Beltz withdrew the illusion.
Although he did not possess the direct ability to cast traditional illusions, by reflecting the Sea of Collective Subconscious into reality, he had successfully drawn Kong into the psychological domain he had constructed.
Naturally, he was the one playing the role of Adam, the Angel of Imagination. He did not show his true self because he had just "killed" Kong; they were antagonists. Under such circumstances, Kong would not have easily accepted him. Thus, he adopted a persona.
Furthermore, when he previously spoke to Liltotto about "transmigrating," he had mentioned an unknown existence. After some thought, he decided that establishing the figure of "Adam" was the best course of action. This allowed him to shift his relationship with Liltotto from a mere partnership to one of subordination. On the surface, he and Liltotto cooperated; in the shadows, Adam dictated the actions of all "transmigrators."
For the time being, he left Kong in Bleach world, letting him familiarize himself with that reality. Meanwhile, Beltz took the opportunity to return to the One Piece world. After all, on the other side, Shiki was likely approaching the waters of the Merah Kingdom.
Since Shiki had already declared his intent to the world, he was bound to clash with Roger. For maritime overlords of their caliber, once a challenge is issued, they must follow through; they cannot simply talk without acting. Heroes like Shiki and Roger, in particular, would never allow themselves to break their word. This was why the Navy mobilized immediately after Shiki's declaration. If these conquerors with Conqueror's Haki failed to uphold their own words, they would lose all standing on the great seas.
However, if a true fight broke out, it was highly probable that the original events of the manga would repeat: either Shiki would be defeated by Roger, or a storm would intervene, resulting in a steering wheel getting lodged in his skull. Beltz had to go and help, or at the very least, ensure Shiki returned safely. As for Shiki's "small fry" subordinates, they didn't matter—most were just thugs recruited at random. Besides, Beltz had already arranged for the "new generation" to join Shiki later.
When Beltz returned from Bleach world, Sengoku had not yet arrived at the scene of the previous battle. Looking down at the sea of fire, the scorching heat even singed him. However, his defense far surpassed Kong's, and his own attacks could not truly harm him. Considering the many tasks at hand, he couldn't afford to worry about Kong back in the other world.
Instead of immediately transforming into the Azure Dragon to fly to the battlefield, he first returned to Marine Headquarters in his human form, moving with relative stealth.
The Headquarters was currently in a state of utter chaos. The Fleet Admiral had been taken down, and the remaining Marines couldn't even grasp the situation! At this moment, Sengoku had not yet returned, leaving the entire Navy base without a leader to make decisions.
Of course, Beltz didn't care about the state of the Navy. He returned to the entrance of the Schatten Bereich he had used earlier and stepped inside. After walking a few dozen meters, he found the test subjects he had brought in.
"It's you!"
Inside the shadows, Alber was shivering from the cold. Seeing Beltz reappear, the group was overcome with joy and relief. Although Beltz had told them he was only placing them in the shadow temporarily and would return, he had been pursued by the Fleet Admiral at the time! If he had died, wouldn't they have been trapped in the shadow world forever? Seeing him return now, they were understandably emotional.
"I said I would take you away; I do not break my word," Beltz said. "I didn't have time to mention it before, but you can call me Beltz. I will take you to a safe place. Follow me."
Beltz led them out of the Schatten Bereich. Stepping out, the group finally saw the world outside the laboratory. When the real sunlight, the surging seawater, the salty air, and the wind of freedom hit their faces, these prisoners—trapped for years—nearly burst into tears. Some couldn't help but let out muffled sobs and cheers.
However, leaving one shadow only meant entering another: Beltz's own shadow. Since he was heading straight to the battlefield at full speed, these weakened test subjects likely wouldn't survive the journey. Moreover, once at the battlefield, they would be in even greater danger. His shadow was the safest place for them.
Currently, his shadow wasn't carrying much, but putting these five people inside made it feel somewhat "full." He estimated that his shadow could hold a maximum of eight people.
Taking one last look at Marine Headquarters, he shifted his form, transforming directly into the Azure Dragon, and soared toward the New World.
New World, Merah Sea.
As if sensing the impending duel of kings, the sky and sea had already changed color. The once azure sky was swallowed by thick, leaden clouds, and the howling wind whipped up massive waves. The vast ocean resembled a boiling cauldron.
The Oro Jackson tossed and turned amidst this violent natural power, like a stubborn leaf clinging to a tree swaying madly in a hurricane!
"Captain! Did you see this?!"
A swordsman with a long, pointed nose and a small mustache—Moon Isaac Jr., the tactical advisor of the Roger Pirates—showed Roger a newspaper.
"Hahahaha!" Roger laughed loudly, seemingly unaffected by the foul weather. "Shiki is really going for it! With a grand entrance like this, it would be hard not to know!"
"He's making such a scene; it'll be a problem if the Navy is lured here," Rayleigh said from the side. He held his own newspaper, calmly analyzing the details. "And not just the Navy; other pirates might move once they catch wind of this."
"Roger, what should we do? Should we leave?" Gaban, the navigator, shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the storm. "If we leave now, we should be able to avoid Shiki's fleet!"
"How could we possibly leave?!" Roger said with a grin. "Shiki has declared war on us! If we leave now, where would the Roger Pirates' pride go? We'd be nothing but cowards!"
"The Captain is right!"
"Let the Golden Lion see what we're made of!"
The rest of Roger's crew raised their weapons high. Shiki's reputation as one of the most vicious pirates of the era was well-known, but it wasn't enough to scare them. They were the Roger Pirates—the freest crew on the sea. Not a single person on that ship was a coward.
