At the same time, on an island in the New World, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates had gathered. Everyone had assembled here because Kaido had directly declared war. He was using Whitebeard's reputation to insult the dead, a provocation Marco and the others could no longer endure. In the original story, Marco and his crew launched a war against Blackbeard one year after the Marineford War, only to suffer a disastrous defeat. This was due to the overwhelming disparity in strength, as even Marco did not possess true Admiral-level power.
This time, however, the lineup led by Kaido was even more formidable than Blackbeard's crew was in the original timeline. Not only was Kaido himself present, but his command included the All-Stars, four of the Tobiroppo, and three Sweet Commander level fighters from the Big Mom Pirates. Additionally, Elior had placed Weevil and Urouge on this side. Such a lineup was designed to ensure total destruction.
"Kaido! You bastards! The Whitebeard Pirates will never hesitate to fight!" Marco roared angrily. He led the vanguard as his captains and crew members charged across the vast, flat stretch of land. On the opposite side, Kaido gripped his kanabo with an overwhelmingly domineering presence and rushed forward. In an instant, the collision of forces caused the entire island to shake violently.
Elior's plan was to destroy the remnants at the lowest possible cost, as many men had already been lost in the battle with Marines. Although Elior was a pirate, he maintained a bottom line and would not engage in indiscriminate looting or killing of civilians. He was selective with his subordinates, even publicly broadcasting the executions of those who used his name to commit atrocities. This caution extended to the current battlefield, where he instructed Kaido to use the most efficient tool for mass suppression: Conqueror's Haki.
Kaido unleashed his Haki with the precision of a top-tier expert. The terrifying pressure surged forward like a devastating sandstorm, refined so that it did not affect his own allies. Under this overwhelming force, the ground ahead collapsed and thousands of Whitebeard fighters collapsed unconscious on the spot. They could not withstand the pressure of a true king. Even Katakuri, the only other person present with Conqueror's Haki, was deeply shaken by the display.
"Kill them all!" Kaido roared, charging forward once the weaker soldiers had been cleared. King spoke calmly to the others, reminding them that Elior had ordered Marco and Jozu to be captured alive, even if they had to be crippled first.
The battle erupted in full. Marco rushed forward, but Kaido met him with a Thunder Bagua. Marco attempted to block the kanabo, but his leg was shattered instantly. Blood sprayed as he was sent flying, only for Kaido to reappear beside him in midair and smash him down again.
"A brat like you isn't qualified to be my opponent!" Kaido declared with deep disdain.
On the other side, Vista and Jozu were brutally suppressed by the combined force of Weevil and the All-Stars. Although Vista was a famous swordsman who could hold his own against Weevil, he could not survive a group assault. Half an hour later, Vista was cut in half by Weevil. He struggled in agony for a minute before finally dying. The other captains met similar fates, killed one after another.
The outcome had been decided the moment Kaido took the field. Marco and Jozu were beaten to the brink of death but left breathing as ordered. Within half a day, most of the island was destroyed, and the smell of blood lingered heavily in the air. Kaido sat atop Marco's broken body and contacted Elior.
"Boy, it's done. Two weren't killed: Marco and that Diamond guy."
...
"Kaido, excellent work," Elior replied.
Kaido frowned, feeling displeased by Elior's tone.
"Boy, do you take me for your little brother?" Although Elior was strong, Kaido still viewed himself as the strongest creature in the world. Being treated like a subordinate rankled him.
Elior replied seriously that he didn't view him as a little brother, though in his heart, he certainly did. He had no intention of letting Kaido act as a father-in-law figure just because Elior was frequently with Yamato. To Elior, Yamato was both a powerful combatant and a source of amusement, but she was under his command alone.
"Kaido, capture those two and bring them back. Remember, don't kill them. Just leave them breathing." With that, Elior ended the call. Back in his office, he prepared to contact Vegapunk to see how the scientist's latest projects were progressing.