The sea wind suddenly turned violent as a dragon hundreds of meters long coiled in the sky.
Kaido had come alone, without any subordinates, arriving at the Moby Dick to demand that Whitebeard, the world's strongest man, hand over the Azure Dragon!
This immediately enraged all the crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Ace was the first to leap forward, roaring, "Bastard! How dare you barge into Whitebeard's territory alone and act so recklessly, Kaido? You're looking for death!"
Jozu's body immediately shimmered with a diamond-like glow, his muscles tensed and ready to strike at any moment:
"All hands, be on guard! Beware of the impact of Conqueror's Haki. Today, we'll slay this dragon, leaving only three emperors on the seas!"
The others also gripped their weapons tightly, ready to attack at Whitebeard's command without the slightest hesitation.
However, Whitebeard did not order the entire crew to join forces and capture Kaido.
"Gurararara! My dear sons, who do you think I am? I am the world's strongest man, Whitebeard!"
He stood up, tearing off the IV lines attached to his body, and looked up at the Azure Dragon coiling in the sky. His voice echoed across the nearby seas:
"Kaido, the Azure Dragon is an honored guest of the Whitebeard Pirates.
If you dare lay a hand on him, you are declaring war on the Whitebeard Pirates!
Come on, Kaido, you brat! Let me see how much you've grown over all these years!"
The Azure Dragon's enhancement abilities were of extraordinary importance to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Therefore, Whitebeard could not possibly abandon Ivan.
Moreover, even if it were just an ordinary guest, with Kaido arriving alone and challenging the Whitebeard Pirates, he would never compromise.
He was the strongest man—how could he be threatened by a mere snake?
High in the sky, Kaido, transformed into his dragon form, revealed a human-like expression of astonishment.
He hadn't expected the old man Whitebeard to hold the Azure Dragon in such high regard, especially since they had only just met.
Indeed, the Shadow Garden must have struck some kind of deal with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Otherwise, Whitebeard would have simply driven him away, not declared the Azure Dragon an honored guest of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Kaido craved war, so upon hearing Whitebeard's declaration, instead of feeling intimidated, he grew excited:
"Worororo! Whitebeard, if I want to kill him, even you can't stop me!
Old man, let me see how much strength you still have in your decrepit body?!"
In the sky, Kaido suddenly let out a deafening roar, his eyes flashing with a crimson glow.
In an instant, terrifying black lightning erupted from him, instantly enveloping the surrounding sea.
Boom!
Thunder roared and lightning flashed as Conqueror's Haki transformed into black lightning, intertwining with the bolts in the sky and pressing down toward the Moby Dick!
Facing this, Whitebeard's hair and beard bristled, and dense black lightning crackled around him:
"Kaido, you bastard! I won't let you harm my family!"
Two of the seas' mightiest powerhouses simultaneously unleashed their Conqueror's Haki.
Boom!
Their terrifying Conqueror's Haki clashed in mid-air, erupting into countless bolts of black lightning.
An invisible shockwave exploded like a nuclear blast, as black and red lightning raged wildly overhead.
On the Moby Dick, some of the unlucky crew members with weaker strength were struck by Conqueror's Haki lightning and fainted on the spot!
This was Conqueror's Haki—the kingly disposition possessed by only one in a million!
Faced with the kings at the pinnacle of the sea, the weak didn't even have the right to stand before them!
When gods fight, mortals suffer.
The collision of Conqueror's Haki between the two Emperors of the Sea stirred up waves dozens of meters high.
Even a massive ship like the Moby Dick rocked violently on such towering waves.
On the deck, Ace noticed the Azure Dragon looking up, his gaze fixed intently on Kaido. He walked over to Ivan, patted his shoulder, and reassured him:
"Don't worry, with the Old Man here, even Kaido can't do anything to you!"
Marco appeared beside the Azure Dragon at some point: "That's right, the Whitebeard Pirates will never stand by and watch a friend get hurt!"
In Marco's eyes, the Azure Dragon was now the hope for Whitebeard's recovery, and he would do everything in his power to protect him!
However, in response to their reassurances, Ivan merely shook his head slightly before stepping forward.
Ace and Marco, standing nearby, were taken aback and immediately moved to stop Ivan, asking in confusion:
"Azure Dragon, what are you doing? Don't get too close to the battlefield of the Emperors. Even the Old Man might not be able to protect you then.
The gap between us and them is too vast. Even the aftershocks of their battle could easily injure us!"
Ivan gently pushed aside Ace's arm blocking his path, and faint black-red lightning suddenly flickered around him:
"Sorry, I may not be able to do as you wish. After all, Shadow Garden never stands behind others—not even an Emperor of the Sea!
We lurk in the shadows, hunting shadows. We are the world's shelter. If even we retreat, then what would the revolution be but a joke?"
"Wait, don't be impulsive. We're comrades now—you can rely on us..." But before Ace could finish, a deafening roar echoed across the deck, leaving him stunned and staring in disbelief at Ivan.
Right before him, violent black-red lightning erupted, far more powerful than his own Conqueror's Haki—even rivaling the Old Man's—blooming right in front of him!
Even though this Conqueror's Haki wasn't directed at him and deliberately avoided him, facing a will far surpassing his own still left Ace's body involuntarily rigid.
Of course, Marco beside him was no different!
Thus, Ivan easily bypassed their interception and headed toward the center of the Conqueror's Haki clash between Whitebeard and Kaido.
As he moved forward, his will grew increasingly formidable, and the black-red lightning around him intensified.
'Hyper-speed Calculation' operated at full capacity. With such immense computational power, Ivan pushed the effects of Conqueror's Haki to their absolute limit!
And so, beside the two clashing Conqueror's Haki forces wreaking havoc across the sea, a new Conqueror's Haki emerged!
This Conqueror's Haki forcefully carved out its own space in the battlefield of their collision.
Its overwhelmingly radiant presence finally drew the attention of Whitebeard and Kaido, whose eyes had been locked solely on each other.
Thus, they saw a man enveloped in countless black-red lightning, walking toward them with steady, unwavering steps.
Then, Ivan declared to the two kings:
"Whitebeard, thank you for your kindness, but Shadow Garden has never been a weakling hiding under someone's protection!"
Then, he looked up at the Azure Dragon circling in mid-air, a ferocious grin slowly spreading across his lips:
"Kaido of the Beasts, who gave you the confidence to think you can deal with me as you please?
Heh, come on then. Let everyone see who the true Azure Dragon really is!"
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "GoddessTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!