"Prepare for battle!" Roger drew Ace, the blade flashing with a cold light under the dark sky. He shouted, "Let Shiki know our strength! Let him see that you don't become king on these seas just by having more people!"
"Ohhhhhhh—!!!" The crew's roar seemed to shake the very clouds above, and the sea grew even more violent in response to their cries.
Knowing Shiki was coming, they did not flee; instead, they continued to linger in these waters. This naval battle had attracted many onlookers. As Gaban had noted, besides the Navy, many other pirates wanted to witness the spectacle. Though most were minor pirates, many had already gathered nearby. However, they dared not get too close, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire between Roger and Shiki.
As the number of small ships on the sea grew, the sky turned even darker. Previously, it was just a layer of clouds dimming the sun, but now it felt as if night had suddenly fallen—as if a giant monster had swallowed the sun whole.
"He's here!" On the Oro Jackson, Roger looked up at the sky.
At the edge of the distant horizon, the massive Flying Fleet appeared. Dozens of great ships carrying thousands of men flew through the air, their physical presence completely blotting out the sun as they advanced.
On the lead ship, Shiki stood alone at the prow. He held his two famous blades, Oto and Kogane, in his hands, one foot stepped forward, and a cigar was clenched in his teeth.
"Jihahaha!!! Roger! We meet again!"
Shiki's laughter was like physical thunder, piercing through the wind and waves to strike clearly in the ears of everyone on the Oro Jackson. "Be my right-hand man! As long as you and I join forces, we can conquer the entire world!"
"Shiki!" Roger walked to the prow of his ship and looked up, shouting back: "The joy of being a pirate isn't in conquest, it's in freedom! Pirates are the freest people on the sea! I have no interest in being anyone's right-hand man!"
"Then you've rejected my proposal, you fool!" Shiki's eyes grew dangerously excited. "Then there's no other way. I'll have to kill you today!"
"Try it if you have the strength!" Roger laughed, his spirit reaching the clouds. "Since I set sail, I can't even count how many people said they'd kill me! But they're all gone, while I'm still roaming the seas!"
" I promise you, this is the last time you'll hear those words!" Shiki commanded his flying fleet to descend. Like spears thrown by a god, they plunged into the surging sea, kicking up mountainous waves.
Shiki held his twin blades crossed before him as his dozens of warships spread out, confronting the solitary Oro Jackson. As the distance closed, his Haki surged within him like a volcano about to erupt.
"Come, Roger! Today is the battle of our destinies!"
BOOM! He surged forward instantly, swinging his twin blades toward Roger.
"I'll handle Shiki. Rayleigh, Gaban, take care of the crew for me!" Roger said with a smile before leaping high into the air. He didn't have the Float-Float Fruit to fly like Shiki, but he leapt nonetheless!
BOOM! Roger's blade was dyed black, and snaking red-and-black lightning stretched out. He gripped the sword with both hands and swung down toward Shiki with a force that could split mountains and seas!
Shiki swung his blades, Oto and Kogane, in return. The equally domineering dark-red lightning coiled around them and roared through the air!
CLANG—!!!!!!!
It wasn't the sound of metal clashing that came first, but rather the collision of two peaks of Armament and Conqueror's Haki. Like two colliding stars, they met in mid-air!
CRACK—!!!
A massive, terrifying explosion of Haki burst forth. In that instant, the dark clouds obscuring the sun were torn asunder. Sky Split! A massive rift opened in the heavens, allowing long-absent sunlight to pour through.
"Jihahaha!" Shiki laughed as he clashed blades with Roger. "Still as powerful as ever!"
"You've certainly improved since your time on Rocks' ship!" Roger replied.
Compared to the original story, the current Shiki was undoubtedly stronger. Because he occupied Wano and had established a vast territory early on, the realization of his hegemony had strengthened his Haki. Furthermore, having Beltz and Oden as sparring partners ensured he didn't fall into a life of idle pleasure upon returning to Wano. Consequently, Shiki had already reached the peak he would have only achieved five or six years later in the original timeline.
Ultimately, the difference in status between a crew member and a captain leads to a difference in personal strength. Moving from crew to captain is a change in status on the surface, but in essence, it is a change in power. This might sound strange—how does a advancement increase strength? But a crew member is essentially working for someone else, while a captain represents the ambition to rule. For a pirate, these are fundamentally different states of being.
Violent Haki overflowed, officially announcing the start of a world-shaking war.
"They've started fighting!"
Garp, who was rushing toward the scene at high speed, was consumed by anxiety upon hearing the news over the Den Den Mushi. He was now aware of what had happened at Marine Headquarters. He never expected that in such a short time, the base would fall into crisis.
What worried him more was what Sengoku had said over the wire: that Shiki was likely in league with the Azure Dragon that attacked the Headquarters. Shiki's mobilization was a ruse to lure the tiger from the mountain, but it could easily turn into a reality. One Shiki was trouble enough; if that Azure Dragon also arrived at this sea to join the fray, the Roger Pirates would be in deep trouble.
If that happened, the balance of power on the seas would collapse. If he defeated the Roger Pirates, Shiki's Flying Pirate Fleet would be unstoppable. He would ride the momentum of a great victory, absorb outlaws from all over the world, and become the next Rocks! The Navy could never allow such a thing to happen.
"Hurry up!" Garp barked. "At this rate, the war will be over by the time we arrive!"