One Piece: The Multiverse Simulator

Although his actions were part of a mission, Wood still felt deeply guilty for betraying the trust of Little Sadi and the others at Impel Down.

Over the years, he had considered returning to Impel Down to see his old friends. But he never found the courage to face them, knowing that revealing his true identity could only end in conflict. If their reunion would inevitably lead to clashing swords, he thought it better to stay away entirely.

Yet, this didn't mean Wood had forgotten about Little Sadi and the others. On the contrary, out of gratitude and guilt, he held them in high regard and kept them close to his heart.

This was why, when Shiryu mentioned they had "taught Little Sadi and her colleagues a lesson" during their escape from Impel Down, Wood's rage ignited instantly.

"Mr. Wood," Catarina Devon ventured cautiously, "if you're angry because of your old friends at Impel Down, it may not be necessary.

Yes, we did clash with them, but we didn't kill anyone.

Magellan arrived with reinforcements before we could do any real damage. And Blackbeard, worried about the delay, ordered us not to linger. We didn't spend much time dealing with them."

"That's right," Vasco Shot added. "We were imprisoned and tortured in Impel Down for years. Even if we took out our anger on them, wouldn't you have done the same after decades of suffering?"

The two were clearly trying to de-escalate the situation.

When Wood heard that Little Sadi and the others were still alive, his anger eased considerably, and a visible sense of relief washed over him.

Seeing Wood's mood stabilize, Catarina and Vasco silently thanked Magellan for showing up when he did. Had they gone further in venting their frustrations, they would likely have sealed their own doom.

For the first time, Catarina thought that maybe Magellan wasn't so bad after all.

With Sanjuan Wolf already dead at Wood's hands and Avalo Pizarro clinging to life by a thread, Wood's fury seemed to have been spent. Catarina and the others, believing they had resolved the misunderstanding, began entertaining other thoughts.

"Mr. Wood," Catarina said suddenly, "have you considered recruiting new crew members? How do you feel about me joining your side?"

Her unexpected proposal left Shiryu, Vasco, and even Wood momentarily stunned.

Unbothered by their surprised looks, Catarina continued, "This sea is full of strong individuals, but in the end, there can only be one king.

People follow those who are stronger than themselves, and I, Catarina Devon, am no exception. I believe you, Mr. Wood, have the qualifications and power to become that king.

I'm not saying this on a whim. After transforming into you using my Nine-Tailed Fox Form, I have a far deeper understanding of your strength than anyone else."

Catarina wasn't lying. While she couldn't use the magic coursing through Wood's body, she had felt the overwhelming power within him.

No… It wasn't just his magic. Even Wood's raw physical strength and swordsmanship were enough to make Catarina submit.

Wood's body, enhanced through countless battles, worlds, and blessings, was no joke.

Even without using magic or his Heart of God, Wood's raw physical prowess and swordsmanship could crush 99.9% of fighters on the sea.

For Catarina, the decision to leave Blackbeard was obvious. Blackbeard had painted grand visions for his crew, but his plans were falling apart.

He hadn't secured Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, his ambitions were in jeopardy, and even his survival was uncertain. Catarina wasn't about to stay loyal to a sinking ship.

Wood, on the other hand, was the perfect choice for her next allegiance.

Wood wasn't just strong—he had power, influence, wealth, and connections that stretched across the seas. His reputation alone commanded respect from even the Celestial Dragons.

Blackbeard, by contrast, had nothing. His pirate crew was small and unimpressive. His "Warlord of the Sea" title was likely to be revoked after this war, and his only ship was little more than a makeshift raft.

When comparing their strengths, Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit made him a capable foe, but he was far from being a top-tier threat. Without the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Blackbeard wasn't even in the same league as Wood.

Wood, on the other hand, had already fought two Marine Admirals—Aokiji and Kizaru—at the same time without losing. And Catarina suspected Wood hadn't even revealed the full extent of his strength.

Beyond his own abilities, Wood could control "The Strongest Man in the World," Whitebeard, and commanded an alliance that included Hancock, Jinbei, and his own terrifyingly loyal vice-captain, Ruth.

With the Navy's forces already weakened, Wood's side now had enough strength to overturn Marineford entirely.

To Catarina, joining Wood's side wasn't just survival—it was a guaranteed victory.

Seeing Catarina's reasoning, Vasco Shot hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. "Mr. Wood, I'd also like to join your crew," he said.

Shiryu, however, remained silent, biting down on a cigar as he wrestled with his thoughts.

As a man of pride, Shiryu found the idea of surrendering to someone he had once deemed beneath him unbearable.

But as he hesitated, he noticed Catarina and Vasco subtly distancing themselves from him, preparing to shift their allegiance entirely.

One was ready to strike him down if he resisted; the other was watching to ensure he didn't try to escape.

