On the coastline, Yoriichi and Kaido had plunged into fierce combat. Each time their weapons clashed, shockwaves of terrifying Conqueror's Haki rippled outward in all directions.
The sea itself responded to the titanic exchange, waves surging in violent succession.
Those waves slammed against the Dawn warship, rocking it violently. On the deck, under the command of Mihawk and Kyros, the Marines were locked in brutal close-quarters combat with the Beasts Pirates' elite officers.
Though the Marines from the Dawnblade Division were all well-trained elites, many of whom had mastered some of the Rokushiki techniques, their individual combat strength couldn't compare to the infamous pirates they were up against.
In just a few short minutes, the deck of the Dawn was stained red with blood. Marine bodies collapsed one after another into growing pools of crimson, lifeless.
Tiger reacted swiftly. Realizing the others wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, he shouted for the remaining Marines to jump into the sea.
No one knew what exactly Tiger was planning, but Kyros immediately backed him up, fighting off enemies while loudly issuing the same command to the surviving Marines.
Under their orders, over twenty Marines disengaged from the melee and leapt into the sea one after another.
At the same time, Tiger, Jinbe, and Aladine also broke off from the battle and dove into the ocean with a single motion.
Some Devil Fruit–using pirates noticed a few Marines escaping into the water and, unwilling to let them go, dove in after them. However, the same pirates who had been slaughtering Marines on the deck suddenly vanished beneath the waves, never resurfacing.
It wasn't until more pirates started disappearing that they realized something was wrong. They quickly gave up on chasing the ones who'd jumped into the sea and turned their full focus toward surrounding Mihawk and Kyros, the only two remaining on deck.
After a fierce battle, the Marines, at the cost of over two hundred lives, had finally inflicted noticeable losses on Kaido's officer corps.
There had been nearly fifty of Kaido's elites in the initial assault. Now, over ten had been killed, leaving around thirty.
Most of the fallen officers had been slain by Mihawk, Kyros, or other high-ranking Marine officers. And among the dead, most had been the weaker ones.
Don't be fooled by the 1/4 casualty rate, the ones still standing were the crème de la crème.
"Mr. Mihawk, can I ask a favor?"
Bloodied and breathless, Kyros had just knocked back another pirate before falling into step back-to-back with Mihawk. They stood surrounded by countless hostile pirates. Up at the bow, King was still bound in seastone shackles, unmoved and untouched.
There was no helping it. Seastone was the hardest material in the world. Ordinary force couldn't destroy it. Only the Marines had the knowledge and equipment to process and shape seastone, that alone was one of the reasons they could maintain order in the world.
Even with all their Devil Fruit powers, Kaido's subordinates were too naïve to think they could break seastone.
"What is it?" Mihawk asked.
Unlike the battered Kyros, Mihawk still looked pristine. His red-and-black checkered shirt wasn't stained with a drop of blood, although his Marine cloak bore a few dark splashes from fallen foes.
Gripping his sword one-handed, Mihawk swept his piercing eyes over the encircling pirates. There was not a shred of fear in his gaze, only cold precision and killing intent.
"If I don't make it back to Dressrosa... tell Scarlet I've found someone I like. I won't be a Marine anymore."
Surrounded by such overwhelming enemies, Kyros could already sense death approaching.
He wasn't like Mihawk. Fighting against monsters like these had pushed him past his limit. He knew he wouldn't survive much longer. And in his heart, he had already accepted that fate.
He wasn't afraid of dying. He just didn't want the people he cared about to be sad.
"Scarlet?" Mihawk said. "Sorry, Kyros, I don't know her."
"You should tell her yourself."
As he spoke, Mihawk swung his long blade and unleashed a sharp green slash, shooting it straight into the crowd of pirates ahead.
"Don't block it, dodge!!"
The pirates shouted in alarm. Those who had fought Mihawk before dove away instantly, but a new guy, who had never experienced his blade, raised his sword to block it.
The slash tore through him like paper, cutting both man and blade cleanly in two.
Kyros, sensing Mihawk's motion, prepared to charge forward as well, but then felt a powerful grip seize his collar.
Mihawk's amused voice reached his ears.
"A sword wielded by a dead man can't kill anyone."
"Don't get in my way."
And with that, Mihawk hurled Kyros straight off the ship.
Now alone on the deck, Mihawk grinned.
Raising the black blade Yoru in both hands, he swept his gaze across the pirates.
"I still have to defeat Yoriichi Tsugikuni and become the world's greatest swordsman."
"I'm not going to lose to the likes of you."
In the next instant, a terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body. The oppressive force made even the strongest pirates flinch.
Only now, with no more restraints, did Mihawk release his full power.
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Why do these Marines keep showing up with that kind of power?!"
The surge of raw dominance caused hesitation in the weaker pirates, creating fatal openings.
Mihawk's eyes flashed.
He vanished.
A heartbeat later, he appeared in front of one of the trembling pirates and cut him down in a single stroke.
Nearby officers lunged to avenge their fallen comrade, but Mihawk met them with ruthless blade work. Some were forced back by sheer skill, others died instantly beneath his slashes.
Battle once again engulfed the deck.
Then, jets of water burst upward from the sea, sniping toward specific pirates like arrows. One Devil Fruit user was hit directly. Though he wasn't flung off the ship, the seawater instantly drained his strength. Mihawk struck like lightning, cleaving him apart.
