One Piece : Brotherhood

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******

The entire country of Wano lay on high alert. Although the isolationist nation typically shut its borders tight against the outside world, the warning from Whitebeard had prompted Oden to mobilize his forces, rallying the loyal samurai and deploying scouts along every hidden pathway into the nation.

The anticipated threat was no minor incursion—between the Beast Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, a massive force of nearly forty thousand pirates was bearing down on Wano, with Kaido alone bringing thirty-five thousand men under his command.

It was the largest pirate force the New World had seen in decades, a tidal wave of strength that Oden's forces, strong as they were, could not face lightly.

Aboard the lead ship, Kaido's eyes were dark with doubt as he turned to Big Mom, who stood beside him, the cold sea wind whipping her cape behind her.

"Linlin," he rumbled, his voice low and suspicious, "are you absolutely certain Whitebeard won't be waiting for us the moment we set foot in Wano?" He trusted her—at least, as much as he could trust anyone—but he knew Whitebeard's strength and his loyalty to Oden. Kaido couldn't shake the feeling that an attack on Wano could just as easily be a trap.

Big Mom laughed, her deep voice echoing over the waves, but her eyes narrowed in warning.

"Kaido, you worry too much. I told you, Whitebeard won't be there. There are forces I've called on to make sure of it." She shot him a look, daring him to ask more.

"Think less about what's waiting for us and more about how we're going to get into Wano. You realize Oden's no fool—he's surely readying for a war. That country's a natural fortress. No one walks into Wano and leaves with their heads if they don't have a plan."

But Kaido, unphased by her warnings, growled, "Fortress or not, I'll fly right over their walls, straight for Oden's head. Once he's done for, the rest of Wano will fall like dominoes. The samurai will kneel or perish."

The brutal certainty in his voice made even Big Mom pause; she knew Kaido's brute strength and resilience were nearly unmatched, yet she could tell he still underestimated Oden. Despite Kaido's rapid rise in strength, Oden was a warrior whose power even Whitebeard revered—a fact Kaido ignored to his own peril.

Big Mom let out a derisive huff, dismissing Kaido's bluster. She turned instead to Bullet, who leaned casually against the ship's railing, his piercing eyes fixed on the horizon. He had said little during the planning but had been instrumental in planting the idea of Wano's conquest.

Bullet wasn't like Kaido, nor was he like Linlin; he had his own mysterious agenda. Big Mom suspected he was here as much to test his own strength as to claim Wano.

"Bullet, you're awfully quiet. How do you propose we actually bypass Wano's defenses?" she asked, watching him with keen interest. She could tell that despite his silence, Bullet had a plan. He was dangerous, cunning in a way that was nearly as threatening as his strength.

Bullet's mouth curved into a smirk, and he finally spoke, his voice cool and calculating. "Wano's defenses are impressive, but remember, I wasn't part of Roger's crew for nothing. There are hidden sea currents in those chaotic waters, currents only a few know about. I can navigate us through them safely. We'll reach the shores before they even realize we've breached the first line."

The group fell silent, considering his words. They all knew that Wano's geography was almost an additional guardian, its mountainous walls, treacherous whirlpools, and dense fog forming a natural barrier against intruders.

But Bullet had a confidence that left little room for doubt. He knew the hidden routes, and he knew the weaknesses of Wano's formidable defenses. This knowledge alone would give their forces a critical advantage.

Linlin was the first to break the silence, her gaze sharpening with determination. "Once we're in, we need to move fast. Oden's forces are strong, and they'll rally the entire country if given time. Our goal is simple: take Oden down before Wano can mobilize."

Kaido's eyes lit up with a ferocious grin. "Then we're agreed. I'll go in first and fight Oden myself. When I take him down, Wano's will to resist will crumble, and we'll take the country with brute force. This land will know who holds the true power of the New World."

Big Mom sighed inwardly, recognizing the overconfidence in Kaido's tone but holding back. She knew Oden wouldn't be an easy target, but she'd let Kaido believe in his own strength for now.

Their alliance, for as long as it held, would bring them closer to the conquest they each desired.

As their fleet continued its approach, the dark waters around them foaming in the wake of their ships, Bullet's eyes glinted with a steely resolve. He knew that to take Wano, they'd have to strike swiftly, cut off Oden's strength before he could call his samurai to arms.