Shiryu couldn't help but feel trapped. Joining Wood might ensure his survival, but it meant swallowing his pride—something he wasn't sure he could do.

"You two idiots," Shiryu snarled, his voice dripping with disdain as he fended off Catarina and Vasco. "He hasn't even agreed to take you in, and you're already turning on each other?

Aren't you worried that if you kill me, he'll just turn around and kill you too?

Don't think for a second that he's some benevolent saint. Wood despises prisoners from Impel Down more than anything. When he betrayed the Navy and freed the prisoners, do you know what happened? He turned around and slaughtered them all himself."

Catarina and Vasco froze momentarily at Shiryu's words, but then Wood's calm voice cut through the tension.

"Those prisoners deserved to die," Wood said coldly. "I freed them, and instead of gratitude, they turned on me. They sought to kill me, so I killed them first.

If you two can take him down," Wood added, nodding toward Shiryu, "it would prove your strength and loyalty. In that case, I might consider letting you join my side."

Catarina's eyes lit up with excitement at Wood's words, and Vasco's expression quickly mirrored hers. Both turned to Shiryu with murderous intent.

"You two used to be big names on the sea, and now you believe his every word?" Shiryu growled as he raised his blade to block Catarina's strike.

"Even if he's lying, what other choice do we have?" Catarina retorted, her voice laced with a grim determination. "The choice is simple: fight you or fight him. Which one do you think gives us a better chance of survival?"

Her words momentarily stunned Shiryu, but he quickly understood her reasoning.

She was right. In their current situation, siding with Wood gave them a slim chance of survival. Opposing him, however, was a guaranteed death sentence.

Shiryu found himself struggling against Catarina, who had transformed into a version of Wood using her Nine-Tailed Fox powers. Coupled with Vasco's interference, Shiryu was quickly pushed into a corner.

With Catarina and Vasco now acting as his temporary enforcers, Wood finally had the breathing room to assess the battlefield.

On the other side, Whitebeard was still battling the remnants of Blackbeard's crew. Death God Doc Q and Lafitte had already fallen, leaving Blackbeard, Van Augur, and Burgess barely hanging on.

Wood was confident that this was his chance to rewrite the story, to eliminate Blackbeard, the major antagonist, right here and now.

But just as Wood felt the tides turning decisively in his favor, another unexpected twist shattered his plans.

The arrival of new ships, bearing the flags of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, signaled a grim turn of events.

Yes, it wasn't Shanks' Red-Haired Pirates, as Wood had initially anticipated, but instead two other Emperors—Kaido and Big Mom—who had joined the fray.

The sight of Kaido and Big Mom approaching together sent a ripple of unease through the battlefield.

"What the hell is going on?!" Sengoku bellowed, his face dark with frustration.

He turned to his intelligence officers, his voice sharp. "Weren't we told that the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates were at each other's throats after the Tea Party incident?

Someone explain to me how this is your definition of 'at each other's throats!'"

The flags of Kaido and Big Mom's ships grew larger as they neared Marineford, and Sengoku's already grim expression soured further.

From the very beginning, this war had spiraled out of control, unraveling his carefully laid plans.

Originally, Sengoku had intended for this War of the Best to serve as a demonstration of the Navy's power. By publicly executing Ace and taking down Whitebeard, they would secure their dominance over the seas and boost their reputation.

But from the moment the battle began, everything had gone sideways.

Internal conflicts, Impel Down escapees, Blackbeard's schemes—one unexpected twist after another had derailed his plans.

When Wood began turning the tide of the battle with his overwhelming strength, Sengoku had hoped that the scales might tip back in their favor, even if it meant sacrificing Marineford in the process.

Now, with the sudden arrival of not one but two more Emperors, even Sengoku's steely composure was beginning to crack.

"How am I supposed to maintain order with this madness?!" Sengoku muttered through gritted teeth, his frustration palpable.

Meanwhile, Aokiji and Kizaru stood nearby, watching the approaching pirate fleets.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Kizaru drawled lazily, though his tone carried a hint of mockery. "Is this what you meant by 'unexpected developments'?

You truly are a genius. Not only did you foresee this, but you also ordered us to conserve our strength just in case. Brilliant strategy, sir."

"Indeed," Aokiji added, his tone flat. "It's almost as if you knew Kaido and Big Mom would show up together.

It's a shame your intelligence team didn't catch on. Maybe they should've listened to you instead."

Their sarcastic remarks only added to Sengoku's simmering rage.

"Shut up, both of you!" Sengoku barked, veins bulging in his forehead. "If you're so smart, why don't you go stop them yourselves?!"

The chaos was escalating faster than anyone could have anticipated. With Kaido and Big Mom now entering the fray, the battle at Marineford was about to reach an entirely new level of destruction.

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