Kaido's face revealed little emotion, but with every step he took, dark red lightning erupted around him.
Just locking eyes with his terrifying, devilish gaze was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
This was the Four Emperors' most powerful creature, renowned across land, sea, and air—Kaido of the Beasts!
Zyhark remained vigilant as the terrifying figure steadily approached, calculating the limits of his Devour ability.
His entire body felt like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. If he relaxed even slightly, the backlash would be overwhelming.
At that point, Kaido wouldn't even need to strike—the Emperor's Sword tucked inside Big Mom's hat could finish him off with ease.
Continuing to fight wasn't an option, especially against someone even more dangerous than Big Mom—Kaido, a master of every form of combat.
However, Zyhark wasn't overly panicked.
He had anticipated that Kaido would owe Big Mom a favor for the Fish-Fish Fruit, and the peculiar relationship between these two Four Emperors had been on his mind ever since deciding to attack Big Mom's crew.
Though Kaido's speed in arriving had far exceeded his expectations.
The distance between Wano's Onigashima and Totto Land was no short journey!
"It's been a while, Kaido. The wound you left on my chest still aches," Zyhark said with a slightly forced smile, making no effort to hide his weakened state.
Even if Kaido attacked right now, Zyhark was prepared to take a hit from his Thunder Bagua and die—only to rely on Aqua's full-strength resurrection to bring him back into the fight.
As powerful as Kaido was, could he really stand against the entire crew's combined might?
Not to mention, this would be the perfect opportunity to get the red Poneglyph from Kaido and save the trip to Onigashima.
Of course, based on what Zyhark knew of Kaido's overly arrogant nature, there was a good chance he wouldn't bother attacking someone who seemed on the verge of collapse.
Either way, victory still lay firmly in their hands.
It was just a matter of whether they would need to play their trump card.
"Worororo! It seems sparing your life back then was the right decision," Kaido said, his eyes fixed on Zyhark's face, confirming that his calm demeanor wasn't just for show.
As he contemplated whether or not to test Zyhark, he noticed a slight sway in Zyhark's body.
At that, Kaido loosened his grip on the spiked club, and the Haki surrounding him dissipated.
Just as Zyhark had predicted, Kaido had no interest in fighting an opponent who looked ready to fall with a single push.
"To be honest, when I heard you were attacking Totto Land, I was genuinely surprised."
Kaido's gaze shifted from Zyhark to the unconscious Big Mom, floating on the sea.
"I thought I'd come over and see what was going on out of boredom, but to think you actually defeated that old hag Linlin."
His voice was filled with disbelief.
Though Kaido was no longer the timid apprentice from the Rocks Pirates, there was likely no one who understood Big Mom's strength better than him!
And yet, Zyhark, who had only recently made his mark on the world, had managed to defeat her on her home turf.
"If I could, I would have solved this peacefully," Zyhark shrugged helplessly.
Unfortunately, you couldn't expect a high-ranking pirate to sit down for a civil negotiation without first giving them a thorough beating.
Otherwise, they might even get other ideas…
Whether it was the shock of Big Mom's defeat or the anticipation of a future battle, Kaido's expression flickered, and he fell into a moment of silence.
After a long pause, he sighed softly, slinging his spiked club over his shoulder as he unhooked the large gourd of sake from his waist and tossed it toward Zyhark.
Zyhark caught the gourd, using his lightning abilities to dispel the force behind it before taking a steady swig.
Despite not being much of a drinker, Zyhark gulped down a few mouthfuls of the potent liquor, which burned his throat so intensely that he nearly choked.
Although alcohol was the universal currency of respect among the strong in the pirate world, Zyhark had never been able to handle it well.
However, the intense stimulation of the alcohol did a good job of masking the pain threatening to tear his body apart.
"I owe Linlin a favor. If you continue causing trouble, I'll have to step in as your opponent," Kaido said, walking past Zyhark and heading straight for Big Mom. "Even though killing you now would bring me a great deal of pain."
Zyhark glanced toward Cake Island.
It had been nearly half an hour since the battle had ended. By now, Aqua and the others should have secured the red Poneglyph.
Unfortunately, he couldn't use Observation Haki to confirm the situation in his current state.
He decided it was time to regroup with his crew.
With that in mind, Zyhark waved the sake gourd in Kaido's direction.
"Good sake. I'll take the rest back to my goddess, the resident drunk. As for the gourd, I'll return it to you personally on Onigashima."
An unmistakable declaration of war.
Kaido stopped in his tracks and threw his head back with a booming laugh. "Worororo! If you want it, then take it! But I hope you give me a fight worth my time when the day comes."
As one of the rising stars he'd had his eye on for months, Kaido had long been eager for a good fight.
Now that Zyhark had proven his strength by defeating Big Mom, Kaido's anticipation for their upcoming battle had only grown.
If Zyhark hadn't been in such terrible shape, Kaido likely would've attacked him right there and then!
And so, the two parted ways without conflict.
Using the lingering effects of the sake to push through the pain, Zyhark mustered the last of his strength and vanished in a flash of lightning.
Meanwhile, Kaido slowly approached Big Mom.
"What a sorry sight, you old hag."
Smack, smack!
Kaido's previously grim demeanor shifted as he slapped Big Mom's face from side to side.
Zeus, Prometheus, and the Emperor's Sword all trembled in fear, not daring to move a muscle.
A few minutes later, Big Mom began to stir.
"Kaido? What are you doing here?"
"Where's Zyhark? That damned brat! I'll make him taste the fires of hell!!!"
Big Mom's deafening roar echoed across Totto Land.
The few officers who had just regained consciousness were knocked out cold again by the Conqueror's Haki infused in her scream, their eyes rolling back as they fainted once more.
At this point, it was hard to tell who was more of an "Aqua" in terms of dramatic outbursts…
Meanwhile, Zyhark, the one Big Mom was so fixated on, had already returned to the deck of the Endless Dream, which was now sailing away from Totto Land.
He was currently resting on the soft lap of the goddess Aqua, receiving a one-of-a-kind healing treatment along with her usual barrage of complaints.
At this point, only three days remained until the World Government would launch its extermination campaign against the Kingdom of the Gods.
(End of Chapter)
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