Infinite Anime [185-187] (Patreon)

Chapter 185: The Four Emperors Join Forces, Ascending to the Sky

Gusion stood between the White Sea, his blade still dripping blood, as the currents on both sides slowly converged toward his position.

He raised his head and met Aramaki's gaze, giving him a smile that seemed cruel in Aramaki's eyes. "See you around."

With that, he turned and used Shunpo to instantly leave the gap in the White Sea, leaving Aramaki only his back.

Gusion had no intention of interfering in the fight between King and Aramaki. He wouldn't get cocky just because he killed Strawberry; that guy was at best an average vice admiral, while Aramaki was nearly admiral level.

Even though Gusion had powered up a lot, watching King and Aramaki fight was like staring at a row of question marks. The scale of their battle was such that any random move could wipe him out.

"You go ahead. Meet on Sky Island."

King shouted. Honestly, he was a bit surprised by Gusion's strength, but it was a good thing his comrade could take out an enemy—it meant he didn't have to worry about the crew.

Now he only needed to focus on dealing with Aramaki. Once he dealt with the green-haired man, he could head to Sky Island to investigate the truth.

As for Kaido, there was nothing to worry about. Given what he knew, Big Mom and Kaido would never fight to the death.

No matter what, the Navy couldn't threaten either of the Emperors. If everyone from the battleship came down, Kaido and Big Mom might even stop fighting each other and first wipe out the pesky navy.

Meanwhile, Gusion used Shunpo and soon caught up with the ship ahead, landing on the deck.

Snow Wind gave Gusion a strange look. There was no way the ship could have gone that fast, and with them being upstream, they'd seen Gusion's battle in full thanks to the firelight from King's fight.

That was Strawberry, a powerful rear admiral in the Navy, easily at the level of most vice admirals. Otherwise, he couldn't have seriously injured the Sun Pirates' captain.

Yet such a famous and formidable fighter fell in just a few minutes before Gusion, without suspense.

Snow Wind could see that Gusion's stats were clearly lower than Strawberry's, but Gusion was always on top during the fight.

It was crazy!

Now she felt justified for losing to Gusion in the arena. He was obviously an utter monster—whether it was the speed of his growth or his combat ability, both were way above normal.

"Brother Gusion is so strong! That long-hat guy was no match at all."

Only after the battle calmed did Page One dare to come on deck, exclaiming in awe.

"Hmph! I'll be even stronger in the future. Page One, you need to have ambition!"

Ulti, hands on her hips, struck a proud pose.

Gusion knocked Ulti on the head. "Save that talk for when you've grown taller."

The siblings were among the rare normal-height people in the world of One Piece—right now, just typical kids, and even when grown, only about 1.7 meters tall.

Ulti covered her head and squatted, pouting, angry but not daring to speak up. She secretly vowed to become a lead performer in the future and knock Gusion back then.

"Mr. Gusion, what should we do now?" Snow Wind asked. Although Gusion was Beasts Pirates' Calamity, most people called him Mr. Gusion, so she followed suit.

"You steer the ship straight for Sky Island. No need to wait for King."

Gusion ordered, planning to go rest in the cabin.

His fight with Strawberry had cost him a lot—using the Soul Devouring's power and Shunpo in midair consumed plenty of soul energy.

In this mission world, he planned to save resources wherever possible, so he wasn't going to use consumables when not fighting. Resting on a bed was good enough.

"We're not waiting for Mr. King?" asked Snow Cake, a simple-minded boy in Snow Wind's crew, who acted as the main tank and was now steering the ship.

He'd always advised against coming to the New World, thinking it too dangerous and that regular people couldn't handle the Sky Island situation. Their team could easily be wiped out.

But Snow Wind insisted that in this line of work and wanted to bet on the New World.

Earlier, he'd thought having the Beasts Pirates backing them up was reliable, but now King wasn't with them. Wouldn't they be on their own on Sky Island?

 "It'll take King a while to get here. We can't just wait around. There's still Borsalino on that battleship—do you want him chasing you?"

Gusion almost let Borsalino's other name slip. They'd been locked onto by flashes of light earlier, which gave him quite a scare.

The Navy wasn't stupid. Since they'd come to interfere, they had to send strong people. Aramaki was one, and Borsalino, while not yet an admiral, was at admiral-level strength.

If Kizaru had killing intent, none of them would escape—not even King could arrive in time.

Gusion wasn't about to bet his life on Kizaru's personality, even if he was the lazy man type unlikely to chase them down. Still, better safe than sorry—best to get out of sight and be safe on Sky Island.

"We'll manage, anyway. There aren't many big threats on Sky Island," Snow Wind agreed.

Regardless of when King and Aramaki would finish, Kizaru's threat was real. With explorers' influence, the world had changed—who knew what reason Kizaru might have to attack them?

Better to leave now while it's safe. Sky Island had plenty to offer.

Not to mention Sky Island's unique resources, exploring this special map would greatly boost their world exploration percentage. Finding a Poneglyph would boost it even more.

For a solo like Gusion, exploration rewards were just okay, but for a team, it was huge—everyone gained exploration points, and the more people, the greater the payout.

Plus, there was a highly valuable fruit on Sky Island—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel's.

As for killing other explorers for loot, that was secondary.

"You guys keep steering. I'm going to nap."

Seeing things were secure, Gusion handed the ship over to Snow Wind's crew and returned to the cabin.

The path to the Summit of High West was considered a near-death route, but that was only for the Straw Hats during the Grand Line era using Knock Up Stream, when people's knowledge was limited—it seemed dangerous.

For capable New World pirates, getting to Sky Island this way wasn't hard, especially with all the explorers' tricks. Gusion didn't have to worry for now.

…

Gusion's group was slowly approaching Sky Island via this route, while at the starting point below, the battle was reaching its climax.

"Thunder Bagua!"

"Shock Command Thunder!"

Kaido and Big Mom clashed, their roars echoing as colossal shockwaves flattened most of the starting point island.

By this point, most of both pirate crews had stopped fighting and found safe corners of the island to watch.

The space was too small—no one could fight properly, and a few steps could send you into the sea or get you caught in Kaido or Big Mom's attacks.

So both sides tacitly stopped, watching the two monsters collide.

"Linlin, let's stop for now!"

After an explosive clash, Kaido spoke first, halting his attack.

"Huh? Brat, are you surrendering?" Big Mom grinned smugly. Kaido was nearly ten years younger than her, and back in the Rocks Pirates she'd always seen him as a brat.

"Hm? You really want to die, Linlin?"

Kaido's face darkened. He wasn't afraid, but his mind wasn't on fighting Linlin.

He'd noticed, over ten minutes ago, that two people from the navy ship had come down and started fighting King.

This made Kaido furious, seeing it as a serious provocation by the navy.

Even though Gusion's ship escaped safely and it was the navy officer who died, he still held a grudge and wanted to crush the navy first.

"Can't you see? Your crew can't beat my Beasts Pirates—Fujitora alone could handle your whole crew. We should deal with the navy first."

Kaido, more clear-headed than Big Mom, stated the obvious.

"The navy's after your people, not mine," Big Mom said, smirking.

Kaido was exasperated. "They're using you, can't you see? If you weren't here blocking me, would they dare make a move?"

Big Mom frowned, considering, and realized he had a point. She turned to the navy ship, displeased.

On the battleship, Borsalino sensed Big Mom's gaze and his face changed slightly. "Scary. Looks like the Emperors got their eyes on us."

"Mr. Borsalino, should we fight or retreat?" a navy captain asked.

Borsalino glanced at him. "What are you saying? Facing such terrifying Emperors—we can't fight them. Set sail, get out of this area."

"But… what about Mr. Aramaki…"

The captain hesitated.

"He can handle himself. We'll retreat first."

Borsalino was decisive. Aramaki and King were now fighting above, and if Big Mom and Kaido wanted to chase, they'd have to prepare ships to reach the White Sea. The navy was in real danger.

If Kaido and Big Mom teamed up to chase them, even Borsalino would feel the pressure. Worst case, he'd have to abandon the ship.

