"What the hell is that thing?"
Seeing dozens of flaming objects, almost as if they had eyes, suddenly change direction and fiercely chase after Kaido, Akainu's eyes widened in shock.
"I don't know either!" Momousagi shook her head.
She had never seen anything like this before.
Even though Jun Lin had used it once before, the only survivor from that incident was Doflamingo, who was now captured and imprisoned in Danaan.
The missiles moved incredibly fast.
By the time Kaido realized something was wrong and tried to react, it was already too late.
Boom—
Dozens of missiles, each several meters long, slammed down relentlessly.
The terrifying explosions instantly engulfed Kaido.
Even Akainu and Momousagi, two hundred meters away, staggered back a few steps, struggling to keep their footing against the shockwave.
One could only imagine how devastating the attack was at the very center, where Kaido stood.
"Punk Hazard, west side, three kilometers! Retreat immediately! Baby 5 will launch the second wave in two minutes to buy you some time!"
"Understood!"
No time for extra words.
Momousagi quickly ended the call and looked at Akainu.
Akainu had heard every word clearly.
This was exactly what worried Momousagi.
Akainu was not the type to flee in front of pirates...
"Admiral Akainu!"
"Do you expect me to run away? Impossible!"
Just as she thought...
Momousagi let out a slight sigh.
She was already thinking about how to convince him.
At that moment, Momousagi's Den Den Mushi rang again.
Brrr brrr brrr...
"Momousagi!"
"Sister Tsuru?"
"Hmm, Sakazuki is near you, right?"
"Yes!"
Momousagi nodded and held the Den Den Mushi up for Akainu.
"Sakazuki, you are to immediately escort the naval fleet to G1 Headquarters. This is a Marshal's order!"
"You too..."
"Sakazuki, get a grip. Bringing those warships back to the Navy is far more important than fighting Kaido!"
Suddenly, Sengoku's voice boomed over the line.
A direct shout.
"Safely deliver these ships to the Navy. This is the highest priority order."
"If this trade fails because of your disobedience, then..."
"You will become the Navy's greatest traitor!"
Hearing Sengoku's near-roaring voice through the Den Den Mushi, Akainu clenched his fists tightly.
"Fine, I'll withdraw..."
He gritted his teeth as he said it.
Clearly, he was reluctant but had no choice.
Akainu was no fool and understood the value of these warships.
Once the Navy completed this upgrade, they would hold overwhelming power over pirates at the mid and lower levels.
Truly ending the pirate world depended on controlling these levels, not just the top tier.
After all, among a million pirates, 99.99% belonged to this mid-tier.
The so-called top tier, the infamous "Great Pirates," number less than a hundred worldwide.
So if he stubbornly refused to retreat and caused the trade to fail, he really might...
Become the traitor Sengoku warned about.
And forget about ever competing for the next Marshal position.
No matter how much frustration he felt inside, Akainu had no choice but to obey.
"Move out!"
With a sharp command, Akainu turned and headed west across the island.
Momousagi carried the unconscious Sugar tightly, following close behind.
---
Southern side of the island.
The thick dust gradually settled.
Besides a huge crater, there was no sign of Kaido anywhere.
Suddenly, with a loud rumble, a mass of dust and stones erupted from the crater.
Then, a massive figure leapt out, landing heavily on the ground.
He was torn and tattered, barely wearing some strips of cloth hanging loosely.
Numerous wounds covered Kaido's body, but...
They healed at an astonishing speed.
Moments later, aside from the few cloth strips, no trace of the previous attack remained.
His regeneration was so incredible it left anyone speechless.
This was why, although he wasn't as strong as Whitebeard, Kaido always dared to cause trouble.
Every time they clashed, Kaido usually lost.
But shortly afterward, he bounced back to full health, while Whitebeard...
His body was already full of hidden injuries, and each battle worsened his condition.
So who actually won or lost was never that clear.
However, despite the rapid healing, Kaido's face was dark with fury.
He activated his Observation Haki, sensing around, and locked onto Akainu and Momousagi's location.
They hadn't been gone long and were still within his range.
His body began to swell rapidly.
Within seconds, a massive blue dragon appeared, its eyes fixed fiercely in one direction.
In the next moment, it soared into the sky, chasing after them.
---
Akainu moved at top speed over the sea using the Moonwalk technique.
Though fast, compared to moving on land, Moonwalk was almost sluggish.
But there was no choice — below was the vast ocean.
At times like this, Akainu really envied Aokiji's Devil Fruit power.
No need to struggle across the water like this.
Still, they were close.
He could clearly see the two massive figures a kilometer ahead.
Suddenly, Akainu frowned.
He sensed Kaido rapidly closing in.
Speed... incredibly fast!
"Damn Kaido!"
He cursed under his breath, preparing to stop and fight.
But Momousagi stopped him.
"Don't worry about it. Someone else will handle it!"
"Someone else will handle it!"
Hearing this, Akainu recalled the voice on the call saying...
There would be a second strike in two minutes to buy them time.
He nodded at Momousagi and sped toward the warships a kilometer away.
Then he saw it.
On one of the huge ships a kilometer ahead, a figure stood firm.
Suddenly...
Blazing flames erupted one after another.
Each flame launched a long, strange object into the sky.
Missile after missile.
An unbroken chain.
If Akainu counted right...
There were 48 in total!
These odd objects flew swiftly over the distance, passing just beside Akainu and Momousagi.
Heading straight for Kaido behind them.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, they increased their speed and pressed forward.
Behind them...
Boom! Boom! Boom! Thunderous explosions continued to erupt without pause.