The moment Whitebeard laid eyes on Caesar, a silent grin spread across his face.
Without hesitation, he mirrored Caesar's movement, his naginata enveloped in both Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) and Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki), crackling with raw power.
A crushing, invisible force spread outward. The sheer pressure made all but Kozuki Oden break into cold sweats, their bodies stiffening as they watched Whitebeard and Caesar charge at each other.
Before the Whitebeard Pirates could even register what was happening, the two had already clashed.
BOOM!
The impact of their Haoshoku Haki-infused weapons was even greater than before. The collision sent shockwaves ripping through the battlefield, black and red lightning crackling in all directions.
The force was so overwhelming that many were unable to stay on their feet. Those of weaker constitution were hurled backward instantly.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Among the Whitebeard Pirates, those resisting the shockwave finally got a clear look at Caesar. Recognition dawned upon them—this was no ordinary foe. His face had appeared in newspapers and bounty posters recently, a man regarded as an equal to their captain.
"The King of Heaven... Caesar!"
The first clash had ended.
Both Whitebeard and Caesar simultaneously stepped back a few paces. Caesar hovered slightly above the ground, his gaze level with Whitebeard's.
"Newgate, long time no see."
Whitebeard smirked. "Caesar! Long time no see."
The Clash of Legends
As their battle unfolded, those watching—especially the Kozuki retainers—were left in awe.
To their eyes, the weapons of the two men never actually made contact. Instead, where their blades should have met, a mass of surging energy pulsed, crackling with red and black lightning.
Oden's mind went blank.
This was beyond anything he had imagined.
He could recognize the Haoshoku Haki they wielded—he possessed it too. But he had never considered that it could be used in combat like this.
The sheer presence of these two warriors consumed the surrounding space, exerting a crushing spiritual pressure. Sweat dripped from the foreheads of even the strongest men present.
It felt like standing before gods.
Even as Caesar and Whitebeard withdrew their weapons momentarily, the residual pressure remained. Only when they exhaled did the spectators dare to breathe again.
But in the next moment, the two warriors grinned and lunged at each other once more.
This time, the impact was even greater.
The Busoshoku Haki and Haoshoku Haki intertwined, dark red energy surging outward in all directions. The ground beneath them was torn apart, layers of rock and earth being stripped away. Debris shot skyward, carried by the sheer force of their clash.
The sea, once turbulent, was momentarily stilled—only to erupt into chaos again as their Haki disrupted its natural state.
Whitebeard laughed heartily mid-clash.
"Kurarararara! Caesar, you've gotten stronger!"
Caesar smirked, eyes burning with excitement. "Newgate, you too."
There was no need for words beyond that. Their battle itself was their conversation.
The island's coastline was in ruins. Sand and rock flew through the air, blotting out the sky. Entire trees were uprooted. Even animals in the distance were lifted off the ground by the sheer force of the battle.
The Moby Dick, Whitebeard's stranded ship, was actually pushed back into the water by the aftershock.
Had the Whitebeard Pirates not acted in time, they might have been wiped out by the sheer force alone.
Across the island, even the people of Wano noticed the disturbance. The ground trembled. The winds howled. Waves crashed violently.
To them, it felt like a natural disaster—an earthquake, a typhoon, or even worse.
For Kin'emon and the other Kozuki retainers, words failed them.
They had once dared to defy Whitebeard. But now, watching this clash, their hearts pounded with sheer terror.
"How... How can such monsters exist?"
Kin'emon, Raizo, and the others could only gape in horror.
Oden, however, was different.
Despite the overwhelming force buffeting his body, he felt no fear.
Only exhilaration.
He had fought Whitebeard before, but even then, Whitebeard hadn't gone all out. Seeing this battle, Oden's excitement soared.
"So this is the strength of warriors from the outside world?"
His desire to set sail burned hotter than ever.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere…
On the horizon, a group of figures moved toward the battlefield.
Caesar's crew, the Caesar Pirates, had momentarily frozen in shock when they saw him take off. But now, they moved with urgency.
Lily, their navigator, quickly created an island cloud beneath their feet, lifting them into the air and speeding them toward their captain.
As they neared the battlefield, they could already feel the immense energy surging from the fight.
They recognized that Haki immediately.
It was Caesar's.
But who was capable of matching him blow for blow?
Then, they saw him.
A towering figure with a crescent mustache, his massive naginata crackling with Haoshoku Haki.
Their eyes widened in shock.
"It's him…!"
"Whitebeard!"
The recognition was instant. His features were unmistakable.
Even Lily, who had never seen him before, recognized him immediately.
Back on the battlefield, the arrival of the Caesar Pirates had not gone unnoticed.
The Whitebeard Pirates and Kozuki retainers turned their gazes toward the newcomers.
Each of them carried an air of formidable strength.
The tension in the air grew thick.
Both pirate crews instinctively prepared for a fight.
But just as it seemed a war might break out—
Whitebeard and Caesar stopped.
A Moment of Understanding
Caesar had not expected to run into Whitebeard here. He had brought children with him, after all.
Fighting with them nearby was reckless.
Whitebeard, too, had taken notice of the small children accompanying Caesar. Even amidst battle, he had a soft spot for children.
The realization that this was not the time for war settled between them.
But while the two captains had come to an unspoken understanding, their crews had not.
Marco, Whitebeard's first division commander, shouted angrily at Caesar:
"Bastard! You attacked Dad from the sky like a coward!"
Marco's eyes burned with fury as he readied himself for a fight.
To him, Caesar's sudden descent had been a sneak attack.
Caesar, however, simply glanced at him without responding.
But Whitebeard's voice boomed across the battlefield:
"Marco, shut up!"
Marco flinched.
Whitebeard had no desire to escalate the situation.
The fight had been enough for him to see it clearly—Caesar was not the same man he once was.
And his crew… they were dangerous.
Forcing a confrontation now would serve no one.
Though Marco grumbled, he obeyed.
But just as things were calming down—
A pair of young voices suddenly rang out in defiance.
"Who the hell is that pineapple-headed guy?!"
Carlos, one of Caesar's children, was glaring at Marco, light blue lightning flickering around his body.
Beside him, Lucius clenched his fists.
"Apologize to Father! Or we'll teach you a lesson!"
The battlefield fell silent for a moment.
Then, despite the tension, several pirates chuckled. The sight of two small children standing up to Marco was unexpectedly amusing.
Marco merely scoffed, turning away with a smirk.
"Brats."
But that single word only enraged the children further.
"DON'T IGNORE US, PINEAPPLE HEAD!"
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