One Piece : Brotherhood

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Gunshots cracked through the air, the sound echoing across the Moby Dick as bullets sailed past Izumi, missing by a wide margin. She paused, her gaze flickering with mild interest as she turned to the source of the disruption, spotting a young man with a fierce expression and twin pistols aimed her way.

"Izumi-sama!" shouted Izou, stepping forward defiantly, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "Do you really intend to help those who want to tear Wano apart? Have you truly forgotten the honor of the Arakaki family?"

Izumi tilted her head, an amused smirk curving her lips as she observed him. "The Arakaki family, hm? That once-proud clan clinging desperately to a dwindling legacy?" She laughed, a dark, derisive sound that seemed to mock not only Izou but the very ideals he represented.

"Are you a samurai from the Arakaki line…? Wielding guns instead of a sword? How fitting. A weak clan's weak descendant, reduced to firearms instead of facing one's enemies with true strength."

Izou's face tightened, his jaw clenched, but he did not waver. "Wielding guns does not make me any less of a samurai, Izumi sama. Nor does it make me a traitor, unlike you—a once-promising prodigy who stole from her own clan to pursue her twisted desires."

Whitebeard's crew exchanged glances, catching bits and pieces of the story. Many knew Izou hailed from Wano, but this was the first they had heard of any connection between him and Izumi—a woman whose name once shook the very seas.

"Oh, I see." Izumi's mocking smile grew colder, her eyes gleaming with a harsh, cruel light.

"You're the new little Arakaki runt, then. Let me tell you something, Izou—what you call betrayal, I call liberation. I didn't abandon my family; I cast off their weak traditions. The Arakaki line clings to empty honor, to a false pride that Wano feeds its people so they don't question their worthlessness."

Izou felt a surge of anger, but he took a deep breath, steadying his hands around his pistols, eyes fixed firmly on her. "We are not weak, Izumi. And what you abandoned was more than tradition—it was loyalty, to family and country. You sold your soul to the highest bidder, but Wano will never be yours to destroy."

Izumi's face twisted in amusement as she shook her head, stepping forward with an unsettling calm. "Spare me the lecture. Wano was a prison, not a home. And if the Arakaki clan has fallen so low that you, a boy with guns, are their legacy—then I have no reason to ever look back."

The tension in the air thickened as Izumi's Haki flared subtly, the dark energy flickering like embers, suffocating the air around her. Whitebeard watched her closely, recognizing her intent to provoke, to pull every bit of weakness from Izou and belittle him. He could see her contempt for the place and people she had once called home.

Whitebeard's deep voice broke through the tense exchange, rumbling with an unmistakable authority. "Izumi, I won't have you dishonoring my family on my ship. I've torn down countries to protect the men and women who stand with me. You have the nerve to come here, to my domain, and spit on the very people who carry my name with pride?"

Izumi's mocking gaze flickered to Whitebeard, but there was no fear. "Then step aside, Edward, if your little pirates need your protection so badly. Otherwise, let's put an end to these tired ideas of honor." She raised her odachi once more, its dark aura simmering, crackling in anticipation.

Izou raised his pistols again, defiant even in the face of her disdain, standing his ground, his spirit unshaken by her insults. Whitebeard planted his naginata into the deck with a force that rattled the ship.

"You should've stayed buried in the past, Izumi," Whitebeard said, his voice as fierce as the storms that battered the New World. "For dishonoring your own kin, my family and standing in my way, I'll make sure you pay the price today."

Izumi's gaze turned fierce, and her mocking laughter echoed across the deck. "Then show me, Edward! Show me what your family is worth!" She flared her Haki, her stance shifting as the air between them seemed to crackle with impending war, the kind only decades of hatred and betrayal could fuel.

Whitebeard's eyes sharpened, his stance unwavering. "It's not too late, both of you," he growled, his voice low and steady, heavy with the authority that made empires tremble.

"Even your combined might will end in your doom. If you test me here, I'll make sure neither of you leaves in one piece."

