Naval Headquarters — Coastal Battlefield.
A heavy, suffocating tension blanketed the entire area.
All because of two men staring each other down—
Four Emperor Red-Haired Shanks and Rocks, the Overlord of the Sea.
"Ahhh— I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm really gonna die!"
"Rocks—the actual Ocean Overlord—is staring right at us!"
"Don't tell me he's not done fighting yet… is he about to pick a fight with us now?!"
Rockstar and the other new recruits trembled as they shouted, cold sweat pouring down their faces.
Fortunately…
The worst didn't happen.
Rocks, the Overlord of the Sea, simply stared for a moment—then turned around and walked away without another glance.
Phewwww—
The ordinary members of the Red-Haired Pirates collectively exhaled in relief.
"It seems the old-era overlord Rocks was trying to confirm whether we were friend or foe," sniper Yasopp muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"That's likely," Limejuice agreed with a nod. "He ruled the seas thirty-six years ago—he probably doesn't understand the politics of this era."
"The danger's passed, boss," Lucky Roo said, wiping his forehead. "So… when are we heading in?"
"Ahahahaha—right now!" Shanks declared, bursting into laughter.
The red-haired emperor was the first to leap from the prow of the Red Force.
Beckman, Lucky Roo, Yasopp, and the rest of the core officers followed right behind him.
Elsewhere
Only after Rocks—the terrifying Ocean Overlord—finally departed…
did the ministers and officers of the Big Mom Pirates dare to approach the massive hole in the ice where Big Mom had fallen.
But before they could start their rescue—
"R-Red hair!"
"Four Emperor Red-Haired Shanks!"
"Y-you—what are you planning to do?!"
"Don't think that just because Mama fell, we're easy prey!"
Perospero, Oven, Daifuku, and the others shouted bravely—while staying firmly behind Katakuri, using him as a human shield.
"Ahahaha, relax," Shanks said with an easy smile. "We're not here to attack you. Besides… aren't you planning to pull Big Mom out of the sea?"
With that, he strode past them, leading the Red-Haired Pirates straight toward the center of the battlefield.
Only after the entire Red-Haired crew had left did the Big Mom Pirates finally breathe out in relief.
On Another Part of the Battlefield
The former Four Emperor Kaido of the Beasts was locked in a duel with Kozuki Oden.
Their two-on-two clash raged on with explosive force.
Because Oden had been manifested by Sugisawa Yuuto's magic,
his returning form was strengthened—
even stronger than he had been eighteen years ago.
But even so, defeating the current Kaido was no easy feat.
Meanwhile—
Yamato was battling King, the Fire Calamity of the Beasts Pirates.
Originally, Hiyori (now renamed to the Japanese-style Koyuki Hiyori) wished to fight alongside her father.
But even with her magic awakened, the gap between her and King's monstrous strength was too wide.
The sheer shockwaves alone were more than she could endure, so Yamato stepped in to take the fight.
In sheer physical might, Yamato was evenly matched with King.
However—
King's Lunarian resilience made him incredibly difficult to take down, forcing Yamato into a prolonged struggle.
Both battlefields were locked in a brutal stalemate.
And Then—
BOOM!
A monstrous presence descended from above.
"Well, well… as expected of Captain Rocks," Kaido laughed, still trying to appear calm. "He defeated Linlin in no time!"
But inside, he was cursing endlessly.
Useless Big Mom! Couldn't even stall Rocks!
If Rocks joined forces with Oden, Kaido would have no choice but to run for his life immediately.
"Hahahaha—relax, Kaido-boy. I'm not interested in you anymore!"
Rocks shouted, laughing at Kaido's barely concealed panic.
Then, without interfering, Rocks turned and walked away.
Kaido exhaled in pure relief—
But only for a second.
Because a new threat arrived immediately afterward.
"Red hair!!!"