"Gurararararara! You three youngsters actually managed to take down Kaido!" Whitebeard exclaimed in astonishment, standing on the deck of the Moby Dick.
Reflecting on it, Kaido was considerably younger than Whitebeard, being one of the youngest pirates in their generation.
In this world, pirates tend to grow stronger as they age, typically reaching their peak after their thirties, with combat prowess holding steady well into their sixties or seventies. Yet, Whitebeard knew that after sixty, one's strength could only be maintained at best; further growth in combat ability was out of reach.
Therefore, Kaido, now fifty-six, was arguably at the peak of his power. While Whitebeard had gained the upper hand in their last clash, he knew that the outcome might have been far less certain in an actual life-or-death battle.
But now, with Shin's help, three relatively young fighters had managed to subdue Kaido, someone even Whitebeard was cautious of. This realization made him feel both admiration and the inevitability of a rising generation.
"No, honestly, this victory has little to do with me and Yamato," Ace said, his expression a mix of pride and humility. "Shin could have taken down the entire Beast Pirates by himself."
Yamato nodded emphatically. "Yeah, Shin is insanely strong! He doesn't seem human at all! When he got serious, my father was practically defenseless! And now even his devil fruit has been taken away!"
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow in surprise, taking another long drink as he recalled his initial observations of Shin.
Whitebeard had always kept a watchful eye on Ace and Yamato, giving only a casual interest to Shin. He had appreciated Shin's calm demeanor but had never expected him to reach such an astonishing level of strength. To Whitebeard, Shin seemed the perfect candidate for an emperor's second-in-command: rational, capable, and steady.
But he had underestimated him. Shin's recent feats had completely shattered Whitebeard's preconceptions.
After hearing a detailed account of the battle, Whitebeard was stunned to learn that Shin's strength allowed him to decisively overpower Kaido. Whitebeard even set down his drink, the magnitude of this accomplishment sinking in as if he were listening to an epic tale.
And it wasn't only Whitebeard who was in awe. His crew, including Marco, wore expressions that bordered on disbelief.
Truthfully, if anyone else had claimed such feats, the Whitebeard Pirates would have thought it a joke.
The crew had seen Shin in action, of course, but progress from an ordinary cadre level to someone capable of defeating Kaido in mere months was a development they could barely comprehend. Yet, neither Ace nor Yamato had any reason to exaggerate, so they could only accept it as the truth, albeit with lingering doubts.
While the Whitebeard Pirates struggled to digest the story, Blackbeard stood silent, a strange look flickering in his eyes. After learning that Shin could extract Devil Fruits without killing the host, Blackbeard's expression shifted noticeably.
Unlike others who might suspect Shin of possessing the Dark-Dark Fruit, Blackbeard knew better. The Dark-Dark Fruit could only extract Devil Fruits from those who had just died, while Shin seemed capable of taking them from living hosts. From what Blackbeard understood, this was more likely a development of Shin's Munch-Munch fruit.
Blackbeard, who had seen the transformative capabilities of the Munch-Munch fruit, knew it was theoretically possible to achieve such a feat with enough mastery.
'Damn it, why couldn't I have gotten my hands on such a devil fruit?' he thought to himself, frustration building within him.
The Dark-Dark Fruit wasn't regarded as the strongest in the world; its value lay in its unique abilities, particularly its power to claim other fruits. Blackbeard possesses a unique physiology and the ability to wield three devil fruits, which he coveted above all else.
Without the Dark-Dark Fruit, Blackbeard's ambitions to acquire powerful abilities would be as unlikely as winning a grand lottery not once but three times in a row.
In this world, even the most powerful crews, including Whitebeard's, rarely possessed more than a few top-tier fruits. Only Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit and Marco's Phoenix Fruit truly held elite status. The rest, though formidable, couldn't compare.
As the Whitebeard Pirates continued their hushed conversation, exchanging incredulous glances, Blackbeard kept to himself, deep in his schemes and ambitions.
Suddenly, a lookout called down from the watcher's nest. "Pops! Kaido's approaching!"
"What?!" The crew members were taken aback. Gazing up at the sky, they saw a massive blue dragon streaking toward them.
"Kaido... is that Kaido? Something seems... off, though."
"Wait... where are his black manes? And isn't there something missing?"
"Yeah, what happened to those cross-shaped scars on his chest?"
The murmurs grew louder as the crew noticed further differences. Studying the figure more closely, Marco and the other commanders confirmed it was indeed a dragon but likely not Kaido himself.
"Kaido's Devil Fruit… it's really been extracted!" Marco said, his voice filled with wonder.
As everyone processed this revelation, they watched the massive dragon descend toward the Moby Dick. Sensing the immense power radiating from it, the commanders immediately prepared their weapons—until Whitebeard raised a hand, signaling them to stand down.
The dragon landed on the ship, shrinking rapidly until it took on a human form. As the transformation was completed, Shin stood before the Whitebeard Pirates with a small smile, meeting their astonished gazes.
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Chapter 220: The Hidden Sanctuary is now available.