OPTT: Chapter 101/102

Chapter 101: Can’t Fight a 1v1?

Hearing this, Ron smiled and casually tossed out a pot of wine.

"Twenty-year aged brew," Ron's voice rang out loud and clear. "This one's on me."

"Gurararara! Ron-boy, I heard you got booted from the Navy. How about joining this old man's crew?"

This unexpected gesture sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Up on the execution platform, Sengoku's eye twitched as he watched. "Since when did these two...?"

Garp, on the other hand, burst out laughing. "Interesting! Way too interesting!" He slammed the railing hard. "You little brat, Ron, hiding such good wine all this time? Even I didn't know about it? That's criminal!"

On the battlefield where the sea breeze howled, Ron's entrance was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, sending waves of chaos rippling out in every direction.

Each faction reacted differently, tensions surging just beneath the surface.

All eyes turned to Kaido, whose expression grew darker by the second. His fingers clenched so tightly around his sake gourd that it creaked, the rage in his eyes nearly tangible.

"Hmph!"

A deafening snort exploded.

Kaido slammed his gourd down onto the deck. Amber liquor splashed everywhere.

"Ron!" he snarled, his voice filled with contempt. "This isn't some bar for you to wax nostalgic!"

The pressure from his massive dragon form surged again, this time aimed entirely at Ron.

Under the sunlight, Kaido's dragon scales shimmered cold blue. He roared, "Wanna drink? Wait till this old man finishes this fight!"

Then, with a sudden turn of his massive head, he glared at Sengoku on the execution platform. A terrifying grin twisted across his face. "Hey Sengoku!"

That deliberate name drop made Sengoku's face instantly darken.

"I've backed you so many times. How about I support you again—this time from the front?"

Kaido's gaze locked onto Whitebeard next, and what he said next shook the entire battlefield.

"Let's take out this old fossil first. We'll settle the rest after."

That single sentence hit like a bomb in the middle of the battlefield.

Marine soldiers exchanged shocked glances, unable to believe their ears. The mighty Yonko Kaido—the so-called "Strongest Creature Alive"—actually suggesting... cooperation?

"What kind of joke is this?!" Vice Admiral Onigumo shouted.

But others didn't dismiss it so quickly. Instead, they looked at the situation thoughtfully. If Kaido really was willing to work together, the Marines could minimize their losses... maybe even take out a Yonko in the process.

It would be shameful to ally with pirates—but hey, it wasn't like they hadn't done it before.

As long as they won!

This subtle shift in Marine intent instantly put the Whitebeard Pirates on high alert. If the two forces really teamed up, there was no way they'd survive. It wouldn't just be a loss—it'd be total annihilation.

Marco immediately transformed into his Phoenix form and shot into the air.

"Kaido! Don't you have any shame?!"

Even the usually aloof Mihawk furrowed his brows. His hand had already drifted to the hilt of his Black Blade, Yoru.

This was truly shameful behavior.

Whitebeard just laughed, slamming Murakumogiri hard on the deck.

"Gurararara... So Kaido, you've finally admitted you can't take me one-on-one?"

Kaido: "...."

Ron stood atop a massive Sea King's head, purple runes pulsing faintly beneath his feet like they were about to come alive.

The demonic purple patterns reacted to Kaido's beast form. They trembled, eager—like they couldn't wait to fight.

Ron looked at Kaido calmly, his voice not loud, but loud enough.

"Twenty years have passed, and you're still so disappointing, Kaido."

That line was like a dagger, stabbing straight into Kaido's deepest pride.

Aboard the Beasts Pirates' warship, King, Queen, and the others were already in battle stance, awaiting their captain's order.

The entire battlefield went dead silent. Everyone held their breath.

Tension wrapped around the sea like an invisible storm.

Kaido's proposal had hit like a thunderclap, leaving all sides reeling.

Sengoku's forehead veins throbbed, but what truly shook him was Kaido's offer of cooperation.

As Fleet Admiral, he immediately grasped the situation's danger. If the Marines worked with Kaido to take down Whitebeard, even if they won... Kaido, that madman, absolutely wouldn't keep his end of the deal.

Still, it would save lives. Fewer casualties. Cooperation... wasn't entirely out of the question.

