Marco's blue flames and Perospero's candy flood created two parallel streams of light across the sea. The two ships were so close that you could step from one to the other. In other words, they had collided.
"Peroperopero~ Isn't this Whitebeard's phoenix?" Perospero licked his candy cane. "About that debt from Wano—"
"Enough talk!" Marco's wings suddenly spread wide. Blue flames turned into a firebird that shot straight at the candy warship. "Your Charlotte family attacked our affiliated ships. We'll settle that today!"
"CRACKLE—"
A candy wall instantly formed, but it melted into sticky syrup upon contact with the blue flames. In the original story, Marco's flames didn't seem to have heat. Here, Marco was far stronger than in the original because the setting of his flames was inconsistent in the manga itself.
Perospero laughed strangely and swung his candy whip. "Candy Art: Gallows!"
Moore's close-up shot shook violently. "Caw! A historic moment! The Whitebeard Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates are facing off again!"
Jozu watched them fighting in the air. "Need help?"
"Don't move." Vista's crossed swords stopped him. "This is Marco's fight."
Both were Emperor-commander level. If one Emperor-commander needed help from their crew, it would be a clear judgment. If Jozu intervened, win or lose, Marco would have lost.
Katakuri stood steadily on his ship. "We won't interfere. Just keep the ship on course."
"THUD!"
Marco's kick pierced through the syrup. Perospero's top hat was blown off by the shockwave. Candy puppets attacked from all directions, but they vaporized on contact with the blue flames.
"Is that all you've got?" Marco flipped in the air. His wings swept out a fire tornado. "The First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates isn't—"
"Candy Colossus!"
Perospero shouted. A hundred-meter-tall candy giant rose from the sea, its fist swinging down with a whistling sound.
Moto's lens rapidly zoomed out. "Caw! Is this going to be a mutual destruction?!"
News Coo: ??? So???
"SWISH—"
A green-black slash suddenly split the candy giant. Mihawk's small coffin boat was stuck to the far left of the two ships. "Don't block the sea lane. Excuse me."
In truth, Mihawk hadn't wanted to interfere. But his small boat couldn't handle big waves. If they wanted to fight, they should do it after he passed.
From that moment on, Mihawk's desire for a larger ship grew stronger and stronger.
Doflamingo was watching from the side. "Fufufu... Why not make it a three-way battle?"
"Get lost!" x3
Three waves of Conqueror's Haki exploded at the same time.
Doflamingo should have been angry. But he was a schemer.
"I have plenty of ways to destroy you all." With that reason, he convinced himself. As for surpassing them and going to the front, Doflamingo didn't even consider it. If you go to first place, you're just waiting to be cannon fodder.
Who knew how many people were targeting the front position.
Marco's blue flame wings suddenly folded. His entire body shot through the candy giant's remains. Perospero's pupils contracted sharply.
"THUD!"
A knee strike slammed into his stomach. His candy armor shattered.
"Wah!" Perospero flew backward, spitting blood. But in mid-air, he threw a syrup chain that wrapped around the mast. "Candy Art: Honeycomb!"
Moore's feathers exploded with excitement. "Caw! The Charlotte family's eldest son is getting serious!"
"Whoosh—"
Marco suddenly took a deep breath. Blue flames formed a vortex around his body.
"What a troublesome ability?!" Perospero's tongue floated in the air.
To be honest, it was a bit disturbing. It looked like a frog sticking out its tongue.
"Being a medical captain isn't just for show." Marco suddenly appeared behind him. His burning right leg rose high. "Blue Flame: Phoenix Brand!"
"Nice one!"
"BOOM!!!"
Perospero crashed into his own cabin like a candy cannonball. Marco crashed into his own deck like a roasted chicken.
Katakuri's scarf moved without wind. But he still stood with his arms crossed.
"Cough... No way!" Perospero climbed out of the ruins. His candy cane was stained with blood. "Peroperopero... I'll show you the real—"
"How could I be defeated by a frog!"
"Who are you calling a frog, you damn bird!"
"Enough."
Katakuri's trident suddenly appeared between them. A mochi barrier separated the battlefield. "If we keep fighting, we'll miss the rising current."
---
But the battlefield wasn't the only one.
It was probably obvious to everyone. The only obvious rivalry was Buggy's one-sided grudge against Shanks.
The Red Force and the Big Top sailed side by side across the sea, always keeping a ten-meter distance. This was an unspoken rule of dueling between Shanks and Buggy. They had class. They didn't attack each other's ships.
"Kuhahaha! Buggy!" Shanks' Gryphon was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki. "We finally get a real fight!"
Buggy's body instantly split into hundreds of pieces. "Nonsense! Don't get in the way of me getting five billion! I'll beat you first, then get the five billion."
"Shanks!" Buggy's body suddenly split into hundreds of pieces, each wrapped in purple Haki. "Chop-Chop: Stardust Spin!"
Space cracked like glass. Countless fragments turned into a meteor shower that rained down on the red-haired man. Shanks' Gryphon suddenly left its scabbard. Conqueror's Haki wrapped around the blade.
"Divine Departure!"
The moment the crimson slash and the space fragments collided, the sea was cut into deep gullies.
Beckman's cigarette was blown out by the shockwave. "The captain is having a lot of fun..."
Buggy's right hand suddenly appeared behind Shanks. "Super Disassembly: Finger Blast!"
"THUD!"
Shanks swung his sword back without turning. A shockwave of Armament and Conqueror's Haki sent Buggy's fingers flying. "Your Observation Haki has improved~"
"Don't get cocky!" Buggy's body leaped from the sea. His legs split into spinning drills. "Clown Kick!"
Shanks suddenly grinned. He actually sheathed Gryphon and raised his leg to meet the attack. "Let's compare physical techniques!"
"BOOM!!!"
Both figures flew backward.
"Come on!"
---
Rhett sat in the plaza, eating doughnuts. He watched with a dark expression, his head hurting.
What were these two idiots thinking? One was a great swordsman. The other was a Devil Fruit user. And the first thing they did when they met was to compare physical techniques?
What kind of logic was that? What kind of brain did they have? Rhett didn't understand. But he respected it.
---
Let's move the lens back to above the two ships.
Shanks and Buggy left afterimages across the sea. Every collision created a ring of shockwaves.
"THUD!"
Buggy's knee slammed into Shanks' blocking forearm. Sparks from their Armament Haki fell into the sea, evaporating a cloud of mist.
"Kuhahaha!" Shanks used the force to flip backward. His bare foot touched a wave. "How about this?"
His fist suddenly coated in black-red Conqueror's Haki lightning, aimed straight at Buggy's face.
"SWISH!"