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SWOOSH!
Arthur soared through the azure sky, drifting toward the battlefield where Shanks and Kaido clashed. He moved with effortless grace, utilizing the power of the Float-Float Fruit to shed the shackles of gravity.
In the vast expanse of the sky, he appeared as a tiny black dot. Since he made no effort to conceal his presence, it wasn't long before he was spotted.
..............
"Beckman, a massive fleet has appeared on the horizon... Hiss, how can there be so many ships?"
"Is it the Marines trying to scavenge a victory?"
"Someone is flying toward us, and they're moving fast..." As the world's premier marksman, Yasopp didn't need a telescope to see across immense distances.
"Who is it? Can you confirm?" Benn Beckman asked, his brow furrowing.
Their captain was still locked in combat, and the rest of them were exhausted after their own grueling battle with the Beasts Pirates. If a high-level threat arrived now, they lacked the strength for a second round.
"Is it a pirate looking to make a name for themselves, or a Marine branch fleet?"
"No," Beckman analyzed calmly, puffing on his cigarette. "It's impossible for such a massive fleet to congregate in the New World without being noticed. This sea doesn't tolerate independent forces of that size—only the Four Emperors or the Sovereign have that kind of reach."
"Yasopp, look closer! Who is it?" Lucky Roux urged, tearing a chunk of meat from a bone.
"Let's see..." Yasopp squinted toward the approaching figure. "He can fly, but it's not the Marines' Moonwalk. No wings either, so he's not an Avian Zoan... There are very few people on this sea who can truly fly."
Aside from the Six Powers, most flight-capable users relied on fruits like Shiki's Float-Float, Fujitora's Press-Press, or Doflamingo's String-String.
As they watched, the shadow finally reached them, hovering directly overhead.
"That's... the Thunder Emperor?"
"WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?"
"Shouldn't he be at war with Whitebeard? Did it end that quickly?"
The expressions of everyone aboard the Red Force turned grim. Having been bogged down by the Beasts Pirates for seven days, they had no way of knowing Arthur's war had already concluded.
"He's heading straight for Shanks. Beckman, do we engage?"
"No. The Red-Haired Pirates aren't ready for a full-scale war with Arthur. Wait for Shanks' command!"
..............
On the island below, Kaido's fist collided with Shanks' blade once more, another exchange ending in a stalemate. Kaido's savage brutality was unable to overwhelm Shanks, while Shanks found himself without a way to put the indestructible Kaido down. At this rate, the war would only end when one of them collapsed from total exhaustion.
"Red-haired brat! Can't you even put any weight into your strikes anymore? Is this the same man who walked out of the Thunder God's territory and Big Mom's Totto Land?" Kaido roared, his face a mask of crazed aggression.
"Hahahaha! I suppose I just have a lot of 'face'..." Shanks laughed, but his expression shifted mid-sentence. He sensed a familiar, overwhelming pressure.
BOOM!
A figure plummeted from the sky like a falling meteor, slamming into the ground and kicking up a massive shroud of dust. As the haze cleared, Arthur's domineering silhouette was revealed.
"Wait... Thunder Emperor??"
Kaido, realizing the arrival of the one man he least wanted to see, suffered a visible shift in expression.
For the past two years, every time he thought of Arthur, the scars on his torso would ache—remnants of the positron and plasma cannons that had pierced his "indestructible" skin. Even the single horn remaining on his head was a mocking tribute to Arthur, the other having been vaporized.
Those humiliations were wounds that time would never heal.
"You don't seem particularly happy to see me," Arthur said with a faint smile. He glanced at Kaido's lone horn with a teasing glint in his eyes.
That casual look stung Kaido more than any insult.
"What do you want, you bastard? Get lost! Don't interfere in my business!!"
"Heh, nothing much. I just wanted to borrow something," Arthur replied nonchalantly. He then turned his gaze toward Shanks. "Your progress is impressive, Red-Hair."
"I've been giving it my all just to lead a crew capable of challenging you, Arthur!" Shanks replied with a calm smile.
On this sea, being called by a title was an admission of status. Arthur had just formally acknowledged Shanks as one of the Four Emperors.
"Borrowing something? I have nothing for you but my fists!!" Kaido's rage finally boiled over. He abandoned his assault on Shanks, his corded muscles bulging as he brought a massive palm down toward Arthur's head.
THUD!!
The palm struck with the weight of a mountain, resulting in a dull, heavy sound as if hitting a block of unyielding steel.
Arthur had simply raised a hand above his head, catching Kaido's enraged strike with one arm. The terrifying force was channeled through Arthur's legs and into the ground; with him at the center, massive cracks webbed out across the island.
"Your strength is as consistent as ever, Kaido," Arthur said, his feet rooted to the spot. He looked up at Kaido with a curious, clinical smile—the same look Dr. Vegapunk gave to high-quality experimental materials.
Being stared at so intensely by Arthur made even the mighty Kaido feel a chill crawl down his spine.
Seeing that the two had "business" to settle, Shanks immediately sheathed his sword, Gryphon, and retreated toward his ship. His battle intent vanished instantly.
"Shanks, we're done?" Lucky Roux asked.
"The goal is achieved. We've proven the Red-Haired Pirates have the strength of a Hegemon. Staying any longer invites too many variables..."
"We're leaving! Go find the islands willing to join us and plant our flag!!"
"AYE!!"
The Red-Haired Pirates departed without a second thought. They were a crew of singular purpose, executing their plans with surgical precision.
..............
Arthur ignored the departing fleet, his focus entirely on the behemoth before him.
"ROOM!!"
The spatial sphere erupted from his palm, instantly encompassing the entire island.
"What I meant was... I'd like to borrow a bit of your flesh and blood."
FLASH!
A scalpel forged of condensed lightning shimmered with a bone-chilling light. Arthur swung it toward Kaido's massive frame.
Consumed by a sudden, instinctive dread, Kaido tried to retreat, but there was no escape. Within the ROOM, the entire island was Arthur's operating table. No matter how fast he moved, as long as he was within that space, the strike was unavoidable.
SHLICE!!
The scalpel bit into the muscle. That legendary physique—the one that had left the Marines' executioners helpless—was carved open by Arthur as easily as if it were soft tofu.
A chunk of flesh flew into the air, detached from Kaido's body and suspended by the power of the fruit. Strangely, Kaido felt no pain, but the sheer horror of the situation broke his spirit. Like a whirlwind, he turned and sprinted off the island, diving into the ocean and swimming away at high speed.
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