"Kaido, you..." Sengoku started to speak, but was pulled back by Vice Admiral Tsuru.

"Don't fall for it," she warned in a low voice, face grave. "He's just testing us."

Over on the Whitebeard side, Marco and Jozu were fully alert. Vista drew both his swords and sneered.

"A mighty Yonko teaming up with the Marines? What a joke. Truly shameless."

Whitebeard, meanwhile, stayed calm. He just glanced over at Ron meaningfully.

"Seems like someone's more popular than this old man, gurahahahaha..."

Hearing that, a sharp smile crept onto Shanks' face.

He gently rested his hand on the hilt of Gryphon at his waist. His presence sharpened like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath.

"Kaido," he said, voice soft but carrying overwhelming Haki. "If you're set on starting this war..."

He unsheathed Gryphon three inches. A cold glint flashed from the blade.

"...then I'll be your opponent."

His words hit like thunder crashing over the sea. The burst of Conqueror's Haki rippled outward like waves.

The seawater around the Red Force actually dipped from the sheer pressure. Benn Beckman raised a hand, and the Red Hair Pirates immediately moved into formation.

Kaido's dragon eyes narrowed sharply. His face contorted into a ferocious grimace.

"Red Hair!" he growled. "When did you and Whitebeard start working together?! Two Yonko, teaming up against me?!"

Shanks gave a low chuckle. His gaze turned razor-sharp.

He drew Gryphon fully, casually pointing the blade at the sea.

"Teaming up?" His tone was full of disdain. "I just can't stand you trying to game the system."

"Besides..." He paused, coating the blade in dark red Haki. "I'm curious. After all these years... has your strength gotten rusty?"

That sentence completely set Kaido off.

"You're asking for death!!"

With a deafening roar, his form exploded upward. The hundred-zhang-long azure dragon soared into the sky, fireclouds swirling beneath his claws.

The sea roiled violently with his fury.

But Shanks didn't move an inch. His gaze only grew colder.

Step by step, red Haki pulsed out with each movement.

"If it's a fight you want... then I'll see it through."

Battle intent surged in Shanks' eyes.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 102: That All?

"Hmph! Still pretending to play the role of justice, huh?" Kaido sneered. He forced himself to speak, but sweat was already trickling from the hand gripping his kanabo. "Haven't your so-called 'righteous armies' done enough shady things behind the scenes?"

Shanks shrugged indifferently. "At least we don't attack civilians." His tone turned ice-cold. "Last warning, Kaido. Either you and your crew get lost right now, or…"

Griffon was now fully unsheathed. The air where the blade pointed distorted faintly.

"I'll personally send you off."

This explosive back-and-forth instantly cranked the tension across the battlefield to its limit.

Whitebeard stroked his beard with interest, casually watching the situation unfold. Ron gazed thoughtfully at Shanks' back. Meanwhile, on the Marine side, Sengoku had quietly ordered all warships to fall back, clearing space for the inevitable clash between these two Yonko.

Kaido's expression flickered. He glanced at the distant Whitebeard, then at the Marines, who were on alert, then finally back at Ron, who looked like he could strike at any moment.

Logic told him the situation had already gone off script…

But retreat now? No way. Absolutely not!

Haki raged through the air. The face-off between the two Emperors darkened the sky and stirred the sea.

Kaido's dragon breath gathered in his throat, glowing with intense heat that lit the sky red. Shanks' Griffon pulsed with thick Conqueror's Haki, radiating dark red.

The pressure weighed heavily on both the Whitebeard Pirates and Marineford's forces. Feeling suffocated, they instinctively backed off to give space for the titanic clash.

Suddenly, a violent gust of wind exploded across the sea—and Red-Haired Shanks moved in a flash.

"Heat Breath—!"

Kaido's mouth opened wide, unleashing a massive pillar of scorching fire. Dozens of meters in diameter, the flame burned so intensely that seawater beneath instantly vaporized, sending up clouds of steam.

The heatwave alone peeled the paint off Marine warships in the distance. Watching pirates had to shield their eyes as the blast wave rolled over them.

Facing the oncoming attack, Shanks simply smiled. His right arm tensed, and a bright crimson light burst forth from Griffon.

With a calm swing, Griffon swung through the air, slicing a perfect arc.

