After two consecutive days of fighting, with the help of Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, the Red Hair Pirates managed to break through the defenses and land on Arderay Island. However, Ben
Beckman advised against pushing further inland. Based on the lesson learned from their previous failure, they decided it was best to fight only on the perimeter to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Zephyr and Hawk-Eyes Mihawk faced each other, fighting for over a day without a clear winner. Although Hawk-Eyes Mihawk was in his physical prime, he couldn't defeat Zephyr, who was capable of moderately controlling the Blacklight Virus.
Bang!
The aftershocks generated by their intense clash pushed both men back again, adding another bottomless ravine to the shoreline.
Hawk-Eyes held his sword with one hand, his long black hair slightly dishevelled from under his hat. His mustache curled into a smile. "Interesting. It's been a long time since I've met such a strong opponent. My only complaint is that you are not a swordsman."
"I'm not here for a sword match; I'm here to kill you." Zephyr's arms were covered in Armament Haki as hard as a black blade.
Hawk-Eyes was unfazed and scoffed, "Then take it by your own power!"
At another battlefield, about two hundred meters away from Zephyr and Hawk-Eyes, Shanks kicked several Immortal Pirates crew members away. Covered in numerous injuries himself, he said, "I really didn't expect that guy to have so many strong people under his command."
Ben Beckman stood back-to-back with Shanks, watching the enemies encircling them. "They're a Yonko-level pirate crew, so that's to be expected. Oh, by the way, I heard from the guy I just took out that someone has already informed Alucard about this."
"Is that so? That's excellent," Shanks said, surprised and delighted.
"Don't celebrate too soon," Ben Beckman said, his eyes revealing his intelligence. "We can't let our guard down until Makino calls and tells us Luffy is safe. But we can only hold out for about a week at most. We're too worn out from fighting Kaido not long ago."
"My apologies. I'll buy the next round, alright?" Shanks said lightheartedly. "Hmph. And I'll pay for it, I suppose?"
Whoosh...
Just as the battle was about to restart, the sound of violent waves crashing reached everyone's ears. Looking toward the distant coastline on the left, something was rapidly approaching the island.
"Is that a Sea King or something?" Yasopp guessed, narrowing his eyes.
Half a minute later, the object burst out of the sea, revealing its true form before everyone and making the entire coastline tremble as it stepped onto Arderay.
Gulp...
Many members of the Red Hair Pirates couldn't help but swallow or shiver when they saw who it was.
Horns, dragon whiskers, immense size.
All features verified his identity: Yonko, Kaido of the Beasts!
The formidable enemy whom the Red Hair Pirates had fought just recently.
"Why is Kaido here..." Lucky Roux, one of the main crew members of the Red Hair Pirates, felt his heart leap into his throat. Only those who have truly fought a Yonko can fully grasp the terror they represent.
"Shanks! Where is that little bastard Shanks!"
The first thing Kaido did after landing was roar Shanks's name. The score for the island that was stolen, one of his territories, had to be settled this time.
In reality, he had already reclaimed the island. It was completely unguarded and was naturally recaptured effortlessly by the Beasts Pirates. But merely getting the island back was not enough to quell Kaido's rage; he needed to kill Shanks to be satisfied.
"Whoa, whoa, Beast. How did you know I'd be here?" Shanks was utterly shocked, but maintained a composed appearance on the surface.
"Mind your own damn business!"
Kaido slammed his fist down, causing the earth beneath him to crack and shatter. Shanks dodged hastily, his steps showing a momentary stagger. This was natural, as Shanks had been fighting non-stop for two days, while Kaido was in perfect condition.
"Damn it, this is going to be... troublesome." Cold sweat dripped from Shanks's face. He never expected Kaido to show up at this exact moment.
"Kaido of the Beasts, huh?" Hawk-Eyes looked intently at Kaido, who was confronting Shanks, wondering what was going through his mind.
In a flash, Hawk-Eyes's pupils contracted. He raised his sword to block just as Zephyr's heavy punch slammed onto his blade, sending him flying backward dozens of meters.
Zephyr pulled his fist back and said coldly, "The first combat rule I taught rookies is never to lose focus during a fight."
A thin line of blood ran down Hawk-Eyes's forehead. His expression became fully serious. "I see. That was indeed my oversight. No, my mistake."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A continuous series of tremors echoed across Arderay, showing no sign of stopping.
Meanwhile, inside the laboratory, Dr. Indigo and a large group of scientists watched the battle through a video Den Den Mushi hidden in a corner. One man spun around in his chair and said to Dr. Indigo, "Dr. Indigo, sir, now that Kaido has joined the battle, the situation is gradually shifting in our favor. In that case..."
Poot! Poot! Poot!
Dr. Indigo's shoes continued to make their flatulent sound. Hearing his subordinate's words, his eyes widened. "No. That is far from enough. Kaido is not one of us. He could turn on us at any moment. As a precaution, prepare to use that thing!"