Kaidou let out a cold snort upon hearing this, his heavy footsteps making dull thuds against the ground. An suffocating pressure began radiating from his entire body—the Conqueror's Haki belonging to the strongest. The air seemed to freeze at that moment, surrounding buildings trembled violently, glass windows shattered one after another, fragments scattering everywhere.
As Kaidou advanced step by step, the Conqueror's Haki he released continued to intensify. The ground beneath his feet couldn't withstand this power, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward from where he stepped. Even Sebastian and the others behind him were forced to retreat under this pressure, weaker members collapsing one after another—
And this was with Kaidou deliberately controlling his power.
Kuma and Ginny, facing Kaidou directly, endured even more terrifying pressure. Ginny lasted only a few seconds before losing consciousness, collapsing limply into Kuma's arms. Gritting his teeth, Kuma held the unconscious Ginny as he struggled to retreat, each step feeling like battling against invisible tidal waves.
The range of the Conqueror's Haki continued to expand, sweeping across the entire Sorbet Kingdom like an invisible tide.
People in the distance fell one after another, until ultimately ninety-five percent of the kingdom's residents fell unconscious under this power. The streets were littered with unconscious people lying in disarray, the entire kingdom plunged into an eerie silence.
Though Kuzan, bound by Sea Stone Chains, had his power restricted, Conqueror's Haki primarily targeted the spiritual level, so he remained conscious. Even so, under this overwhelming pressure, he was forced to retreat repeatedly, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Is this... true Conqueror's Haki?" Kuzan murmured to himself, his voice carrying unconcealed shock. He had never experienced such pure oppression before, as if the entire world was trembling before Kaidou's power.
Kaidou's gaze was sharp as a blade, locked onto Kuma, his voice low and filled with oppressive force: "Did you think you could escape?" His Conqueror's Haki continued to intensify, the air seeming compressed to its limit, making even breathing difficult.
Kuma's body emitted faint vibrations, clearly enduring tremendous pressure. He glanced down at Ginny in his arms, his eyes firm as if he had made some resolution.
Kuzan barely stabilized his stance, thinking in alarm: "This level of Haki—it's like facing an immovable mountain."
Kuma reached out toward Ginny, but just as his hand was about to touch her, a dark shadow flashed by. Ginny, who had been in his arms moments before, vanished instantly. Kuma quickly looked around, only to see that Ginny was now being held single-handedly by Kaidou, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time, lifting her as easily as if she were a ragdoll.
"Bastard, give Ginny back to me!" Seeing Ginny fall into Kaidou's hands, Kuma could no longer restrain himself, charging directly at Kaidou.
"Come at me!" Kaidou watched Kuma charging toward him, holding Ginny with one hand while gripping the Hassaikai with the other, swinging it directly at Kuma.
BOOM—!
Kuma narrowly dodged Kaidou's Spiked Club at the last moment, the terrifying force carried by the club smashing a massive crater into the ground. After retreating to the side, Kuma attempted to compress air for an Air Cannon, but his movements became hesitant and restrained due to his concern for Ginny in Kaidou's grasp.
Kaidou keenly noticed this and directly handed Ginny over to Sebastian, then said to Kuma: "Kuma, now use all your strength and let me see how strong you are. If you can satisfy me, I will let Ginny go."
"Really?"" Kuma immediately asked upon hearing this.
"Correct." Kaidou nodded.
Kuma took a deep breath, his entire body's muscles tensing as he launched an all-out assault. His hands moved rapidly, dozens of bubbles compressed with vast amounts of air shooting toward Kaidou like cannonballs. These bubbles glinted with dangerous light under the sun, each containing astonishing destructive power.
"Hmph, after all, you're from a place like the West Blue – too little combat experience." Kaidou snorted disdainfully, lightly swinging his Spiked Club "Hassaikai." A sharp Club Aura sliced through the sky, precisely striking every single bubble.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Continuous explosions resounded through the heavens, the dense smoke generated instantly enveloping an area dozens of meters in radius. Kaidou stood firm without moving a muscle, a playful smile curling his lips as he waited with interest for Kuma's next move.
At the moment when the smoke was thickest, Kuma's figure suddenly appeared behind Kaidou. His palm gathered an immense amount of compressed air, emitting a heart-palpitating hum. "Oh?" Kaidou tilted his head slightly as Kuma's attack grazed past his body, but the massive shockwave erupting from the palm still sent a slight numbness through Kaidou's frame.
Kaidou immediately swung his Spiked Club to counterattack, but the prepared Kuma nimbly evaded. After retreating several dozen meters away, Kuma spread his hands to their widest before rapidly bringing them together. His figure vanished instantly, charging toward Kaidou at breathtaking speed.
Boom!
A tremendously powerful Air Cannon struck Kaidou head-on, the violent explosion affecting the surrounding hundred-meter radius. The ground was blasted into a gigantic crater, debris flying everywhere. Seeing his attack succeed, Kuma let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.
Yet the next second, a violent hurricane suddenly swept through the explosion's epicenter, dispersing all the smoke. Kaidou stood completely unscathed, without even a single tear in his clothing. Kuma's heart instantly sank to the depths, fine beads of sweat emerging on his forehead.
"Alright, the test is about done." Kaidou rolled his shoulders. "Your current strength is fairly decent – you'd rank in the top five among the Beasts Pirates." As he spoke, he gripped Hassaikai with both hands, red lightning beginning to coil around the pitch-black Spiked Club while suffocating pressure filled the air.
"Thunderclap · Eight Trigrams!"
Kaidou's body instantly materialized before Kuma, the Spiked Club crashing into Kuma's head with devastating force. Kuma flew out like a cannonball, demolishing dozens of houses before finally stopping, leaving a long trail of ruins in his wake.
Watching from the sidelines, Kuzan's pupils sharply contracted at the sight. He immediately recalled how he had once taken that same blow with his face. The bone-deep pain seemed to return to his body, making him unconsciously touch his cheek as a flicker of lingering fear passed through his eyes.
Kaidou put away his Spiked Club and slowly walked toward where Kuma had fallen. His footsteps echoed clearly in the silent battlefield, each step seeming to strike directly at the hearts of everyone present.
As the dust settled, Kuma could be seen struggling to support himself and stand up. Blood streamed from his forehead, his left arm twisted unnaturally, yet his gaze remained resolute. "Not bad. To remain conscious after taking my Thunder Bagua—the Buccaneer Race's physique is truly formidable," Kaidou looked down at Kuma from above, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.
"Now, it's time to fulfill my promise," Kaidou continued. "I'm satisfied with this battle, so congratulations. Because of your efforts, Ginny will be released." He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold. "However, Kuma, as the loser, you will become a prisoner of the Beasts Pirates."
"I-Is that so? That's good... Gin... Ginny..." Kuma's expression relaxed upon hearing Kaidou's words.
With great difficulty, he turned his head to look at Ginny lying beside Sebastian, a faint, relieved smile appearing at the corner of his mouth before his consciousness completely faded and he collapsed heavily to the ground.
"Someone, take these two with us. We're heading back," Kaidou directly called for his subordinates, pointing at the unconscious Kuma and weakened Ginny. Several pirates immediately stepped forward and carefully lifted the two. Kaidou turned and walked toward the direction of the pirate ship, his black cloak flapping sharply in the wind.