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The four ringleaders of the rebellion—Redfield, World, Morgans, and Bill—led a fleet of twenty pirate ships and a full force of two thousand men from the World Pirates' territory in the Second Ring, straight into the heart of the Thunder God Sea: Thunder God Island!
They arrived with thunderous momentum, their killing intent surging like the tides!
On the opposing side, Shiryu led the die-hard loyalist faction. Ten pirate ships carrying over a thousand elites circled the outer waters of Thunder God Island, their hearts heavy but their resolve ironclad as they prepared to defend their ground to the death.
"The traitors are here!"
A scout perched at the highest vantage point spotted the dense cluster of ships and silhouettes on the horizon. He immediately lowered his telescope and screamed the warning.
"Ready!!"
"Once we engage, show absolutely no mercy!!"
"Kill this pack of shameful traitors!!"
The furious roar of a thousand men echoed through the sky, the sound carrying across ten nautical miles of open ocean!
On the horizon, the decks of the opposing fleet were teeming with people. The traitors had finally come face-to-face with the loyalists.
More than a dozen Captain-level figures locked eyes across the ten-mile stretch of water. neither side made any attempt to conceal the terrifying murderous intent burning in their gazes.
"Redfield! World! You better think clearly about what you are doing!"
Gathered on the lead ship, the seven loyalist Captains glared at Redfield, one of the rebel leaders, and projected their voices across the distance. "When Lord Arthur returns, every single one of you will die!"
"Barararararara! Still lying to yourselves, thinking the Thunder Emperor is alive? It seems there's no room for negotiation... You pathetic fools can die beneath the cannon fire that will destroy the world!"
On Byrnndi World's flagship, the Groseade—a ship as massive as a small island—the lush green forest on its deck suddenly parted. Rising from within was a colossal cannon, specially engaged to amplify the powers of the More-More Fruit!
World could no longer suppress the tyrannical rage in his heart. He roared, unleashing an attack he had held back for nine long years!
Having cowered under the Thunder Emperor for so long, the mere mention of Arthur's name sent him into a frenzy.
"Obliterate everything that stands in my way! More-More: Hundred-Fold Cannon!!"
BOOM!!!
A terrifying muzzle flash erupted. Under the amplification of the More-More Fruit, the projectile's size and speed were instantly multiplied by one hundred!
When speed reaches its limit, even the smallest object can unleash unparalleled destructive power.
A cannonball that is both one hundred times faster and one hundred times larger... its power is not simply a hundred times greater—it is exponential devastation.
"Is this the limit of your technique, World? You look truly pathetic when you're flustered!"
Facing an attack of this magnitude, there were few in the entire Thunder God Pirates—aside from the Captain, Vice Captain, and the giants—who could block it. Only one man stood ready.
Shiryu stepped forward without hesitation, shielding the other captains behind him. The sword energy brewing within the Seven Star Sword erupted in an instant!
SHING!!
With the sharp keen of a blade singing, the Seven Star Sword was unsheathed without a shred of hesitation. A crescent-moon blade of energy slashed outward, expanding into a massive arc of destruction. Silently, it sliced through the colossal shell capable of obliterating islands...
It cut right through the center, a clean bisection!
The massive cannonball, dark enough to blot out the sun, was split in two. The halves crashed into the ocean, whipping up monstrous waves.
The shockwaves rippled outward in all directions, causing the ships on the surface to rock violently, looking as if they would capsize at any moment!
Rumble—
In an instant, dark clouds smothered the sky, stretching beyond what the naked eye could see. The fickle weather of the New World seemed to be celebrating the outbreak of war.
Lightning churned within the clouds, the pitch-black darkness pressing down as if the sky itself were collapsing.
But no one paid attention to this "normal" weather. No matter how terrifying the climate or storms became, anyone who lived in the New World long enough got used to it.
The only things that truly scared them were super-cyclones or hailstones the size of houses. A little wind and rain around Thunder God Island wasn't enough to make them flinch.
"Shiryu. Setting aside whether the Thunder Emperor is dead or not, something has definitely happened to him. Why not come and assist me?"
Redfield stood amidst the gale, leaning on his bat-handled umbrella. His blood-red cape snapped violently in the sudden storm. He stood immovable as a rooted tree, extending a sincere invitation to Shiryu.
"I simply cannot understand it. You are so loyal to the Thunder Emperor, yet he didn't even make you the Vice Captain. Instead, he gave that title to me—a man who had never achieved any merit for the crew!"
"With your talent, sooner or later, you could challenge for the supreme throne of swordsmanship!!" Redfield hissed in a low voice, sounding as if he felt Shiryu was being wasted.
Beneath the shadow of his aviator cap, Shiryu revealed only bloodshot eyes and a mouth curled into a mocking sneer.
"Vice Captain? That is something I refused personally... And the supreme throne of swordsmanship? What is that worth? A stage where I can kill is all I need! As for submitting to you? WAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
He threw his head back in manic laughter, his expression one of utter disdain.
"Who do you think you are, Redfield?? There should be a limit to your arrogance... Looking across the entire world, only a great man like the Captain is worth dedicating my entire life to following!!"
"KILL!!!"
"KILL THEM!!!"
Shiryu's madness infected the thousand pirates whose morale had been wavering. In that moment, under his leadership, the morale of the seven captains and the loyalist forces surged to a fever pitch!
"Hmph!" Redfield's face turned ugly at the failed recruitment. "You seek death... then I will grant it to you!!"
"Let's begin!!"
Separated by several thousand meters, the two clearly defined factions—numbering thousands of men—finally crashed together under the roar of command.
Countless iron chains were fired, crisscrossing the gap and linking the ships together for boarding!
A brutal, tragic melee erupted!
"World, you piece of trash, don't get slaughtered by Shiryu!" Redfield turned his head, transforming into a swarm of bats shrouded in black mist. He charged toward the loyalist captains, aiming to crush their resistance as quickly as possible.
In Redfield's eyes, Shiryu was the only one with the strength to fight him—undoubtedly the strongest non-Emperor on the sea.
"Worry about yourself! Don't let your legend be ended by a bunch of weaklings today!!" World snapped impatiently, leading his pirates into a rampage!
Morgans' News Coo army and Bill's Silver Pirate Alliance instantly merged into the chaotic brawl.
The bloody clash had begun.
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The disappearance of the Thunder Emperor was the flashpoint for the Battle of the Four Emperors!
Inside the Thunder God Sea, a terrifying mutiny was underway. Outside the Thunder God Sea, countless pirate crews flooding into the New World had found their targets.
In this struggle for hegemony sweeping the entire New World, no pirate crew could remain on the sidelines.
The flames of war spread to every corner of the New World!
Several pirate crews that had originally been hesitant finally mobilized their forces to attack the Thunder God Sea, spurred on by intelligence provided by Morgans and their own scouts.
Shiryu had dispatched 6,000 men to guard the borders of their territory, refusing to bring them into the civil war against Redfield and the traitors. He did this specifically to prevent these vultures from causing chaos during their moment of greatest weakness.
Now, his worst fear had come to pass!
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