He stood at the ready, hands steady on his naginata, unbothered by the fierce figures of Izumi and Dorian on either side of him. Whitebeard was ready to rip them apart if it came to that.

But then—a sudden, piercing sensation cut through the air. A chill settled over the battlefield as an ominous hum filled the atmosphere, vibrating through the decks of the Moby Dick.

Whitebeard's observation Haki flared, and even Izumi and Dorian froze as they sensed something formidable descending upon them. In an instant, Dorian fell back, forming a protective wall of oil around himself, his previously smug expression hardened into one of genuine caution.

Then, the sky itself darkened, as though the very heavens recoiled from the incoming threat. The sun dimmed, swallowed by shadows as an immense beam of radiant energy streaked down from above, splitting the sky.

The light was blinding, a pillar of searing brightness that seemed to warp reality itself. The deafening roar of it vibrated through the ship, and for a split second, even Whitebeard's unshakable confidence flickered with surprise.

But he was Whitebeard—the strongest man in the world. Gritting his teeth, he gripped his naginata with both hands, summoning all the strength within him, imbuing it with the deadly crackling of his devil fruit powers and the dense pressure of Haki. With a roar that seemed to shake the ocean, he swung his weapon upward, meeting the monstrous beam head-on.

The impact was cataclysmic. The two forces collided with a raw, brutal power that made the very air scream. The sea beneath them, caught in the force of the clash, parted in towering walls of churning water, revealing the ocean floor below as the might of the beam clashed with Whitebeard's indomitable strength.

A storm of energy surged outward, whipping up fierce gales that threatened to throw even Whitebeard's elite off their feet.

Izumi, who had dodged just in time, staggered back, barely able to withstand the raw pressure emanating from the clash. A projectile, hidden within the blinding light, surged forward, bearing the concentrated power to shatter entire nations.

But Whitebeard's stance did not falter, his muscles tensed to their limits as he held the blast in place, his naginata infused with all the force of his will.

With an enraged growl that shook the bones of everyone who heard it, Whitebeard finally drew his weapon back and, with a Herculean sweep, sliced the attack in half. The beam splintered, its raw energy dispersing into twin streams of light that soared off into the distance, exploding miles away over the sea with a thunderous boom.

The Moby Dick itself lurched back several paces, the sheer force of the attack pushing it backward, its sturdy frame creaking under the strain.

When the smoke and light cleared, Whitebeard stood unshaken, his gaze fierce as he looked out into the wreckage, his shadow cast like a titan's upon the trembling deck.

For a long, tense moment, silence settled over the battlefield. Then, with a deadly calm, Whitebeard's voice broke through the air. "So," he rumbled, his grip on the naginata steady, eyes fierce with battle hunger. " The devil hasn't claimed you yet, Scarlett?"

The heavens seemed to split as a colossal metal fortress descended from above, splashing down with an impact that shook the entire sea. The shockwave from the landing sent waves surging out in all directions, towering into a massive tsunami that crashed around the Moby Dick and its surrounding fleet, throwing even seasoned pirates off balance.

From the top of the fortress, a lone figure emerged, her form cloaked in shadow as she held a massive rail gun resting easily across her shoulders. Her cold, calculating gaze found Whitebeard, and a smirk played across her lips as she surveyed the destruction she'd caused with a single strike.

"Still confident about getting past me, Edward?" she asked, her voice a rich, deadly melody echoing over the waves. Scarlett D. Lachlan—legendary in her own right and known throughout the New World as one of the very few who had ever fought Rocks D. Xebec himself and lived to tell the tale.

She was the living, breathing embodiment of violence and cunning, her reputation rivaling the strongest of her generation. In her presence, even the air seemed to thicken, charged with a silent but potent promise of ruin.

As Scarlett chuckled, she glanced at the rail gun she'd just fired. "Did you like my greeting? It's a new weapon—a prototype, really," she said, almost affectionately caressing the metal as it began to shift, the rail gun transforming before their eyes.

The barrel and stock melted down, reforming around her in a sleek, fearsome armor that wrapped her in silver steel and black iron. She now looked more a war machine than human, her entire frame radiating pure menace.

