On Enies Lobby.
The fractured port area.
Uchiha Madara, leading his Wood Clones, launched a charge against the entire Red Hair Pirates, audaciously challenging this Four Emperors Pirate Gang single-handedly!
"Right on time…"
Shanks held his Western Sword high, boldly advancing forward, ignoring the several dozen Wood Clones and the formidable aura each emitted!
They were just a group of easily defeated clones!
The Red Hair Pirates had once encountered the crowd attack created by Uzumaki Naruto alone; in that battle, the entire Red Hair Pirates was driven back thoroughly by Naruto's army of Shadow Clones.
But it was from that battle that the Red Hair Pirates' members learned the weaknesses of the Shadow Clones...
However, in the next moment…
Dozens of Wood Clones simultaneously transformed into Susanoo Giants!
This scene abruptly changed the expressions of all the pirates!
The ground shattered in an instant, a group of blue Susanoo Giants sprang into the air, swinging their giant swords from above towards Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates!
In a split second, this battlefield turned into ruins, everyone staring in shock as a group of blue Susanoo charged into the Red Hair Pirates!
Red-haired Shanks swung his Western Sword with a grim expression, confronting the real Uchiha Madara, a hint of heaviness flashing in his eyes: "Another… one-man army monster?"
One person…
Can transform themselves into a mighty army!
The entire Red Hair Pirates instantly fell into a bitter battle, often needing to deal with just one Susanoo at a time, these Susanoo were unusually agile, clearly a group of giants yet possessing human-like agility!
"Don't panic…"
Benn Beckman furrowed his eyebrows, sidestepped a giant sword's slash, raised his handgun, and a pitch-black bullet shot out, piercing through the Susanoo's body in a split second!
The bullet directly struck the Wood Clone's forehead inside the Susanoo!
The massive Susanoo crumbled instantly, and the Wood Clone turned into a piece of wood!
"Cover me!"
Yasopp dodged Susanoo's slash, and as a group of pirates helped lure away Susanoo momentarily, he pulled out his sniper rifle, aimed inside Susanoo, and fired a shot!
A bullet imbued with Haki pierced through the Susanoo, and also through the Wood Clone protected within!
Yet their achievements ended there…
A group of Susanoo quickly gathered, swinging the Sword of Susanoo, delivering slashes towards the Red Hair Pirates, overwhelming waves instantly overturning the battlefield!
The entire formation of the Red Hair Pirates crumbled in seconds!
Benn Beckman led the cadre to counterattack while commanding the pirates to retreat to the lifeboats on the sea: "Don't linger in battle, cadres cover, everyone else retreat!"
The first pirate finally returned to the sea, boarding the last lifeboat dropped from the Red Force, yet a sudden Susanoo slash directly shattered the pirate and the lifeboat!
Blood instantly stained the sea red…
Uchiha Madara wanted to cut off their retreat!
Just the Wood Clones alone made it unbearable for the Red Hair Pirates, even as powerful as Benn Beckman and the cadres of the Red Hair Pirates were, they couldn't defeat all the Wood Clones' Susanoo in a short time…
"Fire Release: Great Fire Extinguishing!"
One of the Wood Clones stood inside Susanoo, opening its mouth to release a torrent of flames over the sea, the overwhelming flames evaporating the seawater, waves of mist began to spread…
All the lifeboats were hit by the flames without exception…
Even the anchored warships were completely destroyed by this blaze!
The pirates initially on the lifeboats for support could only scramble into the sea with members of the Straw Hat Pirates… until the flames dissipated, they slowly surfaced with people from the ocean.
"Is this… trying to kill everyone?"
Nico Robin weakly floated in the sea, finding a wooden board to support herself, her brow furrowing uncontrollably.
"Now you have no way out!"
Uchiha Madara revealed a slightly sinister smile, his Supreme King Haki burst forth fully: "Then stay on this island, let me enjoy the long-lost pleasure!"
"As long as there's a piece of wood…"
Red-haired Shanks furrowed his brows tightly, almost desperately, rushed close to Uchiha Madara, thrust his sword at Madara's chest, his gaze remained steadfast: "No one can stop a man from setting sail on the sea…"
"Is that so?"
Uchiha Madara fearlessly sidestepped the Red Hair's Western Sword, followed up with a side kick to Red Hair's chest, sending the Four Emperors flying!
Shanks' figure fell down a flight of steps, but swiftly got back up, unleashed a slash towards Uchiha Madara!
The two plunged into fierce combat once more!
On another front.
The Red Hair Pirates had no way to retreat.
This Four Emperors Pirate Gang, driven back to the battlefield, erupted with formidable power, and under Benn Beckman's leadership, after a few hours of intense battle, completely resolved the other Wood Clones' Susanoo!
