"Ghost Island."
In the hall of Skull Castle, the urgent cries for help from the Radio Snail echoed continuously.
"Lord Kaido! Kuri is under attack, it's that Eight-winged Archangel from the Endgame, we can't hold them off at all!"
"Ringo is in crisis! Ringo is in crisis, there's a powerful Female Sword Master clearing out our stronghold!"
"Shimotsuki's weapons factory is being attacked by the Phoenix Marco, requesting support! Requesting support!"
"Report! The former Navy Grand Admiral has broken into the Flower Capital's General's Mansion!"
"There's been a massive explosion in the Hakumai area, all the ports are being controlled by a flying blind man! Wow, he's flying over here!"
Listening to the continuous reports from the Radio Snail.
King and Quinn's faces grew increasingly pale, cold sweat pouring down.
It's... it's over.
Including the two of them, and Lord Kaido, almost all of the top strength of the Hundred Beasts Pirates was inside this castle.
The remaining ones outside could easily bully ordinary Pirates, but how could they be a match for the seven highest officers of the Endgame?
Wano Country was already on the brink of collapse!
"..."
Kaido's expression also darkened, suddenly he threw his head back and drank the rest of his wine in one gulp, then crushed the wine gourd in his hand.
"Wororororo!"
He laughed in anger, viciously saying:
"Good, very good! Shano! Looks like you really don't want to wait anymore, planning on settling the score between us here and now!"
At this point,
There was no second choice!
Kaido's body began to swell, cyan scales rapidly covered his entire form, "Then, let's settle this with a death battle here, Shano!"
Roar!
With a deafening dragon's roar, a massive Cyan Dragon soared into the sky, breaking through the roof, spiraling under the full moon in the night sky!
However, before he could launch an attack, Barrett's battle spirit was already uncontrollable, suddenly bursting forth!
"Enough of your chatter, Kaido! I've been waiting long enough, go save your subordinates, leave this place to me!"
Barrett grinned a fierce smile, his muscles instantly swelling to their limit, and in that instant, a pure black Haki covered his entire body like a tangible substance.
Bang!
The ground beneath his feet exploded with a roar, his entire body shot towards Shano like a cannonball!
"Kid, let me show you true power!"
His right fist clenched, carrying an astounding aura of destruction, crashing down towards Shano!
"Nation-breaker!"
The power contained in that punch was so immense that the entire hall seemed to be drained of oxygen, and time appeared to freeze at that moment.
The entire Ghost Island shook violently under that strike.
The solid ground rolled up like waves, and the shockwaves obliterated the entire wide Wano-style hall to flat ruins!
"Hey, hey, hey, didn't dodge in time? Did I get him already!"
Barrett's smile grew even more sinister, but in the next moment, as the dust settled, his pupils shrank suddenly—
Shano still stood there unmoved, casually lifting his left hand, palm facing outwards.
That punch, seemingly capable of earth-shattering destruction, was effortlessly blocked with a single hand by the opponent!
"Your stance just now did get me a little excited for a moment."
Shano spoke nonchalantly, his left hand's five fingers suddenly clenched, twisting slightly, "But in the end, it seems a bit disappointing."
Crack!
The excruciating sound of bones shattering followed, Barrett's entire arm twisted like a pretzel, his fierce expression contorted with agony, becoming even more menacing.
"Argh!"
His scream was gut-wrenching, but Shano's expression remained calm, his right hand formed a fist, entwined with black and red lightning, simply delivered a straight punch.
Bam!
Barrett spat out a large mouthful of blood, flying backward hundreds of meters, landing just right in the arms of the massive Cyan Dragon, causing Kaido to emit a muffled groan too.
This...
Was this the power of the Master of the End?
King watched in dumbfounded awe, this was a scene so similar to the previous one.
That arrogant to the extreme Barrett, the man who had just displayed overwhelming terrorizing strength before them both...
Was actually defeated with a single punch?
"Cough, cough..."
Barrett struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, clutching his twisted deformed right arm, cold sweat dripping from his brow, staring intently at Shano.
How was this possible?!
He was Douglas Barrett!
The devil's heir who became famous across the seas twenty years ago!
At 8, trudging through battlefields filled with landmines, at 13 becoming a national hero, at 14 after being betrayed, destroying a nation single-handedly, at 15 setting sail officially, dueling everyone in the Roger Pirates, except for Roger, only Rayleigh could fight him to a draw!
After twenty years of bitter training at Impel Down, he had perfected both his physique and Haki to the pinnacle a human could reach!
Yet...
Yet in the end, he couldn't even make his opponent move a single step?!!!
"Stronger indeed, Shano..."
The Cyan Dragon that was Kaido narrowed its eyes, speaking seriously:
"Such a level of power has completely surpassed the limits of this sea, hey! Could it be that you're really the legendary Joyboy?"
"Joyboy? I clearly denied it last time, Kaido."
Shano furrowed his brow, coldly responding:
"If you trusted less in this destiny nonsense, maybe you wouldn't have wasted twenty years without fulfilling your dream, launching your great war, and wouldn't be here in Wano Country, playing pirate games with a third-rate scum like Kurozumi Orochi!"
The man before him, like most heroes, came from humble beginnings, endured countless hardships, once despised the nobility, once loathed warfare, once wished to use his own power to entirely reshape the world.