Ch-11 Whitebeard vs. Captain Ochoku – Argus’s First Trial

"Brother…"

Newgate glanced over. "Something bothering you?"

Argus rubbed his chin, eyes locked on the looming crown of the island. "I was starting to think this whole treasure map might be a hoax. Just some pirate's idea of a joke. But if Captain Ochoku's here too... then it's probably real."

Newgate's brows lifted—just for a second. Then—

"Gurararara!!"

He laughed like thunder cracking across the sea. "Now that makes sense! Well then—if there's something real to fight for, we'll just crush whoever gets in our way!"

With a flick of his wrist, Murakumogiri sliced through the air, its edge gleaming under the tropical sun.

BOOM!

The atmosphere split as Newgate's Conqueror's Haki surged outward. Air distorted. The earth trembled.

And Ochoku didn't hesitate.

From across the battlefield, his own Conqueror's Haki erupted in kind—a wave of raw presence crashing back, snarling through the air like a wounded beast.

Two conquerors.Two kings without crowns.Two monsters of the same era.

They were both young—barely into their twenties. Too early for titles like "Emperor" or "Legend"…But far, far too strong to be called anything less than terrifying.

And as their Haki collided—

Not a single man fell.

Eighty pirates stood their ground. Each one gritted their teeth and held firm under the crushing pressure. No one fainted. No one broke.

These weren't rookies.

These were hardened killers—men who followed captains like Whitebeard and Wolfgang for a reason.

"Ochoku!" Newgate's booming voice echoed across the clearing.

With a thunderous burst of speed, he charged like a landslide, his naginata roaring through the air with enough force to split stone.

Ochoku responded with eerie calm.

He stroked his beard once, then reached behind him and unsheathed a greatsword that looked more like a slab of jagged iron than a weapon. The corners of his mouth curled upward.

"Edward Newgate," he said, voice like crushed gravel. "Don't mistake me for a stepping stone."

CRACK!!!

Steel met steel.

Their weapons collided with a titanic boom, and in that moment—Armament Haki flared black and deep purple, wreathing their blades in destruction.

Shockwaves ripped through the clearing.

Leaves blew from trees. Boulders cracked. The sky itself seemed to reel back from the impact.

And with that—The battle began.

"CHARGE!!!"

"KILL THEM ALL!!"

Screams tore through the air as both pirate crews surged forward like tidal waves, steel flashing in the sunlight.

Argus watched it all unfold with his hands in his coat pockets and an unreadable expression on his face.

"...The ground's cracking," he muttered, eyes scanning the battlefield. "The terrain's collapsing under the pressure. No doubt about it."

He exhaled slowly.

"My brother and Ochoku… They're not Admirals yet. Not even Emperors. But they're getting close."

Each clash between Newgate and Ochoku sent ripples across the island. Trees snapped. Fruit exploded. The pineapple flesh underfoot tore open in gashes as invisible blades of force shot outward from their Haki.

This was no duel.

This was a glimpse of the future. A preview of what the next generation of monsters looked like.

Argus stayed still.

"These are the kinds of men who'll shape the world," he murmured. "Not freaks like Luffy… but real, grounded monsters. Ambitious. Ruthless. Practical."

A roar interrupted his thoughts.

"YOU BASTARD! PAY ATTENTION!!"

A pirate lunged at Argus from behind, blade arcing down in a brutal overhead strike.

Argus didn't even blink.

Swish.

He sidestepped casually, letting the blade slam into the ground beside him. Dirt and pineapple chunks flew up like shrapnel.

"I never said I was on my brother's level," Argus muttered, sounding genuinely annoyed. "But compared to you?"

His leg blurred.

WHAM!!

A whip-kick, coated in Armament Haki, caught the attacker square in the ribs and sent him flying through a nearby tree.

More enemies surged toward him.

"Lord Argus!"

"Are you alright?!"

Several Whitebeard pirates rushed over, weapons raised.

"I'm fine," Argus replied, brushing off his coat. "What am I, a porcelain doll?"

Another pirate tried to charge him from the side—Argus didn't even turn. He just back-kicked him into the dirt.

CRASH.

"See?" he said dryly. "I can handle myself."

The crewmates hesitated, then grinned and nodded.

"Yes, Lord Argus!"

"Then get back in formation," he called. "And win your fights!"

The men saluted and dove back into the fray.

Argus sighed and rolled his shoulders. His muscles were loose, his stance relaxed.

Sure, he wasn't Marco. He wasn't Katakuri. He wasn't Jinbe.

But he wasn't a nobody, either.

If he couldn't hold his own against common pirates, he had no business chasing greatness.

Still—

He didn't step deeper into the battlefield.

He wasn't here to steal the spotlight.He was here to watch.

To learn.

To measure the true gap between himself and the monsters shaping this new age.

What he saw was this:

Both Newgate and Ochoku were powerful—frighteningly so—but neither crew was fully formed yet. No first mates. No clear officer structure. No polished hierarchy.

Their foundations were still forming.

They were just too new.

Unlike Luffy's absurd band of miracle-workers, most crews took years to assemble.

No instant monsters. No plot armor. Just slow, brutal growth.

And Argus?

Argus knew better than to rush that.

Not everyone was born to be the protagonist.

But some men were born to build empires.

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