"Boom!!!"
The terrifying airflow raged wildly in the atmosphere, shattering it with the force of the collision. The members of the Charlotte family watched in disbelief, while Kurozumi Orochi looked on in horror.
The Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin, found herself at a disadvantage in this direct clash of power, her enormous body hurtling backwards.
"Mama!"
Homies Zeus screamed and hurriedly caught up with Charlotte Linlin to cushion her fall. The Charlotte family members on Onigashima screamed in fear as they witnessed the unthinkable—Mama being knocked away head-on.
"Mama?!"
Mama had not held back, using the full power of her Soul-Soul Fruit and Conqueror's Haki. This was the most terrifying attack they had seen from her since she became one of the Four Emperors. Yet, she was still hit head-on.
"..."
Katakuri looked at the tall figure that had appeared, his forehead beading with cold sweat. It was Pirate Queen Boa Hancock. Katakuri's eyes twitched slightly at the sight.
Of course, Katakuri was no stranger to the former Seven Warlords of the Sea member, known as the 'Pirate Queen' and hailed as the most beautiful woman in the sea. After Doflamingo was eliminated by Entei Pirates cadres Kuzan and Fujitora, Dressrosa announced its alliance with the Entei Pirates. Amazon Lily, led by Boa Hancock, soon followed suit, joining the Entei Pirates and withdrawing from Shichibukai.
As the de facto second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates, Katakuri was well aware of this information. What he found unbelievable, however, was the sheer power Boa Hancock now displayed.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea, as one of the three major forces on the sea alongside the Naval Headquarters and the Four Emperors, were generally the weakest of the three. Their role was primarily to intimidate other pirates on the sea on behalf of the World Government. Nonetheless, the Seven Warlords were still formidable. Before the rise of the Entei Pirates, no organization was stronger than the Seven Warlords, save for the Four Emperors and the Naval Headquarters.
Katakuri knew well the combat power of the Seven Warlords. The strongest among them was undoubtedly the world's number one swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, capable of fighting the Four Emperors' Red Hair head-on. In the second echelon were Doflamingo, who possessed Conqueror's Haki, and Boa Hancock. Among the two, Doflamingo had a certain edge. Yet, even Doflamingo would be instantly defeated by a Four Emperors.
However, the situation now defied Katakuri's expectations. The power displayed by Boa Hancock, while not as strong as Mama's, was still above that of Gion, who had eaten the Tiger-Tiger Fruit-Mythical Beast-White Tiger Form and possessed the strength of an Admiral. Together, they had managed to knock Mama, who was using her full strength, head-on.
The power entangled in Boa Hancock's attack was undeniable.
Katakuri's forehead began to sweat. "Conqueror's Haki-Infusion. The Pirate Queen, Boa Hancock, has actually mastered this power?"
Kaido looked at Hancock, his eyes twitching. Another one. Another individual who could use Conqueror's Haki-Infusion. When did the power of Conqueror's Haki-Tangle become a common thing? On this sea, before the rise of the Entei Pirates, there were only a handful of people who could fully master the power of Conqueror's Haki-Infusion.
Doflamingo, a seasoned veteran of the sea and emperor of the underground world, had never mastered it. Even Kaido's daughter, Yamato, as talented as she was, had only just begun to grasp its power. Yet now, not only the little thief, Nami, but also the Pirate Queen had mastered Conqueror's Haki-Infusion.
Boa Hancock's original strength was comparable to Doflamingo's, falling short of King. But now, with Conqueror's Haki-Infusion, her power had transformed completely. While not as formidable as Nami, Hancock had reached a level on par with Admirals Kuzan and Kizaru. Another Admiral-level combatant had appeared, and it was a troublesome one at that.
Kaido's scalp began to numb. Though Admiral-level combatants couldn't match the Four Emperors, even top Admirals like Kuzan and Kizaru would ultimately fall short. The Conqueror's Haki-Infusion mastered by the Four Emperors was unparalleled. Yet, two Admiral-level fighters could still defeat a Four Emperor when working together. Here, the Admiral-level power wasn't just any entry-level strength, but the top-tier kind seen in Kuzan and Akainu.
Boa Hancock had demonstrated this kind of power. Gion, though newly Admiral-level, possessed the strongest attack power among Mythical Beasts with the Tiger-Tiger Fruit-White Tiger Form. Her attack power rivaled that of a top Admiral. Together, Gion and Hancock could put Charlotte Linlin at a disadvantage. Linlin's natural physical defense, more exaggerated than Kaido's Azure Dragon body, would only ensure she wasn't injured but not guarantee victory.
Kaido faced an even more troublesome opponent in Nami, the powerful Thunder Fruit user. Though his combat power exceeded Nami's, the Thunder Fruit's characteristics were particularly annoying. Defeating Nami would take a long time, even for him.
Now, the original idea of defeating some of the key forces of the Entei Pirates before Ace's arrival seemed utterly hopeless.
