On the battlefield, Matthias, Strugos, and their crew had blocked the way, so Squard and his men lost the rare chance to land on the island.
Makugai, along with Rakiya, commander of Whitebeard's Seventh Division, clearly recognized Strugos immediately.
In the past, the Golden Lion and Whitebeard had clashed countless times, so there was no mistaking each other.
"Strugos! Uldar! What is the meaning of this?!"
Strugos stood at the bow of one of his ships, holding a katana in one hand and a massive greatsword in the other — hence his title Strugos the Swordsman. Hearing Makugai shout, he burst into loud laughter.
"Makugai! The former Golden Lion Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates are old acquaintances, aren't they? Why waste words? The reason we're here is simple: to wipe you out!"
Pfft‑pfft‑pfft…
Suddenly, a strange, shuffling sound like flatulence echoed across the deck. A man dressed entirely in blue, looking like a circus clown, stepped forward.
Grimm recognized him instantly — Indigo, once the second‑in‑command of the Golden Lion Pirates, Shiki's most trusted aide and head of the Science Division.
He gestured wildly as if performing a mime act, leaving everyone puzzled, before finally speaking.
"According to my latest observations and inventions, the fight between Grimm and Whitebeard is drawing to a close."
"If you can speak, why make all those silly hand signals?!" Matthias, Strugos, and the rest of the former Golden Lion crew groaned in unison.
Strugos cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes. "In that case, we have no time to waste. We must show them what we are capable of!"
He raised his arm and roared, "Men — attack with everything you have!"
Years ago, Grimm and Shiki had split their forces. Grimm went to infiltrate the World Government, even living as a Celestial Dragon for three months — where he first met Hancock and her sisters.
Shiki, meanwhile, had launched his own assault but was defeated and thrown back into Impel Down.
Fleet Admiral Kong had been furious enough to execute Shiki on the spot, but Grimm, together with another powerful Celestial Dragon, had intervened and pleaded with the Five Elders to spare his life.
During the chaos, Jaina had opened a massive portal and rescued a large group of survivors from the Golden Lion fleet — including Matthias, Strugos, and their crew.
Indigo, as second‑in‑command, had never fought on the front lines; instead, he stayed behind to manage the containment of beasts infected by the Blood Plague and even broadcast the battle live across Sabaody Archipelago.
When the Scarlet Crusade charged, Indigo had already realized Shiki was going to lose.
He knew his captain would rather die than flee — even if escape was possible. But no one had expected Shiki to survive after all…
Since their leader still lived, the crew could not disband. After the war, Indigo and Strugos gathered the remaining loyalists, forming a loose alliance.
They tried several times to break Shiki out of prison, but failed each time, and were forced to wander the Grand Line.
Eventually, they drifted into the New World — only to find the era of the Four Emperors firmly established.
They clashed with Whitebeard's subordinate crews and barely escaped, then ran into Big Mom's fleet and were driven back completely.
That was when they understood: without a strong, undisputed leader, there was no future in the New World.
After much discussion, their thoughts turned to Grimm. After a long debate, they decided to seek his protection.
When news arrived that Grimm was fighting Whitebeard, Strugos and his crew — always eager for chaos — grew even more excited.
If they could earn great merit by fighting against Whitebeard's men, Grimm would have no reason to turn them away, right?
With that in mind, the remnants of the Golden Lion Pirates threw themselves into battle, guns blazing.
Their five ships exchanged fire with Squard's fleet, and as the vessels drew closer, pirates from both sides leaped onto each other's decks to fight hand‑to‑hand.
Marigold and the other Kuja watched the fierce exchange from the shore, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. "Whoever they are… they've saved us."
Having entered the Grand Line only recently, they did not recognize the old Golden Lion fleet.
But they were certainly grateful — these strangers had blocked Whitebeard's reinforcements and bought them precious time.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the ocean heaved again, tilting upward as if the whole world had been flipped over. Even seasoned pirates staggered; anyone less experienced would have been seasick instantly.
Matthias the Iron Mask swung his katana and grabbed the mast to steady himself, laughing loudly.
"Whitebeard is just as terrifying as ever — exactly how he fought against Captain Shiki all those years ago! Hahaha!"
Before the shockwaves faded, Squard swung his massive sword and clashed directly with Matthias's blade.
The deck was slanting sharply, so for a moment Squard stood higher while Matthias hung lower.
"Captain Squard of the Great Manta Ray Pirates, under Whitebeard!" Matthias sneered from behind his iron mask.
"I heard your crew was completely destroyed by Gol D. Roger alone, and you only rose back to power after swearing loyalty to Whitebeard. Is that true?"
Squard's face turned red with rage. "Shut your mouth!"
That defeat was the greatest shame of his life. He hated Roger more than anyone, and hated anyone who dared bring it up.
With the arrival of the Golden Lion remnants, the momentum that had just shifted in Whitebeard's favor was now balanced again.
Dodging Mannoroth's fist, Marco frowned and muttered, "This is getting more complicated… even the old Flying Pirates have turned up now!"
But time was not on Grimm's side. Whitebeard had twenty‑eight affiliated crews in total; only four had arrived so far, and the other twenty‑four were still sailing toward them.
Marco knew this all too well and shouted to rally his men. "Hold on! The longer this drags on, the surer our victory will be!"
"HOOOOARRR!"
Mannoroth let out a roar, gathered a mouthful of seawater, and fired it like a cannonball at Marco. Marco darted back and forth to avoid the stream.
"Hold on? In front of me?" Mannoroth mocked.
Tens of kilometers away, on the island where Grimm and Whitebeard fought:
Another massive tremor from Whitebeard's Devil Fruit forced both combatants to leap apart and create distance.
Grimm glanced toward the shore where Hancock and the others were, sensing a fierce battle raging there.
"Multi‑side skirmishes like this aren't so bad once in a while," he said casually.
Whitebeard, whose Observation Haki also picked up the heavy killing intent from the shore, narrowed his eyes and looked at Grimm, his voice low and edged with anger.
"My sons have not had a real battle in a long time."
"Even better!" Grimm smiled. "Too much comfort makes men weak. This little exercise will do them good. In fact, you should thank me, Whitebeard!"
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