Of course, Garp was not truly incompetent. However, he faced one glaring issue: his double standards. From the perspective of a God, everything Garp did appeared to be perfectly fine. Yet, to any Marine, his actions were deeply problematic. Consider his position: the highest leader of the department, yet his own son headed a terrorist organization bent on destroying the World Government. His grandson was a pirate they desperately sought to eliminate, and he had even adopted the son of a legendary pirate captain. Just thinking about these connections was terrifying. While the average Marine officer aimed to hunt down criminals on the high seas, Garp secretly let them go and nurtured them. Two years ago, during the Marineford War—a massive battle between the Marines and the pirates—he even held back, nearly allowing the criminals to escape and rendering his own organization's efforts useless. It was, quite simply, terrifying. Despite all of this, Garp remained the hero worshipped by all Marines, a deeply contradictory reality. Compared to Garp, a man like Akainu arguably stood as the true hero in the hearts of the Marines.
None of this mattered to Kaido, however. He did not care about the internal politics of the Marines. His attitude toward them was undeniably hostile, and he had no interest in establishing some "kingly way" or using emotions to win over those who resisted him. In this world, strength was king. What he had to do was rule everything through sheer power. Therefore, his stance toward the Marines was simple: he would force them into submission with his military might.
However, now was not the time. If he went to war with the Marines directly at this moment, although he believed the Beasts Pirates would ultimately emerge victorious, the losses would be too considerable. Therefore, he gave orders for Fuzifu and the others to simply deter the Marines from making any rash moves. Once he dealt with Imu, no one would be able to stop him.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Kaido's battle had reached a fever pitch. In the sky, sparks flew like wild lightning, and all sorts of roars echoed through the halls. The raw power of Haoshoku Haki filled the entire palace, causing shockwaves and tremors to boom throughout the structure. Kaido moved at blinding speeds, appearing as a straight line of force while dragging crimson lightning behind him. He battled both Rocks and Roger, and every single collision caused the heavens and the earth to wail in agony.
He felt a rush of adrenaline. "Not enough, not enough!"
The more Kaido fought, the more excited he became. He finally understood why his original self had always seemed to be passively taking a beating in the past. At his level, opportunities for a truly exhilarating battle were incredibly rare. Across the entire sea, there were no more than five people who could reach his level. Of those five, three were fellow Emperors who could not easily start a war with one another. But this fight was different. It was painful, yet exhilarating. Although he could clearly feel that the zombie-like versions of Rocks and Roger, summoned by Imu, were slightly weaker than their true selves, they were still at the absolute ceiling of combat power in this world. Facing them in a two-on-one fight was satisfying, but it was not enough to force a breakthrough. He had to push himself further.
A crimson light flashed in his eyes. For the first time, he unleashed power that could truly be called serious. "God's Advent!"
A powerful, suffocating aura enveloped Kaido's body, merging with his Haoshoku and intertwining around the Hassaikai. Sensing this aura, the World King's pupils widened in what could only be described as surprise. This aura was too familiar to him. Two years ago, on the battlefield of the Marineford War, Kaido had used this very move to instantly defeat Sengoku and repel Garp. As the World King who had followed that war closely, how could he not understand the terror of this technique?
The result was as expected. In an instant, the familiar clash of Haoshoku Haki reappeared. This time, however, neither Rocks nor Roger could resist this miraculous power with their own Haki. Kaido's Hassaikai directly cut through their defenses, striking their bodies with bone-crushing force. "Boom!"
But he did not stop there. He went straight for Imu, who stood below.
Unfortunately, Kaido's attack did not succeed as he had hoped. A giant, towering like a mountain and wielding an iron hammer, stood in his way. The giant was covered in lightning and wrapped in Haoshoku Haki. "Harald, the King of the Giant Race!"
While blocking Kaido, a hand as massive as a mountain reached out to grab him. "Boom!" Kaido's body retreated rapidly. The battle had instantly shifted from a one-on-two to a one-on-three fight.
"No..."
It seemed that the fear from a moment ago had filled the World King with a surge of anger. As Imu turned the pages of his magic book, five colossal, monster-like dark figures appeared. They were familiar faces to Kaido. As the Gorosei, who once held the highest power in the world, these five old men looked confused. They appeared surprised to find themselves summoned here, but after looking around and realizing the situation, they immediately bowed respectfully to Imu.
"Ah... Lord Imu!"
Seeing them, Imu issued a cold command: "Kill Kaido!"
A hint of shock flashed across the monstrous faces of the five elders, as if asking, "We are going to kill Kaido?" But they could not disobey Lord Imu. Seeing this, Kaido laughed excitedly. "Wororororo! You five old fools never thought you'd be abandoned, did you?"
The Gorosei's monstrous faces grew grim. They understood perfectly. In the original plan, they should not have been here. But they had no choice; everything they had belonged to Lord Imu.
"Kaido, stop talking nonsense," one of them growled. "Your life ends here."
The five glared at Kaido with a menacing aura. The battlefield had now turned into an eight-on-one struggle.
"Gurgle, gurgle!" Kaido gripped the Hassaikai tightly. Veins bulged on his arms, a slight smirk played on his lips, and crimson light flickered in his eyes. "That's right, this is it. This might just push the limits of this body and soul of mine."
At that moment, Kaido's entire body erupted with power. His Haoshoku Haki transformed into red lightning, coiling around his weapon. His pitch-black Armament Haki fused completely with his body, and his Observation Haki, capable of foreseeing the future, was fully unleashed.
"Then, let's begin!"
"Boom!"
Within the vast palace, a heaven-shattering battle erupted once again. The controlled spirits of Rocks and Roger acted as the primary attackers, Harald formed an iron-like defense, and the five Gorosei harassed from the sides. Their individual power was still lacking in front of these four world-class powerhouses. As for Imu, he stood at the very bottom, observing with cold, calculating eyes. To him, no matter how strong Kaido was, he felt no fear. In the eight hundred years he had ruled the world, he had seen many who thought they could challenge him, such as Rocks and Roger. But the final outcome was always the same; his existence was simply unkillable. Even the former Joy Boy could not defeat him. The only thing he truly feared was the free power representing the Sun God Nika. A new power had emerged from Kaido, a power that could potentially harm him, and Imu needed to confirm just how strong this force truly was. What puzzled him, however, was that apart from the one time Kaido had used it, the ability had not surfaced again. Was this power limited?
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