Chapter 136: Suzaku's Arrangements!
The mere standoff between the Yonko, Kaido, and the elite members of the Suzaku Pirates created a localized gravity well. The oppressive aura leaking from their bodies was like invisible mountains crashing down on the Totto Land archipelago.
Creak... Snap.
The ground beneath them, made of hardened biscuit and caramel cement, groaned in protest. Grotesque fissures, like spiderwebs made of darkness, silently spread outward from the center of the confrontation. The physical world was cracking under the weight of their materialized will.
When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer.
The guests—the Underworld Emperors and heavyweights of the New World—who were secretly observing from the perceived safety of the ruined castle's perimeter, felt the blood drain from their faces.
"Back up... back up further!" Du Feld, the God of Fortune, hissed, wiping sweat from his forehead with a trembling hand. The pressure made his chest feel like it was in a vice. Even breathing felt like inhaling broken glass.
They retreated again and again, realizing that the "safe zone" was shrinking by the second.
In the center of this storm, the dynamic had shifted strangely. Usually, Kaido was the predator, the towering monster that dominated the frame. But now, Suzaku stood with his hands in his pockets, flanked by Albedo, Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and Ulquiorra Cifer. They had formed an "inverse encirclement," surrounding the "Strongest Creature" as if he were the prey caught in a trap.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, where a single spark would ignite a war, a petite figure moved against the flow of panic.
Ram.
The pink-haired maid moved silently, weaving through the debris and the retreating crowd like a phantom. Her presence was erased, her steps light. Following her Master's mental instructions, she quickly found her target hiding behind a collapsed, giant wreckage of a sponge cake tower.
It was the President of the World Economy News Paper, "Big News" Morgans.
The birdman was currently sprawled on a slab of frosting-covered concrete, his white feathers stained with dust. He exuded an almost frenzied, manic excitement that overrode his fear of death.
Click! Click! Click!
His professional camera shutter clicked incessantly. The flash fired like a strobe light in a disco, capturing every twitch of Kaido's muscle, every gust of Haki wind.
"Yes! Yes! This is it!" Morgans muttered to himself, his eyes bloodshot with adrenaline. "Kaido vs. Suzaku! The headline of the century! My sales will triple! No, quadruple!"
He was completely immersed in this unprecedented feast of big news, completely unaware of the maid standing directly behind him.
Until a fair, small hand gently patted his white wing.
"Don't fucking bother me! Can't you see I'm taking big news?!"
Morgans roared without turning his head, his beak snapping open in irritation. His tone was full of the impatience of an artist having his inspiration interrupted by a mundane nuisance.
"I don't care who you are! Get lost before I—"
He subconsciously turned his head to glare at the intruder.
His eyes landed on the distinctive black and white maid outfit. The pink hair. The deadpan expression that promised violence if necessary.
It was one of them. One of Suzaku's monsters.
The displeasure on Morgans' face instantly froze. It shattered like cheap glass, instantly transforming into an extremely fawning, obsequious smile that stretched his beak to its limit.
"Ahem... So... So it's an esteemed adult from the Suzaku Pirates!"
Morgans scrambled to his feet, dusting off his suit. He neatly put away his camera, straightened his back, and bowed so low his beak nearly touched the frosting.
"Excuse me... I didn't see you there! Is there... Is there anything this humble reporter can do for you?" he asked in a whisper, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and respect.
Ram looked at him expressionlessly. Her red eyes were calm, reflecting none of the chaos around them.
"Suzaku-sama has noticed your dedication," Ram said in her emotionless, professional voice. "He believes your current angle is... suboptimal."
"Eh?" Morgans blinked.
"Suzaku-sama wants Ram to take you to some better spots," she continued, gesturing to a high vantage point on a remaining spire of the castle. "I will be responsible for protecting you and ensuring you find better, closer angles for your photos. He wants the world to see this clearly."
Morgans was stunned. His beak hung open.
Then, his eyes erupted with a light even more brilliant than when he had just witnessed the clash of Haki.
My goodness!
What kind of divine treatment is this?!
