a lid—no Devil Fruit, just gold coins; slammed it shut, flipped a second—still none, just jewels; slammed it shut, flipped a third…
“Ron,” Kaido asked as he searched, a hint of uncertainty in his voice, “our previous deal…
it still stands, right?”
“Don’t question my character,” Ron replied without looking up, his hands never pausing for a second.
“Hurry up and search, don’t get distracted.”
“What are you looking for?” an unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out in the cargo hold.
“Maybe I can help.”
Ron froze, his hands halting in place.
He instinctively looked toward the voice.
About three meters away, behind a set of iron bars, a pink-haired woman was gripping the bars, an explosive collar locked around her neck, her eyes staring straight at him without blinking.
A slave?
The thought crossed Ron’s mind, and he pulled his gaze back, casually opening another chest beside him while asking offhandedly, “Do you know which chest has fruit inside?”
The pink-haired woman didn’t answer right away.
She fell silent for a few seconds, as if processing the meaning behind Ron’s words.
Then, she spoke slowly: “Do you mean…
those strange fruits with swirl patterns on them?”
Ron’s hand froze in mid-air.
He slowly raised his head, looking back toward the pink-haired woman.