While Garp was consumed by anxiety, things were not exactly easy on Beltz's end either.
He was currently rushing toward the Merah Sea at full speed. His speed in Azure Dragon form was far greater than that of a Navy warship, and combined with his ability to fly, he was confident he could arrive before the war concluded.
However, his stamina consumption was immense. First, the battle with the Fleet Admiral, then the high-intensity hypnosis, and now this non-stop journey—he had virtually no room to breathe.
That said, he never intended to fight the Roger Pirates to the death. His goal was to play it smart; he was mainly heading there to save Shiki, hopefully preventing a steering wheel from being lodged in the man's head this time.
A massive draconic silhouette flashed through the damp clouds and vanished just as quickly. As Beltz traversed the high altitudes, the Merah Sea grew closer. Suddenly, he saw an incredibly powerful burst of dark-red lightning erupting ahead!
Pfft!
The dark-red lightning tore through the sky like thorns. Even from this distance, the sheer terror of the war breaking out was palpable.
Countless ships floated on the sea below—pirate vessels belonging to onlookers. Many of them couldn't even withstand the radius of the Conqueror's Haki and had already been knocked unconscious. Their ships were like floating coffins, drifting aimlessly with the surging waves.
"So this is the strength of the future 'Pirate King.' Truly remarkable."
Beltz slowed down, eventually coming to a halt in the sky. He looked at the Haki erupting in the distance and remarked:
"There is still a gap between me and them."
Through two rounds of enhancement via Yhwach's blood and years of diligent training, Beltz had grown significantly stronger. His recent victory over the Fleet Admiral proved that. If placed several decades into the future with a decent organization, he could likely become one of the Four Emperors.
However, there are tiers even among the Emperors. Clearly, Shiki was an existence among the strongest of them, with no discernible gap between him and the future Pirate King, Roger. Beltz had sparred with Shiki several times; while those matches usually ended in a draw, it was primarily because neither side carried killing intent. In a life-or-death struggle lasting days and nights, Beltz knew he would eventually lose.
He was still one step away from the "Strong Emperor" level—specifically, the application of Conqueror's Haki Infusion. Once he could apply Conqueror's Haki to his attacks, he would be in the same tier as Shiki.
But even now, his strength was more than sufficient for the One Piece world, provided he didn't provoke someone like Imu. Even in Bleach world, under normal circumstances, there weren't many monsters. Most people in Bleach world were on a similar level to those in the One Piece world, especially since the Zero Division stayed in the Soul King Palace and ignored outside affairs.
It was only after the main plot began that Bleach world saw a power explosion—with Ichigo's frantic leveling and Aizen breaking the limits of a Soul Reaper to become a Transcendent. Even the Captains of the Gotei 13 underwent massive power jumps during those two years.
For now, his strength was enough to survive comfortably in either world. But he wanted more than just survival. So, it still wasn't enough.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted in the sea ahead. The terrifying impact spread outward, and the dark-red Haki lightning danced like wild dragons, scattering the clouds and even stinging Beltz's draconic scales. The Haki of these two was so monstrous that even Beltz felt a sharp pain upon contact.
He stopped musing and flew directly into the heart of the battlefield!
By now, the clash between the Roger Pirates and the Flying Pirate Fleet had reached a fever pitch. Not only were Shiki and Roger locked in an inseparable duel, but their subordinates were engaged in a brutal struggle below.
The Roger Pirates proved to be an elite crew; despite having only about twenty members, they didn't fall behind even slightly under the siege of thousands of pirates. On the contrary, the Flying Pirate Fleet was filled with wails as men fell one after another. Constant cannon fire thundered, striking the Oro Jackson or the Flying Fleet's own ships.
Gaban and Rayleigh, truly deserving of their titles as Roger's left and right hands, were at the forefront, leaping onto enemy ships. Like two sharp daggers, they carved through the enemy formation with ease. Despite the sheer numbers of the Flying Pirate Fleet, no one could halt their advance. They tore a hole in the line, with a man falling at every swing of a sword or axe. If they kept this up, Shiki would soon be a leader without an army.
"Shiki! You don't seem worried at all!"
The situation below was noticed by Roger and Shiki. Roger swung his blade to force Shiki back, his booming voice echoing between the sea and sky: "Your subordinates don't seem to be doing too well!"
"Jihahaha! Worry about yourself, Roger!" Shiki swung his blade, kicking up a massive amount of seawater. Under his control, the water combined with his sword pressure to form a giant sea lion.
Roger, not being an Ability User, was unfazed by the seawater. His strike split the sea lion in two as he continued his assault on Shiki. Shiki blocked the blow and countered: "My Vice-Captain hasn't arrived yet!"
?
Roger was surprised. "Since when do you have a Vice-Captain?"
Shiki was about to speak, but he suddenly sensed Beltz's presence approaching. He grinned. "See? There he is."
Roger was confused until his own face changed—his Kenbunshoku Haki had sensed it too.
What a powerful presence!
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the massive Azure Dragon flying from the horizon. Is that the dragon that flew away from God Valley? Is he with Shiki? Shiki's... Vice-Captain? Why have I never heard of this?
