Wano Country — Onigashima.
Kaido's face twisted as he read the intelligence report in his hand. The next moment, his fingers clenched.
Crack!
The Den Den Mushi and the attached fax were crushed in his grip.
"Bastard… an absolute bastard! Someone actually had the audacity to strike at my Beasts Pirates—killed one of the Flying Six, defeated Jack, and threw him into Impel Down!"
"And now they're planning to declare war on us? Does he really think I'm like Whitebeard, hiding in my shell?"
Kaido roared in fury, grabbing his massive kanabo and swinging it sideways at a nearby subordinate.
BOOM!
The pirate didn't even have time to react before being launched like a human baseball, tearing through the sea and vanishing over the horizon in seconds.
The sudden outburst sent the surrounding pirates scrambling back in fear.
Only Queen and King, long accustomed to such scenes, remained unmoved.
"Heh… Boss Kaido, Jack's still our little brother. We can't just let him rot in Impel Down without doing something,"
Queen said coldly, cigarette dangling from his lips.
"We're not like those weaklings in the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Don't forget—when Oden died, Whitebeard didn't even fart in response."
"No… just now, we received word. Whitebeard has declared war—and he's daring us to do the same," King suddenly interjected.
"Whitebeard declared war?"
Queen and Kaido's expressions shifted.
They hadn't expected the old man, who'd been passive for years, to finally show some backbone.
But when Kaido recalled King's final remark, he slammed his kanabo into the ground again and bellowed:
"Good! That old man still has the nerve to mock me? Let's see who laughs last!"
"King, spread the word—tell Marine HQ they'd better prepare stronger forces to face me. I'm not some washed-up relic like Whitebeard."
"Let the whole sea know—the Beasts Pirates accept the declaration of war!"
His thunderous voice echoed across Onigashima like a storm.
The pirates who had been waiting for this moment erupted into deafening war cries.
Unlike the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beasts Pirates had never stopped fighting. They thrived on war.
Compared to the dull life on Onigashima, nothing thrilled them more than the promise of an all-out war.
With two Emperors declaring war and Marine HQ issuing a full mobilization order, the entire sea trembled with anticipation.
The Beasts Pirates began broadcasting recruitment calls across the seas.
Any pirate crew that joined them in battle would be granted full membership in a Yonko crew if victorious.
This once-unreachable offer sent shockwaves through the Grand Line.
If it were just the Beasts Pirates against Marine HQ, few would dare join.
But the Navy had gone mad—declaring war on two Emperors at once.
To many, this suicidal move hinted at a rare opportunity for victory.
If Marine HQ was crushed in this two-front war, the sea would lose its greatest enforcer of justice.
And that meant more territory, more power, and more prestige for those who survived.
According to Marine intelligence, in just a few days, the Beasts Pirates had absorbed over twenty pirate crews with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries.
Faced with this explosive growth, even Tsuru and Sengoku couldn't hide their concern.
To them, Jack the Drought was nothing compared to the importance of Portgas D. Ace.
The primary battlefield would center around Ace's execution.
The forces allocated to face Kaido would be thinner—barebones at best.
Unless Luo Yu could truly recruit the special combatants he promised…
Kaido might crush them.
Grand Line — Paradise.
A massive Marine warship passed through the Gates of Justice, riding a special current at high speed.
Once the ship had vanished into the distance, a Marine stationed at the gate finally spoke.
"Rear Admiral Kibin, was that really the new Admiral, Luo Yu? He's so young—it's hard to believe he's already reached that rank."
"But rumor has it he's on a critical mission to recruit special combatants from across the seas. Do you think there's anyone suitable in Paradise?"
Kibin shook his head solemnly.
"That's not for us to say. Let's just hope Admiral Luo Yu can pull it off."
One day later—
The warship continued cutting through the waves. Atop the mast, Tashigi, acting as navigator, puffed on a cigarette.
"Admiral Luo Yu, we still haven't found the island you're looking for. Are you sure the coordinates on this Log Pose are correct?"
"I checked the Navy's entire Log Pose archive—this location doesn't exist."
Her words sent a ripple of tension through the crew.
They all knew how critical Luo Yu's mission was—whether Marine HQ could face two Emperors hinged on its success.
On deck, Vice Admiral Doll—who had volunteered to join the mission—stepped forward.
"Admiral Luo Yu, I'll admit I'm still bitter about you taking Gion's promotion. But I sincerely hope you understand the weight of your responsibility to Marine HQ."
"This is not the time for games. If you mess around now, you'll break the hearts of everyone who still believes in justice."
Four days ago, upon hearing that Luo Yu would be recruiting special combatants, Doll had insisted on joining the mission.
Sengoku had reluctantly agreed—knowing Luo Yu's tendency to slack off, he figured someone needed to keep things on track.
But over the past few days, all Doll had seen was Luo Yu's strict 9-to-5 routine. No signs of actual recruitment.
Worse, they were still in Paradise—the so-called "weak sea."
Could they really find any "special combatants" here?
Luo Yu took a swig of his cheap liquor, then grinned.
"Vice Admiral Doll, even if you don't believe in my abilities, at least believe in the power of money."
"Right on time. We've just found our first special combatant."