At that moment, the heavy alloy doors slowly slid open, and a group of people entered.
Caesar turned his head—and nearly popped his eyes out of their sockets. He screamed and fell flat on his rear.
"K–Kaido?!"
"What are you panicking for?"
Tenma waved his hand casually. "I just brought him here to help us upgrade our alloy tech."
The instant Kaido stepped inside, his bell-like eyes were drawn to Linlin's body suspended in the tank.
The Soul-Soul Fruit had long since been taken by that woman named Hancock. The old hag Linlin was dead beyond any doubt—but what the hell were these people doing?
"Hey, Tenma, what kind of sick joke is this?"
Kaido pointed at the tank, utterly baffled.
"Recycling waste," Tenma replied bluntly.
"Extracting her talents to build mechanical soldiers with that kind of monstrous physique."
Kaido's eyes flared with sharp light. In his mind instantly appeared the image of an indestructible steel legion—unbreakable, uncrushable—an absolute nightmare on the battlefield.
"So you brought me here to drain my blood too?"
Kaido wasn't stupid. He immediately caught on.
"The more, the better," Tenma said with a grin, casually picking up a metal ingot gleaming with cold light.
"This is the future. Ten thousand times stronger than that half-baked SMILE crap."
"Memory alloy. It gives machines biological traits—and self-repair."
"And when it comes to recovery, who compares to you, the so-called 'undying creature'?"
"I want to see how far this thing can evolve once your lineage factor is added."
The surrounding scientists immediately stared at Kaido with glowing green eyes, like starving wolves eyeing a slab of meat.
With Kaido's immortal genes, this alloy technology would absolutely take off.
Since he was already here—and since Tenma dared to release him—Kaido wasn't about to get squeamish.
He glanced at his old comrade Linlin floating in the tank and laughed heartily.
"Fine. I'd like to see just how terrifying weapons with my talent can be."
"But let's be clear—I don't have time to babysit a bunch of bookworms every day."
His memories of being dissected and studied by Vegapunk on Punk Hazard still left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Relax," Tenma said, holding up one finger.
"One major extraction a year is enough. The rest of the time, do whatever you want."
"Consider it a deal. A bit troublesome, sure—but you get your life back, and you get to take part in a war that's guaranteed to go down in history. You're not losing out."
Kaido snorted, tacitly agreeing.
"Komps, Caesar—get to work!"
Tenma gave the order.
"Extract his life factors, record everything, then use the powers of the Munch-Munch Fruit to attempt fusion. I want a higher-tier form of memory alloy!"
Both men snapped into work mode immediately. Komps, in particular, showed no fear at all, commanding the process with confidence.
In his eyes, Yonko Kaido was nothing more than an extremely valuable experimental material.
That pure, fanatical devotion to science even made Kaido uneasy.
Scientists really are all lunatics…
"Tenma, what about my army?"
As he walked toward the instruments, Kaido suddenly turned back and asked.
"The Beasts Pirates are finished. Those trash are naturally being turned into labor for Wano," Tenma said without courtesy.
Then his tone softened slightly. "But your two surviving All-Stars—I can give them back."
"And Ulti, that crazy brat," Kaido added.
"You're the one asking favors now, not negotiating. Depends on my mood," Tenma replied coldly.
Kaido shrugged, not angry at all. It was just sky-high asking—whatever he could get back was a bonus.
He still had the pride of a king, but since he was already aboard Tenma's ship, losing a bit of face didn't matter anymore.
Yamato watched Kaido the whole time like a prison guard, afraid he might suddenly go berserk.
In truth, Tenma had already sensed Kaido's real thoughts through Observation Haki. The guy's head was full of war—betrayal wasn't even on his mind.
With Kaido, this massive problem, settled, Tenma's gaze shifted farther ahead.
Two Yonko were down. Now the only ones bold enough to set their sights on Wano were the "Strongest Man in the World," Whitebeard—and the massive entity known as the World Government.
As for the other pirates? They were probably drooling over Kaido's abandoned territory.
But that had nothing to do with Tenma. His next objective was clear—Totto Land.
With things stirred up this badly, and with leverage over the Celestial Dragons in hand, the World Government would definitely launch a massive recruitment drive to strengthen the Marines.
The only question was—what would Whitebeard do?
Given Whitebeard's temper, even if intelligence hadn't fully returned yet, he'd probably come knocking sooner or later.
This battle was inevitable.
But Tenma was confident—he would never let it turn into the kind of mutually destructive mess seen between Yonko crews.
After all, there were still eleven years until the final endgame. Leaving Whitebeard—the walking nuclear weapon capable of destroying the world—out there to keep the World Government in check was far more beneficial.
Just then, urgent intelligence arrived from the Shadow Guard stationed along the Grand Line and New World front.
The elusive Red-Haired Shanks from the original story—appearing and disappearing like a dragon—was leading his elite crew at full speed toward the New World.