Suzaku wasn't trying to silence the press. He wasn't trying to hide his capabilities. He was inviting the press. He was personally arranging for the News King to get the best seats in the house!
What confidence!
What absolute composure!
It meant Suzaku had zero doubt that he would win. He wanted the world to witness his victory in 4K resolution!
"No problem! Absolutely no problem! It is my honor!"
Morgans excitedly flapped his wings, looking like a chicken trying to fly. "Please, lead the way! I will capture every glory of Lord Suzaku!"
He knew that after today, the newspapers of the entire world would be a solo show of his front-page news. This exclusivity was worth billions of Berries!
And just then, in the center of the plaza, the silence broke.
"Get... the hell out of my way!!!"
The roar shook the island.
Kaido, thoroughly enraged by the humiliation of being ignored and surrounded, gripped his massive iron club, Hassaikai, with both hands.
ZZZTTT!
Black-red lightning—Conqueror's Haki—erupted from his body, swirling around the club like a tornado. The sheer density of the energy almost tore the space apart.
He poured all his strength into this one strike. His muscles bulged to the point of tearing his skin. He unleashed a blow towards Suzaku with an even more violent posture than the previous "Thunder Bagua" he had attempted earlier.
"THUNDER... BAGUA!!!"
The air screamed. The ground pulverized before the club even touched it.
However, this time, Suzaku didn't move. Albedo didn't step forward with her barrier.
A figure appeared in front of Kaido as if by teleportation.
It was a man with long dark hair, wearing red samurai armor.
Hashirama Senju.
He still had a gentle, honest smile on his face, looking completely out of place on a battlefield of this magnitude. He merely casually raised his right hand, open-palmed.
"Oh?" Hashirama murmured.
CLANG...!
Another crisp, teeth-grating sound of metal hitting something indestructible echoed across the plaza.
It wasn't a weapon parry. It wasn't a magical barrier.
It was flesh and bone.
Hashirama Senju didn't use any flashy wood release techniques. He didn't summon a dragon or a golem. He merely coated his right palm in pitch-black Armament Haki—which he had learned and mastered in record time since arriving in this world—and reinforced his body with dense Chakra.
With that single palm, he had nonchalantly, yet steadily, caught Kaido's full-force, two-handed swing!
The wind pressure from the impact blew the debris away in a perfect circle for a hundred meters, but Hashirama's feet didn't slide back a single inch.
Time seemed to stand still once again.
The shock in Kaido's dragon-like eyes was even greater than when he was bounced away by Albedo earlier.
What?! Kaido's mind raced. The woman used a strange ability... magic. I can accept that. But this human... he blocked my physical strength with one hand? Who the hell are these people?!
If the last time he lost to an unknown mechanism, then this time... this time it was a pure, humiliating defeat in a test of raw strength!
Before Kaido could recover from his shock, Suzaku had already glanced into the distance.
He saw Ram setting up the camera with Morgans on a high point in the ruins, giving a "thumbs up" sign.
Suzaku nodded with satisfaction. The stage was set.
"Kaido, look, we're not unreasonable people," Suzaku said slowly.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly spread throughout the entire plaza, carried by a subtle use of wind manipulation.
"So many people fighting just one of you... it wouldn't sound good if it got out. People might say the Suzaku Pirates bully the elderly. It would damage our image of loving peace."
Suzaku paused, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He then pointed at Hashirama, who was still holding Kaido's club, with a very casual tone.
"How about this? Let our 'newcomer' play with you for a bit."
Suzaku waved his hand dismissively.
"Hashirama, this one's for you. Have a good time! Don't break him too quickly!"
At these words, the entire place fell dead silent.
The wind stopped. The Homies stopped singing.
Everyone looked at Suzaku with eyes as if he were a madman.
Newcomer?
You call a monster who just single-handedly blocked a Yonko's full-power attack a "newcomer"?
And you're letting him go alone... to play with a Yonko?! To use a Sea Emperor as a sparring partner?!
"Hmph."
Uchiha Madara, who had been standing by with his arms crossed, finally spoke.
