"Hmph! Sure enough, your clone can only wield three Devil Fruit abilities, can't it?"
Kaido's dragon eyes narrowed, pressing down on Shirogai, who currently assumed the guise of Admiral Silver Serpent. His voice was calm, but each word carried a weight that demanded attention.
"What intrigues me even more," Kaido continued, "is what exactly you—the uncrowned Omnipotent God King, universally acknowledged to surpass the Four Emperors, capable of resurrecting tens of thousands with a mere wave of your hand—are planning by becoming a Marine Admiral!"
"Well! You're very curious about my purpose in joining the Marines, aren't you?"
Shirogai chuckled, gently lowering Luffy, who had been clinging to him. He glanced at Yamato, who watched him with a mixture of awe and curiosity, and smiled.
"There's no hidden agenda. I simply wish to see for myself whether the Marines' justice truly holds any worth."
He continued calmly, "I want to determine if the Marines have any reason to continue existing in the future world."
"You…"
Kaido froze mid-expression, taken aback.
"What?"
His dragon eyes widened as a creeping sense of unease sank in. A casual statement, spoken with calm confidence, sent chills down the spine of a man who had slaughtered countless opponents without hesitation.
"What exactly are you planning? Are you going to annihilate the entire Marine organization?!"
Kaido's face darkened.
The gravitas hidden within Shirogai's words was undeniable. Even a force like Kaido could not doubt that the seemingly impossible task of obliterating the Marine was within Shirogai's reach. This was the allure of the Omnipotent God King: he could speak the inconceivable and make it terrifyingly believable.
"Perhaps you are consolidating the Sky Island Alliance, the force you established?"
Kaido's eyes glinted coldly. He studied Shirogai, whose face was handsome yet masked in the same enigmatic, predatory smile. Slowly, his killing intent solidified.
"If you truly aim to dominate this world, after neutralizing the Marines and the World Government, won't your next target be us—the Four Emperors?!"
Kaido might not know the saying, "When the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold," but he understood the principle of power and priority. If the Marines fell, the Four Emperors would inevitably be next.
In the past, Kaido, as the Marine's greatest nemesis, might not have cared about their fate. He wished the Marines annihilated, so the Beasts Pirates could seize the world with reckless abandon. He sought chaos, war, and fire across the globe.
But the world had changed.
The Marines were no longer the supreme positive force. The Sky Island Alliance, rivaling the World Government, wielded technology that surpassed the current era. The Four Emperors themselves had become a third-tier force in comparison, after the World Government and the Sky Island Alliance.
The Four Emperors had a firm grasp of Marine strength but knew little about the newly risen Sky Island Alliance. Their sudden appearance had stunned the world.
The technological might of the Sky Island Alliance was unparalleled:
Ships capable of creating Sky Islands and traversing Sky Seas.
Airships with unmatched speed, capacity, and weaponry.
Shell-based technology enhancing civilian and military applications.
Kaido's mind raced. Wind-jet shells, giant wind-jet dodge shells, solar-absorbing lamp shells, lethal combat shells… these weren't toys—they were tools that made ordinary humans capable of overwhelming Devil Fruit users.
Even the World Government had hesitated to attack them directly, knowing the Marines would face annihilation.
The Celestial Dragons, distant and detached from battlefield concerns, were less worried about Marine casualties and more about the political ramifications: the risk of nations defecting to the Sky Island Alliance and acquiring their technologies.
Even the haughty Celestial Dragons respected the Sky Island Alliance's power. Kaido himself, as a member of the Four Emperors, also recognized its threat—and potential.
The alliance's technology could expand territories, build new Sky Islands, and increase influence and income. Yet they prioritized internal development, selling their technology selectively, ensuring their power remained unmatched.
Now, hearing Shirogai's calm, precise words, Kaido realized the implications: the Omnipotent God King had already grasped the future course of this world.
"Rule this world? Hahaha…" Kaido chuckled darkly.
Shirogai shook his head with a wry smile.
"Don't be ridiculous. Who would find that interesting?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Luffy exclaimed beside him, grinning.
"Shirogai wouldn't waste time ruling the world. That's far too boring!"