What looked like a casual slash carried the force to tear apart the heavens.

Sword energy clashed with dragon breath mid-air. A blinding flash and deafening boom followed.

BOOM—!!!

At the collision point, space visibly distorted.

A massive shockwave erupted outward in a circle, pressing the ocean's surface down into a thousand-meter-wide depression.

Three nearby Marine warships were flipped on the spot. Several of Whitebeard's small boats were thrown into the air like paper.

When the smoke cleared, the two stood exactly where they had been—neither had taken a step.

Kaido's dragon whiskers trembled slightly. A flicker of surprise passed through his vertical pupils.

He hadn't expected Shanks to block his Heat Breath so easily… with just one arm.

Shanks' short red hair was tousled by the impact, but the sword in his right hand was still steady as a rock.

"Was that just warm-up?" Shanks grinned, his empty left sleeve fluttering in the wind. "Or... was that your full power?"

Kaido's dragon mouth curled into a grin.

"Interesting…" His claws slowly clenched. The flame clouds beneath him churned violently. "Seems like you haven't been slacking off, even as a one-armed cripple."

The two Yonko locked eyes across the battlefield. The air between them froze like ice.

On the Whitebeard Pirates' side, everyone instinctively held their breath. Marco's phoenix wings twitched, ready to intercept Kaido at a moment's notice. On the Marine side, Akainu took a step forward, prepared to act.

If the pirates could wipe each other out, that would be ideal. He'd clean up the leftovers.

Ace stood frozen, stunned by the turn of events. He'd expected only Whitebeard, but now all the Four Emperors were on the verge of clashing.

Up on the platform, Sengoku muttered under his breath, "They're getting serious…"

And sure enough—

In the next second, Kaido's dragon form suddenly surged. His azure scales turned a deep, ominous purple. At the same time, Shanks' Conqueror's Haki erupted to full force, dyeing the entire sea dark red.

Their auras kept climbing. The sea beneath them boiled.

The true showdown between the Four Emperors was about to begin!

But just then, a calm voice cut in.

"Gentlemen, if you're gonna fight…"

The Sea Kings under Ron's feet roared as if responding to a war call.

"…how about adding me to the list?"

The purple markings had already spread to Ron's right arm, gleaming with an eerie brilliance under the sun.

He could feel the blood in his body boiling. The patterns slithered and shifted under his skin like living creatures. An overwhelming force surged through his fists.

It made him want to roar at the sky, smash everything in front of him with a single punch!

Just as Kaido's mouth opened, about to speak.

"Enough."

A cold, heavy voice interrupted sharply.

Akainu stepped forward. His right fist was already magma, dripping molten rock that scorched black holes into the steel deck.

His glare locked onto Ron like a predator.

"Ron. This farce ends now." Akainu's tone allowed no argument. "You're a traitor. Expelled. You have no right to stand here, let alone point fingers or play hero."

The breeze on the sea turned hot and dry. The scent of sulfur filled the air.

Ron slowly turned around, his expression unchanged. His gaze landed on the Admiral with a faint smirk.

"Oh? Sakazuki…" Ron drawled his name. "Since when did you decide where I stand?"

He flexed his wrist. Every finger joint cracked crisply.

"Or do you think now…" A flash of purple lit up in his eyes. "…you're actually stronger than me?"

Akainu's pupils contracted. Veins bulged on his forehead. The magma around him surged violently, and the deck beneath his feet began to melt.

"Strong or not…" He suddenly ripped off his Justice coat. "Let's find out!"

BOOM!

The massive lava fist launched without warning! A pillar of blazing magma shot straight for Ron's face like a cannon blast. It was blindingly fast—so fast that even Garp, off in the distance, didn't have time to shout a warning.

But Ron was faster.

In a flash, his right hand formed a claw and lunged forward. It was instantly wrapped in purple Haki—and caught the magma in mid-air!

That's right. He caught it. With his bare hand.

Even more shocking, the magma in his palm began to cool rapidly. The Devil Fruit markings under his skin glowed briefly, then faded.

Finally, the magma turned to brittle black volcanic rock, crumbling between his fingers and falling like ash.

Ron flicked the soot off his palm.

"Is that all?" he asked lazily, blowing the ashes off with a single puff.

(To be continued.)