But he also knew that Oden wouldn't fall easily. This invasion would be a test of their cunning, their alliances, and their might.

And for the first time in decades, the New World was witnessing the gathering of the three most feared pirate forces. Wano would not go down without a fight—but neither would Kaido, Big Mom, or Bullet.

*****

Aboard the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates moved with a sharpened readiness. Only the elite divisions were present on the flagship—Marco, the first division commander; Jozu, the third; Vista, the fifth; and Izou, the sixteenth, who had joined urgently due to his ties to Wano.

Though the full might of the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't be gathered on such short notice, the strength of these elites and the leadership of Whitebeard himself were enough to bolster their confidence. They knew that, together, they would show Kaido and Big Mom the true terror of facing the Whitebeard Pirates.

Whitebeard leaned back, his eyes narrowed as he addressed Marco, who had just finished speaking with Oden through the transponder snail. "What does Oden have to say?" Whitebeard's deep voice held the calm weight of command, though a faint hint of concern lingered behind it.

Marco, the first division commander, turned to Whitebeard after ending a conversation with Oden through the transponder snail.

"Oden-san says he can handle it himself, even with Kaido and Big Mom on his doorstep," Marco reported, though a faint frown tugged at the edge of his expression.

"He didn't sound concerned."

Whitebeard leaned back, gripping his naginata with white-knuckled intensity. Although he trusted Oden's strength implicitly, an uneasy feeling had settled over him.

It was a gnawing sense, deep in his bones—a feeling sharpened by decades on these unforgiving seas. He could feel it, something sinister unfolding. Instinct and experience warned him this was no ordinary clash; it was as if the world itself was bracing for a calamity.

"Push the ship harder!" he commanded, his voice booming with authority. "We'll make Wano before the enemy even thinks we're coming."

Just as Marco moved to relay the order, Whitebeard's head snapped up, his Observation Haki flaring. A colossal presence, one he hadn't felt in years, loomed high above.

His gaze narrowed as a crimson cross-slash ripped through the sky, each crescent of the attack spanning hundreds of meters, blazing toward the Moby Dick. The air itself trembled under the sheer force of the attack.

"Brace yourselves!" Whitebeard's voice rang out, his calm command as steady as bedrock.

But before he could even move, Jozu had already stepped forward, his body transforming instantly into diamond, shimmering in the sunlight.

His powerful arms, coated in Armament Haki, crossed in front of him, absorbing the brunt of the blow at the bow of the ship. The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave exploding across the deck, powerful enough to push back the flagship.

Whitebeard sensed the strain and swiftly planted his naginata into the deck, channeling a ripple of energy that resonated through the ship. His very presence, like a tidal anchor, held the ship steady against the tremendous pressure of the attack.

Jozu gritted his teeth, his diamond form creaking under the stress as he redirected the slash, sending it crashing into the ocean and carving a deep ravine that stretched for miles across the sea's surface.

Breathing heavily, Jozu straightened, though faint cracks lined his left arm. He had grown strong, stronger than ever before—but that attack had nearly crushed him. Every muscle on board was tense, the entire ship scanning the sky for their assailant.

Yet, while his crew looked anxiously for the source, Whitebeard remained perfectly still, his eyes fixed on a single figure descending from above. His face was set in a mixture of surprise and familiarity, and a long-hidden intensity glinted in his eyes.

From the crimson light, a figure appeared, cutting a path downwards with a presence that seemed to darken the very sky around them.

"Izumi…" he whispered, almost to himself, his voice filled with both recognition and a profound gravity.

Descending toward them was Izumi Arakaki, an old titan of the seas and a name that had faded into the shadows after the fall of Xebec.

She had been one of the most brutal and cunning combatants Whitebeard had ever known, a rival from the era when the seas had been dominated by fearsome legends. She wore the faintest smirk, her eyes blazing with challenge as she settled her gaze upon Whitebeard himself.

"Still sitting on that throne, Edward?" Izumi's voice was deep and edged with mockery, carrying the weight of shared history and untamed rivalry. Her dark red Kimono whipped in the wind as she floated, a hulking shadow of power and lethal intent.