He glanced at his sworn friend and eternal rival, his Sharingan spinning slowly. His voice carried a hint of warning, but also a deep, underlying trust.
"Hashirama," Madara stated coldly. "Don't disgrace the name of us ninja. If you lose to this overgrown lizard, I'll kill you myself."
"Hahahaha! Don't worry, Madara!"
Hashirama burst into hearty laughter, the sound echoing strangely against the backdrop of Kaido's murderous aura.
He shoved Kaido's club back, creating distance. He looked back at Madara, his eyes filled with the confidence of the God of Shinobi.
"Since you've said so, then I definitely have to show some real skill! I can't let my best friend down!"
As his words fell, Hashirama's originally grinning, goofy face instantly transformed.
The smile vanished. His eyes became sharp.
BOOM!
A life force as heavy as the earth and as vast as the forest erupted from his body. It wasn't Haki; it was Chakra, so dense it felt like physical pressure. It felt like the warm sun of early spring, but with the weight of a planet.
The next second, his figure vanished from its spot.
Whoosh!
He charged straight towards Kaido, the ground exploding beneath his sandals.
The dark forces' bigwigs in the distance were utterly dumbfounded.
"This... this Suzaku Yareon must be crazy, right?" one of the brokers stammered. "He really only sent one person up?"
"Too arrogant! That's 'King of the Beasts' Kaido!" Umit shouted, clutching his head. "A Sea Emperor who has reigned over the New World for decades! Even if he was blocked twice just now, Kaido hasn't even transformed into his hybrid form yet! Isn't this newcomer just going to his death?"
"Young people are young people after all," Du Feld shook his head, regaining some of his cynical composure. "Achieving a little success makes them get carried away. They completely don't know that the true terror of Yonko Kaido lies in his almost inexhaustible stamina and monstrous recovery ability! He is an Awakened Zoan! He can fight for days!"
"Stop arguing! Just watch!" Stussy hissed, her eyes glued to the battle. "This level of battle concerns the future pattern of the entire sea! Even if it's dangerous, we absolutely cannot miss it!"
On the high platform of the shattered castle, Charlotte Linlin's huge face showed an even brighter, more twisted smile.
"Mama... mama!"
She leaned forward on Zeus. "Katakuri, look. That Suzaku kid actually only sent one person up. You've had the most contact with him. What do you think? Is he truly arrogant, or... does he truly have such confidence?"
Katakuri, leaning on his trident, kept his gaze fixed on the arena. His Future Sight was flickering, trying to keep up with the speed of the combatants.
He was silent for a moment before answering in an incredibly solemn tone.
"Mom, I think... everyone in the Suzaku Pirates cannot be measured by common sense."
Katakuri remembered the pressure he felt from them.
"Based on my observations, Mr. Suzaku is not a fool. He has absolute, unquestionable confidence in every single one of his crew members. He believes that man, Hashirama, is equal to Kaido."
"Mama... mama! Is that so?"
Charlotte Linlin heard the answer that pleased her and smiled even more happily.
"Then it seems the favor I just sold him wasn't a loss after all! If his subordinate can beat Kaido, then Suzaku himself..."
She left the thought unfinished, watching with great interest.
BOOM!
In the center of the plaza, the collision occurred.
Hashirama and Kaido. Two figures representing the pinnacle of power in their respective worlds collided fiercely with pure physical strength!
No weapons. No Ninjutsu. No Devil Fruit abilities.
Just a fist meeting a chest.
The result surprised everyone!
The scene everyone imagined—where Kaido would punch the "newcomer" into oblivion and turn him into meat paste—did not occur.
Instead, a shockwave erupted that shattered the remaining windows of the chateau.
"URGH!"
Kaido grunted. His eyes bulged.
His mountain-like body, the body of the invulnerable dragon, buckled.
After colliding with Hashirama's seemingly disproportionate fist—enhanced by Sage-like vitality—Kaido was actually blasted away!
Like a cannonball hit by artillery fire, the Yonko flew backward, crashing through three layers of biscuit walls before burying himself in the ruins!
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