Kizaru was utterly miserable.
If he had known earlier, he would have traded missions with Good.
Escorting Shiki would've been a breeze—no battles, all smooth sailing.
But being paired with Akainu? That was just asking for trouble. Somehow, things escalated into a full-scale brawl.
Their mission had been simple surveillance—observe from afar. But then the Red-Hair Pirates spotted them.
At first, Shanks had no intention of fighting. There was no sign that a conflict was going to break out.
But Akainu's explosive temper flared up. He insisted they turn back immediately and not make contact with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Neither side was willing to back down. Tensions ignited, and the battle began.
Initially, it was manageable—two Marine Admirals versus one Emperor crew.
But then Whitebeard's forces joined the fray, and everything flipped on its head.
Kizaru, who had hoped to slack off, was now completely caught up in chaos. He silently cursed his luck. Honestly, between Akainu and Good, Akainu seemed more like the real Reckless Maniac.
Akainu, of course, ignored Kizaru's suggestion to retreat.
Retreat?
What a joke.
To Akainu, falling back would be the ultimate disgrace. It simply wasn't an option.
He rose to his feet once more. Magma surged across his body as he roared:
"Inugami Guren!!" (Hound Crimson Lotus)
A massive magma hound formed and lunged at Whitebeard.
But even now, Akainu wasn't at the level to challenge the world's strongest man alone.
Whitebeard swung his naginata with a mighty sweep. Air cracked around him as a halo of power from the Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit) gathered around the weapon's hilt.
He brought the blade down in a cleaving arc.
The force of the slash shattered the very air like broken glass.
The tremor cracks raced forward and clashed with the magma hound.
For a moment, the two attacks pushed against each other.
Akainu gritted his teeth, trying to overpower Whitebeard's quake-imbued strike.
But it wasn't enough.
He was blown away, crashing through several massive trees before finally stopping.
On the other side of the battlefield, Shanks lunged at Kizaru, sword gleaming.
Kizaru didn't even try to parry. He turned into golden light and vanished.
He reappeared beside Akainu, grabbed his scorched partner, and prepared to retreat.
But Marco, Whitebeard's First Division Commander, blocked his path using the powers of the Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix (Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix).
Glaring coldly, Marco said:
"This is Whitebeard's territory. Even if you're Admirals, you don't get to come and go as you please."
"If we just let you walk away, where's the dignity of the Whitebeard Pirates? Everyone would laugh at us!"
Kizaru wasn't too worried about Marco alone.
But below them, Ben Beckman, Yasopp, and other sharpshooters already had their guns trained on him.
He didn't dare move carelessly.
Ben Beckman was the strongest of the Emperor's right hands. Marco was no slouch either.
Kizaru muttered, "This is really a problem…"
He was stuck.
Akainu, now recovering from the impact, was furious and ready to go again.
But just then, something strange appeared on the horizon—a small Marine warship… flying through the sky.
It was such a bizarre sight that everyone turned to look.
Shanks and Whitebeard both narrowed their eyes.
The image of a flying ship stirred up old memories… They couldn't help but think of a certain legendary pirate—Shiki.
Those unfamiliar with the old era were simply shocked. Flying ships were an unheard-of spectacle.
Shanks turned toward Yasopp.
"Check it out. Use the telescope."
Yasopp obeyed immediately, raising his scope to get a closer look.
He spotted three people standing boldly at the front of the ship.
One of them, towering above the rest, stood out easily.
Yasopp's expression changed. He turned back to Shanks and reported:
"Captain! That new Fourth Admiral from the Navy—it's him!"
"…The Fourth Admiral?"
Shanks took a moment, then recalled the recent announcement from Marine HQ.
"The Reckless Maniac Admiral?"
Whitebeard raised a brow, clearly interested.
Many pirates nearby chuckled when they heard the nickname.
"What kind of title is that?"
Ben Beckman, however, was puzzled.
"Wait a minute. If that guy's just the Fourth Admiral, how is the ship flying?"
"Only Shiki had that kind of power…"
Everyone began to connect the dots.
Yasopp checked again and confirmed, "Shiki is tied up next to him."
The crowd was stunned.
Shanks and Whitebeard exchanged glances—neither had expected this.
Shiki had actually been captured by the Reckless Maniac?
The warship gradually approached and came to a hovering stop above the island.
At the front of the ship stood Good, beaming with excitement.
Beside him stood Momousagi, hand resting on her sword, visibly tense.
This wasn't like facing Shiki. They were staring down two Emperors—Whitebeard and Shanks.
Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, demanded extreme caution.
But Good?
He stood there like an idiot on vacation, completely unfazed.
The worst off was Shiki himself.
He was bruised all over, one eye swollen shut, and looked completely wrecked.
In his heart, he cursed Good with every fiber of his being.
That lunatic had beaten him up mid-flight for no reason.
He still couldn't figure out why. He was already a prisoner. Why punch him again?
But it was that very beating that let Good access the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit) and use it to fly the ship.
Now hovering above the battlefield, Shiki looked down and immediately shouted:
"Whitebeard!! Get me outta here! I'll give you treasure—just help me!!"
Down below, Whitebeard glanced at him with cool indifference. He didn't even respond.
As for Shanks—Shiki saw him as a junior, so he would never ask him for help.
Ben Beckman frowned and then raised a question:
"Wait. If Shiki's wearing Seastone cuffs… how is he using the Float-Float Fruit to keep that ship airborne?"
Everyone suddenly froze.
Right!
Shiki was clearly shackled with Seastone—how was the ability still active?
Back on the ship, Shiki was already swearing up a storm.
"That ain't me using it, dammit!!"
"It's this bastard next to me…"
(End of Chapter)
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