Akainu was now almost certain that Whitebeard was dead. The biological weapons caused rapid death after infection, and from his point of view, even someone as strong as Whitebeard couldn't withstand an attack that came from within his own body.
As the battleship released smoke bombs to disperse the area, Akainu turned his attention to Kaido, Big Mom, and the Three Disasters, considering how to handle them.
Although the Marines had recently cooperated with Kaido and Big Mom, they were still Four Emperors who needed to be taken down.
However, the Marines had just suffered heavy losses in their battle with Whitebeard, and the Admirals were not at full strength.
Akainu decided not to act immediately. Instead, he chose to temporarily halt Kaido and the others, waiting for the right moment to strike. Kaido wouldn't be able to regain his full strength after the decisive battle with Whitebeard.
"Kaido, Big Mom, it's been a pleasure working with you. Now that our cooperation is complete, you can leave. The Marine Headquarters will honor our agreement and won't act against you for now," Akainu said to Kaido and the others.
Kaido and Big Mom exchanged a surprised look. Kaido quickly responded, "If that's the case, we'll be on our way. Hopefully, the Marines can take this time to go back."
The implication was clear: he wanted the Marines to back off and not come after them anytime soon.
As Kaido, Big Mom, and the Three Disasters were about to leave, Akainu spoke up again, "Kaido, have you forgotten something? I remember you had an agreement with Lucci earlier."
Kaido was immediately taken aback. He remembered the agreement, but he assumed that, given everything that had just happened, Akainu wouldn't bring it up. He was surprised that Akainu still remembered it.
Kaido knew he couldn't afford to refuse. After all, this was Marine territory, and their power was too strong—even Whitebeard couldn't escape from them. Refusing would only provoke the Marines further.
Kaido stopped in his tracks and sighed in frustration. Everyone around him wondered what the agreement was that was causing him so much trouble.
"Boss, what was the agreement with Lucci? Did you agree to any conditions?" Jack asked.
"Could it be something that harms you?" Big Mom guessed.
Kaido shook his head and turned around seriously. He looked at Jack and said, "Jack, you've been with me for a long time, and I trust you completely. So, you need to believe in me. I will definitely save you."
"What the hell is it?" Jack asked with a puzzled look.
Just after Jack finished speaking, Kaido suddenly pushed him away with a palm.
Jack's face was filled with confusion as he was thrown through the air, not understanding what had just happened or why Kaido did it.
Jack was pushed into a Marine warship. Under Akainu's orders, he was quickly arrested and chained with seastone. The events happened so fast that Jack had no time to react or resist.
"Alright, you can go," Akainu said to Kaido.
Then he instructed the Marines handling Jack, "Take him to Lucci. He can deal with him. The Celestial Dragons are really troublesome."
Jack was taken away by the Marines and soon vanished from view. Both Quinn and King looked shocked and immediately confronted Kaido, "Boss Kaido, why are you giving up Jack?"
"Is this part of the agreement with Lucci? Letting them take Jack in exchange for our release?"
"It's unfortunate, but I had to do this," Kaido said with a heavy voice.
"I said I wouldn't give up on Jack. One day, I will save him!"
"I've heard that Celestial Dragons like to use strong people as their mounts, and that's why they're interested in Jack," Big Mom said from the side.
Kaido and the others soon left. Although Quinn and King were unhappy about Jack, they couldn't do anything. They couldn't defy Kaido or become enemies with the Marines.
"Report to the Fleet Admiral: Whitebeard has disappeared." After Kaido left, the battleship reported that they could no longer track Whitebeard.
"What do you mean, Whitebeard has disappeared? How did you lose track of him?" Akainu erupted in anger.
"We're sorry, Fleet Admiral. After the smoke cleared, we couldn't see Whitebeard. We also checked the surrounding waters, but he wasn't there either," the battleship reported.
"How is it possible for him to escape from the infection? Keep searching!" Akainu's voice grew anxious, and after he finished speaking, a more frightening tone followed.
"Guurarara, Akainu, are you looking for me?" Whitebeard appeared a thousand meters up, his powerful laughter echoing with majesty and momentum.
"Whitebeard, how is this possible? You're still alive?" Akainu looked up in surprise, blinded by the intense sunlight reflecting off Whitebeard's position in the sky.
Kizaru and the other Marine Admirals were also on edge, ready for battle. However, they were all puzzled about how Whitebeard had survived.
Biological weapons, developed through numerous experiments by the Marine Scientific Corps, were known for their power and effectiveness.
Yet, Whitebeard was now clearly visible in front of them.
"How can this be? Didn't the weapon kill Whitebeard? Is he even human?" Kizaru exclaimed.
"Is there really such a terrifying person in the world? Even biological weapons can't kill him. It seems the Marine Headquarters is doomed to fail," Fujitora said, astonished. He felt that no one could defeat Whitebeard now.
"Whitebeard, how is this possible?" Akainu was stunned. He couldn't believe Whitebeard survived the biological weapon attack, but the evidence before him was undeniable.
"Me? Do you think you've won? It's a shame. I have to admit, you really went to great lengths to deal with me and used such methods."
As Whitebeard spoke, his tone grew colder and more heavy. The air was thick with gunpowder smoke, and both sides were on the brink of war.
"Damn it! Everyone, attack with me!" Akainu gritted his teeth and ordered. Kizaru and the other Admirals quickly surrounded Whitebeard.
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TO BE CONTINUED