He wasn't heartless—Strawberry's death saddened him, even if he didn't think much of him personally. If Strawberry hadn't died so quickly, maybe he'd have tried to help—but once he was dead, that was that.

If he used his light powers to kill Gusion, Kaido would hunt him to the ends of the earth.

Now, he decided to run, because while he could escape anytime, the battleship couldn't. If they didn't leave now, the navy would be wiped out.

As for higher-ups' anger or the Five Elders' complaints, he didn't care.

Promotion? He didn't care about being an admiral anyway.

"What are you waiting for? Set sail!"

Borsalino urged.

The officers didn't hesitate anymore, calling the crew to turn the ship. But that hesitation had already given the two Emperors a chance.

Kaido and Big Mom walked to the dock, standing side by side.

Big Mom wielded Napoleon, Kaido his kanabo. Conqueror's Haki surged around them—they were clearly about to strike at the battleship.

As they raised their arms, Borsalino's scalp tingled. This was the first time he'd seen the two Emperors attack together.

Worse, they'd once been shipmates—their teamwork could be terrifying!

Chapter 186: Pioneer Mission, Seed of Chaos

Dark red Conqueror's Haki crackled like lightning as Kaido and Big Mom took their stances and struck together.

In an instant, the island beneath them vanished, a massive shockwave blasting forth with enough force to split the sea—aimed at the distant battleship.

This was the Emperors' ultimate combo move—the upgraded version of the Elbaf Giants' Hakoku Sovereignty!

Even with the battleship a kilometer or two away, Borsalino felt a chill in his soul. His instincts screamed at him not to take the attack head-on, but he couldn't abandon his subordinates and flee alone. In a split second, he made his choice.

For once, his face was deadly serious, all laziness gone.

He stood at the bow, his whole body blazing like the brightest lamp in the night, illuminating the sea.

Then, the blinding light spread out, turning the battleship and the surrounding ocean into a sea of light.

This was his never-before-seen awakened Devil Fruit ability, altering reality itself.

Boom!

Kaido and Big Mom's Hakai struck the sea of light, erupting with an earth-shaking roar. Their combined Haki techniques could harm even Logia users.

Even with Borsalino's awakened power, their Haki pierced partway, inflicting real damage.

Just as they thought the battleship had been sunk and were about to resume fighting, they saw the light recede—leaving a battered, turning ship fleeing into the open sea.

Big Mom's face darkened. "That navy brat's got some tricks."

Kaido realized what happened: in that instant, the Light-Light Fruit user had made a giant light mirror, reflecting their attack.

So their attack hadn't landed in full, letting the navy escape death.

The fleeing ship was hard to chase, leaving both Emperors frustrated.

It was rare for the Emperors to team up and still fail to take anyone out—truly embarrassing.

On the battleship, Borsalino slumped on the deck, drenched in sweat.

Ignoring the cheers around him, he muttered, "Scary. I'm never coming to the New World again."

He'd gambled and barely saved the ship, but took heavy internal injuries from the shockwave. If Kaido and Big Mom had been closer, he might have been badly hurt.

He staggered to his feet, gazed at the dark island, and whispered, "Aramaki, you're on your own."

If Kaido and Big Mom didn't chase him, they'd regroup and head to Sky Island. Aramaki, left alone, was in trouble—but Borsalino felt no pity. He'd given a subtle warning already.

…

Somewhere in the New World, a massive rising current shot skyward.

On the column of water rode a sturdy ship, its crew screaming in terror.

Only a petite woman, wrapped in black bandages, calmly clung to the mast, enjoying the spectacle.

"Stop screaming. If you don't want to die, steer properly."

Black Lily called out, telling the helmsman to pipe down.

She'd wanted to head to the Summit of High West, but after gathering intel about a possible Emperor-level clash there, she decided it was safer to risk the Knock Up Stream.

It was dangerous, but she had an item to guarantee her survival on Sky Island.

She'd collected info in the New World, learning that this Knock Up Stream led to a Sky Island called Birka. With ways to travel between Sky Islands, she only needed to reach one—then she could contact Gusion and deal with that damned Body Killer.