Izumi, who was still recovering from the near miss of the projectile, glared at Scarlett, her own anger simmering under the surface. "You…! Was that shot aimed at me as well? Are we not allies here?" she spat, her words edged with fury. But before she could say more, Scarlett's gaze snapped to her, and in that one cold, unblinking look, Izumi fell silent.

The defiance in her posture shriveled as she swallowed her frustration. For even as brash and unpredictable as Izumi was, she knew better than to challenge Scarlett's authority. This was a woman who had walked away from a fight with Rocks himself, one of the only to do so, and left him marked.

The rumors spoke of their clashes with reverence, whispers of a warrior capable of facing the monster and surviving—a feat that no one, not even Izumi or Dorian, could claim.

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, his lips pulling into a thin, grim line. For all his confidence, he felt the magnitude of the threat Scarlett presented. Unlike Izumi or Dorian, who, despite their abilities, he could handle without difficulty, Scarlett was different.

Her power was a known equal to his own, her ambition and ruthlessness unparalleled. Standing alone, she could hold him off—facing her alongside Izumi and Dorian would be a true trial. For the first time, Whitebeard understood the gnawing unease that had been pressing against his instincts since he had set sail for Wano.

Scarlett tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with amusement as she watched him assess the situation. "Ah, so you sense it, Edward. That small taste of hesitation in your bones? It's what I thrive on. But tell me, can you really handle the three of us combined?" She leaned forward, her smirk widening as her armor glinted, casting long shadows across the deck. "Because I don't plan to let you reach Wano's shores."

Whitebeard's brow furrowed, his sharp gaze locked on Scarlett. "So it's true," he muttered, a ripple of irritation in his voice. "There's no way Big Mom alone convinced you to join her cause. I know you, Scarlett. This is bigger than Kaido, bigger than Linlin."

His fingers tightened around his naginata, his power simmering just beneath the surface as he gathered his strength. "What's really going on here? What dark deal pulled you out of hiding?"

Scarlett's eyes flickered, but her smile remained unreadable. "What difference does it make?" she replied with a hint of malice. "If you want to know the truth, you'll have to earn it, Edward."

She raised her arm, and a massive great sword unfolded from her armor, glistening with a deadly sheen. "Now, show me if you're still the man they call the world's strongest."

The Moby Dick rocked on the waves, the tension on deck like a storm waiting to break. Whitebeard's crew held their positions, loyal and ready, yet every one of them could feel the titanic pressure emanating from Scarlett.

Even Marco, Jozu, and Vista—all veterans of the toughest battles—wore grim expressions, knowing what they were up against.

With a surge of raw power, Whitebeard took a step forward, his frame towering and unyielding as he swung his naginata in a wide arc. The very air trembled under the force of his Haki, splitting with a deafening crack as the ground beneath the sea itself shook, carving rifts in the ocean that stretched for miles.

"Let's see if you're still the terror of the seas," Whitebeard's voice thundered, his aura exploding outward as his power collided with Scarlett's. The world itself seemed to brace for impact as the two titans prepared to clash.

Whitebeard's resolve blazed as he launched himself from the Moby Dick, hurtling through the air like a living meteor, his naginata poised for a strike that seemed capable of rending the very heavens.

He landed on Scarlett's massive metallic fortress with a force that rocked the entire structure, sending tremors rippling across the thick layer of oil suspending the fortress over the sea. The air crackled with raw, unrestrained power as he fixed his gaze on Scarlett, who watched his approach with a cold, ruthless glint in her eye.

Her stance was steady, a testament to the confidence of one who had walked the path of blood and iron long before most of Whitebeard's own men had set to sea.

Contrary to reason, the massive metal fortress floated on the ocean, separated from the sea by Dorian's thick, shimmering layer of oil and suspended largely by Scarlett's sheer magnetic prowess.

Her devil fruit mastery was infamous, whispered to be so advanced it had surpassed even the mythical stage of awakening. She didn't need words to issue her challenge; her fierce, unmoving presence said it all.

