Three months later.
Beneath the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons, directly under Mary Geoise, far below in the deep sea,
The beautiful, dreamy Fish-Man Island rested quietly.
BOOM!!!
Inside the royal palace of Fish-Man Island, a sudden roar of cannon fire shook the halls.
Flames leapt skyward, violently flaunting themselves against the surrounding seawater, as if to prove they could exist even in this crushingly deep ocean.
The palace buildings began to crumble in chunks, collapsing into a wasteland of rubble within moments.
"Cough… cough!!!"
Jinbe, having just escaped the deep-sea prison, spat a mouthful of blood as he staggered onto the palace floor.
The fierce visage contorted into disbelief as he stared at three figures emerging from the smoke ahead—figures he thought were illusions.
Hawk Eyes Mihawk, Donquixote Doflamingo, and Gecko Moria…
The three former Warlords of the Sea advanced toward Jinbe, each with their own distinctive stride.
"Stop struggling, Jinbe."
"Continuing is only a waste of your energy…"
Doflamingo, striding arrogantly, leaned slightly toward Jinbe, speaking not in mockery but with a chilling sincerity in his advice.
Jinbe planted his hands on the ground, straining his head upward, roaring in defiance:
"What exactly do you intend to do!?"
Without a sound, the three Warlords had infiltrated Fish-Man Island's palace, unleashing a thunderous assault that decimated the structure with terrifying ease.
Had he not returned in time, who knew what might have become of Fish-Man Island!
Even so, with his own strength, how could Jinbe hope to withstand the combined assault of three Warlords?
Among them were Hawk Eyes and Doflamingo, both elite even among the Seven Warlords, and the unpredictable, enigmatic Moria.
Within just a few exchanges, Jinbe was battered, bruised, and on the verge of losing the ability to fight.
In the palace ruins, King Neptune of the Ryugu Kingdom cowered in a corner with his three sons, trembling and silent.
Such power could destroy all of Fish-Man Island with ease.
And with Neptune's age and waning strength, hope of resistance had vanished completely.
Seeing Jinbe beaten, the less capable fish-men were chilled to the bone.
In the center of the battlefield, the four figures intersected as the chaos of war resumed.
Neptune struggled internally but finally resolved, seeing Doflamingo's wicked smile and hearing Moria's sinister laugh.
Taking advantage of a distraction, he fled to the rear of the palace to protect the White Star Tower.
Meanwhile, Jinbe straightened his posture, wiping blood from his massive fish-like hands, readying himself in the stance of Fish-Man Karate.
Like a lone hero, his gaze held no hint of retreat.
"Don't you fear Whitebeard's vengeance!?"
"Fish-Man Island is territory of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
A bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead as Jinbe invoked the name of one of the Four Emperors, hoping it might scare off his enemies.
But deep down, he knew well that a combined assault from three Warlords would not be deterred by the mere name of a Yonko.
Even so, he had resolved that, even at the cost of his life, he would protect Fish-Man Island—his home, the land that raised him.
Behind Fish-Man Island, Whitebeard's shadow loomed. Jinbe refused to believe these three could truly dare defy him.
Finally, moved perhaps by Jinbe's unyielding resolve, Hawk Eyes—the most composed of the three—spoke in his slightly sharp voice, attempting to dissuade him:
"The Whitebeard Pirates…"
"…no longer exist."
=======
Three days earlier.
In the New World, the territory of Whitebeard.
Glurururur…
"What a surprising visit!"
Whitebeard, covered in tubes for various medications, looked at Koby and Brook aboard the Moby Dick with mild surprise.
All the crew captains, except Ace, tensed as if facing a deadly threat, gripping their weapons and forming a protective line before Whitebeard.
"Pointless. Stand down."
Seeing his sons' concern, Whitebeard smiled broadly, his mouth matching the curve of his crescent mustache.
Clatter…
Several infusion tubes and syringes snapped instantly as Whitebeard rose to his full, massive height, blocking the sun with his towering form.
His enormous katanas were in hand, muscles swelling despite his age.
Though older, his spirit had not weakened with time.
But he knew well the difference between him and Koby—a gap not just a ditch, but a vast ocean.
"I can't afford to lose another one of my sons!"
"Yohohoho~"
With gentlemanly composure, Brook stepped forward.
Though Koby had grown powerful beyond measure, Brook's position in the Starry Sky Pirates remained unchanged.
As the envoy of the Starry Sky Pirates, Brook respectfully greeted Whitebeard and his crew:
"Esteemed Whitebeard Pirates, I greet you!"
"Today, I come as a messenger of the Starry Sky Pirates to address the heroes of the seas."
"To convey our captain's latest decree…"
Glurururur…
"A decree!?"
"Your manners seem less than courteous!"
Shing!
Whitebeard raised his great katana, creating a whistling barrier of raw energy around its tip.
"Let someone of authority speak to me!" he roared, his muscles bulging with terrifying strength.
Shing!
The colossal katana smashed toward Brook's skeletal form.
Brook quickly drew his sword, enveloped in ghostly energy, and countered the strike.
"Didn't your mother teach you respect for your elders!?"
"Whitebeard brat!"
Crack!
Above the Moby Dick, a sound like shattering glass echoed.
The sea surged violently, waves smashing toward the ship like wild horses unbound.
BOOM!
The shockwave rippled through the vessel, shaking the surrounding waters.
Yet, just as it seemed unstoppable, a magical teal flame rose along the waves, freezing them into massive ice sculptures.
The ocean surface below also froze, trapping the Whitebeard Pirates' ship upon an icy island.
Bone swords clashed with great katana—neither could advance.
"Captain!!"
Whitebeard's crew cried in alarm, but stopped upon seeing his calm, smiling face.
Brook, facing Whitebeard, showed strain but did not falter.
Surrounded by a spectral aura, he resisted the shockwaves from the katana strikes.
"Explain yourselves, Starry Sky Pirates!" Whitebeard demanded, swinging his blade.
Even the former strongest man in the world was surprised—he had not expected Brook, a random envoy, to possess such overwhelming strength.
"Hey…"
Facing this legendary pirate stirred excitement in Brook, even without a heart.
Knowing a direct fight would be impossible, he chose instead to reveal the Starry Sky Pirates' power through skillful display.
He withdrew his sword, expression calm, gazing sharply at Whitebeard.
"Koby!!!"
Pink lightning shot toward Whitebeard.
Suddenly, Whitebeard bent backward, eyes bulging in pain.
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A massive cannonball fired like a beam from the Moby Dick, striking the ice wave sculpture, shattering it into snow-like fragments.
Koby stood obediently in front of Brook, while Whitebeard had vanished.
Everything had happened so suddenly, as if in another world.
The Whitebeard Pirates had no time to react.
Brook sheathed his sword, the ruthless intensity fading, returning to his gentlemanly demeanor:
"We only wish for this sea to hear less of those who refuse our guidance…"
"…that's all."