The red-haired man's expression was utterly indifferent. He increased the force in his arm, intent on overpowering Kaito.
But with Kaito's body now nearly rivaling that of an Ōtsutsuki in sheer physical strength, even with Shanks bolstered by the White Kāma, he still couldn't win against Kaito in raw power.
With just a light flick of his wrist, Kaito sent Shanks reeling back.
Akainu and the others forced back their own opponents and regrouped at Kaito's side.
Seeing the drastic change in Shanks's appearance, they frowned, suspecting he might have eaten some kind of Devil Fruit.
Kizaru raised a hand and tentatively fired a laser beam—only for Shanks to absorb it instantly with the diamond-shaped mark in his hand.
Aokiji and Akainu exchanged a glance and unleashed their respective fruit powers as well, but the results were the same. Whether magma or freezing cold, the moment it touched the diamond-shaped mark in Shanks's hand, it was swallowed whole without the slightest effect.
Kaito lifted his hand, signaling Akainu and the others to stop attacking. He had already figured it out—Shanks's ability was very similar to the Preta Path, able to absorb any kind of energy, especially those from Devil Fruits.
From that, it seemed the Ten-Tails in this pirate world might have a deep connection to Devil Fruits—perhaps Devil Fruits themselves originated from that very beast.
With that thought, Kaito spoke.
"Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan—you three go support the rear battlefield. I'll handle them."
Hearing that Kaito intended to face an Emperor alone, Akainu and the others were taken aback. They wanted to object, but Kaito cut them off.
"Red-Hair's ability is a major counter to Devil Fruit users. That puts you at a huge disadvantage. Leave it to me."
There was no room for debate in his tone. In the end, they chose to trust him, simply warning him to be careful before retreating.
With Akainu and the others joining, the rear battlefield instantly tipped toward an overwhelming advantage. Whitebeard and the others, seeing this, immediately tried to rush over to rescue their crew.
Kaito stepped forward and blocked their path.
"Your opponent is me."
The four Emperors exchanged glances, then attacked from four different directions at once.
Everyone watching held their breath, hearts in their throats.
But Kaito remained calm. Suddenly, two extra arms sprouted from his shoulders, while his original arms spread wide—each hand seizing an Emperor's fist mid-strike.
The Emperors froze in midair, unable to advance even an inch.
Whitebeard stared at Kaito, disbelief written all over his face.
"This… this is impossible!"
Kaito met his gaze.
"The four Emperors attacking me together—what an honor."
Kaido clicked his tongue and muttered,
"Because you're Uchiha Kaito."
"Heh."
Kaito gave Kaido a small smile, then his eyes sharpened. Almighty Push erupted, the repulsive force blasting all four Emperors away.
Red-Hair rolled through the air, landing back where he had been. He crouched, yanked Griffin from the ground, and called to the other three.
"Stop holding back! If we don't give it everything, we die here today!"
Whitebeard and the others nodded grimly, unleashing their Devil Fruit powers at Kaito.
Kaito clenched one hand, and deep violet energy surged around him, forming into a five-hundred-meter-tall half-bodied Susanoo that wrapped around him.
The Emperor's combined attacks vanished upon impact, and the Susanoo kept growing—until it sprouted legs and wings, its height breaking the kilometer mark.
From the diamond-shaped space within its head, Kaito looked down upon the Emperors.
Aside from Kaido, it was the first time the other three had ever seen a Susanoo. The sight of this colossal, godlike figure left them momentarily stunned.
Step by step, Kaito advanced the Susanoo toward them, each heavy footfall echoing in every ear.
Shanks swallowed hard and shouted,
"Don't just stand there! Stop him!"
He swung Griffin, sending a crimson, crescent-shaped slash toward Kaito.
The others snapped out of it and joined the assault.
Whitebeard clenched his fists and slammed the air with all his might, unleashing a massive shockwave. Big Mom and Kaido stood shoulder-to-shoulder, launching their combined technique—Hakai.
The three devastating forces struck the Susanoo, halting its advance.
Seeing it stop, the Emperors let out a breath, thinking their attacks had worked.
But what happened next shattered that hope completely.
The Susanoo slowly drew the massive blade at its waist. With one mighty swing, a violet slash tore across the horizon, ripping apart the ice and cleaving toward the Emperors.
Where the slash passed, space itself fractured, leaving them no chance to dodge.
Shanks was the first to rush forward again, holding Griffin horizontally before him as the white markings on his face glowed faintly.
Whitebeard and the others followed, forming a defensive line.
BOOM!
The deafening explosion shook the world, a thick cloud of smoke engulfing their position.
When it finally cleared, the Emperors's figures were revealed—battered and in disarray.
The damage was most obvious in their weapons. Griffin's blade now bore a near-fatal crack, the hilt of Murakumogiri had split apart, and Kaido's kanabo had been reduced to a heap of shattered black iron.
Napoleon had fared the worst—its blade remained intact, but the soul within had vanished, leaving nothing more than an ordinary steel sword.
The Emperors themselves were all injured, blood running down their bodies, their auras weakened.
The onlookers were stunned. That the four rulers of the seas—once invincible—could be reduced to such a state in a single strike was beyond belief.
This overwhelming power didn't seem human.
Shanks let Griffin fall to the ground and gave a bitter smile. Looking up at Kaito, he asked,
"So this… is your true strength? You've never even been serious until now, have you?"
Kaito crossed his arms, chuckling softly.
"What kind of adult gets angry at children?"
The Emperors froze at that, none able to retort. They looked down at their broken weapons and, in the end, could only sigh helplessly.