A few minutes ago.
The far edge of the island.
The enormous Moby Dick, as massive as a beluga whale, sailed across the ocean, its stern dragging a thick iron chain that plunged deep into the sea.
"Oyaji, Oden's about to reach his limit! Why won't you just let him join us already?"
Marco, clearly frustrated, addressed Whitebeard, who sat calmly in the main seat.
"Yeah, Oyaji, he's been holding out for two whole days now!"
"Isn't that enough?"
"Besides, don't you actually like Oden?"
"If he joins us, we'd be adding a real powerhouse to the Whitebeard Pirates."
"..."
Other members of the Whitebeard Pirates chimed in one after another, trying to convince him.
As he listened to his sons' chatter, Whitebeard couldn't help the flicker of helplessness in his eyes.
He had to admit—Kozuki Oden's personality really did strike a chord with him.
But it was exactly because of Oden's overwhelming strength that Whitebeard was reminded of the chaos back when he sailed with the Rocks Pirates.
Having strong-willed and powerful individuals on the same crew wasn't necessarily a good thing.
It was the perfect recipe for friction and conflict, where no one was willing to back down.
Yet just as Whitebeard was caught in thought—
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion erupted in the distance, above the far-off island.
Crimson shockwaves radiated outward from the island. Even at this distance, the crew could clearly see the surging red lightning piercing the skies.
"A Conqueror's Haki clash!"
"That's where Oden headed just now!!"
"He's in a fight!"
"What incredible Haki!"
"Who the hell is he up against?"
"..."
Marco and the others stared wide-eyed, shaken by the waves of Haki reaching them even from so far away.
They all knew Oden's strength. Within the Whitebeard Pirates, he was second only to Oyaji himself.
He had even challenged Oyaji to a duel the first time they met.
Though he got thoroughly "flattened" in the end, they'd witnessed the raw power of this Wano samurai's swordsmanship.
But now, Oden had found a worthy opponent—on that deserted island!
And from the sheer intensity of the Conqueror's Haki clash, it seemed the two were evenly matched!?
"Oyaji!!"
Marco turned to Whitebeard in alarm.
Whitebeard let out a long sigh. Forgetting all about the test, he ordered firmly:
"Adjust our course!"
...
Deserted island.
Time seemed to slow.
A coin spun in midair, its edges glinting faintly with a cold light.
Zzzzz...
Blue arcs of electricity crackled and danced around the man's fingers.
He hadn't even moved yet—
But Kozuki Oden felt a suffocating, unprecedented sense of danger bearing down on him, sending every pore on his body bristling.
It was like having a blade pressed right against his pupil. Like being targeted by a deadly predator.
He knew with certainty—
This man had locked completely onto his presence.
There was no escaping the next blow.
"This feeling..."
Oden suddenly grinned.
His eyes blazed with wild, searing battle spirit—burning like fire.
"Wahahaha! This is incredible!!"
He burst out laughing, eyes flashing as he took a single step forward. His body shot out like a gust of wind.
Armament Haki surged across his body like fluttering cherry blossoms or streams of crimson light.
The stern, jet-black blade—Enma.
The snow-white, ringing blade—Ame no Habakiri.
Both were part of the famed Great Grade 21 Meito, forged by the legendary Wano swordsmith Shimotsuki Kouzaburou.
And now, both were blazing with flames of Armament Haki.
Oden raised them high above his head, gripping them firmly in both hands.
...
"Oden Nitōryū..."
Kozuki Oden's face lit up with excitement and battle fervor. Ryuo swirled around his body like a hurricane, and his aura surged to its peak.
At that exact moment, the spinning coin finally hit the ground.
"Tōgen Shirataki!!"
"Magnetic Overload: Railgun!"
Oden's figure shot forward, twin swords crossed in front of him as he slashed straight at the massive blue beam of energy!
Boom!!
A violent shockwave erupted, blasting outward in all directions.
The ground surged like a stormy sea. Boulders, earth, and trees were uprooted and flung into the air. The entire island quaked violently.
A blinding light consumed everything.
The next moment, two figures burst out of the smoke and turbulence at the same time, colliding like crashing meteors.
Bang!!
A spinning whirlwind rolled back from the impact. Both men took half a step back.
A glint of coldness flickered deep in Daren's eyes.
His Armament Haki is far stronger than mine?
Then I can't clash head-on with those two absurdly sharp Meito.
Daren grinned savagely and reached out, unfazed, as Kozuki Oden brought down Enma.
Oden was caught off guard.
Shhk!
Enma, wrapped in Ryuo Haki, sank into Daren's chest. Blood spurted out, staining his white shirt crimson.
It's stuck in the flesh!?
Impossible!
This is Enma!
The blade said to be able to destroy even Hell!
Enma, imbued with Ryuo!
What the hell is this guy's body made of!?
Oden's pupils shrank.
But in that instant of hesitation, Daren had already closed the distance completely!
"Your swordsmanship is impressive... but you know, in a real close-quarters fight..."
A near-maniacal gleam flared in Daren's eyes. One hand gripped the blade of Enma stuck in his ribs, while the other, large like a looming shadow, reached for Oden's face.
Oden instinctively raised Ame no Habakiri to block.
But Daren had already stepped past the effective range for swordplay, forcing Oden into an awkward position.
A voice like a wrathful demon echoed in his ears.
"Martial arts are the strongest!!"
Oden's mind went blank.
Daren moved at terrifying speed, paying no mind to the blood gushing from his slashed palm, wounded by the blade that could cut down the sky—Ame no Habakiri.
He crouched, armed his body, and launched his knee...
A meteoric knee strike!
Bang!!
Oden's body buckled like it had been hit by lightning. He violently vomited seawater mixed with blood, and a sharp crack sounded from his ribs.
A visible white shockwave rippled from his back.
Blood splashed onto Daren's face, making his expression even more wild and defiant.
Another crushing elbow slammed into Oden's throat.
His face turned pale, and blood spewed from his mouth.
But that was only the beginning. Daren gave him no room to breathe. Every form of close-range combat he knew rained down on Oden like a storm.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Blow after blow sent Oden staggering, a mist of blood spreading across his body.
And every time he tried to grit his teeth and break free, Daren stuck to him like a leech, denying him any space to unleash his deadly swordsmanship.
Bang!
With a final blast, Oden was forced back several steps. His hair was completely disheveled, and he looked utterly battered.
Before he could recover from the searing pain, Daren appeared in front of him once more—like a ghost.
"You've never seen martial arts like this in Wano, have you?"
Daren sneered, bloody hand clamping around Oden's head like a steel trap, and slammed him down with the force of a landslide!
Boom!!
The ground for a hundred meters around shattered, cracks spiderwebbing in every direction.
Oden's pupils briefly lost focus as blood gushed from his mouth and nose.
Debris flew in the gale, and the blood-soaked black hair of the Marine Commodore whipped in the wind.
His face twisted into a sneer, brimming with savage rage.