At the outer edge of the territory ruled by the Four Emperors, the Straw Hat Pirates were locked in a fierce battle with the All-Star known as King the Wildfire.
King had been so heavily suppressed that he could barely lift his head, an unbearable humiliation for someone so used to looking down on others from atop the food chain. But there was nothing he could do about it.
Thanks to their previous fight with Kuina, the crew had come to fully understand their shortcomings in aerial combat. Luffy had since focused on improving the agility of Gear 4, and now his command of midair movement had grown significantly more refined.
For Zoro, the key to aerial battle lay in the power and speed of his airborne slashes, a core discipline for any swordsman aspiring to true mastery.
As for Sanji...
After letting go of his internal resistance and donning the Germa 66 Raid Suit, Stealth Black, his combat prowess had taken a substantial leap. He now excelled in aerial combat with startling fluidity.
This had already been proven beyond doubt during their escape from Whole Cake Island.
Even Usopp, their sniper, Robin, whose powers partially counter aerial units, Nami's thunder-infused weather abilities, and Franky's laser artillery, all worked together to pressure King to the point he had to descend onto the ship for close combat.
But once it came to close quarters, the entire Straw Hats could join the fray. King gained no advantage there.
If they didn't have to divert attention to protect the Thousand Sunny, King might have already been forced to retreat.
However, it was equally true that the crew was limited to fighting aboard the ship. Their defense was solid, but they couldn't do much more than hold the line.
"These damn brats!"
King seethed with rage. A bounty exceeding a billion, and yet he was struggling against a mere handful of rookie pirates? It was intolerable.
But the facts remained, he was indeed unable to overpower them. Just moments ago, he'd nearly been knocked out of the sky and into the sea. If he kept pushing, there was a real chance he could end up humiliated, or worse.
Scowling, King descended onto his own ship, ready to give the order to fire. But then—
Fwoosh—
BOOM!
A sudden barrage of cannon fire rained down from above, sending massive water pillars erupting around the Thousand Sunny.
"Luffy! A ton of Beasts Pirates ships are closing in!" Usopp shouted.
"Their firepower is insane!"
"Brace for bombardment!" Luffy roared. This was enemy territory, they'd been fighting too long without interference. Of course reinforcements were bound to arrive.
The overwhelming cannon fire pressed down on the Straw Hats harder than even King had managed to.
King was just one opponent, but there were too many cannonballs to dodge, and if they couldn't hold the line, the Sunny would be lost.
"Drake!"
King scoffed as the reinforcements arrived, led by none other than Calamity of Arms: X Drake.
Drake's fleet was outfitted with Wano-manufactured cannons and war gear, heavy firepower that had earned him credit in defending Kaido's domain.
"What are you doing here?"
Though Drake had once been personally promoted by King, and wasn't the kind of reckless fool Queen was, King couldn't help but bristle.
As the strongest of the All-Stars, King had taken on a critical mission. To be rescued by someone younger, even someone promising like Drake, was a bruise to his pride.
The flames on his back burned brighter in silent fury.
"King-san, I just circled back from the border. The Marines are showing unusual troop movements again," Drake reported grimly.
"They've completely surrounded an island. More importantly—"
"Cross-referencing intelligence, we've learned that when the Straw Hats escaped from Totto Land, they didn't head straight into our waters. They stayed on that island for a full day before being pursued by the Navy."
King turned sharply to Drake.
"Oh? So they found something on that island, maybe even took it with them?"
"No wonder I had such a hard time tracking them down."
"That's likely the case," Drake nodded, glancing at the Straw Hats now frantically defending against the incoming bombardment. He frowned.
"But even so, this might not be enough to stop them."
"We can't sink them either. If they're carrying something valuable, destroying it in the crossfire would be a complete waste."
"Then what do you propose?"
King asked. He had realized this problem as well. Crushing the Straw Hats outright was out of reach, and more violent measures would risk the very objective they were after.
But he did trust Drake's judgment. If Drake had come personally, he likely had a plan.
"I suggest we inform them directly, that Kaido holds one of the Road Poneglyphs."
Drake's voice was low and steady.
"If they managed to obtain a rubbing of Big Mom's Road Poneglyph, then they'll eventually need the others. And Kaido's is the only one whose location is publicly known."
"The Straw Hat is dead set on becoming the Pirate King, right? He even tried to assassinate Big Mom at her own tea party. They're not lacking in nerve. If they hear this, they'll definitely come to Wano of their own accord."
"Hm… That makes sense," King mused, nodding slowly.
"In that case, they'd be walking right into our trap. Once they're in Wano, they're in our territory. They won't be able to escape."
"Even if they don't have a rubbing, just bringing Nico Robin is enough for us to meet our goal."
"Exactly. I'll go speak to them, King-san."
Drake offered a faint smile. Given how thoroughly King had been suppressed by the Straw Hats, sending him again might only trigger another clash.
"Hmph." King crossed his arms and snorted in approval. Drake bowed slightly, then leapt back to his ship.
On the Thousand Sunny, the shelling had just let up. The Straw Hats landed on the deck one after another, seizing the moment to catch their breath.
They'd managed to push King back, but if he were determined to destroy them, they wouldn't stand a chance, especially in his full Zoan form. If he fought at full power, even at the cost of injury, the Sunny could be critically damaged.
As the pirate ships closed in, Nami's expression darkened.
"Don't tell me... it's really him!"
"What's wrong, Nami? Who is it?" Luffy asked, panting. Gear 4 took a heavy toll, and he needed to recover quickly before more enemies attacked.
"That's... one of the men who used to serve under Fleet Admiral Wright, back when he was stationed in the East Blue!"
"He's now a traitor to the Marines, and one of Kaido's All-Stars, Calamity of Arms: X Drake!"
"One of Wright's men...?"
The crew grew tense. No matter what caused Drake's defection, the fact he had once served under Fleet Admiral Wright meant he couldn't possibly be weak.
"Well, well... Nami-san. It seems you still remember me from the East Blue."
Drake's voice was calm, devoid of nostalgia.
"I'm not here today to hunt you down... You're not yet worth King-san and me acting together."
There was a deeper meaning in his tone.
"I heard... you've obtained a rubbing of the Road Poneglyph?"
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