The silence left by Sengoku's furious outburst was immediately filled with a storm of disbelieving whispers.
"Hey… what did he just say?"
"Did I hear that right? The Navy Hero, Garp, teamed up with the Pirate King, Roger? To do what for the Celestial Dragons?"
"Does this mean Kaido has fought Celestial Dragons before? How is that not a famous story?"
"Dammit, my head is spinning! What is even happening today?"
It wasn't just the spectating pirates who were in shock. The Shichibukai, Yamato and her crew, and even the rank-and-file Marines standing behind the two Admirals were completely dumbfounded. No one doubted the truth of Kaido's words. Fleet Admiral Sengoku's desperate roar was all the confirmation they needed.
"Fufufufu, he almost said his name, didn't he?" Doflamingo chuckled, his voice laced with manic excitement. "A name that makes even the Celestial Dragons wet themselves in fear."
Doflamingo was five years old when the God Valley incident occurred. As a former Celestial Dragon himself, he had personally seen the looks of pure terror on the faces of those who returned. That was the first time he understood that there were people in the world who were not afraid of his kind. The World Government had done its best to bury the story, but it remained an open secret among the world's nobles. Some even used the name "Rocks" to scare their children into behaving.
Jinbe, however, simply frowned, trying to process the idea. He had never heard any stories of the Navy Hero and the Pirate King fighting on the same side. Nearby, Hawkeye glanced over at Bartholomew Kuma, having sensed a distinct flicker of emotion from the otherwise stoic man.
The expressions on the faces of the two Marine Admirals were grimmer than ever, their killing intent rolling off them in waves. But their fury was nothing compared to the rage and panic coming from the Den Den Mushi. Though he was thousands of miles away, the snail's vivid imitation of Sengoku's face made his loss of composure painfully clear.
"Oh? What's wrong, Sengoku? No more threats?" Kaido taunted. "Are you really that scared of me telling everyone what happened?"
Despite his words, Kaido didn't push it further. He knew that with his current strength, he could easily escape a fight with Kizaru and Akainu. But this was the Sabaody Archipelago, dangerously close to both Marineford and the Holy Land Mary Geoise. If he truly angered them enough to call for an all-out assault, even he would find it a massive headache.
"Kaido…!"
Sengoku's furious voice crackled through the Den Den Mushi once more. This time, however, everyone could hear the note of utter helplessness beneath the anger.
"Sakazuki, Borsalino, bring everyone back to Marineford," Sengoku commanded, his voice strained. "Kaido… this incident is over!"
"Wait! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, why?!" Akainu demanded, his voice filled with disbelief and rage.
"That's enough, Sakazuki! Enough!" Sengoku roared back. "This is an order from the World Government!"
Only Kizaru's expression remained surprisingly calm. Just like that, the call ended, bringing the monumental incident to an absurdly anticlimactic close. Akainu and the other Marines seethed with humiliation, while the surrounding pirates erupted in cheers.
"Is that it? It's just… over?"
"You've got to be kidding me! A Celestial Dragon got punched!"
"So this is the power of a Yonko… It's unbelievable!"
"I don't care what anyone says! From now on, Kaido of the Beasts is the strongest of the Four Emperors!"
"I'm going to the New World! I'm joining the Beasts Pirates!"
To be honest, Kaido himself was a little surprised. He had expected this outcome, but he hadn't thought Sengoku would fold so easily. Could it be…? It didn't matter. This outcome suited his plans perfectly. Now was not the time for a full-scale war. In his grand vision, the battle at Marineford was just an appetizer. The main course would be served in two years, when a certain generation of troublemakers finally reached Wano Country. That would be when the real madness began.
Soon, Marine warships arrived from the local base to escort the Admirals and their forces away from the island.
"What a pity," Hawkeye Mihawk said, turning to leave. "It seems I'll have to wait for another chance to measure the gap between myself and the world's strongest creature." As a Shichibukai, he couldn't attack a Yonko without a direct order.
Kuma looked toward the distant ship where Jewelry Bonney stood, his brow furrowed in concern. He didn't know if his daughter being with Kaido's was a good or bad thing. But as Dragon often said, sometimes you just have to leave things to the wind. With that thought, he vanished, other urgent matters demanding his attention.
Doflamingo was the last to leave, a thoughtful frown on his face. He sensed there was more to this than met the eye. He pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
"Hello, Doflamingo. Why the sudden call?" a voice on the other end asked.
"Fufufufu, you already know what I'm going to ask, don't you? Those old geezers in charge actually backed down. Even for Kaido, that was too fast," Doflamingo said.
The line was silent for a moment. "I can tell you, but in exchange, you have to tell me what you and Kaido discussed."
"Fufufufu, no problem at all."
"Alright. Just a little while ago, the World Government received two pieces of major news," the voice explained. Doflamingo's interest was piqued.
"First, the rookie pirate 'Straw Hat' Luffy, with his new bounty of 300,000,000 Berries, attacked Enies Lobby. He publicly burned the World Government's flag and rescued the Devil Child, Nico Robin. It was a massive blow to our prestige, and the higher-ups are furious."
Doflamingo's eyes lit up. "And the second piece of news?"
"One day ago, 'Fire Fist' Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, was defeated by Blackbeard Teach on Banaro Island. Teach wants to hand Ace over to us in exchange for the open Shichibukai position. Ace's identity is… highly sensitive. The World Government is taking this very seriously."
A sinister grin spread across Doflamingo's face. "Fufufufu… Interesting. This is all too interesting. I understand now," he cackled. "As for Kaido, he wants to open Wano's borders. He's promised to give me exclusive rights to the Sea Stone trade. I'll give you the details when I get back."
"Open Wano's borders?! That's big news. No wonder there have been strange movements there. I'll be waiting for you."
"Mm."
After hanging up, Doflamingo wasted no time. He leaped into the sky, using his Devil Fruit to depart. He could feel the winds of the era beginning to shift. If he didn't move fast, he would be left behind.
After everyone else had gone, Kaido glanced over at his defiant daughter's ship one last time before turning away. He had no intention of speaking with her. He returned to his floating island, where Eneru stood watch over two captives he'd taken from Gecko Moriah: Perona and Hogback.
Perona was unchanged, still trembling with fear. The moment she saw Kaido, she looked like she was about to burst into tears. Hogback, however, was a different man. The false loyalty he'd shown at first was gone, replaced by an expression of pure awe and sycophancy. Witnessing Kaido make the World Government back down had shown him what true power was. Compared to this, his old master Moriah was nothing.
Kaido ignored them both. He stomped over to Perona, grabbed the crying girl by her collar, and lifted her into the air.
"Don't… please don't kill me…" she whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
With an indifferent flick of his wrist, Kaido tossed her away and commanded the island to leave the Sabaody Archipelago.
Aboard their ship, Yamato watched her father depart. Her face was tense, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Jinbe and the others stood by silently, unsure of what to say.
Just then, a shrill scream echoed from above. Everyone looked up to see a small figure tumbling through the sky, flying right towards them.
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