Whitebeard recognized the purpose of her gathering here, saw through the motivations hidden in her cold stare. Dialogue was no longer an option.

Behind him, Marco held Jozu and Vista back as the two warriors watched Whitebeard's formidable advance. "This isn't a battle we can enter," Marco warned, his voice firm. "If we try, we'll only be a burden."

Unlike Jozu, Marco felt the full depth of the power Scarlett radiated. Her aura alone was enough to suffocate all but the strongest of wills; she was, without question, at Whitebeard's level—a rival who could not be overcome with sheer numbers.

Jozu seethed, fists clenched in frustration. "And so we're supposed to stand by and watch? Why train like madmen for the last year, just to sit out of battles like this?"

Vista laid a calming hand on Jozu's shoulder. "Jozu, Marco's right. This is something only Pops can handle. We're strong, yes—but this," he said, glancing toward the seismic clash of titanic wills, "is beyond anything we've prepared for."

On the island, Whitebeard raised his naginata, his massive frame casting a dark shadow over Scarlett. With a savage cry, he brought his weapon down in an arc so fierce it distorted the air itself, a world-rending attack crackling with the white halo of his Tremor-Tremor powers.

But Scarlett was undaunted. Her response was instantaneous, as she raised her greatsword, its edge gleaming with a purple halo of magnetic energy. Her power radiated from the blade, bending reality as it clashed with Whitebeard's, the air warping under the strain of their colliding auras.

The weapons didn't even touch—yet the very space between them buckled, the force of their clash creating a chasm in the metallic ground that expanded rapidly, splitting the fortress itself. Conqueror's Haki poured from them both, invisible yet oppressive waves of their willpower clashing like ocean currents in a storm.

Even the heavens responded as the sky split open, revealing a cleft of darkened clouds that stretched for miles. The ground trembled beneath their feet, cracks spidering out from the epicenter of their confrontation as if the fortress itself was crying out under the pressure.

"Scarlett!" Whitebeard roared, his voice like the rumble of an earthquake as his haki exploded outward, golden lightning rippling around him, crackling across the air and striking the metal fortress with lethal precision.

The golden lightning tore through anything in its path, shredding steel and ricocheting off Dorian's oil barrier, sending arcs of fire and smoke trailing into the sky.

Scarlett did not back down. "Edward!" she bellowed back, her own haki flaring in response, purple lightning intertwining with his golden streaks, refusing to be overpowered. Her metallic arm trembled under the weight of his fury, the groan of shifting steel echoing through the fortress as her magnetic control strained against the force of Whitebeard's assault.

The oil-slicked waters around the fortress bubbled and frothed, disturbed by the sheer power of their confrontation.

From a distance, Izumi and Dorian observed with a mixture of awe and caution. They had intended to flank Whitebeard, to close in from both sides and overwhelm him with a coordinated attack, but the sheer magnitude of the clash had forced them to keep their distance. They knew the risks; Whitebeard was enraged, and any slip would prove fatal.

Whitebeard dug his heels into the metallic ground, his muscles flexing as he held his naginata firmly, pushing back Scarlett's blade with a bellow that split the air. Cracks of distorted reality spread from his grip, tearing through the very fabric of space.

"If you stand in my way, Scarlett, I'll show you no mercy!" he thundered, the intensity of his voice sending fresh cracks across the metallic surface of the fortress, his haki roaring like the breath of a dragon unleashed.

Scarlett's smirk only deepened, her eyes gleaming with equal ferocity. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Edward," she taunted, holding her own against his relentless strength. Her metallic armor shifted and tightened around her, her devil fruit powers amplifying her already monstrous might. Her blade surged with renewed energy, magnetic waves swirling around it as she met his strike head-on.

For every push Whitebeard made, Scarlett countered with unwavering resolve. It was a duel of monsters, each strike testing the limits of what their bodies—and the world itself—could endure.

The air around them crackled with tension as Whitebeard's fury reached a boiling point. Every fiber of his being roared with rage; his beloved brother, Oden, was under threat from those who would see him harmed, and he could not allow that to happen. With each clash of their weapons, the fury within him surged, igniting the battlefield like a raging storm.

"Scarlett!" he bellowed, his voice echoing across the waves, thunderous and primal. "You dare threaten my family? You've chosen the wrong enemy today!"

The very ocean seemed to respond to his wrath, the water around the floating fortress roiling and churning as if mirroring the chaos within him. His naginata, infused with the essence of his Devil Fruit powers, trembled with barely contained energy, reflecting the sheer intensity of his emotions.

In a single, explosive motion, he swung his naginata downward, creating a shockwave that shattered the very air. The ground trembled beneath them, cracks spreading outward like veins of anger.

Scarlett barely had time to react, her instincts kicking in as she summoned her magnetic powers to shield herself. Metal flew to her aid, forming a protective dome just as the shockwave hit, sending her staggering back, her footing threatened by the sheer force of Whitebeard's assault.

Yet Scarlett stood her ground, her eyes blazing with a mixture of admiration and defiance. "You think your anger intimidates me, Edward? I fought against the best; I survived Xebec! You're strong, but so am I!"

She gritted her teeth and pushed back against the pressure of his haki, unleashing her own, a powerful wave of purple light that clashed violently with his golden aura. Their wills collided, creating a maelstrom of energy that sent ripples through the air, distorting reality itself.

Around them, the fortress creaked ominously, metal groaning under the strain of their clash. The heavens darkened, swirling clouds above them charged with a tempest of energy as if the very world recognized the magnitude of their confrontation.

Scarlett, unyielding, grasped her sword with both hands, infusing it with a surge of magnetic force, transforming it into a blazing weapon of destruction. With a battle cry that split the air, she lunged forward, the ground trembling beneath her feet as she struck out with unparalleled speed.

Whitebeard countered with a devastating swing of his naginata, the sheer force creating a wave of destruction that sent debris flying. The two titans clashed, their weapons connecting with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves that rippled through the ocean, creating colossal waves that crashed against the island fortress.

With each exchange, Whitebeard's fury only intensified. He was not just fighting for himself but for his family, for the brother who was in peril.

"You better move out of my way, Scarlett!" he roared, unleashing a barrage of relentless strikes, each one fueled by his wrath. He felt the ground tremble beneath him, felt the energy of the sea and sky bend to his will, yet Scarlett matched him blow for blow, her agility and determination refusing to yield.

"Bring it on, Newgate!" Scarlett taunted, a fierce grin on her face as she evaded another deadly arc of his naginata. She twisted and spun, using her magnetic powers to manipulate the battlefield, bending metal and debris to her will.

Each swing of her sword sent out arcs of energy, cutting through the air like lightning, aiming to pierce through the storm of Whitebeard's fury.

But Whitebeard was relentless. He pivoted, swinging his naginata in a wide arc, the tremors of his attack creating fissures in the very earth beneath them. He charged forward, closing the distance, his massive frame casting a shadow over Scarlett as he swung down with all his might, the naginata enveloped in a shimmering halo of energy that could cleave entire countries.

In that instant, as their powers clashed, a cataclysmic shockwave erupted, throwing them both back and sending waves crashing into the air. The entire metallic island shook violently, groaning as if the world itself feared their might.

Whitebeard, fueled by a primal rage and desperation to protect, thrust his naginata forward, the air warping around him as he bellowed a challenge to the heavens.

"Get lost, Scarlett!" he shouted, eyes blazing with determination. "I won't hold back any longer!"

Scarlett, gritting her teeth against the pressure, felt her heart pound in her chest, not out of fear but out of thrill. This was no ordinary fight; this was a battle between legends, and though she knew the weight of what she faced, she met his gaze with fierce resolve.

"Neither will I, Edward! Let's see who the true king of the seas is!"

As their wills collided, the sky split apart, and the world held its breath, waiting for the legendary clash that would shake the very foundations of the sea and sky.