[BOOM————]
A majestic dragon's Heat Breath surged from its mouth, the scorching flames forming a long cylindrical pillar. The surrounding atmosphere was instantly vaporized into thick white smoke by the intense heat, heading straight toward the cargo ship at the center of the fleet.
"You want to protect them? Then I'll destroy them!!"
Kaido's dragon eyes burned with fury, his gaze fixed as he awaited a massive explosion that would send all the treasures sinking into the depths of the sea.
He wanted to see the expressions of rage and despair on Garp and Sengoku's faces!
But Kaido failed to notice that Garp and Sengoku showed no intention of retreating or defending. Their eyes remained calm, and they continued to clench their fists and swing their palms, attacking without hesitation.
In that instant, a crimson light suddenly erupted from one of the large cargo ships. The surrounding seawater quickly turned a deep red, visible to the naked eye.
Just as the rolling Heat Breath was about to strike, a crimson wave surged upward, forming a massive blood-red "bowl" that enveloped the two cargo ships. It collided with the scorching pillar of flames.
[BOOM!!!]
The Heat Breath and the blood shield clashed, one attacking and the other defending, locked in a stalemate mid-air. The intense heat of the former burned the blood, evaporating it into a foul, crimson mist, while the latter drew endlessly from the vast ocean, replenishing the shield's thickness and losses in a race against time.
"How is this possible?!"
Kaido was completely stunned. He hadn't expected the Marines to have another hidden powerhouse. His heart sank into an abyss.
On the other side.
Charlotte Linlin watched the scene on the projection screen, her lips twitching. She felt relieved that she hadn't gone back to rescue anyone, or else she would have been captured alongside Kaido and sent to Impel Down.
"Mamamam, that ability looks like an awakened Paramecia-type, but I haven't heard of any Paramecia-type powerhouse in the Marines?"
Next, as expected, Kaido was subjected to a brutal double-team by Sengoku and Garp in front of countless viewers. Sengoku's Buddha palm clamped down on the dragon's head, while Garp's iron fists relentlessly pounded Kaido's chest.
"Ughhhhh————"
A series of agonizing screams echoed continuously. The captain of the Beasts Pirates, a world-renowned and formidable figure, had been reduced to such a pitiful state.
Especially for King, Queen, and the other subordinates on Onigashima in Wano Country, who were utterly dumbfounded by the scene. They stood there in stunned silence, unsure of what to do or say.
Kaido had been defeated before, but it had never been broadcast live to the world!!
"Uh... should we go rescue the captain?" a leather-clad Zoan-type user timidly whispered.
But the crew members present all lowered their heads, silently admiring the patterns on their shoes, not uttering a word.
Rescue him? In front of Sengoku, Garp, and that mysterious Paramecia-type powerhouse? How could they possibly save him? They didn't dare to step forward and declare, "Who do you think I am? Bring the ship closer!" At that moment, King, the second-in-command, spoke up.
"Is this live broadcast being watched by the people on the island?"
Queen, puffing on a cigarette, replied in a deep voice, "No, this country has almost no connection with the outside world. Even the News Coo can't fly here. Only we pay special attention to what's happening outside."
"That's good."
King took two steps forward, his icy gaze sweeping over all the crew members as he coldly declared, "From now on, discussing this matter is forbidden, and no one is allowed to leak any information to the outside. If I hear even a whisper of it, don't blame me for being ruthless. Understood?"
"Y-yes, yes, understood!"
"Understood!!"
The group of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users nodded repeatedly, desperately making promises. No one dared to oppose King's orders.
"So, what's next?" Queen asked from the side, exhaling a puff of white smoke.
"Wait."
King walked over and crushed the poor Image Snail without hesitation.
"Kaido will find a way to get out. All we need to do is wait for our captain to return. Until then, we must completely seal off Wano Country from the outside world, more thoroughly than before."
"Especially, we must not let that Kozuki Oden find out about this. Otherwise, we're all dead," he said, his gaze shifting toward Wano Country.
Hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened, immediately understanding the importance of secrecy. That Oden might be dancing a ridiculous naked dance, but his combat prowess was no joke.
Even if King and Queen teamed up, they wouldn't stand a chance against him!
Meanwhile, on the Marine fleet's side, Kaido had already been shackled with Seastone handcuffs and leg irons, then locked in a cell aboard one of the warships. Garp sat on a chair, munching on rice crackers while reading a newspaper.
Seeing this, Kaido gave up hope. As for the people of the world, with the conclusion of this monumental sea battle, the live broadcast had temporarily ended, as it would take several days to return to the G-1 branch.
However, officials from the Publicity Department had announced that there would be another global broadcast later, allowing everyone to witness the treasure-filled crates being transported to the Holy Land Mary Geoise. There, all the treasures would be piled up for the world to see, proving that the Pirate King's Grand Treasure, One Piece, had truly fallen into the hands of the World Government! As for why they were heading to G-1, it was because these warships were directly under the G-1 branch. Bringing ten warships from Marine Headquarters would require passing through the depths of the ocean, which was too troublesome.
Although the live broadcast had ended, the impact of this event spread rapidly as the audience dispersed.
In palaces, ports, taverns, schools, squares, and even ship cabins, everyone was frantically discussing the Marines, One Piece, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido.
By now, hardly anyone doubted the authenticity of the treasure. Hadn't so many pirates fought fiercely over it? Former crew members of the Roger Pirates across the world could only watch helplessly as their captain's lifelong plan crumbled before their eyes, then downed the golden liquor in their cups in one gulp.
Truly, drowning sorrows with alcohol only deepened the sorrow. In the Holy Land Mary Geoise, a maid took away the Image Snail, which had finally closed its eyes. It had been working hard, after all, projecting images without even blinking.
But Imu's amusement didn't end there. A new source of entertainment was unfolding on the playing field.
Mihawk, wielding the Black Blade Yoru, and Gion, gripping Konpira, stood on their respective halves of the field, their sharp gazes, unique to Swordmasters, clashing in mid-air.
This sparring match was initiated by the latter, which immediately turned Stussy's face pale as she quickly distanced herself from Gion by several meters.
Although the two had gotten along well over the past few days, it didn't mean their friendship was deep. She had no intention of joining Gion in angering the Celestial Dragons.
Fortunately, Nerona Saint didn't hold Gion accountable for anything and didn't even ask Mihawk for his opinion before agreeing on his behalf.
Because he wanted to see it, they had to fight!
Mihawk didn't say much either. He simply stood up and walked into the field first, then said to Gion, "A Swordmaster trained by Marine Headquarters, huh? I haven't crossed swords with one before. Come, let me see what you've got!"