Chapter 327: Successive Arrivals
BOOM!
Thousands of meters away, between sea and sky, an Azure Dragon hundreds of meters long flew across the ocean at extreme speed, accompanied by thunderous roars that echoed like explosions.
Wherever it passed, the fierce winds caused by its high-speed flight cleaved the sea like divine blades, stirring up towering waves—a terrifying spectacle.
For the dragon, a distance of several thousand meters was trivial—it covered the span almost instantaneously.
To onlookers, it appeared as a black lightning bolt streaking across the sky.
"Terrifying!"
The powerful figures who'd rushed from across the world to witness this battle were horrified, especially those in the dragon's path, who unconsciously retreated, fearing they'd be smashed to pieces. The creature's aura was overwhelming.
Soon, the Azure Dragon arrived above the island. Ignoring the terrified figures at the island's edge, it soared through the air toward the island's center.
Wherever it passed, scattered redwood trees snapped in two. Whether boulders or small hills, they were all pushed aside with utter brutality.
"Here he comes. What a grand entrance—truly imposing."
At the island's center, where the most powerful groups had gathered, Sengoku munched on a rice cracker, sipped his tea, and looked like a sophisticated spectator.
Nearby, the Marine soldiers stirred. The dragon's entrance was simply awe-inspiring.
"The Beasts' territory isn't close. Kaido must have flown the entire way here."
Tsuru stroked her chin, somewhat speechless.
"Arrogant as ever."
Gion snorted coldly, visibly displeased.
Flying such a distance, even with his dragon form's flight capability, must have consumed stamina. In a way, it showed contempt for Rhodes.
After all, in battles between equals, every advantage was crucial.
"He has the right to be arrogant."
Sengoku chuckled. Jack the Drought could easily fight for three days and nights straight, let alone Kaido of the Beasts, who was vastly stronger.
This level of stamina expenditure would probably recover in moments.
"Thunder God Swordsman, come and die!"
A deep, thunderous roar resounded.
Kaido descended from the sky, reverting to his human form. Wielding his massive kanabo, the force of his landing sent boulders flying, his savagery astonishing. The sight of that towering, horned, demon-like figure terrified the new generation of pirates on the island.
While Kaido was simply enormous—the pirates had seen far larger Sea Kings before—his human form exuded a more primal terror.
Just looking at him made them want to flee, a feeling akin to prey facing an apex predator.
Soon, Kaido reached the island's center.
Of the Yonko, aside from Shanks, the others were all remarkably tall.
Kaido, however, was the most imposing of them all. Even Moria, the tallest figure on the island, seemed small in comparison.
Moreover, judging from Kaido's physique, he clearly wasn't like Moria, whose height came with a bulky frame. His massive muscles radiated explosive power.
Despite his immense size, he wasn't clumsy at all, moving with remarkable agility and grace.
He had a pair of curved horns, a long beard like dragon whiskers, and dragon scale tattoos covering his left arm. His savage and wild appearance made him seem like an ancient demon god to ordinary people—cruel and overwhelmingly powerful.
"Where is the Thunder God Swordsman?"
Kaido was excited. The long flight had heated his blood, making him eager to unleash his fighting spirit.
"The Thunder God Swordsman hasn't arrived yet. You'll have to wait."
It was Shanks who spoke. He seemed somewhat uncomfortable with Kaido's overbearing entrance, feeling overshadowed.
"Red Hair, you actually came! How about it? Before the Thunder God arrives, let's have a warm-up match."
Upon seeing Shanks, Kaido's eyes gleamed crimson, his aura surging as he prepared to attack.
"Tch."
Shanks clicked his tongue. Kaido really wasn't taking his duel with the Thunder God seriously if he wanted to fight beforehand.
As one of the Yonko, Shanks naturally had no reason to back down from Kaido's provocation. Though fighting now was meaningless, it represented face.
With so many people watching, Shanks had his pride to maintain.
The two emperors stood on the verge of clashing.
But just then, a cheerful voice rang out:
"We're not here to watch you two fight, Kaido. If you really want to cause trouble, you'll have to include the Marines in your plans."
Sengoku didn't want Kaido and Shanks to fight—that would disrupt all their carefully laid plans.
"Sengoku?"
Kaido turned and frowned.
While he was battle-hungry, he wasn't suicidal.
With his strength, a one-on-one fight against a Yonko crew would excite him, but adding a former Fleet Admiral would likely result in a humiliating defeat.
"Kaido, you'd better wait. The Thunder God Swordsman should arrive soon."
The composed and experienced Tsuru quickly adopted the diplomatic role, working seamlessly with Sengoku.
Gion's eyes held a complex expression. She actually wanted Kaido and Shanks to fight, because then Rhodes could avoid this battle.
"..."
Kaido considered for a moment, then decided to focus on what mattered. It wouldn't be too late to cause trouble for these people after defeating the Thunder God.
He sat on the ground, beginning to recover his expended energy, while his gaze swept over everyone present.
Shanks and Sengoku were naturally fearless, but the third-party combatants of varying strengths performed poorly. Some were even paralyzed with fear under Kaido's scrutiny.
"Kaido..."
Sensing Kaido's gaze, Moria almost instinctively took a step back, but to his humiliation, Kaido's eyes merely swept over him without even lingering for half a second.
This blatant dismissal made veins bulge on Moria's forehead. He wanted to shout out, but his throat constricted, unable to produce a sound. A primal fear from deep within suppressed him, preventing him from uttering even a single word toward that demon-like figure.
Hawkins, observing this, quietly led his subordinates away from Moria.
Scratchmen Apoo followed suit. They both sensed instinctively that remaining near Moria would bring mortal danger.
As for their alliance, such things only mattered when useful. When useless, they were merely worthless paper.
"Kaido of the Beasts..."
In the distance, Sabo gazed at that figure who, even while sitting, towered over most people, his mood heavy.
Koala had lost all desire to boast. This was her first time seeing Kaido of the Beasts in person. That savage, demon-god-like aura gave her heart palpitations even without using Observation Haki to sense it.
"Has Rhodes's opponent really become this terrifying?"
Koala's eyes seemed distant. She could still vaguely recall the boy who'd focused intently on sword practice, so earnest and innocent.
"Two years have passed. I wonder what he's become."
Just as Koala muttered to herself, a chorus of exclamations suddenly erupted from one side of the island, as if people had witnessed something incredible.
Everyone couldn't help but turn to look.
There stood Rhodes, waving toward the sea.
MOOOO!
A deep cry rang out, and then a terrifying, colossal beast burst through the water, leaping into the air and creating towering waves.
At a rough estimate, this Sea King was at least nearly a thousand meters long.
Under everyone's gaze, the massive creature, like a trained dolphin, leaped gracefully into the air before plunging back into the sea, revealing rows of enormous eyes staring at Rhodes with visible reluctance.
"You can go now."
Rhodes smiled gently.
This was a Sea King he'd encountered midway through his journey. He'd initially intended to use it for transportation, but sudden inspiration struck. He used a fraction of his Faith Power and, surprisingly, granted this massive Sea King sapience.
For the Sea King's nascent consciousness, Rhodes, who had awakened its mind, was undoubtedly someone precious.
The giant beast let out another low bellow before slowly sinking into the sea, though it continued lingering around the island, unwilling to leave.
Rhodes shook his head with a slight smile, slowly turned around, and walked step by step toward the island's center.
He wore simple white casual clothing, like a tourist on vacation, his aura peaceful—not at all like a Yonko-class fighter about to battle Kaido.
(End of Chapter)
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