Next Bonus, 100!!
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No more words were needed.
Kaido versus Shanks.
The Beasts versus the Red-Haired.
The battle began.
This wasn't their first clash. Even before Shanks had become an Emperor last year, their crews had skirmished on the high seas.
The animosity ran deep.
Now, by a twist of fate, they had collided once more.
This was a true clash of titans.
Unlike the ailing Whitebeard or the brain-addled Big Mom, Kaido and Shanks were of a younger, fiercer generation. Setting aside their fame, this duel was the kind of legendary battle the New World had been waiting for.
"Ragnarok!"
Kaido's colossal frame didn't hinder his speed in the slightest. Surging flames exploded outward with the swing of his kanabo.
Shanks's eyes flashed with red light. He moved like a bolt of lightning, streaking toward Kaido.
The two figures were like comets hurtling across the sky, trailing a magnificent, dazzling aura.
They met in an earth-shattering instant.
Shanks's sword, Gryphon, carved a crimson arc, sweeping upward. His Conqueror's Haki billowed like a tidal wave—unstoppable.
His mastery of Haki was on another level entirely. For him, the untamable Conqueror's Haki was just another "normal" part of his arsenal. It was this absolute proficiency, this ability to coat his blade in its power, that had allowed him to claim the title of Emperor and hold it firm.
The air itself began to crackle and pop.
Kaido's and Shanks's weapons drew closer. The crimson blade and the jet-black kanabo were both sheathed in a thick layer of Armament and Conqueror's Haki.
Before the weapons even made contact, their Haki clashed, creating a sound like a drumbeat that could shake the heavens.
A storm of black and red lightning erupted around them, and a blinding, brilliant light swallowed the battlefield whole.
The constant collision of their Conqueror's Haki sent out arcs of lightning that seemed to tear at the very fabric of space, the shockwaves washing over the battlefield.
"Look out! It's a Conqueror's clash!"
"Get back!"
"Hold on!"
Both the Beasts Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates retreated from the battlefield, lest they be knocked unconscious by the sheer force of their captains' wills.
But on the Beasts Pirates' side, men were already starting to drop, collapsing into unconsciousness.
On the Red-Haired Pirates' side, not a single person fell.
Even Uta withstood the pressure.
From a distance, the oppressive aura was still palpable. Porche and the others, who had expected to be knocked out, were still standing, though it felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on their chests.
"Huh? Why aren't we...?"
Carina offered a theory. "It's probably because we were too close to the King before. Now we're a few nautical miles away from the battlefield. Right, Your Majesty?" She looked at Jin, her foxy eyes twinkling.
"Something like that," Jin nodded.
Robin, who had been working in her office, had come out, drawn by the news of a battle between two Emperor crews. She wasn't just the ship's intelligence officer; Jin had also appointed her as the Royal Secretary of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, in charge of the entire secretarial department. She was much busier than before.
The secretarial department, which assisted Jin with administrative tasks and relayed his orders, was naturally located on the ship. In the future, the secretaries of the various mayors and ministers of the Winter Blossom Kingdom would also be assigned by this department. Most of them were from the first class of trainees selected from the villages to undergo the King's training program, with a few others recruited for their exceptional performance. This system was designed to extend Jin's control over the kingdom, to centralize his power.
The clouds overhead roiled and split in two as Kaido and Shanks clashed.
The battle between their crews erupted.
Beckman versus King.
Yasopp versus Queen.
The navigator, Limejuice, launched a kick at Jack...
Lucky Roux, Hongo, and the others formed a protective circle around Uta as they charged into the fray, cutting down the grunts.
"Moonlight Sonata!" Uta sang, her blade scattering a shower of musical notes like moonlight. The notes danced through the air, and one of them struck an enemy, sending him flying.
Uta's weapon was a sword, a birthday gift from Gordon the year after Shanks had left. It was one of the treasures of Elegia, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, named "Beethoven." When swung, it produced a sound as beautiful as moonlight.
"Huh?" Lucky Roux glanced over, a little surprised. It was just a grunt, but it was a Beasts Pirates grunt, with a bounty of around twenty million. In Paradise, that was enough to be the boss of a small island.
"Not bad, Uta!" Hongo said with a grin.
"Heh!" Uta said proudly. "I've been training, you know!"
Though she worked at the Music Hall, in her spare time, she was taking the courses Jin had arranged for her, including physical training and swordsmanship.
Her physical training was the Marines' Six Powers. Her swordsmanship instructor was Brook.
And it wasn't just her. Everyone at the Music Hall had to take the classes. After all, Hannabal was not a peaceful place. A little extra strength could mean the difference between life and death.
Jin's plan for Uta was to develop her as a swordswoman, to complement her Devil Fruit abilities. The physical training was to increase her stamina, to allow her to use her fruit's power for longer periods of time.
In the original story, Uta's stamina had been terrible. Aside from her graceful dancing, she'd shown no real physical prowess, relying entirely on her Devil Fruit. She would get tired and fall asleep after just a few songs. She'd had to constantly consume "wake-shrooms" to compensate for this weakness, which had eventually led to her mental and emotional breakdown.
Uta's greatest weapon was her voice, but the Sing-Sing Fruit drained a massive amount of stamina. So Jin had, of course, arranged for her to undergo special training.
And he had given her the Horse-Horse Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Pegasus, to further enhance her stamina and endurance.
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In the midst of the battle, Uta spotted another young woman in the Beasts Pirates' ranks, swinging a kanabo and forcing Rockstar back.
As if sensing her gaze, the young woman, Ulti, turned and saw Uta. Her eyes lit up, and she abandoned Rockstar, charging toward her.
Uta raised her sword, but Ulti's eyes were sparkling. "Uta? You're Uta, right?"
"Eh?" Uta was surprised. "You know me?"
"Hee-hee! Of course I do!" Ulti said. "My name is Ulti, and I'm the president of your fan club in Wano!"
"Huh? Really?" Uta said. "But... I heard Wano was a closed country."
"Ugh, that was that idiot Kaido's idea," Ulti said, rolling her eyes. "He blocked all outside news to keep the people from getting interested in the world, to make them easier to rule. But I'm not like the others. I know what's going on out there. I've seen you in the papers. Wait... what are you doing with the Red-Haired Pirates? Did they kidnap you? I'll save you!"
"No, no! It's not like that!" Uta said quickly.
"Then what is it?"
"Shanks... he's my father."
Ulti froze. Her mind went blank.
Shanks?
Father?
She felt like she had just heard something she shouldn't have.
And then...
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH??"
Her shriek echoed across the battlefield.
Kaido heard it and frowned, glancing in their direction. Ulti and Page One were the children of his old friend, Hanafuda. He looked out for them.
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