The warriors were all brimming with fighting spirit.
They stood neatly arranged on the ships, eyes fixed tightly on the target ahead.
With a single command, they would pounce on the enemy like fierce tigers.
Even more shocking was the sight of several giant dragons circling in the sky.
Their bodies were enormous, their scales shining with a metallic luster beneath the sunlight. Each scale looked like carefully forged armor—indestructible.
At times they soared through the sky, and at other times they dived downward. Their dragon roars shook the clouds.
"…"
A massive fleet of more than a thousand warships was slowly approaching.
On their masts, battle flags bearing the words "Subjugate Kaido" snapped loudly in the sea wind, as if declaring war on the enemy.
Every ship was packed with fully armed warriors. They wore sturdy armor, carried sharp weapons, and their eyes revealed fearless courage.
At a rough estimate, this fleet had at least tens of thousands of people!
They raised their weapons high and shouted in unison.
"Eternal Divine Kingdom! Eternal Divine Kingdom!"
The waves of sound rose higher and higher, as though they would stir the entire sea into towering waves.
That majestic momentum seemed capable of destroying every obstacle in their path.
Even Onigashima, which seemed like an unshakable fortress, looked as if it might be overturned by this overwhelming force at any moment.
Kaido radiated a terrifying aura.
On his cold face, his eyes burned like flames, filled with endless arrogance and disdain.
When he saw the scene before him, he gave a cold snort, full of contempt for everything in the world.
Once upon a time, the people gathered before him had been nothing more than ants in his eyes.
Their strength, compared to his, had been like a single drop in the ocean—not worth mentioning.
Back then, with a casual wave of his hand, he could have reduced them to ashes.
But times were unpredictable.
Now, these people he had once seen as lowly ants actually dared to gather so boldly and come to subjugate him with such fierce momentum.
However, his position was different now. Toward these existences that still seemed like ants in his eyes, he could not even be bothered to care.
He had goals and plans in his heart. Their provocation was merely an insignificant episode to him.
As the subjugation army gradually approached, the once-blurry scene on the shore became clearer before everyone's eyes.
The sight on the coast struck everyone like a sharp blade stabbing into their eyes.
Kaido was calmly gathering the remnants of the Beasts Pirates.
Those villains who had once ravaged Wano and committed countless crimes now stood in orderly formation.
Some of them had smiles on their faces, while others revealed a trace of fear. But more than anything, they showed loyalty and obedience toward Kaido.
"Kaido! Today is the day you die!"
An impassioned voice broke the brief silence. It was an angry shout from someone in the subjugation army.
That voice became a signal, instantly igniting the anger in everyone's hearts.
"Avenge the dead!"
Another voice rang out immediately after, filled with endless grief and determination.
"Pay with your life!"
Countless voices gathered together like surging waves, sweeping toward Kaido.
The furious roars echoed into the sky, as if they wanted to shatter the heavens.
Although Kaido's fearsome reputation was known far and wide, like the name of a demon, making many warriors' legs tremble uncontrollably, they still stood their ground.
Their hearts were filled with fear of Kaido, a fear that had sunk deep into their bones.
However, when they lowered their heads and saw the emblem of the Eternal Divine Kingdom drawn on their chests, an invisible force immediately surged within them.
That emblem symbolized faith, giving them courage and strength.
They knew very well that this was a righteous battle backed by the Divine Kingdom!
For justice, and for the innocent lives that had perished at Kaido's hands, they were willing to cast aside fear and charge forward.
The Nine Red Scabbards took the lead. Like nine blazing meteors, they leapt from the ships first.
Kin'emon gripped his sword tightly with both hands.
The blade flashed coldly under the sunlight.
His brows were furrowed, his eyes filled with firm resolve, and he silently swore to demand justice for Wano.
In Denjiro's eyes, flames of revenge burned fiercely.
His gaze locked onto Kaido, as though he wanted to engrave Kaido's figure into his mind and make him pay for everything he had done.
Kawamatsu's armor glittered beneath the sunlight.
He advanced with steady steps, his armor ringing crisply, his eyes full of confidence as he prepared to show his strength in this battle.
They had waited for this moment for far too long!
For so many years, they had struggled in darkness, enduring pain and suffering.
Now that the moment of revenge had finally arrived, how could they not give it everything they had?
However, when they charged forward with overwhelming momentum, that rainbow-like force suddenly seemed to be seized by an invisible hand around the throat.
They all stopped in their tracks.
Because they saw the white-clothed figure standing beside Kaido.
"L-Lord Ron?!"
Momonosuke stumbled and nearly fell from the back of his mount.
His eyes widened, his face filled with shock and confusion.
The fighting spirit that had just been blazing high was instantly doused as if by a bucket of cold water.
All the shouts from the subjugation army came to an abrupt stop, like roosters being grabbed by the throat and only able to let out weak croaks.
In that instant, the entire battlefield fell into deathly silence. Time itself seemed to freeze.
Ron was looking at them with a faint smile that was not quite a smile.
His eyes were deep and mysterious, impossible to read.
That meaningful gaze was like a cold wind blowing through everyone's heart, making them feel uneasy.
On a battlefield of tens of thousands, an eerie silence suddenly descended.
That silence felt unbearably oppressive and frightening, as though something terrible was about to happen.
Kin'emon's miraculous thought process began spinning wildly at that moment.
Countless ideas flashed through his mind, and all kinds of guesses tangled together in his heart.
"Could it be… Lord Ron and Kaido have colluded? Are they going to join forces and wipe us out?"
His voice trembled, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
The sweat slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground, reflecting the fear in his heart.
The hand gripping his sword began to shake. The sword that had once symbolized justice now felt heavy in his hand.
"No wonder Kaido looks so confident…"
He muttered to himself, despair appearing in his eyes.
Denjiro was relatively calmer.
Although he did not know Ron, he was also filled with suspicion now.