A truly dangerous figure. Top-tier Conqueror's Haki, top-tier swordsmanship—very much the same type of powerhouse as Tenma himself.
The "Observation-killing" technique Tenma used was, in fact, inspired by Shanks.
That said, Tenma had no interest in recruiting this so-called "Face-Face Fruit" user.
And considering he'd taken the Sing-Sing Fruit, there was a decent chance Shanks was coming to settle accounts.
New World – An Unknown Winter Island
"Whooo—!"
Icy winds howled as goose-feather snow filled the sky.
The temperature was terrifyingly low—ordinary people would freeze solid even wrapped in thick coats.
Yet inside a massive cave on the island, it was blazing hot.
Bonfires roared. The aroma of roasted meat and alcohol filled the air.
The Red-Haired Pirates were holding a banquet, drinking red-faced and laughing loudly, as if immune to the cold.
Yet Shanks—captain and master of party atmosphere—was acting completely out of character.
He sat cross-legged by the fire, gripping the latest newspaper tightly. His brows were knotted into a deep furrow, his expression grim.
"Boss! New intel from Sister Shakky!"
Benn Beckman's long-haired, sunglasses-wearing navigator rushed into the cave waving a letter, snow swirling around him.
"What's up? Did the boss ask Sister Shakky to dig up something again?"
"Hahaha! The boss's curiosity is just like a rookie who just set sail!"
The crew joked carelessly while gnawing on bones.
That was normal for the Red-Haired crew—less hierarchy, more brotherhood.
Shanks ignored them, put down the paper, and quickly read the letter.
The more he read, the more serious his expression became—until disbelief crept into his eyes.
Ben Beckman, cigarette in mouth, leaned over and skimmed it as well.
After reading, even the man known as "the highest IQ" frowned.
"This world's gone mad. One huge incident after another… now even Whitebeard's going to war with the Flying Sky General?"
"Who cares? As long as it doesn't burn us,"
Lucky Roux said with his mouth full of grease, holding a roast leg bigger than himself.
Yasopp, carefully polishing his rifle, blew on it and chuckled.
"Yeah. Besides, isn't our goal that?"
"With the Yonko balance shattered, after all these years in the Grand Line, now's the perfect time to make a big move in the New World—grab ourselves some territory!"
Though small in number, the Red-Haired Pirates were all elites.
After drifting with Shanks for so long, their Haki was already polished to perfection—not some playground pirate crew from Paradise.
"Whitebeard… going to war with Tenma…"
Shanks crumpled the letter and tossed it into the fire, then turned to Beckman.
"Is there a way to stop them?"
The cave instantly fell silent.
Everyone froze, staring at Shanks as if he'd just said something insane.
"You're kidding, boss? You want to wade into that mess?"
Yasopp nearly dropped his gun. "Both sides are monsters! One just crushed two Yonko, the other's the strongest pirate crew in the world! We've only got a few guns—getting involved is suicide!"
They'd only just entered the New World. The plan was to loot Kaido's leftovers while things were chaotic—not interfere in a clash of gods.
"You're thinking too simply,"
Shanks shook his head, firelight reflecting off his resolute face.
"The New World is going to be our base. Things are already chaotic enough."
"If Wano and Whitebeard go all-out, it'll be a cataclysm. The entire New World's structure will collapse."
Beckman exhaled smoke, eyes deep.
"You're worried that if the New World gets shattered, it'll accelerate the end of the pirate era?"
"You get me,"
Shanks grinned at his old partner, subconsciously touching his empty head—the place where a straw hat once sat.
Maybe it was for the boy he placed his hopes on—Luffy.
Or maybe for Captain Roger's final request.
He didn't want to see the seas completely lose control.
The crew exchanged glances. It felt like playing with fire—but seeing Shanks's determined eyes, their blood began to boil.
Wasn't this man's charisma the very reason they boarded this ship?
If the boss said go—then go all the way!
"Alright, if you insist, then there's nothing we can do,"
Yasopp slung his gun over his shoulder and grinned.
"Who knows—maybe my idiot son will sail with Luffy someday. Before that, us old guys might as well pave the road."
The others raised their cups, cheering loudly.
"A bunch of hopeless idiots,"
Beckman cursed with a helpless smile, then turned to Shanks.
"So what's the plan?"
"A plan? How would I have one?"
Shanks scratched his head, instantly reverting to his carefree grin.
"I'll go drink with Whitebeard before he makes a move. Talk about life."
"Ships reach the bridge when they get there!"
Compared to Tenma—the man who took Oden's land—Shanks felt Whitebeard was at least easier to talk to.
At least he knew him.
"You bastard…"
A drop of cold sweat slid down Beckman's forehead, but he said nothing more.
Shanks touched his empty left sleeve, nostalgia flashing through his eyes before hardening into resolve.
"This war can't be avoided. But before the new era truly arrives, I just want to end this meaningless chaos as soon as possible."
Thus, on this stormy, snowy night, the Red-Haired Pirates—newly arrived in the New World—made a decision that would shock the world.
