One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

"Go ahead. Leave this to us."

Hyogoro drew the samurai sword that had been with him for decades from his waist.

The five hundred warriors behind him roared in unison, the sound waves shaking the stone slabs on the square.

The Beasts Pirates charged forward.

The two torrents collided violently in the center of the square, and the sounds of metal clashing, roaring, and screaming exploded in the night sky.

Luffy did not turn around.

His target was just ahead—the skull-shaped hall, and the monster that had occupied Wano Country for twenty years.

Inside the main hall of Oni Island, the atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.

The three disaster victims, the six flying comrades, and the cadres who remained on Ghost Island all gathered together.

Jhin stood at the front, his eyes behind the mask showing no emotion.

"A fight has broken out outside."

Runti, one of the six members of the Flying Six, was the first to lose her composure and jumped up.

"The Straw Hat Pirates are already at our doorstep, and we're just going to sit here and wait?"

"I'll tear them apart!" Page Van also stood up.

Quinn, who had just been beaten up, couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed a huge Gatling gun, yelling that he wanted revenge.

Other cadres also volunteered to join the fight.

Jin didn't speak, but simply turned his head slightly to look into the depths of the hall.

Footsteps came from the direction of the corridor, unhurried.

The footsteps grew louder as they approached, finally stopping in front of the side door of the main hall.

The door was pushed open.

Roy walked in. He didn't look at anyone, but simply walked to the center of the hall, stood there, and put his hands in his trench coat pockets.

The hall fell silent.

Those cadres who had just been so passionate suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't because they were afraid of Roy—though they were—but because there was an inexplicable sense of oppression about him.

That sense of oppression is completely different from Kaido's Conqueror's Haki. It doesn't press down on your body, but on your instincts, making you think twice before you speak.

Runti opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed her words back the moment Roy's gaze swept over her.

Roy looked at the Beasts Pirates' executives with an indifferent expression, as if he were watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.

He knew what they were thinking—the Straw Hat Pirates had already reached the doorstep, so why weren't they allowed to go out and fight them?

Why let these intruders rush unimpeded into the core of Ghost Island?

Jhin spoke, his voice as steady as ever:

"Captain Roy, you know what's going on outside. What do we do now?"

"Everyone, stay quiet."

As Roy finished speaking,

The air in the main hall seemed frozen.

Runti, one of the Flying Six, clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

Pageman pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

The other cadres also wore stern faces, their eyes filled with incomprehension and anger.

They couldn't understand it.

The Straw Hat Pirates have already reached the gates. Hyogoro's samurai are locked in fierce combat with the remaining troops in the plaza, while the Supernovas are charging towards the Skull Palace.

And these most elite officers of the Beasts Pirates were actually ordered to stay in the main hall and not move.

What's the logic behind this?

Runti's breathing became more and more rapid. She suddenly stood up, took a step towards Roy, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.

Jin raised his hand to stop her.

His face, hidden by the mask, was expressionless, but his actions spoke volumes—do not question Roy's decision.

Runti bit her lip and knelt down again, but everyone could see the unwillingness on her face.

Jin turned to face the other officers, his voice low and calm:

"If Captain Roy said that, he must have his reasons."

"Stay quiet and await further instructions."

This wasn't a harsh statement, but no one dared to refute it.

It wasn't because they were convinced—in fact, most of the officers were cursing under their breath—but because in the Beasts Pirates, there were only two people who could reason with them:

One is Kaido, and the other is Roy.

One of them is the captain of the Beasts Pirates, wielding supreme authority; the other has been allied with the Beasts Pirates for twenty years.

Furthermore, they spared no expense in helping them improve their strength, coupled with the prestige Roy had cultivated over the years by controlling the entire New World.

This prevented them from even having the thought of resisting.

The hall fell silent again, with only faint sounds of shouting and explosions coming from outside.

And at this moment,

Roy stood in the center of the hall, his fingertips lightly tapping the back of his other hand.

His psychic power surged from his body and spread out silently.

This force penetrated the stone walls of the main hall and covered every inch of the Ghost Island.

Among the Straw Hat Alliance group, an extremely faint aura suddenly fluctuated.

The fluctuation lasted for less than half a second, so faint that even someone with Kaido's level of Observation Haki couldn't detect it.

But Roy noticed.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The seed that was planted before the Marineford War is not yet ready to sprout.

But it won't be long—before long, that seed will blossom and bear fruit in the most unexpected place for the enemy.

on the square,

Hyogoro's samurai and the Mink Tribe warriors are locked in a fierce battle with the Beast Pirates' remaining forces.

The samurai's blades were wreathed in Armament Haki, and each slash left deep, bone-revealing wounds on their enemies.

The Mink warriors used their speed to weave through the enemy ranks, the static electricity on their claws sending shivers down the spines of the ability users.

However, the Beasts Pirates' remaining forces were not to be underestimated.

Those who remained were the elite of the elite, including many Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, whose tough skin allowed them to continue fighting even after being stabbed more than a dozen times.

The two sides fought fiercely in the square, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

Meanwhile, on the west side of Ghost Island.

Yamato, carrying a spiked club, rampaged through the corridors of Onigashima.

She had thoroughly searched the barracks, warehouses, and watchtowers on the west side, but apart from a group of terrified henchmen who had fled in panic, she hadn't found a single decent opponent.

"Where are they! Where are all those intruders!" She grabbed a henchman she had beaten to the ground, her tone full of impatience.

The henchman pointed with a trembling finger toward the Hall of Skulls:

"I heard—the Straw Hat Pirates are rushing towards the main hall—"

Yamato released his grip, and the henchman fell to the ground, scrambling away as he ran.

"The main hall?"

Yamato grinned and strode off toward the Skull Palace, carrying his spiked club.

The wooden clogs underfoot made a series of crisp clattering sounds in the corridor.

Luffy and his crew broke through the encirclement at this time, and easily dealt with the scattered Beast Pirates soldiers they encountered along the way.

The group quickly arrived at the Skull Palace.

The Skull Palace was quiet at this time.

There were no guards, no officials, and no one blocking the way. Only a few oil lamps flickered on the walls, casting an intermittent glow on the interior of the Skull Hall.

On the stone wall directly in front of them was a huge skull relief, with two eerie blue flames burning in the skull's eye sockets, giving it a sinister look.

Zoro and Sanji landed at the same time, standing on either side of Luffy.

Trafalgar Law, Kidd, Apoo, Hawkins, Becky, and Drake followed closely behind.

Then came the Nine Red Scabbards, the Straw Hat Pirates, and the Heart Pirates.