At this moment, Morgans was beside himself with excitement, shouting "Breaking news! Big news!" over and over. He ordered his photography birds to capture every moment of what was happening. This—this was without a doubt a story that would shake the entire world!
"Worororororo! Thunder Bagua!" Kaido roared, showing no mercy as he swung his kanabo in a devastating arc.
"Azure Dragon Break!" Karl drew his black blade, answering Kaido's strike with a powerful flying slash.
Up above, the photo bird furiously clicked its shutter in excitement.
Thus began a battle that raged on for six full days. When the dust finally started to settle, both men were covered in blood.
"Kaido, your endurance really is something else," Karl said, wincing slightly from the beating he'd taken. "But haven't you noticed? Your Haki is starting to fade."
"You're no better," Kaido grinned, his breath heavy but his eyes still blazing. "It's been six days—let's finish this with one final blow!"
At once, Kaido's entire body became shrouded in his overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. Black and crimson lightning crackled violently around his kanabo.
"Then come, Kaido!" Karl's aura surged as well, his entire body wrapped in the same kingly power, his black blade sparking with fierce arcs of energy.
"Great Vajra—Roaring Bagua!!" Kaido bellowed, unleashing all of his remaining Haki into this one earth-shattering strike.
"Howling Heaven Technique—Galaxy Reversal!" Karl shouted in response, meeting Kaido head-on.
The instant their attacks collided, the entire island beneath them began to crumble apart. The ocean around it twisted into countless whirlpools.
Even the photo bird in the sky was so terrified that it froze midair, completely forgetting to take pictures.
Then came the explosion—Kaido's kanabo and Karl's black blade clashed, detonating with such power that space itself seemed to rupture. Both men were hurled away, crashing violently into the shattered remains of the island.
They each coughed up several mouthfuls of blood… yet both still forced themselves back to their feet, gasping heavily, eyes alight with battle-lust.
"Worororororo! That was glorious, Karl! Don't leave—stay! We could spar like this more often!" Kaido laughed, half from pain, half from exhilaration. It had been ages since he'd met someone who could fight him on equal footing without coveting his power.
"Don't get your hopes up," Karl said with a grin. "It's time for me to go back. They're probably worried sick by now."
He'd been gone for days already—An had probably contacted his wives. If he didn't return soon, there'd be trouble for sure. With that, Karl spread his wings and took off toward Onigashima.
Kaido chuckled, transforming into his dragon form and soaring into the sky after him.
The photo bird sent all the recorded footage back to Morgans.
"This is massive! Everyone, we're working overtime tonight! I want this news all over the world by morning!" Morgans crowed. Two Emperors of the Sea, locked in an all-out battle—this was the headline of the century!
Back on Onigashima, Karl immediately had the attendants bring him a mountain of food. Sitting cross-legged, he began to devour everything in sight.
"Uncle, what happened? What were you doing with Kaido?" An rushed over the moment Karl returned. She'd been worried sick the whole time he was gone.
"Nothing much, just had a little spar with Kaido. By the way, you didn't contact the family, did you?" Karl asked warily—he didn't want to get bombarded with calls.
"No, but if you hadn't come back soon, I was about to tell Aunt Daphne," An said with a pout. She'd been terrified that something had happened, but knowing it was Kaido he was with... well, there were few in this world who could stop those two.
"It's fine. I just got the itch to fight, so I went a few rounds with him. Nothing serious, really."
"Alright then. I'll have them bring you some more food—you've nearly cleared out that whole table."
Once Karl had eaten his fill, he went straight to his room and collapsed into bed, sleeping for an entire day.
Brr-brr-brr...
His Den Den Mushi began ringing.
"Kacha—"
"Honey! You fought Kaido!?" came Daphne's frantic voice.
It turned out Morgans had already published the story—"Tiger God Karl vs. Kaido of the Beasts! A Duel Between Two Emperors of the Sea—Who Is Stronger!?"
Both the Marines and the pirates were stunned. How had these two even ended up fighting in the first place?
"Haha... so you all heard, huh?" Karl chuckled awkwardly. He'd thought An was the one who'd told them.
"Heard!? The whole world knows! Morgans spread it everywhere!"
"So it was that birdbrain, huh? Don't worry, Daphne—it was just a friendly spar. Nothing serious."
"As long as you're okay... you scared both me and Ellie half to death! We thought you'd really gone to war with Kaido!" Daphne sighed in relief.
"Where's Ellie? Tell her not to worry—I'll be back tomorrow."
"She's right here," Daphne giggled. "She's a little mad, though. Says she's going to 'teach you a lesson' when you get home."
"I never said that, Daphne!" came Ellie's embarrassed voice from the other side, followed by the sound of playful squabbling that made Karl shake his head in amusement.
After hanging up, Karl called for Weipa.
"Weipa, I'm heading back tomorrow. You'll stay here to keep things running. Remember—everything here has nothing to do with us. We're only doing business with Kaido for Seastone. Stay out of everything else, understand?"
"Yes, Lord Karl! But if someone causes trouble for us?" Weipa asked.
"Do I need to spell it out? Hit back. You might not be the strongest, but not many here can take you down."
"Yes, understood, Lord Karl!"
"Good. Make sure the others keep training—everyone needs to master the Six Styles," Karl said before dismissing him.
Brr-brr-brr...
"Kacha—"
"Lord Karl! I heard you fought Kaido! Should I bring the Kuja Pirates to assist you!?" came Hancock's panicked voice.
"I'm fine, Hancock, calm down—and be careful, remember the baby," Karl said quickly.
"I just got the itch to fight, that's all. It wasn't a real war, so you and your Kuja Pirates don't need to come."
"But I saw in the paper that you were injured! That bastard Kaido—I'll turn him to stone!" Hancock snapped, furious that anyone had dared harm her beloved.
"I'm already healed, you know how tough I am. And Kaido's not doing much better either. Don't worry—I'll come visit Amazon Lily tomorrow."
"Really? Then I'll be waiting for you, my love~ I've been learning lots of new dishes lately. I'll cook for you when you arrive~" Hancock said shyly through the Den Den Mushi, her expression softening.
"That sounds wonderful. I can't wait. But Hancock—try not to spend too much time in the kitchen, okay? You're still pregnant; the smoke and oil aren't good for you." Karl's tone turned warm, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.
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