By the time the experiment concluded, the peak of this Onigashima was already covered in ice, transforming the ground into a frozen wasteland.

The two had finally figured out the abilities of this new club.

To put it simply, there were two main powers.

First, the ability to create freezing.

Second, the power to amplify Yamato’s freezing abilities.

Both of these required absorbing Yamato’s stamina, Haki, and even her inherent freezing powers to activate.

It was quite similar to Enma; both absorbed energy and then amplified it.

This was rather impressive.

Ian’s Armament Haki was unable to withstand Yamato’s freezing power; he had to rely on the flames of his abilities to counter it.

Although there was no amplification to Yamato’s Haki and strength, just this enhanced freezing power was enough to significantly increase Yamato’s overall power.

Ian estimated that if she encountered an opponent at the level of Squardo, Yamato would likely win quite easily.

After all, if Ian’s Armanent Haki couldn’t hold up, how much stronger could someone like Squard be than Ian?

However, Ian ultimately decided against having Kozuki Sukiyaki craft a personalized weapon for him.

Weapons became less useful as one’s power increased.

While Whitebeard’s “Murakumogiri” was an unmatched Famous Sword, could it really be considered better than the unknown “Hassaikai” of Kaido?

Moreover, was there a weapon that could surpass his “Destruction Sword”?

Two mornings later…

Ian had just finished breakfast when Master Kaido called him over.

King and Queen were already there.

As soon as King saw Ian arrive, he said gravely, “The war has begun.”

Ian had already guessed as much.

Time rewound slightly earlier.

In the New World, on Biggen Island.

“…What do you want from us?!”

A pirate slumped in the port, fear evident in his gaze as he looked at the man before him.

“What do we want?”

The man, Diamond Jozu, held a flag—the flag of the Beast Pirates.

With a casual flick, he ignited the flag with a torch and tossed it into the air.

Sitting on the ground, the pirate looked up in bewilderment at the blazing flag above him.

“This is what we have to do.”

Jozu grabbed the pirate with an icy demeanor, saying, “Go back and tell Kaido, the war has begun!”

With that, he flexed his right arm and hurled the pirate into the sky like a cannonball. In the blink of an eye, the pirate became a small black dot, disappearing into the depths of the sky.

The pirate, now soaring through the air, was terrified and weeping. What kind of power was this?!

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced down at the sea.

A gigantic pirate ship, resembling a whale, stood silently on the surface of the sea outside the island.

Around it, dozens of smaller ships had already scattered, spreading out in all directions.

Kaido-sama!

The Whitebeard Pirates are attacking!

…

On Onigashima.

King said, “The Whitebeard Pirates, along with twenty-three subordinate pirate crews, invaded our territory last night.”

“Just now, Biggen Island was attacked, and all the pirates stationed there were annihilated. The one behind it was Diamond Jozu.”

Over the years, centered around Wano Country, the Beast Pirates had taken control of a vast sea area, with several kingdoms under their rule. There were numerous small islands with populations only comparable to small towns.

However, not every area was patrolled by Beast Pirates. Kaido only had a keen interest in certain special islands.

For instance, the islands rich in mineral resources—Wano Country itself was like a massive factory, and factories require raw materials. Although Wano is resource-rich, it couldn’t provide every material needed.

For some economically viable islands, the Beast Pirates would offer protection and then heavily tax them for it.

Biggen Island was one such mineral resource point for the Beast Pirates.

“The Whitebeard crew has already dispersed, indicating they must have conducted their reconnaissance,” King said. “They are preparing to attack those key islands.”

“They’re getting ready for a full-blown war against us!”

Queen said, his face alight with excitement. “Mwahahaha! Kaido, what should we do? Should we confront them?”

“This is exactly what Whitebeard wants to see,” King replied coolly. “He hopes to lure us away from Wano.”

The battlefield is set in Wano Country, which is definitely disadvantageous for the Whitebeard Pirates.