Fish-Man Jujutsu: Ocean Current – One-Handed Over-Shoulder Throw!
Jinbe emerged briefly from the sea, eyes sweeping the deck, before diving back down with another splash.
More reverse currents shot toward the pirates.
"Hmph."
Mihawk grunted lightly, not thrilled at being helped, but making good use of it anyway. Darting between enemies, he continued killing those caught off guard by the water strikes.
Compared to earlier, the tide had shifted. With Tiger, Jinbe, and Aladine covertly aiding from below, Mihawk was finally stabilizing the deck.
Meanwhile,
On the shoreline, Kaido stood hunched in the wreckage, body riddled with sword wounds. The battlefield around him was scarred with massive craters.
Clutching his kanabo, Kaido's face was dark and grim.
Before him, Yoriichi casually twirled his blade. His face was calm. His stance composed.
In stark contrast to Kaido's battered state, Yoriichi looked immaculate, his Marine cloak still clean, his red training garb unsoiled.
It was hard to believe he'd just been in a life-or-death fight with the likes of Kaido.
Suddenly, a surge of Conqueror's Haki radiated from the sea.
Kaido instinctively looked toward the Dawn and frowned.
Garp and Zephyr had already taken the Marines ashore. Yoriichi was here, locked in combat. Yet now another such overwhelming presence?
"…Mihawk, huh."
Sensing the power, Yoriichi smiled faintly.
He glanced at Kaido, who had been momentarily distracted, and disappeared in a flash.
In the next instant, his blade slashed across Kaido's abdomen.
CLANG!!
Rather than the usual sound of flesh being cut, Yoriichi's sword rang out like striking steel. His blade only pierced four to five centimeters before it could go no further.
Kaido was sent flying, his waist knocked out of alignment by the blow, crashing toward the sea.
But his reaction speed was terrifying. Before hitting the water, he transformed mid-air into his dragon form, conjured flame clouds beneath his claws, glided for a hundred meters, then whipped his tail and lunged back toward Yoriichi.
Mid-air, Kaido reverted to his hybrid form and brought his kanabo crashing down.
Thunder Bagua!
The weapon, wreathed in violent Conqueror's Haki, screamed toward Yoriichi's head.
Yoriichi calmly tilted his head and sidestepped, countering with a reverse strike across Kaido's chest.
This slash dug deeper than the last, stopping only after scraping against his ribs.
Kaido didn't try to dodge. His eyes gleamed, and he tightened his grip.
BOOM!!
The kanabo slammed into the ground, blasting dust everywhere, but Yoriichi's form had vanished again.
"Wuh?!"
Kaido suddenly felt a chill crawl across his back. Yoriichi had silently appeared behind him, one foot on his shoulder, the other pressing down on his head.
Both hands raised high, Yoriichi drove his blade down with precision,
PFFT!!
The tip pierced cleanly through Kaido's neck, emerging from his throat.
Just as Yoriichi thought he'd ended it, Kaido twisted violently, swinging a fist upward.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged. Yoriichi instantly pulled his blade free and flipped into the air, landing steadily on the ground below.
"…Still not dead? How is that even possible?"
Kaido staggered, one hand clutching his throat. Blood sprayed from the wound, yet he didn't fall. Slowly, he raised his head, eyes locking onto Yoriichi.
Then,
He grinned.
"You think something like that... could kill me?!"
"Heh... heh heh... No way."
"I'll never lose. I have to bring King back!"
He coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood, then stood up straight. His hand dropped from his throat.
Yoriichi narrowed his eyes. The wound on Kaido's neck, had already sealed.
No, that wasn't healing. Kaido was using muscle control to forcibly clamp the wound shut.
From Yoriichi's perspective, he could see it all clearly. Every injury on Kaido's body had been forcefully suppressed using muscle manipulation. Though horrifying, Kaido's regeneration was genuine. The wound on his chest, the first slash, was already beginning to heal slowly. At this rate, a single day of rest might be enough to recover fully.
Despite being a pirate, Kaido had mastered Life Return.
He could control every inch of muscle, every nerve, every organ in his body.
Unless it was a true killing blow, no one could kill him before his stamina ran out.
Piercing the throat couldn't even do it.
Such a ridiculous creature... Yoriichi had never encountered anything like it in this world. But he had seen worse in his past.
He'd faced beings that could shatter their own bodies and needed to have every piece carved apart to be killed.
Compared to that, Kaido, no matter how absurd, was still within the realm of "human."
"Come on, then!" Kaido bellowed. "Let's keep going, Marine!"
"I want to see just how many of those terrifying slashes of yours you can unleash!"
Though the wounds were closed, Kaido's voice was still hoarse. Yoriichi's blade had left its mark.
"Hm?"
Just then, Yoriichi noticed something.
Kaido, now back on his feet, was wreathed in black fire.
This strange fire circled under his arms and coiled behind him like dark, floating ribbons.
Kaido's wounds were now visibly healing, not just suppressed, but truly regenerating.
Kaido hadn't realized it yet. All his focus was still locked on Yoriichi. But he felt it, an endless well of power surging inside him. As if he could do anything, be anything.
The sensation was exhilarating.
With a primal roar, Kaido looked to the sky and howled.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted, sweeping across the entire coastline.
Seeing the bizarre transformation, even Yoriichi furrowed his brow.
Something had gone off script.
Was Kaido... doing sit-ups now?
That state... could it be the Awakening of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit?