Shockwaves rippled through the air as their attacks collided, scattering the surrounding clouds.
The mountaintops had long been flattened under the intensity of their battle.
Kaido wore a frenzied smile as he stared at Zephyr, laughing wildly.
"Wororororo! Zephyr, you've really given me a pleasant surprise! Is that brat your student?"
Zephyr took a deep breath.
Regardless of his current physical condition, age had caught up with him.
Facing Kaido—a powerhouse in his prime at the peak of his strength—even with Jake's support, he was struggling.
"Of course! Compare to you filthy pirates, Jake is such a promising young man, He is the future of the marines!"
Hearing Zephyr's words, Kaido couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Wororororo! Zephyr, you senile old fool! Pirates may be filthy, but isn't the Marine even more disgusting and vile?! Don't tell me you've forgotten what happened at God Valley! The so-called Marine Hero's hands are stained with blood that isn't just—"
Kaido didn't get to finish his sentence before Zephyr's fist was already hurtling towards his face.
Facing the punch shrouded in dense Armament Haki, Kaido didn't dodge or block.
He didn't even raise his club—instead, he simply coated his forehead in Armament Haki and met Zephyr's fist head-on.
"A Marine that won't even acknowledge its own history dares to call pirates filthy? You're just as revolting as ever. Come on, Marine—let's see if this punch of yours can actually kill me!"
The moment their foreheads and fists collided, both Zephyr and Kaido felt an almost terrifying force surge into their bodies.
But as Jake's voice rang out, Zephyr's previously erratic breathing instantly stabilized.
"Purify! Healing Prayer!"
Kaido wielded the powers of wind, thunder, and fire, infusing each of his attacks with one of these elements to wreak havoc within Zephyr's body.
The ability that had disrupted Zephyr's breathing earlier was Kaido's lightning.
Yet, with Jake's assistance, Zephyr recovered in an instant.
Moreover, thanks to the Healing Prayer, some of the stamina Zephyr had expended was partially restored.
Sensing his opponent's renewed vigor, Kaido's eyes practically gleamed as he stared at Jake.
Ignoring the blood dripping from his head—wounded by Zephyr's strikes—he swung his kanabo to force Zephyr back, then grinned at Jake and shouted.
"Wororororo! You there—your name's Jake, right?! Your Devil Fruit ability... it's the legendary fruit of the Angel! Show me your beast form! And join my Pirate crew! You'll be the next All-Star! You shouldn't waste yourself in a place like the Marines. Come with me and I'll grant you absolute freedom!"
Hearing Kaido's offer, Zephyr felt a flicker of concern.
He knew what kind of person Jake was—more mature than most would expect.
But such individuals often grew disillusioned with the Marines once they glimpsed the organization's deeper darkness.
Zephyr didn't know how much Jake had seen, but he didn't want to gamble on it.
Before Zephyr could speak, however, Jake responded first.
"Sorry, but I have zero interest—now or ever—in joining a force like Pirates that scares civillian left and right!"
At Jake's firm refusal, Zephyr exhaled in relief, while Kaido's face twisted with displeasure.
Unconsciously, Conqueror's Haki began radiating from his body, a domineering aura that rolled forth like thunder.
Kaido's voice boomed like a storm, crashing against Jake's ears.
"We make civilians afraid?! Wororororo! Brat! That's no Pirate-exclusive trait—the Marines are just as feared! Open your eyes! Look at the nations too poor to pay the Celestial Tribute, barred from joining the World Government—tell me, who's more welcome there, Pirates or Marines?! The justice you believe in is far filthier and more rotten than you think!"
Under the crushing weight of Kaido's Conqueror's Haki, Jake didn't retreat an inch.
Even as the force threatened to shatter his consciousness, his feet remained planted.
Blood sprayed from his clenched teeth as a similarly overwhelming aura erupted from him.
Lifting his head, he glared straight at Kaido and roared.
"Of course I've seen all the things you're talking about! I'm not some naive brat like you claim! I have my own judgment! I know more about the Marine's darkness and corruption than you do! Stop lecturing me in that condescending tone! Who the hell do you think you are? Just a mere Pirate!"
Jake's voice rang out, carrying a wave of Conqueror's Haki that stunned everyone present.
Kaido, far from being angered, grew even more excited.
He intensified the pressure of his own Conqueror's Haki, eager to test the limits of this young Marine before him.
The system's notifications went wild in Jake's ears.
"Conqueror's Haki proficiency +1!" x99!
Just as Jake was about to be overwhelmed by Kaido's Haki and lose consciousness, a clear notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Conqueror's Haki has successfully advanced to LV2! Intimidation effect greatly increased! Now includes minor physical damage!"
In the next moment, an even more terrifying surge of Haki erupted from Jake's body.
The two waves of Conqueror's Haki clashed in midair, crackling with black and red lightning.
"Whether the Marine is good or not isn't for you filthy Pirates to judge! No matter how you see the Marines, remember this, Kaido! The Marines I lead will definitely end this despicable Great Pirate Era! You scum of the sea will be nothing but garbage swept into the dustbin of history!"
"My Marines will usher in a new era - an era of true Justice!"
Hearing Jake's words, Kaido suddenly remembered his 10-year-old self, the boy who had asked the king why wars happened.
At this moment, as he looked at Jake, the prophecy about Joy Boy echoed in his ears once more.
"Wororororo! Even prophecies can be wrong! I acknowledge you Marine brat! But I'm still taking you with me! Because I've never believed in that damn prophecy anyway!"
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