Kaido, who was charging at high speed, suddenly flew off the ground like a speeding car that had veered off the road.
In his high-speed rush, he missed a step and his massive body lurched forward, shooting out like a cannonball. Bouncing like a stone on water, Kaido's sprawling form bounced off the surface of the magma pool, heading straight for Akainu.
However, Akainu looked relaxed and easily dodged the collision.
Swoosh!
The wind pressure from the massive figure caused Akainu's Justice Cloak to flap loudly. Kaido reached out in vain to grab the fleeing Akainu.
But Akainu didn't give him a chance, twisting slightly to avoid Kaido's grasp.
Kaido stumbled and rolled and finally fell into the sea with a "plop".
Immediately, there was silence all around!
"So, you see... your brain is a tool for daily use, not a collector's item," Rowen said quietly with a slight smile.
The others: "..."
"What the hell, Kaido!"
"This... doesn't count! The Marines cheated!"
"Shanks, do you accept this result?"
A deafening din erupted as the stunned pirates shouted, their faces red with anger.
Sure, the two of them had displayed unimaginable, terrifying power, leaving the onlookers thrilled and horrified.
But unlike the prolonged, fierce battle they had imagined, Kaido had simply sent himself out of the ring. It ended so suddenly...
So frustrating!
Earlier, Red Hair had said, "A ring battle," "using McKinley Island as the venue!"
Kaido falling into the sea, regardless of whether he could continue fighting, meant that he was out of bounds.
In a wrestling match, that counted as a defeat!
"Shut up, you brats!"
Suddenly, a thunderous voice echoed across the sky.
After bandaging his wounds, White Beard stood up, leaning on his massive naginata. His commanding, authoritative gaze swept over the pirate ranks, exerting a heavy pressure that instantly silenced the noisy pirate ships.
Seeing this, Whitebeard snorted and said, "You're really backsliding! Can't you accept defeat? Did you go to sea to play house?"
The pirates collectively fell silent.
They might be cunning, ruthless, or deeply strategic, capable of sophistry and turning the tide in many matters.
But success and failure were concepts even a child could understand, the clearest things in the world.
No amount of cunning or malice could twist those facts. As Whitebeard said, if you can't accept failure, why go to sea?
If you want smooth sailing all the way, why not find a small island nation to rule as a bandit king?
"Frankly, this result is quite unexpected."
Shanks said with a cheerful smile, "Well, since it's not us, the Red Hair Pirates, who are making fools of ourselves... Do I accept it? Of course, I do!"
Seeing the ships of the Hundred Beasts Pirates heading towards Kaido's fall point, many pirates froze, then realized.
Yes!
They might appear to be a large alliance, but they were actually independent.
As long as they weren't the ones who were embarrassed, it didn't matter, right?
If Akainu lost, it would be a disgrace to all the marines, but if Kaido lost, it wasn't a disgrace to all the pirates, just the Hundred Beasts Pirates!
He brought shame to the pirates, blame him.
From the beginning, Kaido had been tricked into this game.
"So, a brain is a tool for daily use, not..."
Rowen started to speak, but Kizaru tapped him on the shoulder.
"Enough, Rowen, say no more... Haven't you noticed that some people see red?"
Besides the discontented Hundred Beasts pirates, other pirates exchanged glances, eager to wash away the shame.
It takes all kinds to make a world.
It was only natural for some to see Kaido's defeat as an affront to all pirates.
"Alright, I get it."
Rowen narrowed his eyes slightly, his killing intent flickering briefly.
Then he turned and looked meaningfully at Red Hair and Whitebeard.
"Since the outcome is decided... gentlemen, you may go now!"
By forcing Red Hair and Whitebeard to retreat, the Marines at least saved some face, not a complete failure.
"I look forward to the final showdown, Soryu."
Shanks wiped away his smile, his face now frozen, and nodded coldly.
Whitebeard glanced over, his expression equally grim, and snorted, "You won't get a second chance, Soryu, I promise!"
Whitebeard's words had a double meaning, referring to Rowen's use of electric paralysis that nearly killed him, and implying that he would be vigilant and find a way to counter it.
The second issue referred to the current Great War in the New World, where Whitebeard had been forced to take action.
This great gathering of Yonko had inspired all pirates, breaking the stifling situation created by the Navy's consecutive victories. Of course, there wouldn't be a second chance.
"Oh? Don't speak so definitively, Whitebeard," Rowen replied with a cold smile, electric currents spreading through the air. "I have a feeling we'll meet again soon."
"Humph! Let me wait and see, then," Whitebeard replied.
With that, [The Moby Dick] and its battered fleet slowly turned and sailed away. The Red Hair Pirates' flagship, [The Red Force], followed, its red, scarred skull flag waving in the wind as it sailed away.
"They're leaving?"
No one dared to stop the Yonko ships. As they watched them sail away, the pirates on the remaining ships froze, hesitant and confused.
The Yonko had left, now what? Should they keep fighting?
Fight?
Without the support of the Yonko, the thought of facing opponents as formidable as the Akainu, with two more still present, left no one confident of victory.
Not fight?
But the pent-up frustration had nowhere to go, so what could they do?
"Let's go! I see many of our enemies around. It's a miracle I'm still alive."
A captain sneered, glancing at some pirate ships slowly approaching.
The pirates would never truly unite. This temporary gathering for the pirate cause was over, and now it was time to settle personal scores.
His words were echoed by many others, and as the pirate ships noticed the enemy ships around them, one by one they silently sailed out into the dark sea.
Soon, half of the ships were gone.
It was nice to be the predator, but who knew if a poisonous snake was watching them from behind?
Pirates are pirates!
True cooperation to attack the Marines was nothing but a fantasy.
Huā Lā La!!
On the other side, just as the Hundred Beasts Pirates were casting their net, their ship suddenly tilted. With a violent noise, Kaido single-handedly pulled the entire ship and used it as leverage to leap onto the deck.
Thud!
The deck immediately cracked under his landing. Kaido glared angrily at the kneeling Akainu on McKinley Island and roared loudly.
"Akainu!!!"
Zī zī!
Swoosh!
Two beams, one blue and one golden, shot out simultaneously. Rowen, holding a Thunder Halberd, stood on the mast, his gaze cold.
"Oh? You want to continue, Kaido?"
"Continue? Who is afraid of whom?" Kaido roared in anger, ready to fight at any moment.
"King the Conflagration," noticed the killing intent in Kizaru's eyes as he stood at the bow of the ship. Frowning, he whispered something to Kaido.
"What..."
Whatever he said made Kaido hesitate and finally snort.
"Let's go!!"
Kizaru watched as the fleet of a hundred beasts departed, his hands nonchalantly slipping into his pockets as he looked at Rowen. "Have you noticed, Rowen? Something's wrong with Kaido."
"When was he ever normal?" Rowen shrugged, then grinned. "It seems they're in a hurry to return for something important, afraid we'll destroy their ships and trap them."
King's actions seemed clandestine, but they couldn't escape the Heart Network.
The two exchanged information, each becoming more serious.
Wano Country!
Those ships, similar to Kano Country's treasure ships but not belonging to Kano Country, combined with the New World location, made the answer clear.
"You help the fleet retreat; I'll notify the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)."
With that, Kizaru flashed into the distance.
The matter was significant, and Kizaru couldn't make the decision alone. The special Den Den Mushi capable of contacting the Gorōsei was currently with Vegapunk at the new G-5 base.
"Now then…"
Turning, Rowen watched the pirate ships approaching the Marine fleet and grinned.
"Let me put an end to this!"
(End of this chapter)
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