“But if we just sit back and do nothing, the losses will be too great!”

Queen retorted.

Whitebeard could kill as many as he wanted, but if the assets of the Beast Pirates were destroyed, that would be a different story.

“Kid,” Kaido turned to Ian. “What do you think? How should we respond?”

Ian glanced at Kaido.

Kaido was truly a contradictory person.

On one hand, he was quite cunning; when dealing with Kid, he knew to first turn Apo against him, then give Kid an unexpected surprise, and he even played Kozuki Oden like a fool.

But on the other hand, he had a strong competitive spirit and sought fair battles.

Even after twenty years, he still felt a deep resentment over Kozuki Oden’s defeat, and he was exceptionally furious about the CP0 interfering in his fight with Luffy.

More importantly, this man really enjoyed challenging the Navy and other top pirates on his own.

In the original story, he had been captured for challenging the Four Emperors and the Navy eighteen times!

So, there was no need to guess; it was clear what his decision would be.

He definitely wanted to face them directly.

However,

“Direct confrontation undoubtedly fulfills Whitebeard’s wishes,”

Ian said. “But doing nothing will only make us look weak, and the losses are unacceptable.”

The Whitebeard Pirates would never take the initiative to attack Wano.

Their plan was to create chaos within the Beast Pirates’ territory, forcing them to come out and face them.

If it came to a fair battle overseas, the outcome would be uncertain, even with the Beast Pirates having their own strengths.

Since they had to fight, they could only accept victory, right?

“So…”

“Since they are destroying our territory, let’s retaliate in kind.”

Ian looked at King. “Uncle King’s flying speed is terrifying. Even if Whitebeard’s territory is far from Wano, he won’t take long to get there.”

“If we’re going to cause some destruction, let’s do it together.”

In a battle of tactics, it’s all about who breaks first.

But there’s no need to guess; Kaido doesn’t care about the lives of his subordinates. Whitebeard, on the other hand, does.

He will definitely send someone back to provide support, and given the distance, it’s highly likely to be Marco since he’s the only one who can fly.

If Whitebeard dares to send Marco for support, Ian doesn’t believe he could arrive back sooner than King.

They can easily create a time gap for King to return first, allowing them to engage in the final battle against the Whitebeard Pirates.

“Mu hahahaha! Great idea!”

Queen immediately clapped his hands in excitement. “If we all suffer losses together, that would be acceptable.”

“But…”

King interjected, “If we don’t respond on the front line, outsiders will ultimately think we are cowardly and unwilling to confront the Whitebeard Pirates directly.”

“Didn’t they split all their subordinate pirate crews apart?”

Ian replied casually, “We can definitely start by targeting those guys.”

King nodded slightly.

This plan is quite good.

“Just.”

“So, what you’re saying is that I have to endure Whitebeard’s provocation, huh?”

Kaido said coldly.

Ian smirked slightly.

He hadn’t guessed wrong at all.

The great Kaido was truly planning to face off directly against Whitebeard.

Ian thought for a moment. “Kaido-sensei, if you want to fight Whitebeard, it’s not impossible.”

“However, it’s best to initiate action on both sides first. That way, we can keep Whitebeard occupied.”

Otherwise, if Whitebeard suddenly showed up while they were taking out the pirate crews under him, it would be quite the disaster.

Ian also reminded Kaido, “But be careful, Kaido-sensei. It’s not time for the final showdown yet.”

After all, since Kaido could fly, as long as he kept his head, challenging Whitebeard’s crew alone should allow him to escape easily.

Of course, in the end, these little tactics might only provide the Beast Pirates with a slight theoretical advantage. To truly determine the outcome, it would come down to the battle between Kaido and Whitebeard.

If Kaido lost, then everything would be in vain.

None of the remaining members of the Beast Pirates could stand up to Whitebeard alone.

Kaido stared deeply at Ian.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll proceed according to this kid’s plan.”

Now, it was time to make a move.

**********

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep