"Gurararara, don't worry, there are no fish-men underwater now. I just never expected Kaidou to recruit fish-men crew members for this purpose - destroying pirate ships from below the hull. That's quite a clever method," Newgate laughed heartily.
First Mate Whitey Bay approached Whitebeard and said with some concern, "Pops, should we recruit some fish-men too? Attacks from beneath the sea are indeed hard to defend against." Her words drew agreement from many crew members.
Hearing this, Whitebeard's laughter grew even louder: "Gurararara! No need! I'm Whitebeard!" He scanned every crew member on the deck, his eyes shining with paternal warmth: "On this ship, everyone is my family. I won't recruit crew members just to deal with enemies."
"You're right, Pops is invincible," the pirates on board cheered in response.
Over the years, the Whitebeard Pirates had been unstoppable in the Grand Line. Under Whitebeard's protection, even the most ordinary crew members rarely met with misfortune. This sense of security had fostered an almost blind worship of Whitebeard throughout the pirate crew.
At this moment, their ship had just climbed the spectacular waterfall of Wano Country and was sailing into the calm waters of the inland sea.
Whitebeard gazed into the distance but didn't see the expected Azure Dragon. "Gurararara, it seems that brat Kaidou isn't home," he said, tightening his grip on his great sword Ame-no-Habakiri, its blade glinting coldly in the sunlight.
"Men! Full speed ahead!" Whitebeard pointed his sword toward Wano Country, his voice thundering: "Let's go meet the executives of the Beasts Pirates!"
"Aye, Pops!" the crew responded in unison. The helmsman immediately adjusted the course, the lookout on the observation post became extra vigilant, and the gunners checked each cannon.
Meanwhile, at Kuri's Ido Port.
All core executives of the Beasts Pirates had gathered. The sea wind, carrying its salty, fishy scent, whipped at everyone's clothes. The atmosphere at the port was heavy and murderous - everyone understood they might be facing an unprecedented fierce battle.
Standing at the forefront were three Mythical Zoan users: King, holder of the Zoan-type Mythical Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form; Bullet, master of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Makora Form, his fists clenched tightly; and Queen, possessor of the Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Yamata no Orochi ability, wearing his trademark smile. Behind them stood several other powerful executives: Urouge, user of the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Great Monk Form; Moria, user of the Paramecia-type Shadow-Shadow Fruit; Commodore Gavin, Ancient Species Brachiosaurus Form user of the Dragon-Dragon Fruit; master swordsman Nul Morris; and two ordinary Zoan-type users - Cedric (Dog-Dog Fruit, Gray Wolf Form) and Nickson (Horse-Horse Fruit user).
As for surrendered members like Hyougoro and Fukurokuju, King had decided after careful consideration to have them remain stationed at the Flower Capital.
"Board the ships!" King commanded coldly.
He was the first to step onto the pirate ship, while Bullet and Queen watched him issue orders with dissatisfied expressions, though with a powerful enemy approaching, internal conflict was unwise. They could only each board a separate pirate ship.
Thus, the remaining officers of the Beasts Pirates boarded three large three-gun sailing ships, each meticulously crafted recently by the artisans of Wano Country.
Each ship measured 157 meters in length, 39 meters in width, and 31 meters in height, with a draft of 8 meters. They featured three large sails—fore, main, and mizzen—and were entirely constructed from the branches of the Adam Treasure Tree. Armed with a total of 64 cannons, including forty-two 18-pounders, eighteen 24-pounders, and four 32-pounders.
The bow and stern each housed a triple-gun turret with one 32-pounder and two 24-pounders, while each side mounted twenty-one 18-pounders, six 24-pounders, and one 32-pounder. Their firepower was formidable—though not matching the large-caliber cannons of Buster Call warships, they surpassed them in sheer number of guns.
"Set sail!" At King's order, the three warships flying the Beasts Pirates' flags cut through the waves, heading straight for the open sea. The sea wind roared, filling the sails with a dull rumble as pirates on deck gripped their weapons tightly, expressions grave.
In an open stretch of Wano Country's inland waters, the three warships fanned out, surrounding the majestic, whale-like Moby Dick. Standing at the bow of the flagship, King's black wings gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight. Looking down at Whitebeard seated on his throne on the deck, he declared coldly, "Whitebeard, ahead lies the territory of the Beasts Pirates. Passage is forbidden!"
"Gurararara!" Newgate's hearty laughter echoed across the sea. He rose slowly, dragging Ame-no-Habakiri across the deck, leaving a faint trail. Though he hadn't released his Conqueror's Haki, every step taken by this "World's Strongest Man" made the ordinary pirates on the opposing ships struggle to breathe, their faces beaded with cold sweat.
"Brat, you're not qualified to speak with me," Whitebeard said, his voice like rolling thunder as he looked down on King. "Bring Kaidou here!"
King's pupils contracted slightly, his hand instinctively resting on Enma's hilt. "Big Brother Kaidou isn't here. I'm in charge of Wano Country now."
Clang! Ame-no-Habakiri struck the deck with a deafening impact. Whitebeard laughed heartily, "Gurararara! It doesn't matter if Kaidou's absent—even if he were here, he couldn't stop my ship!"
"Well said! The Old Man goes wherever he wants!"
"How dare the Beasts Pirates try to stop us?"
The Whitebeard Pirates rallied with fervor. Marco stood at the forefront, hands in his pockets, blue flames dancing at his hairline. Jozu flexed his diamond-hard arm, producing sharp cracking sounds.
King's eyes turned completely cold. He slowly drew Enma, its dark blade shimmering with an ominous purple light. "If that's how it is, there's nothing more to say." At his command, the cannons on all three warships simultaneously flared to life.
"Fire!"
Deafening cannon roars erupted one after another as hundreds of projectiles tore through the sky, casting dense shadows over the azure sea. At such close range and with such concentrated firepower, even a massive vessel like the Moby Dick had no way to evade.
Yet the members of the Whitebeard Pirates remained unfazed. Their gazes firm, they stared at that towering figure—with the world's strongest man present, what did these cannonballs amount to?
Newgate clenched his right fist, a transparent spherical energy field coalescing around it. With effortless grace, he swung forward.
Crack—crack—crack
The air shattered like glass, and terrifying shockwaves spread with overwhelming force. The incoming cannonballs exploded mid-air, transforming into a downpour of fiery rain. The sea convulsed violently, churning up waves several meters high. The warships of the Beasts Pirates rocked fiercely in the turbulence, many pirates losing their footing and tumbling onto the decks.