They would forcibly intervene, as a third party, between Tenma and Whitebeard—playing the role of the reckless disruptor.
Early 1511, Sea Circle Calendar
A week had passed since the world-shaking war.
Yet the seas did not calm—under the aftershocks, they grew even more turbulent.
Yonko had fallen. Thrones stood empty. The massive power vacuum drove countless ambition-filled men mad.
Especially after seeing Tenma take only Totto Land while ignoring Kaido's vast inheritance, many wolves who had been watching finally couldn't hold back.
Somewhere on the Grand Line—within a mysterious sea perpetually shrouded in fog.
Through the mist, over a dozen massive pirate ships could be faintly seen anchored at port, masts rising like a forest, proclaiming the terrifying foundation of this force.
Tens of thousands of ferocious pirates gathered on the island, their roars and clashing weapons audible even from afar.
Reading the newspapers filled with reports of world-shaking events, these desperadoes burst into greedy laughter.
At the center of this pirate tide, atop the island's highest throne, sat a man towering like a demon god.
The island's ruler. The fleet's commander.
The legendary pirate—Wang Zhi.
Once an officer under the Rocks Pirates, Wang Zhi had seized Beehive Island after their disbandment.
Unfortunately, a few years ago, Kaido had crushed him and driven him from the New World like a stray dog.
To survive, he had accepted the World Government's offer—becoming one of the Seven Warlords.
Now, listening to his trembling subordinate report the latest intelligence, the muscles on Wang Zhi's face twitched.
Hearing that Wano had remained silent for a full week, his greed flared like oil on fire.
After too long as a Warlord, always under the World Government's banner, the old rogue who once ran with Rocks felt nothing but suffocated.
How could being a government dog compare to the freedom of a Yonko ruling the seas?
And among Kaido's inheritance, the one thing Wang Zhi coveted most—
Was his former lair: Beehive Island.
Now that Kaido was down, there was no way he'd let someone else take his territory.
Crack!
His fingers clenched. The wineglass shattered into powder.
Red wine mixed with glass shards dripped through his fingers—yet his thick skin bore not even a scratch.
Fury surging, Wang Zhi flung the shards like hidden weapons.
Empowered by monstrous strength, the fragments moved too fast to leave afterimages, shrieking through the air and slamming into a nearby stone arch.
Boom!
The sturdy structure exploded into rubble.
The commotion silenced the entire pirate haven instantly. All eyes turned toward him.
"Listen up, you dogs!"
Wang Zhi stood abruptly, murderous aura exploding outward, his roar shaking the island.
"With this chaos, it's time for us to fight for the king's throne!"
The pirates below had long heard rumors—everyone knew their boss dreamed of returning to the New World.
Now, hearing this open declaration, countless pirates erupted in wild cheers, weapons and cups raised, howls piercing the sky.
The aftershocks of Kaido's fall stirred far more than just Wang Zhi.
Which ambitious pirate would be content remaining a Warlord forever?
With the gates of the New World wide open, opportunities to rise were everywhere.
Aside from Crocodile—scheming something else entirely—Gecko Moria, who'd been scared witless and refused to return, and the musclehead Russell stuck posturing in Paradise—
The rest were all sharpening their knives.
Bad-drunk Bardock. Swamp villain Russell. And that terrifyingly massive Sanjuan Wolf—
All were quietly preparing to make their move.
Just as these schemers stirred, a bombshell detonated.
One of the two reigning emperors capable of matching Wano—
The Whitebeard Pirates had mobilized.
It was like dropping a depth charge into already turbulent seas—waves soaring tens of meters high.
Rumors spread like wildfire with the news birds, sweeping the entire ocean.
The moment they heard Whitebeard himself was entering the land-grab, many eager small-time pirates were instantly sobered.
After all, that was an old monster with the power to destroy the world—one finger enough to turn their fleets to scrap.
Debates raged over whether he or the Flying Sky General was the true strongest man alive—but who dared question Whitebeard's terror and prestige after all these years?
As the other party at the center of it all, Tenma received the news immediately.
Thanks to the Shadow Guard network he had long established, his intelligence was far more detailed than the delayed reports on the seas.
On the surface, Whitebeard was grabbing territory—but in truth, he'd only sent some allied crews and a few commanders to stir up Kaido's inheritance.
It was bait—meant to draw everyone's attention.
Meanwhile, the flagship Moby Dick, carrying Whitebeard and his core commanders, was preparing to strike Wano directly—using a feint-and-ambush tactic.
As for how?
Most likely replicating the future Marineford maneuver—coating the ship and slipping in from beneath the sea.
As Tenma analyzed their strategy, another urgent report came from Shinobu, who oversaw the Shadow Guard.
Red-Haired Pirates had been spotted on the outskirts of Whitebeard's territory.
Tenma narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping lightly on the table.
Shanks is jumping out a bit early, isn't he?
What Red-Haired Shanks wanted—Tenma didn't even need his toes to figure out.
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