Larson's expression was like a big bad wolf eyeing a little white rabbit.
"Be as excited as you want."
Kaido, in the cabin, felt a chill sweep over his body. He didn't know where his sudden courage or strength came from, but he shot up, grabbing Quinn and King by their bodies, and rushed behind them.
As he moved, his massive frame started to change. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a gigantic dragon, stretching tens of meters long. A moment ago, Kaido had been paralyzed with fear, but now something had exploded within him at the sight of Larson. It was as though he was fighting for his life.
The small fishing boat couldn't withstand Kaido's sheer force. Under his desperate impact, a massive hole was torn open in the boat. Kaido shot into the sky through the gap, his only goal clear: to escape as fast as possible.
Quinn, caught in Kaido's claws, was moved. Even in this moment of crisis, his boss hadn't abandoned him.
Kaido's eyes locked onto the blue sky above. He yearned for freedom. But then, without any warning, a figure appeared before him, as if it had materialized out of thin air.
Scarlet eyes gazed down at him, strange patterns swirling within them. Larson's lips curled into a smile. "Why leave so quickly when you've only just arrived?"
"Ah!" Quinn shrieked in terror, still held in Kaido's grip.
Kaido could feel every hair on his body stand on end. His body had never been this sensitive before. Like a slippery eel, he swerved in the opposite direction, trying to flee.
Larson didn't chase him. Instead, he slowly let his body descend, unhurried. After all, he wasn't the only one here today.
Kaido's thoughts were consumed by one goal: escape. Nothing else mattered. Not Yerug Island, not the treasures. Survival was all that mattered.
His Devil Fruit, the Mythical Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, allowed him to transform into a dragon, granting him incredible destructive power, attack strength, and the ability to fly. Yet, despite all these abilities, he had no desire to fight the enemies behind him. Not Whitebeard, not Roger, none of them.
King, held in Kaido's claws, was deep in thought. He wanted to remind Kaido that he could fly on his own and didn't need to be carried like this. But seeing his boss's state, he decided it was best not to disturb him.
Kaido couldn't believe how easily he had broken through the encirclement. Gazing at the endless sky and vast ocean, his hope soared. He had never craved the embrace of the heavens as much as he did now.
Though Kaido knew he stood no chance against Whitebeard, Roger, or even the others, he was confident that as long as he reached the sky, there would be nothing they could do to him. His fear had stemmed from the belief that they would never let him take flight.
But now, he was airborne. The sky was his domain!
Suddenly, a flash of cold light flickered past, and Kaido instinctively lowered his head. A sword slash whizzed by, only centimeters from his dragon head. He stared at his severed beard, his body drenched in cold sweat.
That attack had nearly hit him. While Kaido's special durability made him immune to most attacks, a nagging feeling told him that had that slash connected, he would have been seriously injured.
With lingering fear, Kaido turned his gaze back toward the figure on the boat wielding a famous sword. Rayleigh stood there, sheathing his blade, a look of regret on his face. He had almost landed the blow.
Gaban, standing nearby, seized the moment to mock Rayleigh. "That's it, Rayleigh? You missed?"
Expressionless, Rayleigh responded, "The wind was a bit strong."
"He's running away!" Marco shouted from the distance.
Next to him stood Gangplank, Thatch, and Rakuyo.
Gangplank gritted his teeth as he stared at the figure on Tianshan. Although the person had changed in appearance, the two figures clutched in his claws remained unmistakable.
Gaban smiled and said, "I don't know what this guy did to provoke you, but as a friend, I can't just stand by and watch!"
"No need," Larson interrupted calmly as he approached. "This is a matter for the Whitebeard Pirates. We'll handle it ourselves."
Marco, Gangplank, Thatch, and Rakuyo stepped forward to join him.
Larson turned back to Gangplank and said, "Today, you won't face them alone."
Gangplank clenched his fists tightly, his mind flashing back to the beach that day.
His face darkened as painful memories surfaced.
Suddenly, three hands rested on his shoulders.
Startled, Gangplank turned to see Marco, Thatch, and Rakuyo looking at him with serious expressions.
He froze for a moment, and then it hit him—he wasn't alone anymore.
In the next instant, a nearly invisible blur flashed past them all.
Kaido, hovering in the sky, felt an overwhelming and terrifying aura descend upon him.
Before him stood the man with golden hair and a crescent moon-shaped white beard, holding his naginata in a downward strike. His eyes blazed with furious fire.
"Kaido!"
Kaido's eyes filled with panic, and his will to resist vanished the moment this man appeared, as if Kaido had already lost.
"Stop him!"
In a panic, Kaido hurled Quinn from his claws, throwing him forward like a shield.
Quinn's eyes widened as he looked at Whitebeard in front of him, overwhelmed by despair. Inwardly, he cursed Kaido and his ancestors for eighteen generations.
Why use me as a shield? Why not King? Just because I'm fat? Do I look thicker?
Despite Kaido's betrayal, Whitebeard's momentum didn't falter.
Quinn had played a role in the attack on Gangplank, so Whitebeard didn't hold back. In his fury, he mistook Quinn for Kaido, swinging his naginata with all his strength.
Quinn had no choice but to coat his entire body in Armament Haki, but the defensive armor shattered like paper under Whitebeard's assault.
With one swift strike, the blade went in red and came out white.
Quinn let out a piercing scream and crashed to the ground, writhing in agony.