As Whitebeard's words echoed, so did the release of his Conqueror's Haki—this time even stronger than during their last encounter on Hachinosu. As expected in this world driven by willpower, a badass proclamation could actually enhance one's strength!
On the other side, Sengoku's face visibly stiffened upon hearing Whitebeard's words. They were supposed to be on the same level—so why was Whitebeard showing off like this?!
"Fire the cannons!"
With no witty response coming to mind, Sengoku simply ordered his warship to open fire on Whitebeard's pirate ship, his face dark.
Whitebeard's side was not to be outdone. After intercepting the Navy's cannon fire, they immediately launched a counterattack.
"Brother Newgate, I'll leave the support to you. I'm going up to test Sengoku's strength!"
"Gurarara! Go ahead, Brother Lind! I'll be here to back you up whenever needed!"
Receiving Whitebeard's firm response, Lind didn't hesitate.
With Fujin beneath his feet and Haitaka circling around him, he flew toward Sengoku's warship!
"Rocks Pirates' new officer, Vice-Captain of the Second Division—Hilt Lind. Why aren't you with Shiki? What are you doing with Newgate?"
"What is your purpose here?"
Hearing Sengoku's words, Lind almost choked on the grandiose speech he had prepared.
'Wait, that's not how it's supposed to go! Aren't you supposed to ask who I am first, so I can deliver an epic self-introduction?'
Even though the situation wasn't unfolding as planned, he still had to act cool.
Silently cursing the intelligence networks of various factions, Lind steadied himself midair with telekinesis and prepared for his performance.
Haitaka and Fujin swirled around him as an aura of Conqueror's Haki, infused with a carefree spirit, burst from his body. With an air of defiance and a hint of nonchalance, he spoke:
"Today, I've come with just one question."
As Fujin returned beneath his feet, Lind gripped Haitaka tightly, pointing his sword at Sengoku.
"Sengoku, have you ever lost?"
Sengoku's face darkened even further.
'This brat is even more arrogant than Whitebeard just now! What do you mean 'Have you ever lost?'—is he looking down on me?! This is outrageous!'
'Fine! Time to teach this kid a lesson about respecting his elders on the battlefield!'
"Palm Shockwave!"
Before Lind could make another move, Sengoku unleashed a shockwave at him!
"Oi, what the hell?! Old man, you're fighting dirty—sneak-attacking a teenager like me!"
Seeing the incoming attack, Lind hurriedly dodged while cursing out loud.
"A proper fight goes both ways! Take this—eat my sword!"
After dodging Sengoku's attack, Lind didn't hesitate. He directed Haitaka forward in a fierce thrust, aiming straight for Sengoku's kidney!
Despite Lind's aggressive attack, Sengoku remained unfazed.
Covering his hands in Armament Haki, he struck with a blade-hand technique, splitting the attack apart.
Then, using Geppo (Moonwalk), he leaped into the air, closing in on Lind for close combat.
But Lind didn't back down either—after all, he had spent two and a half years honing his body.
Activating his own Armament Haki, he engaged Sengoku in close-quarters combat. At the same time, he multitasked—commanding Haitaka and Fujin to launch surprise attacks.
"Ha ha ha! Not bad, kid! Too bad you're a pirate!" Sengoku remarked, sensing Lind's strength. His expression carried a look of regret—"A talented warrior wasted on the wrong side."
"In order to prevent you from becoming a future threat, you'll be staying here today. Impel Down will be your final destination!"
Sengoku's tone grew serious, and he stopped holding back. Releasing his full power, he made it clear that he intended to take Lind down.
From their brief exchange, Sengoku had already assessed Lind's strength—he was stronger than an average elite vice admiral but still had some distance to cover before reaching the level of a navy admiral, one of the sea's top powerhouses.
With his superior strength, Sengoku had a real chance of capturing Lind.
But fortunately, though Lind talked big, he was well aware of his actual abilities. He had been on guard against Sengoku's full power from the start.
As soon as Sengoku went all out, Lind chose to disengage after a few exchanges, switching to long-range combat with his flying sword techniques.
Every time Sengoku tried to close the distance, Lind used his telekinesis to evade swiftly. It was an admittedly unglamorous tactic, but it worked—Sengoku struggled to land a decisive hit.
Likewise, Lind couldn't do much against Sengoku either. His raw power was lacking. It frustrated him to no end—he wished he could just unleash some Advanced Conqueror's Haki on Sengoku, but unfortunately, he hadn't mastered it yet.
So, he had no choice but to keep dodging while launching long-range attacks, barely scratching Sengoku.
"Guess I'll just treat this as sword training," Lind thought to himself after dragging the fight out for another half an hour.
As his emotions settled, he became less frustrated and more focused—using every exchange to refine his sword techniques.
Even his evasive maneuvers helped improve his footwork and battle instincts.
After all, he was fighting the Sengoku—a tactical genius.
The way Sengoku used feints, predictive counters, and mind games completely overwhelmed Lind, exposing his inexperience.
And so, their battle continued.
Three hours later—
The relentless high-intensity combat was finally taking a toll on Lind. His telekinetic power was draining rapidly, and his head was starting to spin.
"Yeah, telekinesis really sucks for prolonged battles. If this drags on for seven days and seven nights, my brain will probably fry."
Looking at Sengoku—who still seemed fresh—Lind couldn't help but grumble internally.
"In this world, physical strength and Haki really are everything!"
"Also… I seriously need a big finishing move. This slow, chip-damage strategy isn't doing anything to a Mythical Zoan like Sengoku. At this rate, I might as well let Whitebeard take over in an hour!"
While stalling for time, Lind kept an eye out for a suitable battlefield where Whitebeard could fight Sengoku effectively. After all, while Whitebeard knew Moonwalk, aerial combat wasn't his forte.
Finally, after another several dozen minutes, Lind spotted a small island.
It had a decent landmass, mostly consisting of gentle hills, and looked sturdy enough—perfect for a clash between two titans.
Deciding that the time was right, Lind didn't bother using some flashy move to escape.
Instead, he simply used Haitaka and Fujin to keep Sengoku occupied, then sped back to the pirate ship.
"Brother Newgate, I'll leave the rest to you!"
Back on board, Lind wasted no time handing over the battle to Whitebeard.
"Gurarara! Don't worry, Brother Lind. Now, let me test the Navy's 'Resourceful General' for myself!"
Understanding Lind's intentions, Whitebeard laughed heartily before launching himself into the air, charging toward Sengoku.