…

Sky Island, Birka.

The long night ended, dawn approaching.

A blond man walked out of a shrine atop the island clouds.

Dressed in a white suit, with a vertical eye on his forehead, it was Body Killer of the Divine Space.

Stretching in the morning sun, he muttered, "Not much time left. Why haven't more people arrived? Don't disappoint me."

He'd gained much in the One Piece world and held a good position in the navy.

Using his intel, he'd pulled Aramaki into the navy as a sponsor—Aramaki's strength earned him a Devil Fruit as a reward.

But Body Killer no longer cared for government-issued Fruits. His bloodline slots were almost full—he saved the last for his ideal Fruit.

So he set up this plan, spreading rumors to gather the strong and throw everything into chaos.

With many strong people coming for his bait, Sky Island would descend into chaos, giving him a chance to kill his boss.

"Body Killer, what are you thinking? If you're free, tell me more about the Ark plan."

A man's voice sounded behind him. Body Killer turned, smiling kindly.

Behind him stood a tall man—about 2.6 meters—white turban, long earlobes with earrings.

Bare-chested, but unlike typical Sky Islanders, he had drums on his back.

He wore baggy pants, looking sleepy as he shuffled out and yawned.

"You're up early. I was just about to finish marking up the blueprints before waking you."

Body Killer smiled. Yes, this was the future ruler of Skypiea, God Enel.

At this point, Enel hadn't destroyed his home, Birka, but was working on his destruction plan—once he finished deciphering the Ark Maxim blueprints, he'd wipe out the rebels.

The locals didn't understand Enel's dream of finding "Fairy Vearth" and saw him as breaking taboos, so they ostracized him, but he didn't care—so long as his handful of followers understood.

Body Killer was a new arrival. At first, Enel disliked him, but after talking, he found Body Killer understood him and even knew mechanics, helping with the Ark Maxim.

Over time, they got along, or at least Enel thought so.

As for Body Killer's true motives?

He wanted Enel's fruit. He wanted to kill Enel, but couldn't find a way.

It wasn't that he couldn't hit Enel—he could use Haki—but Enel's Lightning powers were too troublesome.

In the manga, Enel appeared early and was beaten by Luffy, who'd just beaten Crocodile, so people assumed Enel was only Crocodile-level.

But later, Crocodile got buffed and was strong in the New World, while Enel was only beaten because of Luffy's plot armor.

Ten million volts? That's insane. The heat alone could roast someone alive, Haki or not.

Honestly, Body Killer thought Enel was exaggerating—if it was really ten million volts, not even rubber would insulate, and Luffy would just be carbon.

But even if Enel was bluffing, his lightning was still deadly. After studying for a while, Body Killer realized brute force wouldn't work.

He could hit Enel, but would get electrocuted in the process.

Sneak attacks were pointless—Enel's Observation Haki was strong, and his fighting skills were decent.

So Body Killer decided it was best to lure a bunch of strong people to create chaos. When Enel was distracted, he'd get his chance.

"You're too diligent. I wish we could finish the Ark and reach Fairy Vearth right away."

Enel sighed beside him, eager to leave his home.

Just as Body Killer was about to reply, he received a prompt from the Divine Space, and a wild joy appeared on his face.

His true target had taken the bait!

…

Gusion walked out of the cabin, marveling at the vast cloud island.

Stretching, he leaped onto the ground of Ballon Terminal, taking a deep breath of the thin, fresh air.

Before he could really take in the scenery, he got a prompt from the End Space.

[Detected that a Pioneer has entered the One Piece World's special map: Sky Island region.]

[In this region, a Pioneer Mission has been assigned to the Pioneer.]

[Please check your Pioneer Mission.]

Gusion opened the menu, grinning as he saw the new mission.

[Pioneer Mission: Seed of Chaos]

Mission: On the Sky Island series maps, a Divine Space Pioneer holds the Seed of Chaos. Pioneer #008, kill the Divine Space holder. Current location—Sky Island Birka. (Location index updates every three hours.)

Difficulty: Hard—Certain Death

Reward: Seed of Chaos, Gold Pioneer Medal x1

Failure Penalty: None

[]

Gusion saw the mission and knew his hunch was right.

The Divine Space Pioneer was clearly behind all this chaos, all to lure him out from Wano to a place with no third-party interference for a showdown.

If they fought in the Blue Sea, Kaido would protect him, so the enemy had to lure him out.

What Gusion didn't know was how the other side could be sure Kaido wouldn't follow him to the island. The Emperors could've fought on Sky Island instead of below.

If the enemy predicted all of this, then they were scary indeed—right now, Gusion had no protection, not even King.

But he wasn't the kind to give up without backup—he could carve his own path with his blade.

Another Pioneer, huh? This was his first time facing another Pioneer. He hoped they'd be worthy opponents.

Chapter 187: New Bounty

At sunrise, World Government Headquarters.

Buru~ buru~ buru~ buru~

The Den Den Mushi rang nonstop, and the communications department was in chaos.

The upheaval in the New World had the world's attention, and the government was tense.

The Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates had clashed at the start of the Summit of High West route—the biggest news in a decade.

To keep things under control, Marine HQ sent two elite vice admirals and their best troops to monitor the situation and deal with anything that threatened the government.

But last night, news arrived: their forces had clashed with the Emperors, who stopped fighting each other and teamed up to annihilate the navy.

Vice Admiral Borsalino retreated with his battleship, surviving the first wave, but Big Mom's ship caught up and dealt heavy losses—only Borsalino and a few subordinates escaped.

The other new hope, Vice Admiral Aramaki, was lost on the Summit of High West route—fate unknown.

"Damn pirates! What are the higher-ups worried about!? I said I should've gone myself!"

Admiral Zephyr slammed the table, scattering papers, his anger obvious even behind his sunglasses.

"Zephyr, calm down. We're still in control."

Sengoku, the Buddha, massaged his temple. He'd been involved in this plan—the navy was only supposed to stand by, preventing the Emperors' war from affecting too many New World nations.

Their other task was to climb the Summit of High West, observe, and only intervene if there was real danger—like ancient weapons or Lunarian matters.

But the Five Elders overruled them, ordering Borsalino and Aramaki to kill Gusion if possible.

Sengoku knew this but wasn't too worried. He couldn't say outright to ignore the Elders, but he figured Borsalino would use his judgment.

"Find an opportunity" meant they could skip the mission if there wasn't one.

He trusted Borsalino's nature—not the type to risk his neck for little gain, especially when he was about to be promoted.

But Sengoku underestimated Aramaki, a rookie who actually went after Gusion.

He failed and ended up fighting King instead, but even that provoked Kaido.

Worse, Kaido convinced Big Mom to join him against the navy. Now both pirate crews were hunting Borsalino.

HQ's Den Den Mushi were ringing off the hook—most calls were SOS from bases destroyed by the enraged Emperors.

Borsalino was calling for backup while retreating.

"He's not your student—Gusion killed Strawberry!"

Zephyr raged. If Sengoku hadn't stopped him, he'd have charged into the New World to take on the Emperors.

"Calm down. If we act now, it'll be all-out war with both Emperors. The world order would be at risk."

Sengoku was exasperated. Strawberry had died because he was greedy—what pirate would just let you kill them?

They shouldn't have targeted Gusion. If Kaido was provoked, a global war was inevitable.

The Five Elders were overreacting—Gusion was a threat, but no match for the government's full might. Fighting now would drag in too many parties.

"If we hesitate, are we just letting the pirates run wild? The New World's already slipping out of our control!"

Zephyr's voice was low. "I'm going to bring Borsalino back."

"Seriously," Sengoku grabbed Zephyr. "Don't make things worse. You know Borsalino's power. He'll return by himself. Let's wait for Aramaki's news."

The situation was dire, but still manageable. The Emperors were just wrecking navy bases for now. If they couldn't catch anyone, they'd calm down.

If an admiral moved, it could become a fight to the death.

Harsh as it was, the lives of regular sailors didn't matter—but top-level strength couldn't be risked.

