Chapter 297: The Roar of the New Era!
Onigashima
The moment Shanks's figure disappeared at the end of the port, the Three All-Stars stepped forward simultaneously, gathering beneath Kaido's throne.
Queen clamped down on his cigar, his brow deeply furrowed, smoke swirling in front of his round face: "Boss, we can't completely trust that Red Hair guy's words."
"When has he ever been kind to us? There's definitely something fishy going on here."
King stood with his arms crossed, his gaze as sharp as a blade: "However... Hanafuda really has been out of contact for far too long."
"If it's true like he said, and the Marines are preparing to publicly execute Hanafuda, then we need to confirm the intel immediately."
Jack chimed in with a muffled voice: "I think we should've just taken Red Hair down right then and there!"
"A mere single person dares to swagger into our Beast Pirates' territory and act wild?!!"
As soon as his voice fell, the air instantly solidified.
Queen and King turned their heads simultaneously, the word "Idiot" practically written across their eyes.
Jack froze, scratching the back of his head: "Huh? Did I say something wrong? We have the numbers and the advantage..."
"BANG—!!!"
Queen ruthlessly smashed a fist into his head, roaring: "You idiot! Do you really think Red Hair came alone just to die?!"
King's tone was as cold as frost: "Didn't you notice it earlier? That invisible oppressive pressure was hovering above your head the entire time."
"Yasopp's muzzle was likely locked onto your head from start to finish."
Jack's pupils shrank violently: "Huh?!!!"
He subconsciously touched the back of his neck, as if he could still feel the cold barrel of a gun pressing against his skin. Cold sweat instantly slid down his spine.
Kaido ignored the All-Stars' bickering entirely. He merely sat back on his throne, his dragon pupils flashing with a heavy, dangerous light amidst the firelight.
"How much of Red Hair's words... are credible?"
"Hanafuda... if he really fell into the Marines' hands..."
"What exactly are the Marines planning?"
He abruptly hoisted a fresh wine jug, tilting his head back to down a massive gulp of strong liquor. The liquid ran down his beard and dragon whiskers, smashing onto the floor like splattering blood.
His dragon pupils contracted sharply, his hesitation replaced by tyrannical killing intent in an instant.
"Pass down the order—"
"Contact our 'eyes' inside the Marines immediately and confirm Hanafuda's status!"
He slowly stood up. His massive body cast a mountain-like, oppressive shadow over the throne. His voice echoed across the entirety of Onigashima like muffled thunder:
"At the same time—"
"The Beast Pirates, all forces prepare for war!"
The air abruptly tensed. The Three All-Stars accepted the order in unison. The entirety of Onigashima felt as if invisible war drums had begun to beat.
Kaido looked up at the sky, where fierce winds were suddenly rising. His killing intent was so thick it was almost tangible—
"If the news is true..."
"I will flatten Hachinosu and bring Hanafuda back with my own two hands!!!"
...
Waters near Wano Country · The Red Force
The sea waves churned, and the wind howled.
Shanks's figure leaped nimbly back onto the bow of the ship. The moment the soles of his boots landed on the deck, the sea breeze swept up his dazzling red hair, his cape fluttering behind him like a flag.
Yasopp had already put away his sniper rifle. With a teasing smile on the corner of his lips, he whistled:
"Captain, you've got real guts... storming Onigashima alone and still managing to retreat in one piece."
Benn Beckman's eyes held a trace of resignation: "No matter how you look at it, going in alone was too reckless, Shanks."
Shanks rubbed the back of his head, his smile carrying a hint of casual ease: "Well~ You guys were all right here, weren't you?"
Yasopp laughed heartily: "I saw that big idiot Jack wanted to make you stay earlier!"
"I almost wanted to teach him a little lesson!"
Beckman exhaled a ring of smoke, adding calmly: "If you had taught him a lesson... it wouldn't have been so easy to leave."
Shanks shrugged, unfazed: "Kaido is hot-tempered, but not to the point of turning hostile on the spot."
"After all... I went there out of the 'kindness' of my heart to warn him this time."