The shocking reality was that the forces of the Entei Pirates were more formidable than anyone could have anticipated. The "little thief" Nami, originally expected to possess only Admiral-level combat power, had mastered Conqueror's Haki-entanglement. With the power of the Thunder Fruit, she could fight both Kaido and Linlin head-on.
Gion, now wielding Admiral-level combat power, and Boa Hancock, who possessed top Admiral combat power akin to Kuzan's, were significant threats. These three powerful forces were beyond any expectations. The Entei Pirates' top combatants, such as 'Dark King' Silver Rayleigh, former Admiral Kuzan, and 'Dark Ranger' Fujitora, hadn't even appeared yet.
The presence of just these three had forced Kaido and Linlin to exert all their strength, pushing them into a grueling battle. If Rayleigh, Kuzan, and Fujitora joined the fray, the situation would become untenable.
Kaido's scalp felt like it was about to explode. The sudden surge in strength of Nami, Hancock, and Gion raised alarming questions about the other cadres under Ace.
'Phoenix' Laki, 'Desert Princess' Vivi, 'Devil's Child' Nico Robin, 'Black Rose' Nojiko, 'Fallen Doctor' Kaya, 'Silent Swordsman' Tashigi, 'Monster Princess' Perona, 'Angel' Conis, 'Ship Spirit' Merry—these names echoed in Kaido's mind.
Though 'Monster Princess' Perona and 'Angel' Conis had non-combat Devil Fruit abilities, what about the others? Could there be more Admiral-level fighters among them? Especially 'Phoenix' Laki with the Bird-Bird Fruit-Mythical Beast-Blue Dragon Form and 'Desert Princess' Vivi with the powerful Sand-Sand Fruit. Vivi had already awakened her Devil Fruit ability during the Entei event, but her Haki was weak at that time. Now, with the dramatic power increase seen in Nami, Gion, and Hancock, could Vivi and Laki also have Admiral-level combat power?
Kaido, usually unfazed, felt sweat on his forehead. Even without Ace, the combined forces of the Beasts Pirates, BIG-MOM Pirates, and Kurozumi Orochi seemed inadequate against the Entei Pirates. It felt like a nightmarish joke. Did Ace have some sort of growth-accelerating power? How had the Entei Pirates become so powerful in such a short time since the Entei incident?
This didn't even account for the monstrous power of Ace himself.
Kaido's eyes began to turn blood red.
This couldn't go on. If it did, it would definitely be a blowout loss!
The situation had deteriorated to the ultimate, and they could only fight desperately!
Kaido roared, opened his mouth, and terrifying energy began to gather within.
The next moment, the energy burst out in a cataclysmic beam of fire.
"Blast Breath!!!"
"Swoosh!!!"
The violent dragon's breath formed a beam of light, launching a relentless attack.
"Bzt!"
Faced with such a devastating attack, Nami's pupils shrank. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a thunderbolt and vanished.
"Don't even think about running away!"
Kaido roared, the burning energy in his mouth and hands continuously gathering.
In this moment, Kaido abandoned all thoughts of conserving his strength, launching a frenzied assault.
Although the Thunder Fruit granted Nami incredible speed, Kaido's Observation Haki was superior.
The Thunder Fruit could amplify Observation Haki, spreading its reach through radio waves, but it didn't enhance its fundamental strength.
Essentially, the Thunder Fruit acted as an enhancer for Observation Haki, extending its range via radio waves. However, it couldn't elevate the user's Haki to the ultimate level capable of glimpsing the future.
Moreover, Kaido could manipulate natural elements and utilize thunder to augment his own speed, reaching terrifying velocities. While not as instantaneous as the Thunder Fruit's transformation into lightning, the difference wasn't vast.
This minor speed disadvantage was completely offset by Kaido's superior Observation Haki.
"King! Cover the attack! Limit their movements!"
Kaido bellowed, spewing Flames continuously.
"Yes, Governor Kaido!"
The first of the Three Disasters, the Flame Disaster King, flew from out from Onigashima into the sky.
His eyes turned blood red.
King understood that they, the Beasts Pirates, had been pushed to their limit.
With the Flame Emperor still not arrived, the combat prowess displayed by these three cadres alone made King tremble with fear.
There was no time for restraint; they had to fight with everything they had.
"Swish!"
The power of the Lunarian clan was unleashed without reserve, flames enveloping his saber.
"Fire Dragon Emperor Guardian!"
King roared, summoning countless flames that formed into fire dragons, engulfing the entire battlefield.
These fire dragons constricted the movements of Nami, Hancock, and Gion, forcing them into the path of Kaido's attack.
"Boom! Boom!"
Kaido's relentless Fire Beams collided with King's fire dragons, creating a chaotic and deadly Fiery Whirlpool. Nami, Hancock, and Gion found their evasive maneuvers severely restricted, the combined assault of Kaido and King leaving them with no choice but to confront the overwhelming flaming onslaught head-on.
In the midst of this chaos, Kaido's eyes blazed with a ruthless determination. He knew that in this critical moment, they had to strike with all their might, or face utter defeat when Ace arrives.