If they lost an admiral, the government's authority would visibly weaken, and pirates would be emboldened.

Sengoku decided they should focus on the Sky Island rumors. If they handled that, it would make up for their losses and satisfy the Five Elders.

"Mr. Sengoku, the new bounties are in. Would you like to review them?"

A staff member arrived, saluted, and offered the bounty posters.

Sengoku checked Gusion's bounty and nodded. "Good. Start printing."

Gusion's threat level was raised—he was a lead performer for the Beasts Pirates, helping Kaido prepare for war, and now confirmed to be a formidable fighter.

Strawberry had been due for promotion, a notable New World figure, but was decisively slain by Gusion in a fair fight.

HQ now believed Gusion was truly strong, especially for his age (21), with room to grow.

From both strength and intellect, Gusion was dangerous—best eliminated soon.

Not that they'd send anyone themselves—they hoped bounty hunters or other strong pirates would go after him, even if that was unlikely. But a high bounty was a signal.

"This Fujitora Issho—was he a pirate before? Never heard of him," Zephyr asked, surprised at the high bounty for a newcomer.

"The report says he's the Beasts Pirates' fifth lead performer, incredibly strong, probably not weaker than us—no normal Emperor's commander could compare."

Sengoku said, raising his guard. With Fujitora's arrival, the Beasts Pirates were even more dangerous.

He'd thought Whitebeard's crew was the strongest, but now the Beasts Pirates clearly were.

Not only did they have a country and war potential, but their top fighters were overpowered.

King was already a top commander and a Lunarian—a government target—and now there was Fujitora. Kaido could dominate the New World.

"They have the power, but use it for evil—choosing to be pirates!"

Zephyr said angrily. "At least we have new recruit—Aramaki's got potential, he shouldn't lose to King. Let's wait for his report."

Buru~ buru~ buru~ buru~

Sengoku's personal Den Den Mushi rang—a call from a high-ranking officer, so he answered directly.

"Moshi moshi, Sengoku speaking?"

A familiar voice answered, the snail even turning green-haired. "Is that you, Sengoku?"

"Aramaki? How are you?"

"It's me. Slightly injured, but I'll be fine soon."

"Did you defeat King?" Zephyr interjected.

"No, we fought on the Summit of High West route, but the White Sea below put me at a disadvantage. He's got the flying dragon fruit and is way too agile."

Aramaki sounded frustrated—he believed he was stronger, but was outmaneuvered.

If they'd fought on land, it would have been different.

"The navy below has retreated. If you're tired, you should too," Zephyr advised. He wasn't greedy for credit—young officers' lives mattered more than the Elders' orders.

Before Sengoku could speak, Aramaki insisted, "Thank you, Mr. Zephyr, but I'm not seriously hurt. After fighting King, the currents separated us. I'll keep pursuing them, and handle everything on Sky Island."

Zephyr was worried but saw Aramaki's sense of duty.

After the call, Zephyr sighed, "This kid could be admiral material."

Sengoku looked odd—he wanted to say Aramaki was just greedy for credit, but the kid was strong. If he did well, he could become an admiral faster than anyone else in history.

…

At the Ballon Terminal on Sky Island, Gusion and his group knew nothing of the navy's chaos, or that Aramaki had split from King and was chasing them.

They were exploring the ruins, huge vines twining through ancient structures steeped in history.

Only by coming here could one feel the true wonder of Sky Island. Gusion now understood why so many sought adventure—new thrills made life exciting.

"Mr. Gusion, could you help unload the ship?" Snow Wind called from outside. They'd just arrived on Sky Island, and the journey wasn't over yet.

The Summit of High West was a White Sea route stretching from the Blue Sea up to 10,000 meters, connecting various Sky Islands.

Ballon was an ancient ruin, not their goal—they needed to head for other islands to find their target.

Gusion stopped exploring and went to help.

But after just a few steps, he got a prompt from End Space.

[Side Mission: Make a Name at Sea—new stage reached. Reward issued.]

Gusion was stunned. The next stage was a billion-berry bounty—he'd reached it?

But he already had Conqueror's Haki...