Regardless of how they ended up together... his comrades were in danger!
He didn't care about Shiki's small-fry subordinates; he trusted Rayleigh and Gaban to handle them and protect the crew. But if this guy arrived, everything changed! Even if Rayleigh and Gaban could stall him, the others would no longer be safe. Roger valued his crew above all else; to protect them, he would destroy a nation. Consequently, he was now truly anxious!
"Divine Departure!"
Facing Shiki, he unleashed his signature move. Gripping his sword with both hands, he coated the blade in both Conqueror's and Armament Haki.
"Bring it on!"
Shiki saw the killing intent radiating from Roger and knew the fight was about to escalate. It wasn't that Roger hadn't been trying before, but the circumstances had shifted his output. Previously, they were in a standard duel that might last days or even weeks. Now, with Roger desperate for his crew's safety, he was holding nothing back. At this rate, the winner might be decided in minutes.
Facing the exploding, aggressive aura of Roger, Shiki flew higher, raising his twin blades:
"Lion: Kagutsuchi!"
Divine Slash against Divine Departure!
It was like Mars colliding with Earth. The collision of their power created a terrifying shockwave in mid-air. Shockwaves rippled out in rings, and black lightning instantly spread for ten thousand meters.
Pfft!
Even more pirates lost consciousness under this staggering Haki, most of them Shiki's men. Beltz forced his way through this terrifying pressure.
"This guy is different from the others. Let's stop him together, Rayleigh," Gaban noted while slaughtering enemies on Shiki's ship. He leaped to a forward vessel and addressed Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's eyes sharpened behind his glasses. He pointed his sword at Beltz. "Let's do it!"
Both were powerhouses and recognized Beltz's strength immediately. They had to stop him, or their comrades would suffer heavy casualties.
As Beltz approached, he shifted from his dragon form back to his human form. He addressed Rayleigh and Gaban:
"Greetings, Roger's right and left hands. If possible, I'd rather not fight you."
?
Rayleigh and Gaban frowned. They had expected many things, but not that.
"If you don't want to fight, then go back," Gaban said, gripping his twin axes. "To be honest, I don't want to fight you either."
"I don't know who you are, but you're clearly with Shiki. In this situation, for one of Shiki's men to say they don't want to fight is a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"
"I agree," Beltz sighed. "So, until a winner is decided over there, it seems we can't avoid a major clash after all."
Beltz truly didn't want to wage war against the Roger Pirates, but his deal with Shiki required it. Shiki had already engaged Roger; there was no turning back. A winner had to be determined. Since Beltz was here as part of Shiki's side, he couldn't remain a bystander.
"Then come. Though, I won't stop you if you go to save a comrade," Beltz said somberly. "I just hope that when the time comes, you won't stop me either..."
Rayleigh felt this man was strange. A decisive battle had begun, yet he seemed indifferent to everyone else's lives, caring only about Shiki. Weren't these the elites of the Flying Pirate Fleet?
Regardless, he and Gaban needed to take Beltz down quickly. Rayleigh and Gaban often bickered over who was the "No. 2" on the ship, but in battle, their synergy was extraordinary. With just a glance, they confirmed their plan and attacked Beltz simultaneously!
One from the left, one from the right!
Gaban charged from the left, swinging his heavy axes with a fierce, domineering wind. Rayleigh flanked from the right, his long sword precise and deadly, aiming for vital points. Both used strikes infused with Conqueror's and Armament Haki!
While their individual Haki might not match Roger's quality, their combined power was monstrous. In the One Piece world, teamwork allows people to overcome stronger foes—much like Roger and Garp defeating Rocks, or later, Law and Kid defeating Big Mom.
Beltz would not underestimate them. He immediately entered his strongest state!
Hybrid Form: Bronze Throne!
Just as he had against the Fleet Admiral, Beltz's body expanded, and his dragon-human form displayed explosive power. He used Haki to condense a Black Blade in his hand. Against Kong, he had been empty-handed, but against armed foes like Rayleigh and Gaban, he would use a weapon.
It was the perfect time to test a new combat style he had envisioned.
"First Phase: Koudosotsu!"
Beltz growled. He raised his blade high with both hands and swung downward violently. To Rayleigh and Gaban, this strike felt like a divine being descending.
They felt as if the dragon-man before them had grown infinitely tall, manifesting as a hazy, majestic shadow—like a Buddha sitting in the heavens, looking down upon the mortal world with both mercy and solemnity. An irresistible sense of awe and psychological pressure surged over them like an invisible tide, causing their charging bodies and boiling battle intent to freeze!
This was a strike utilizing the power of his Schrift, The Subconscious.
He had used "Dragon Fear" before, but mere intimidation wasn't enough. When he hypnotized Kong, he had simulated a divine "Adam" in the man's heart, which gave him the idea for this new combat style. Now, he used The Subconscious to channel the Conqueror's Haki that he couldn't yet infuse into his physical attacks directly into the minds of his opponents—a clever, modified form of Haki infusion!