Whitebeard's face remained hard, betraying nothing as he stood, towering over his crew, his naginata glinting in the light. "Thought I'd seen the last of you, Izumi," he replied, his voice low and seething with the kind of respect that only the strongest rivals earned.

"Oh, I think you've missed me," she replied, lifting her own blade, a dark Odachi that seemed to devour the light around it.

"And here I was, wondering if you'd grown soft in your old age." Her words, laced with biting nostalgia, only fueled the crew's intensity as they prepared to face her down.

Around them, the air grew heavier, as if crackling with anticipation. Whitebeard's grip on his naginata tightened. This was no ordinary enemy. She was a force from his past—a shadow from the era of Xebec, a figure who had carved her name into history with ruthless precision. And now, she was here, threatening everything he'd built.

"Old age….? Age hasn't dulled me yet; I still have a few decades left in me." Whitebeard replied, the air around him vibrating as he activated his Conqueror's Haki. The sheer pressure of it, like a tsunami waiting to break, rolled off him and collided with her own oppressive aura.

"You've only gotten slower, Edward," she taunted, her smirk widening as her crimson aura flared in defiance.

The Moby Dick held its breath, every man on board tensing, weapons at the ready, knowing they were about to witness a clash that few survived to tell of—a fight between two legends, both bound by the weight of history and rivalry, and both determined to prove, once and for all, who truly commanded the seas.

Whitebeard's gaze was steely, his stance unyielding as he tightened his grip on his naginata. He felt the familiar rush of anger—a pulse of betrayal mixed with a calm, cold fury.

Izumi's sudden reappearance, after all these years, was no coincidence. He knew exactly why she was here, and the timing was too convenient to ignore. But this time, he wouldn't let sentiment or history cloud his judgment.

"Tell me, Izumi… why are you here?" His voice was low, a dangerous rumble that carried across the deck.

"I'm not in the mood for pleasantries. Last time, I let you walk away out of pity, despite Rocks' orders. But don't mistake that mercy for weakness." His eyes sharpened, a steely glint in them that dared her to push him further. "You stand in my way, and I won't let you walk away a second time."

The mention of Rocks seemed to ignite something in the air, a silent echo of a time when their lives were bound by dark ambition and violent loyalty.

Years ago, in the chaos of that world, he had struck her down, yet spared her—leaving the final cleanup to Linlin, who'd clearly let her live to use as leverage someday. Now, the reminder only fueled the fire simmering beneath his calm exterior.

He took a step forward, his immense frame casting a shadow across the deck. His presence grew, the very air around him warping under the pressure of his aura. "Move, Izumi. For the sake of the old days, I'll overlook this.

But you know what happens if you stay. You know there's nothing you can do to stop me from reaching Wano." His voice turned to a growl, laced with a deadly promise.

The pressure of Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki rippled outwards, like waves crashing against rocks, testing her resolve. But Izumi held her ground, her smirk unfaltering, her eyes gleaming with defiance. There was a deep, unsettling calm in her stance, as if she thrived on the danger that Whitebeard's power imposed.

"You think I'm here to stop you, Edward?" She replied, her voice smooth, almost taunting. "Let's not play coy. You and I both know that sparing me back then wasn't just pity. It was respect." Her gaze remained locked with his, unblinking, unwavering.

"But times have changed. The world is changing. And you, with all your pride, can't just waltz into the seas as if you own it."

Whitebeard's scowl deepened. "Enough with the riddles, Izumi," he growled, his tone razor-sharp. "Respect or not, stand aside."

Izumi's eyes flashed with challenge. "So quick to forget how much you enjoyed the old days, Edward. The thrill of fighting someone who could hold their own." Her fingers flexed around the hilt of her blade, the air around her starting to shimmer with a deadly, crimson aura that clashed with his own, creating a field of raw energy that crackled between them.

"But this isn't just about Wano or your precious Oden. I'm here because people like us were never meant to fade away, clinging to thrones we built decades ago."

Whitebeard's patience frayed. "The difference between us, Izumi, is that I built something to protect others—not myself. If you want to test me, then by all means, take your best shot." His voice was a quiet thunder, each word carrying the weight of decades, of battles fought and won, of empires forged and defended. He raised his naginata, its edge gleaming with a fierce promise.

