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Chapter 79: I've Been Waiting for You for a Long Time, Straw Hat!
Bang!
The front row ceiling of the venue shattered, sending a massive black shadow plummeting down amidst rubble and smoke. The venue fell silent, broken only by the sound of nervous swallowing and rapid heartbeats. Those in the front row shrank their legs, overcome with dizziness and hearts pounding.
The rest of the crowd stared at the site of impact, hoping it wasn't the person they feared it might be. Their hopes were quickly dashed as a fierce energy burst forth from the smoke. Air currents blasted like waves across the skin, instantly sweeping away the dust and revealing the newcomer.
It was none other than Kaido of the Beasts!
Hundreds felt their legs give out from under them, shaking uncontrollably and not daring to make a sound. They tried to make themselves smaller under their chairs to avoid drawing attention.
Kaido, carrying his mace on his shoulder, stood without expression, with his daughter Yamato beside him copying his posture. Among the seated was Ben, sent by his superiors to secure the Mera-mera Fruit for Admiral candidate Momousagi. His face tensed with panic; his muscles stiffened as he involuntarily gripped his sword.
How did Kaido get here? Was he here for the Devil Fruit? Akainu hadn't given them any information when he sent the two Admirals.
Sitting next to the Admiral candidate, Tokikake, the alternate for the admirals, noticed Momousagi's hand on her weapon. He quickly reached out and held her hand. Momousagi frowned slightly and looked at him. Tokikake shook his head gravely. Their eyes met, and they understood each other: they couldn't confront Kaido here. Too many civilians were on Sabaody Island, and a battle would surely cause harm to the innocent.
Moreover, the three Admirals hadn't managed to arrest Kaido on their previous encounter. Without Virgo, they wouldn't have made it back. What could two Admirals accomplish, other than dying in vain?
Momousagi looked intently at the resolved Tokikake, finally letting go of her weapon and setting it aside. Tokikake appeared relieved, nodded in acknowledgment, and withdrew his hand.
Elsewhere, another front-row bidder was ecstatic. He resembled a giant white bird but with human form, dressed like a noble gentleman. This was Morgans, the director of the World Economic Newspaper and one of the six kings of the underground world. He covered his beak with a wing, eyes wide with excitement.
"Kaido is actually here!! Big news! This is big news!!" he shouted, frantically preparing his camera to capture Kaido and Yamato.
He nudged Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District, who was sitting next to him. "You wouldn't have expected this, would you?!"
Stussy, momentarily stunned, turned her head to meet Morgans' eager gaze. Indifferently, she said, "How could I have foreseen this? I just wanted to buy a Devil Fruit. Foreseeing Kaido was not part of my plans. Rather than speculating, we should focus on how to avoid trouble. I doubt Kaido will let us go easily."
Though she appeared calm, Stussy was troubled. On one hand, she worried that Morgan might have discovered her true identity as a member of the CPO. On the other, she knew they must find a way to escape Sabaody.
After all, the monster Kaido has become almost synonymous with destruction.
Wherever he appears, it is unsurprising that complete devastation follows, and even islands are not spared.
"Get out of trouble? I didn't think so!" Morgans exclaimed, as excited as ever. "I want to see what is going to happen with my own eyes, and I will report it in full!"
"Go back? You should go back first," Stussy said squinting, her words laced with a sneer.
Kaido was scanning the audience with a single glance,
Then the corners of his mouth began to rise slightly.
He noticed many interesting characters, and the Marines too.
Kaido's glance in the direction of Momousagi and Chaton,
The two vice admirals immediately felt a chill of fear.
They were afraid that Kaido would attack them on sight.
Fortunately, Kaido was not interested in the Marines today
And he quickly looked away.
Only then did Momousagi and Chaton breathe a sigh of relief, realizing their backs were drenched in cold sweat.
However, Kaido's gaze soon locked onto the last row,
The people he was looking for were sitting there.
"Look... Look over here!! Oh no!!!" Usopp cried out, his face turning white as he sensed Kaido's gaze, his eyes welling with tears, and his legs giving out.
"Four Emperors..." Robin's face went pale, her pupils trembling, and her hands clutching the armrests so tightly she could not release them.
She knew what this meant more than anyone in the crew.
During her two years of training with the Revolutionary Army, she was warned countless times not to provoke the Four Emperors.
Dragon had emphasized this point, stating they could confront even Shanks,
But they should never, ever mess with Kaido!
Especially after Kaido defeated Big Mom, Dragon had reinforced the idea of Kaido's formidable strength.
Their pirate crew could not hope to contend against him!
Why would Kaido be eyeing us?!
"Is he targeting us?" Zoro's expression darkened, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.
"Hey, do we need to escape?" Sanji asked the captain, a hint of fear in his voice.
"Why have we been targeted by a Four Emperor before we even set sail? Luffy!!!" Chopper trembled, his fur ready to stand on end.
"What do we do? Trouble is coming again, and it's going to be even harder to get the Mera-Mera Fruit," Franky added with concern.
While they were whispering to each other,
Many in the audience noticed that Kaido's gaze lingered in one place for too long.
They couldn't help but breathe easier and shifted their gaze to where Kaido was looking.
In an instant, hundreds of eyes in the audience turned towards the Straw Hat Crew.
This was the second time Nami had been the center of attention, but this time she couldn't find humor in the situation.
Seeing no chance for her crew to sneak away, she turned to her captain in desperation and asked,
"Luffy, what should we do?"
Luffy looked determinedly at the Mera-Mera Fruit on the stage, his eyes free of fear,
He didn't even consider that his companions were terrified,
Nor did he ponder what to do in case they couldn't fight or failed to snatch the fruit.
He simply believed in his strength and that he would not fail,
And he believed he could defeat any enemy. He turned to his crew and declared,
"I must get the Mera-Mera Fruit!"
But at that moment, Kaido spoke.
He looked at the whispering group,
The murderous intent in his eyes became apparent, and a cruel smile formed on his lips,
"I've been waiting for you guys for a long time. Straw hat!"