Ben Beckman stood before the corpse of a Wood Clone and gruffly ordered, "Hey, get a few people to bring Luffy and them ashore too! The others, charge with me, to capture this island alongside our captain!"
Ben Beckman took a cigarette and placed it in his mouth, coldly continuing, "Since they don't want to let us leave, let's plant our Red Hair flag on Enies Lobby!"
"Yes!"
A group of bloodthirsty pirates responded in unison, each of them licking the blood from the corners of their mouths, gathering around Ben Beckman!
That's easy to say...
But doing so is extremely difficult.
This war is even more troublesome than when they vied for the last of the Four Emperors' positions amongst a group of Great Pirates; now, they face thousands of CP Agents on this Judicial Island, all glaring at them!
"Beckman, a ship is coming!"
Just then, a pirate on the shore suddenly pointed to the sea and shouted, "A pirate ship is heading towards Enies Lobby!"
Unknowingly, a small ship with a goat figurehead appeared on the sea.
This small ship was slowly sailing towards Enies Lobby, with a Straw Hat pirate flag swaying in the sea breeze...
Golden Merry.
The vessel of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Even though this ship was tiny, it became the only ship offshore of Enies Lobby. As long as they could board it and halt the enemy's pursuit, not even the CP Agents could chase them!
The critical issue is...
The Golden Merry is too small to hold many people, even the remaining two to three hundred pirates of the Red Hair Pirates couldn't possibly all board...
Ben Beckman made a quick decision, shouting, "Yasopp, Lucky Roux, you two take your squads and board the ship with Luffy and them... The rest, stay with me to assist Shanks!"
"Better not!"
Yasopp flashed a hearty smile as he toyed with his sniper rifle, gently laughing, "Hey, Beckman, I have a son now, let me handle helping Shanks this time!"
And before Ben Beckman could object, Yasopp reached out to stop him from speaking, softly explaining, "Don't spout nonsense, and I'm not doing this for you, but for Usopp and Luffy and those young lads..."
Yasopp lifted his head to look at the sea, his smile tinged with nostalgia, "Since Usopp was born, I haven't done anything for my son..."
In all these years, the time Yasopp spent with Usopp was actually less than the time either of them spent separately with Luffy...
In Yasopp's view...
The Golden Merry stopped on the water, and members from the Straw Hat Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates boarded this small ship, including Usopp who was still unconscious...
Perhaps this would be the last time father and son meet?
"Hey, Beckman."
Lucky Roux glanced at Ben Beckman, grinning, "I'll stay to help the boss too! If I end up in a big prison or a place like Enies Lobby, don't forget to find a chance to rescue me!"
"Pah!"
Yasopp knocked on Lucky Roux's head with his sniper rifle, laughing brightly, "Have a little more faith in our boss! We're just staying to help Shanks!"
"..."
Ben Beckman fell into silence.
A moment later, the vice-captain of the Red Hair Pirates slowly lit a cigarette in his hand and softly said, "Those who should stay, stay; those who shouldn't, leave with me..."
The Red Hair Pirates really weren't a bunch of pretentious pirates...
Perhaps they had long suspected that one day the entire crew would fall into crisis. The pirates orderly divided themselves into two camps.
One camp had fewer numbers, these pirates were clearly younger, and even the injuries on their bodies were minor, their strength preserved well; the pirates in the other camp were a bit older, most of them wounded...
The older pirates patted the young ones on the shoulder, cheerfully instructing them to leave with Ben Beckman; the young pirates cheerfully responded back...
Even at the moment of separation, they were still smiling.
Except for Ben Beckman, nearly every pirate of the Red Hair Pirates had smiles on their faces, regardless of whether they were leaving or staying...
Yet they all clearly knew...
Staying would be undoubtedly more dangerous.
Ben Beckman boarded the Golden Merry with his crew, turned for a quick glance at Shanks who was still battling Uchiha Madara, grabbed Yasopp's shoulder, and whispered, "Wait for me to help you... I'll be back soon!"
"Beckman?"
A hint of confusion flashed across Yasopp's face.
"How could a pirate abandon his captain..."
Beckman shook his head, slowly letting go of Yasopp's shoulder. He then took the Golden Merry, leaving Enies Lobby with the remnants of the Red Hair Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates.
The CP Agents who wanted to pursue the Golden Merry couldn't begin their chase due to Yasopp and the others' desperate resistance. They could only watch as the Golden Merry slowly disappeared.
An hour later.
Shortly after the Golden Merry's departure, the three great admirals of the Navy Headquarters arrived at Enies Lobby. After an intense three-day and three-night battle, they finally captured all of the remaining pirates on Enies Lobby.
Including one of the Four Emperors, Red-haired Shanks.