Warships generally sailed much faster than pirate barques.
Still, Yuno's ship made steady progress, eventually approaching the waters near the G7 branch.
The journey was uneventful. Even if pirate ships were sighted, they kept their distance once the navy vessels became visible. The navy's influence in the first half of the Grand Line remained formidable.
Yuno was reviewing documents in his office when one notice caught his eye:
Who's-Who, captain of the Who's-Who Pirates, with a bounty exceeding 300 million berries, fought and defeated Jack, one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, in the New World. He was subsequently recruited by Kaido to join the Beasts Pirates!
The date matched roughly two weeks ago—around the time Yuno had set sail.
Who's-Who…
The name rang a bell. Yuno recognized the character from the original story through the bounty notice. He was destined to become one of the future Flying Six of the Beasts Pirates!
Who's-Who had once been a member of CP9, claiming to rival Rob Lucci—the strongest of the past eight hundred years. Whether that was true or not remained uncertain, but his portrayal in the original tale left no doubt that he was a formidable force.
Yuno was lost in thought when a sudden knock interrupted him. Before he could respond, the door burst open.
A soldier rushed in, urgency in his voice:
"Sir! Sir! We've spotted what looks like a pirate ship ahead!"
"A pirate ship?" Yuno's curiosity piqued.
"The ship's battered, and the flags are unrecognizable. It seemed to emerge from the seabed—it must have been coated to sail underwater. As soon as it saw us, it headed straight this way!" the soldier reported.
Yuno stood. "Let's go check it out."
By the time he left the office, the two ships had already begun to engage. Because it had surfaced so suddenly, the pirate ship was alarmingly close. In other words, even from the depths of the sea, it had been tracking Yuno's warship.
Far away on the pirate ship, a lookout spotted the navy vessel.
"Boss! That's a warship! What should we do?"
Beast Claw Damon—the former vice-captain of the Who's-Who Pirates with a bounty exceeding 120 million berries—narrowed his eyes and snorted.
"Navy? So what? I'm not that cowardly Who's-Who! Charge and seize the warship!"
After encountering Jack, the "Drought" of the Beasts Pirates, in the New World, the Who's-Who Pirates had faced a fierce battle. The fight had been triggered by a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, pitting two captains of Zoan powers against each other. After a prolonged clash, Who's-Who had ultimately been defeated.
Kaido then recruited Who's-Who into the Beasts Pirates. Some of Who's-Who's companions refused to serve under Kaido, however. Led by Damon, they boldly broke away, taking a Devil Fruit with them.
"Why should Who's-Who give Kaido, the King of Beasts, what we've stolen?" Damon had declared.
This act infuriated Kaido, prompting him to order Jack to pursue Damon's group. Chased back from the New World and running low on supplies, Damon's crew naturally set their sights on Yuno's warship—the scene that had just unfolded.
...
The two sides clashed, and without hesitation, a fierce battle erupted! Those who had reached the New World were naturally far stronger than the pirates of the previous era. Almost all wielded dual-color Haki, though their mastery varied.
Once combat began, the Navy steadily lost ground. If not for the strength of several captains who could withstand the onslaught, the situation would have been catastrophic. Drake and Smoker were among the Navy's finest, some even reaching the caliber of brigadier generals.
The two engaged Damon directly but were quickly tested beyond their limits. Smoker's elemental form posed a challenge to those skilled in Armament Haki, yet his training in the Elite Battalion had honed his physical prowess to a formidable level.
"Damn it…" Drake gritted his teeth, enduring three bloody slashes from Damon's claws. Drawing on his animal-type physique, he retaliated with a powerful punch that sent Damon staggering.
Damon scraped his claws along the deck to halt his momentum. A flash of red sparked in his eyes as he sneered. Three claws, darkened by jet-black Armament Haki, deflected Smoker's smoky fists. Damon then lashed out with a brutal series of slashes, leaving bloody marks across Smoker's form before delivering a kick that sent him flying. Smoker barely managed to return to the deck, his expression grim, chest bleeding.
This pirate… what raw power!
"Navy? That's all?" Damon growled.
Crossing his arms, he unleashed a flurry of six intersecting slashes, slicing through space toward the marines. Drake and Smoker attempted to block, but other pirates intercepted them.
Despair washed over the marines—resistance was futile.
Then, a figure appeared from behind.
"Attacking my subordinates? Did you get my permission?"
The voice was cold, dripping with lethal intent. An even more terrifying silver slash followed. The two forces clashed, unleashing a blast of wind.
Yet in the next instant, Yuno's slash overpowered Damon's, knocking him back, though with less force.
"Hmm?" Damon's eyes sharpened. Clenching his fist, Armament-coated iron claws extending, he smashed downward, shattering Yuno's blade.
Still, the force of the counterattack sent him skidding back.
Damon frowned. "Rear Admiral?"
Yuno approached, face grave. "Pirates… you're bold enough to attack the Navy?"
"Humph! Pirates and the Navy can never reconcile. Stop wasting words!" Damon replied coldly, though he did not strike first.
Even so, Yuno's presence radiated a serious threat. He chuckled. "Exactly. Then… enough talk. It's time for your death."
With that, Yuno flashed forward, silver fiber in hand, sword enveloped in a domineering armament glow.
"A rookie who can't even harden Armament Haki dares be so arrogant?" Damon scoffed, masking the fear he felt.
But the next moment, laughter died in his throat. The collision of sword and claws sent a shockwave through him. Yuno's sword radiated an unprecedented danger, sharper and more precise than before. The silver slash, focused at the hidden tip, made the blade blindingly lethal.
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