Chapter 65: Clash of Conquerors
The dust and smoke shrouding the ruins began to settle. A massive figure with two great horns slowly rose from the rubble. When Satoru saw him clearly, his fighting spirit, already ignited, roared into an inferno.
Hic~ "Where is this? Didn't I succeed in dying? How troublesome..."
A voice thick with the smell of alcohol reached Satoru's ears. The man's flushed face showed he was still deeply drunk.
"I didn't expect to meet you so soon," Satoru said, his voice cutting through the settling dust. "One of the Four Emperors. Kaido of the Beasts."
"The Four Emperors? What's a Four Emperor? What's an Emperor? Hic~"
Kaido mumbled, clearly not used to the title at all. Otherwise, he'd never refer to himself as a 'thing.'
"Oh... so the Four Emperors are my thing. I remember now."
Kaido answered his own question.
Satoru hadn't expected Kaido to actually call himself a 'thing.' As expected, not one of the Four Emperors had normal brain circuitry.
"But, brat... what is this place?" Kaido asked, as if just noticing his surroundings.
"This is Marine Base G-8. I truly didn't expect a pirate like you to walk right into the Navy's net."
"A Marine base?" Kaido's expression suddenly sharpened, the drunken haze seeming to vanish. "Can you kill me here, brat?"
But seeing his slightly swaying body, Satoru knew he was still drunk. Someone with Kaido's physique could sober up instantly. The fact that he hadn't meant his mind didn't see Satoru as a threat worth sobering up for.
"Whether I can kill you or not... we'll know once we try, Beast Kaido."
In an instant, the aura around Satoru shifted. This change finally focused Kaido's gaze. His eyes locked onto the white-haired boy, and Satoru felt an immense pressure descend upon him.
Is this the presence of a Yonko? he thought, a fierce grin spreading across his face. It's really thrilling.
His body trembled with excitement. His blood seemed to pump faster.
"An amusing little brat," Kaido rumbled. "Then let me see how you plan to kill me."
A terrifying pressure erupted from Kaido—Conqueror's Haki. It swept across the entire G-8 base in an instant.
When he'd first heard the order to evacuate and call for Headquarters support, Colonel Clarl had been puzzled, wondering if he'd misheard. But feeling this Conqueror's Haki, his face paled.
They knew Satoru had Conqueror's Haki. They'd felt it. But this aura was different—brutal, overwhelming. This wasn't their commander's. It was the enemy's.
This Conqueror's Haki... it's oppressive, Satoru acknowledged, bracing against the weight. But in terms of sheer will... I won't lose.
He stood firm under the crushing pressure.
Then, an equally powerful Conqueror's Haki erupted from Satoru's small frame. In raw strength, it was a match for Kaido's.
The two titanic wills collided. Where they met, black lightning crackled and arced. One half of the clashing aura was a deep, oppressive black. The other was a pale, electric blue.
Conqueror's Haki was a battle of spirit, of inherent right to rule. This was a realm Satoru excelled in.
"Look! The sky... it's splitting!" a Marine shouted, pointing upwards in awe.
"What kind of enemy is this?!" others whispered, fear and wonder mixing.
They were battle-hardened. They'd faced pirates who used Conqueror's Haki before. But none were on this scale. The difference was like a babbling infant compared to a roaring giant. There was no comparison.
Feeling Satoru's Conqueror's Haki matching his own, Kaido finally, truly sobered up.
He would swear that in this world, only Whitebeard and that red-haired brat could match him in a clash of Conqueror's Haki. Yet here was a child, his will as unyielding as a mountain. He was shocked.
By now, Clarl had finally gotten through to Marine Headquarters. The Den Den Mushi had fainted under the earlier Haki blast. He'd had to use Satoru's personal, sturdier one, reviving it with several basins of cold water.
"This is Sengoku."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! This is Colonel Clarl, executive officer of Marine Base G-8!"
"Hm?" It wasn't Satoru's voice. Sengoku was immediately alert.
"Commander Satoru is currently engaged with a pirate enemy. He ordered us to evacuate and request immediate support from Headquarters. The commander... he seems to be... not the enemy's match."
After a brief hesitation, Clarl forced out the last words.
"What?!" Sengoku shot up from his chair. He'd heard Zephyr's assessment of Satoru's strength. It was monstrous. What enemy could make him 'not a match'?
"Who is the enemy?!"
"I don't know, sir. The enemy appeared before we could see them. The commander ordered the evacuation and distress call immediately. However... I suspect it is one of the Four Emperors. The most likely candidate is Kaido of the Beasts."
Clarl's voice was tight but logical. This was why he was the executive officer—not just strength, but sharp intellect. He hadn't seen the enemy, but few could pressure Satoru like this. Combined with the devastating Conqueror's Haki and their location, his deduction was solid.
Whether it was Kaido or not, any enemy that forced Satoru to call for help was catastrophic. The sky above G-8 continued to crackle with the lightning of two opposing kings. The stalemate of wills was just the prelude.
(End of Chapter)
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