King glanced down at Jake on the ground, the corners of his lips curling upward.
He turned to Kaido beside him, who wore an equally excited expression, and said.
"Kaido-san, it seems our luck isn't bad. Not only did we find this brat directly, but we also stumbled upon the Black Hawk Pirates who left our fleet without notice."
Hearing King's words, Kaido's mouth split into a ferocious grin.
He laughed and replied to King.
"These insignificant ant actually dared to leave my fleet? What was their reason? Bah, never mind—that doesn't matter anymore. I've got something more interesting now! King, don't interfere. This time, I'm going to enjoy myself to the fullest! Wororororo!"
In the next instant, Kaido's kanabo 'Hassaikai', became enveloped in Armament Haki so dense it seemed almost tangible.
Standing a thousand meters in the air, his voice carried a trace of madness.
"Brat, let's see how lucky you are! If you die under this club, it just means you weren't fated to join our pirate crew! Wororororo!"
"Horai Hakke!"
A terrifying force tore through the clouds as it descended from the heavens.
Under the overwhelming impact, the very space itself seemed to distort.
Any seabirds unfortunate enough to be caught in the shockwave were instantly reduced to bloody mist.
A vortex of pitch-black thunderclouds formed in the sky, crackling with dark purple lightning that made Kaido's massive frame appear even more monstrous!
****
On the island below, Jake was still basking in the joy of having defeated Boars.
He could clearly sense the fading life force of his opponent.
Though his own body had been electrocuted to the point of barely having any intact flesh left, this battle had also allowed his Holy Light attribute to reach 25 points!
And at level 25, he could now learn both "Holy Light Protection" and "Baptism of Light" abilities!
This was a massive leap in power!
At this moment, Oli, who was still fighting Monet, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
He glanced at Boars' body, then at the nearly annihilated pirate crew nearby, his face brimming with bitterness.
He knew the adventure of the Black Hawk Pirates had come to an end at this very moment and their dreams had completely vanished.
No, perhaps that dream had already ended the moment Boars killed Ford.
Oli's expression was filled with sorrow, his will to fight completely gone.
He looked at Jake, his eyes carrying an indescribable emotion.
Turning to Monet, he slowly raised his hands and shouted loudly.
"To all members of the Black Hawk Pirates still alive, as your vice-captain, i issue my final order! Everyone! Lay down your weapons!"
After speaking, he weakly turned his gaze to Jake, his eyes utterly lifeless.
"You've won, doctor!"
But at that very moment, an overwhelmingly terrifying attack suddenly descended from the sky—its speed far beyond what anyone present could evade.
****
King looked down at the scene below and sighed helplessly.
"Kaido-san, are you really planning to kill that guy? You know, that Devil Fruit is an ultra-rare variety that only appears in myths."
Kaido grinned, the fiery clouds beneath his feet glowing brilliantly.
Swinging his spiked club slightly, he pointed at the rapidly moving figure below and laughed.
"Don't you see it, King? There's still one hell of an old-timer down there!"
****
Staring at the terrifying attack from the sky, Jake and the others were stunned.
That level of power simply wasn't something a human could achieve, was it?!
Yet the next moment, an aged but incredibly powerful voice rang out, carrying an instant sense of reassurance.
"Don't worry! I'm here! No one will harm you! Black Arm - Iron Wind!"
Armament Haki, so dark it seemed to devour all surrounding light, condensed around his entire arm.
The air itself wailed as an overwhelming shockwave erupted, threatening to lift everyone off their feet.
A visible fist of wind, carrying massive chunks of rock and debris, shot straight into the sky.
The two attacks collided roughly 200 meters above the town.
Upon impact, the two terrifying energies exploded outward, flattening everything at the point of collision in an instant.
Several nearby hilltops were shaved clean by the force, losing several meters of height.
Trees and vegetation were uprooted along with the soil, while those on the ground were pressed down by the sheer force of the shockwave, barely able to stay upright.
By the time the storm subsided, the entire square had been reduced to ruins by the aftermath of the clash.
Zephyr stood in midair using Moon Walk, glaring at the two figures above with fury in his voice:
"Kaido! Looks like you're itching to be arrested by the Marines again! How dare you attack my beloved students!"
Kaido and King's figures descended from a thousand meters in the sky to right in front of Zephyr in the blink of an eye.
Their terrifying, oppressive presence made everyone on the ground feel suffocated.
"Worororororo! Zephyr, you're still not dead yet! What a stubborn old fossil! But if you try to stop me today, I won't mind personally arranging your death!"
"If you can do it, then come try, you arrogant brat!"
Had this encounter with Kaido happened before meeting Jake, Zephyr would have immediately ordered everyone to retreat while he stayed behind to cover their escape, avoiding direct confrontation with Kaido at all costs.
After all, his chronic asthma and aging body had deteriorated to a point he knew all too well.
But now—this was after meeting Jake!
Thanks to Jake's prolonged treatments, his body had nearly returned to its peak condition!
The asthma was completely cured.
The only remaining issues affecting his combat ability were the natural decline in stamina and some old injuries from his youth.
The current Zephyr was only a step away from his prime, lacking just a bit in endurance and recovery.
Yet he hadn't forgotten—Kaido wasn't alone.
The Emperor's right hand, the leader of the All-Stars: the "Wildfire" King!
While Zephyr held off Kaido, this man alone could slaughter all his students with ease.
Faced with this dire situation, Zephyr's heart grew heavy.
Though Sengoku had informed him reinforcements would arrive, there was still no sign of them.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Kaido's kanabo came swinging down.
"Gundari - Ryuseigun!"
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