Hearing this, Yasopp laughed and turned to adjust the sails, leaving only Beckman leaning against the ship's railing. Smoke swirled in the wind as his gaze pierced through the thin mist, locking firmly onto Shanks's eyes.
"Doing all this... was it worth it?"
"Even going out of your way to a place like the Holy Land..."
Shanks's smile gradually faded. He turned to look at the increasingly blurry silhouette of Onigashima, his tone dropping: "The Marines, under Roy's influence..."
"...are deviating a bit too much from the trajectory of 'Destiny'."
He paused, a profound depth flashing in his eyes: "Kaido... cannot die right now."
"At least, not at this time... and absolutely not outside of Onigashima."
Beckman remained silent for a long while. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke toward the horizon where the sea met the sky, asking no more questions.
The Red Force faced the fierce wind, sailing away from Wano's waters. The hull sliced through the waves, emitting a steady, powerful rhythm.
Shanks stood at the bow, his red hair flying in the wind. His gaze crossed the endless horizon, his voice sounding like a murmur, yet also like a conversation with the entire sea—
"Roy... what exactly are you trying to rewrite?"
"But no matter what... the 'Balance' of this sea absolutely cannot be broken at this moment!"
...
Marineford · Supreme Strategy Meeting Room
In front of the heavy oak long table, the atmosphere was like dark clouds pressing down on everyone's hearts, so heavy it was hard to breathe.
Sengoku sat upright in the seat of honor, his hands clasped and resting on the tabletop. His gaze was as sharp as a falcon's as it swept from left to right over everyone present.
On the left side—Garp, Zephyr, Tsuru, Kizaru, and Gion sat in a row. Their expressions were solemn, resembling a Great Wall of steel.
On the right side—Sakazuki, Kuzan, Roy, and Tokikake stood shoulder to shoulder. Faint, air-stagnating killing intent radiated from them.
At the far end of the table, the New Generation elites were fully assembled:
Enel stood with his arms crossed, lightning flashing in his golden pupils, his expression cold and arrogant;
Law quietly held Kikoku, his thin lips curved in a cold, stern arc;
Ace and Luffy sat shoulder to shoulder, blazing battle intent burning in their eyes;
Sanji had a cigarette clamped in his mouth, the smoke slowly dispersing in the air;
Usopp swallowed nervously, sweat beading on his forehead;
The recalled Zoro and Kuina had their hands resting on their sword hilts. Their edge was restrained, yet their sharp auras were oppressive.
Sengoku slowly stood up, his voice like the beating of war drums—
"In this campaign—"
"Even if we cannot beat Kaido to death..."
"We must severely cripple the Beast Pirates' vitality!"
He violently slammed his fist onto the table. The dull THUD rattled the teacups: "This is your chance to show the entire world the sharp edge of the Marines' new generation!"
Lightning exploded in the depths of Enel's eyes as he sneered in a low voice: "Kaido... this time, I absolutely will not let you blast me away with a single swing of your club again!"
Luffy grinned widely, his fists cracking as he clenched them: "I finally get to beat up that dragon!"
Ace's palms ignited with raging flames: "Let's show him the true power of the Fire Fist!"
Zoro's gaze was like a blade, his three swords slightly unsheathed: "I heard... that guy King will also be coming?"
Kuina smiled faintly: "Perfect. We can settle your score together."
Sengoku's gaze turned sharp: "Due to the Five Elders' restrictions, we can only deploy one Admiral and two Vice Admirals."
"After discussion, it has been decided that Kuzan will lead the team, accompanied by Vice Admirals Enel and Tokikake!"
He abruptly looked at the New Generation, raising his voice: "As for you—full deployment!"
Sakazuki merely snorted coldly, magma surging between his knuckles, but he did not object.
The tactical meeting earlier had already reached a conclusion.
—He lost his temper too easily when fighting Kaido. If the New Generation were caught in the crossfire, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Roy leaned against the wall, his expression calm, but he was looking out the window at the Marineford plaza, seemingly calculating something in his mind:
"In the shadows, Kizaru will also be keeping an eye out..."
"Although he can't make a move openly, we have to guard against accidents."
Thinking of this, his eyes turned cold. "With him watching over them, I can rest easy and go stir up some trouble of my own..."
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