"Crabs Do Luck!"
"Huh?!"
"I'm thinking of opening a crab restaurant and I just thought of the perfect name!"
"Do you really think this is the time for that?"
"Come on! Don't be so crabby! Hahaha!"
Somewhere on the open seas of Pirate World, Benjamin V2 Gundam and Edward Second V stood atop a pirate ship surrounded by an army of giant crabs. With their companions already wounded, Benjamin and Edward were the only two capable of continuing the fight.
It was no time for banter. Still, Benjamin was known for his bold personality and physical toughness. His partner Edward, meanwhile, made up for his carefree nature by coming through when it counts. Together, they maintained peace on the seas.
"You see what I see, Edward?"
"Sure do! We're sitting on Bingo!"
As they deflected attacks from the crabs and continued their conversation, the two warriors kept their eyes focused on a single point in the distance. Beyond the legion of crabs that surrounded them, they had spotted an ominously oscillating figure.
It was Anne Bonita, the legendary female pirate. In their previous battle with Qiongqi, Benjamin and the others had crossed swords with her ghost, fighting for control of Haro.
However, Bonita's ghost had surely passed to the afterlife on that day. That meant the enemy before them must be the Samurai Mist reported by Zhuge Liang. Its objectives were still unclear, but judging by the way it appeared in the guise of the dead, they could not help but feel some sort of intention.
It was at that moment that a single warhorse descended from the sky.
"Listen up, kid! Don't bother with the small fries and aim only for the general!"
"Right! Yes sir!"
Trotting over the crabs like the legendary leaping of the eight ships, the horse crossed the surface of the water, its armor decorated with the emblem of flame. The two sat astride were Nobunaga and Wukong. While Benjamin and Edward were happy to see the arrival of capable reinforcements...
"Not yet, kid! It's too soon to jump off!"
"Don't worry! Just leave it to me... Hahaha— hachoo!"
Splash! Just as they thought they'd made the coolest entrance possible, the riders lost their balance.
The sudden turn of events left not only their allies but even the enemy crabs temporarily stunned.
It was a one-in-a-million chance that Benjamin and Edward did not let go to waste.
"Now?"
"Yeah! Let's go, Edward!"
"Giant anchor!"
"Blast fever!"
Their simultaneous attack scored a direct hit on the samurai mist and the ghost of Bonita faded into thin air.

Once they were retrieved from the water, Nobunaga and Wukong participated in Benjamin and Edward's celebratory banquet.
"Eat that, stupid Samurai Wisk! Hachoo!"
"I've told you a thousand times, it's Samurai Mist, not wisk."
"Either way, you two sure make for an unusual pair."
"Yeah, I never thought I'd see Nobunaga and Wukong teaming up. Hahaha!"
"Well, let's just say a lot has happened."
After departing Kingdom World, Nobunaga found and rescued the fallen Wukong, who could no longer stay atop his flying nimbus due to his cold. The two then rode to Pirate World on Nobunaga's horse.
Just as Edward and Benjamin had noted, Nobunaga had never been one to travel with others in the past.
One reason he had done so this time was that it was a request from Sanzang. Plus, knowing Wukong's frightening combat capabilities, adding his own strength would be enough for the two of them to defeat even the most powerful of foes. Or so he thought.
Instead, he had to accept that he'd failed to make the most of his individual powers in this latest fight.
Wukong was not a retainer who would loyally follow his orders. Nor was he a companion he could blindly trust to have his back.
Nobunaga had ridden long and hard to the sight of a new battle, but...
"There is still much left for me to see in this world, it seems."
　No sooner had the murmur left his lips than he drove the thought away.

（To be continued）