"They're here," Kaido said, his eyes narrowing sharply, his expression turning serious.
His words immediately drew the attention of the nearby Shiryu, Avalo Pizarro, and the others.
"What's here? Hic..." Vasco Shot slurred drunkenly, holding his wine bottle.
But his question remained unanswered.
Kaido glanced at Charlotte Linlin, and she looked back at him.
Their gazes crossed in mid-air, and each released their Haoshoku Haki without holding back.
At the same time that their Haki swept across the entire Lodestar Island, in another direction over the sea, two more Haoshoku Haki auras rose.
In an instant, the four immensely powerful Haki forces clashed over Lodestar Island, refusing to give an inch, tearing apart the clouds in the sky.
Meanwhile, inside the broadcast room, Festa was so excited that he could barely breathe.
He had just received a message: the Emperor Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, was leading his fleet toward Lodestar Island.
"What's going on? Are the Emperors going to fight each other?"
"What's this suffocating pressure?"
"Could it be the Navy showing up to provoke the Emperors?"
"Damn it, if they start fighting, what'll happen to us?"
Many pirates, feeling the terrifying pressure in the air, began whispering to each other nervously. They knew that if the Emperors clashed, it would be dangerous even to be near the battlefield.
This extraordinary scene was broadcast live to the world through Transponder Snails.
"Are they really going to fight?"
"Pirates being pirates... Let them tear each other apart. The more that die, the better."
"Is it finally the Navy taking action? I knew they wouldn't just sit by and watch."
"So those are the Four Emperors of the New World... Such terrifying people."
...
"Fu Fu Fu... I wonder who will be the new Emperor after today, and who will be dethroned. The direction this world will take... it's exciting to think about," Doflamingo said, standing atop a towering tree, gazing out to sea.
There, enormous ships slowly emerged over the horizon.
At the same time, a Navy surveillance vessel spotted the pirate fleet approaching from the sea, still some distance from Lodestar Island.
"Knight Doma, Thunder King McGuy, Ice Witch Whitey Bay, Great Whirlpool Spider Squard, Decalvan Brothers..."
"All these captains are big names in the New World! Whitebeard's making a real move this time!"
Seeing the distinctive ships on the screen, each flying a flag, the Navy easily identified every pirate ship—every one belonging to Whitebeard's fleet.
But the Moby Dick and the main crew of Whitebeard's pirates were nowhere to be seen.
Every pirate ship in Whitebeard's fleet had its infamous captain standing on deck, all eyes fixed on the distant Lodestar Island.
There, they planned to show everyone what happens when you provoke Whitebeard.
Crocodile, with a cigar in his mouth, looked out to sea and smiled slightly, muttering, "That's more like you, Whitebeard."
On the shore, countless pirates scanned the horizon with binoculars. Suddenly, a few sailing ships appeared in view. As the angle shifted, they spotted the iconic flag of Whitebeard's fleet, prompting shouts from the crowd: "They're here!"
"That's Whitebeard's fleet!"
"Knight Doma, Thunder King McGuy, Decalvan Brothers, Great Whirlpool Spider Squard… all legendary captains!"
"But where's Whitebeard?"
Boom!
In the next moment, huge waves surged, and the Moby Dick, covered in protective film, burst from beneath the sea like a white whale, appearing at the head of the pirate fleet.
First Division Captain Marco the Phoenix, Third Division Captain Diamond Jozu, Sixth Division Captain Blamenco, and Eighth Division Captain Namur—every surviving captain of the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived.
Finally, after some adjustment, the image from the Moby Dick's deck appeared before everyone.
Draped in a white coat and holding his naginata Murakumogiri, a massive man appeared in front of everyone.
Just standing on the deck, this man exuded an aura that made people instinctively want to flee.
"Gu ra ra ra ra...!" Whitebeard stood on the deck, his gaze fixed on the distant Lodestar Island.
Whitebeard thrust Murakumogiri into the deck and spread his legs apart, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as fierce winds whipped his coat around.
After a brief moment, Whitebeard raised his head and looked ahead, then suddenly swung his clenched fists outward.
Instantly, it was as if an invisible hammer smashed the space itself. With the sound of shattering glass, cracks spread like spiderwebs through the air.
Rumble... Rumble... Rumble...
Just then, tremors began emanating from the direction of the Moby Dick. The vibrations seemed to strike the hearts of everyone who heard them.
Many pirates started to go pale, feeling dizzy and inexplicably anxious. All the marine life in the surrounding seas, sensing something terrifying was about to happen, frantically fled the area.
"What... what's happening?"
"There... there are cracks in the sky..."
"Why is the seawater suddenly receding?"
Seeing the rapidly lowering water level, many confused pirates shouted in shock.
"Fu Fu Fu... What a terrifying man," Doflamingo laughed, staring at the distant Moby Dick. Then he stretched out threads from his hand, attaching them to a far-off point, and swung away from the shore.
"He's really going all out. Mr. 1, let's go!" Crocodile frowned and said before turning into sand and flying away.
He knew that in just a few seconds, a massive tsunami would be crashing down.
A few seconds later, many pirates felt the ground beneath their feet start to shake violently. On both sides of the island, a white line suddenly appeared on the sea, rapidly closing in on the shore.
When they got a clear look at the white line, they saw that it was actually a rising wall of water—billions of tons of seawater rushing toward the coast like a primordial beast.
"A tsunami! And it's enormous!"
"Get to higher ground! If we're caught by that, we're dead for sure!"
The pirates gathered near the coast instantly broke into a chaotic scramble.
The tremors grew more intense, and the roar of the approaching water was deafeningly close.
Pirates fleeing the shore looked up at the growing shadow, stunned. When they turned back, all they saw was the looming wall of water, large enough to engulf the entire island.
"Is this the power that could destroy the world?"
Everyone who witnessed this scene couldn't help but picture that man in their minds.