The deck trembled under the weight of their Haki, the power between them creating a storm of tension that held the entire crew in its grip. Whitebeard's elites stood at the ready, hearts racing, weapons in hand, fully aware they were about to witness the clash of two titans.

Izumi's smirk widened into a predatory grin. "I've been waiting for this, Edward. And who said I was alone...?"

Without hesitation, she unsheathed her massive odachi, its blade flashing with a deadly, dark aura. With a single swing, she unleashed a slash that seemed to take on the form of a massive, beastly creature, rushing toward the Moby Dick like a wrathful phantom. The air itself seemed to hiss as it closed in, power radiating from its form.

Before the Whitebeard crew could react, a towering tsunami rose up on both sides of the ship, but this was no ordinary wave. It gleamed unnaturally in the sunlight, catching and refracting the light with an oily, sinister sheen.

"Oil…" Whitebeard muttered, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the deadly threat. His instincts kicked in. He lifted his naginata, the blade glowing with a powerful, radiant white halo, and intercepted Izumi's slash with a devastating counterstroke.

The impact alone sent a shockwave rippling across the deck, but Whitebeard was already moving, thrusting his right arm forward and punching into the air with such force that the very fabric of the sky seemed to crack. Tremors tore through the air, the quaking impact crashing into the looming oil tsunami with a thunderous roar.

The oil wave shuddered, resisted, then finally buckled under Whitebeard's strength, shattering as if struck by a massive, invisible hammer. Droplets of oil sprayed like rain, coating the surface of the sea in a slick, glassy layer.

Izumi skidded back, the force of his counterattack nearly throwing her off her feet. But she held her stance, balancing gracefully on what seemed like thin flames underfoot. Her smirk returned, more wicked than before.

"You really have grown monstrously strong, Edward," she taunted, unfazed by her temporary setback. "But strength alone won't save you this time."

As the shattered tsunami began to settle, a new figure emerged, stepping casually atop the floating sheen of oil, as if the very sea had become his personal walkway.

His form was tall and sinewy, with a deadly calm in his eyes that seemed to cut through the tension like a blade. He moved with the confidence of someone who had seen countless battles, his stride unbroken by the oil-coated waves beneath him.

"Dorian Lacasse," Whitebeard growled, his gaze fixed on the man now approaching the ship.

Another relic from the Rocks era—a name feared and respected by those who knew him. Dorian's calm yet sinister presence contrasted sharply with Izumi's, but there was no doubt they shared a history of chaos and cruelty.

The Moby Dick fell into an intense silence, the Whitebeard commanders tensing as they recognized the new threat. Dorian, the infamous user of the Oil-Oil Fruit, moved as if the sea itself were an extension of his body, the thick layer of oil under his feet shimmering with each step.

"I see you remember me, Whitebeard," Dorian said, his voice smooth and ominously calm. "The world may have forgotten us, but some things never truly fade." He extended an arm, and the oil coating the sea began to rise, forming into thick, churning tendrils around him, coiling and shifting with a life of their own.

"I'm surprised you think you could face us without even gathering your full forces. Getting a bit overconfident, aren't we?"

Whitebeard's glare hardened, and he lifted his naginata, the air around him thickening with his powerful Haki, enough to make even the most seasoned of his commanders feel the crushing weight of his resolve.

"Confidence?" He rumbled, his voice like thunder. "The only mistake here was the two of you thinking you'd get another chance to crawl out from under those rocks."

Izumi's eyes flashed with irritation, though a spark of admiration remained, as if she had always expected him to face them with this defiance. Dorian merely smirked, extending his hand further as the oil tendrils grew, twisting and darkening until they loomed over the deck of the Moby Dick.

"Let's see if you can still back up that big talk, Edward," Dorian replied, his voice as smooth as the oil he commanded.

Whitebeard roared, his voice carrying like a battle cry over the tense waters. He planted his naginata firmly, preparing himself for the assault to come, as cracks formed in the air around him, distorting the very fabric of reality with the full might of his quake powers. It was a stance that spoke of his absolute, unshakable confidence.

The Whitebeard Pirates braced, weapons drawn and Haki blazing, as they stood ready to face the full wrath of two monsters from their captain's past.