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Chapter 260: The Beasts Pirates' Great Humiliation
Rumble—!
A massive wave slammed into the hull of the Numancia Flamingo, the flagship of the Beasts Pirates. The giant vessel groaned and rocked violently, nearly throwing everyone overboard.
"Steady! Hold the line, you idiots!"
"The ship's going to flip! Drop the sails!"
"What the hell just fell? A meteorite?!"
In the chaos, a round, obese man with a long golden braid clutched a mast for dear life, a half-finished cigar still in his mouth. This was Queen 'The Plague,' one of the All-Stars.
"Muhahaha! That scared the life out of me! What was that massive black shadow that just dropped from the sky?!" Queen shouted while wiping seawater from his sunglasses. The impact had been terrifying, like a mountain being dropped into the ocean.
"That was Lord Kaido," a cold voice came from above.
A black pterosaur wreathed in flames descended, transforming into a man as he landed on the deck. Clad in black leather with massive wings and a mask, it was King 'The Conflagration.' His eyes were filled with a rare, heavy sense of shock.
"Huh?!" Queen's eyes nearly popped out. "You're saying... that thing that fell like a slaughtered hog... was Lord Kaido?!"
"Muhahaha! Stop joking, King! Boss is the 'Strongest Creature'! Who could kick him down? Did that old lunatic Garp show up?"
Queen's bluster was betrayed by his trembling. Everyone had heard that agonizing dragon scream.
King ignored him, walking to the shattered railing. He looked at the massive whirlpool below, his expression grim. "It was Golden Lion Shiki. I saw him... the old man has become... wrong."
King's voice was raspy. As a Lunarian, he was sensitive to the aura of the strong. For a moment, Shiki's presence had felt like that of a god. That wasn't something the Float-Float Fruit could explain.
"Golden Lion? That old cripple?" Queen twisted his body, dismissive. "That relic from a dead era beat the boss? Boss probably just drank too much and slipped!"
Suddenly, massive bubbles erupted from the center of the whirlpool. Glub, glub... A suffocating, terrifying pressure radiated from the water—a pure, murderous rage.
"Stop talking!" King roared at the dazed pirates. "Everyone who isn't an ability user! Into the water! Get Lord Kaido out of there! NOW!!!"
The shout finally broke the pirates' trance. "Y-Yes, Lord King!"
Dozens of strong men dove into the churning sea. While Kaido couldn't drown, the weakness caused by seawater was absolute. If they let him soak in there too long... when he finally came up, he might turn the entire crew into meat paste out of spite.
Deep underwater, Kaido's massive form was sinking. He had reverted to his human form, his wild black hair drifting like seaweed. Though the sea had drained his strength, he was conscious. His golden eyes were bloodshot, staring up at the surface.
Humiliation! A total, unshakeable humiliation! He, Kaido of the Beasts! The strongest on land, sea, and air! He had been kicked from ten thousand meters like a soccer ball! And by Shiki! A man he had considered a washed-up cripple for twenty years!
"Ugh... glub..." Kaido tried to roar, but only produced a string of angry bubbles.
That look... Shiki's eyes! That contempt, as if he were looking at an ant! And that kick... that vibration, that spatial cutting... that wasn't Haki! It wasn't an Awakening! It was a power that shouldn't exist in this world!
"Shiki... what on earth... did you find..."
Nearby, his subordinates finally reached him. They grabbed his arms, legs, and hair. "Quick! We've got him! He's so heavy! He's like a mountain! Shut up and pull!"
They dragged the Emperor upward like a dead weight. The feeling of being handled by the weak only fueled Kaido's rage, but he could do nothing. It reminded him of his days as an intern on Rocks' ship—the humiliation of looking up at the truly strong.
Splash!
Kaido was hauled onto the deck. "Whew... I'm exhausted... Quick, towels! Booze!"
Queen waddled over, holding a massive towel. "Muhahaha! Boss, how was the bath? Should I perform a rap to celebrate your survival?"
The next second, a terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted from the soaking figure. BOOM! The deck planks shattered. The pirates nearby collapsed instantly, foaming at the mouth. Even Queen was blown back several steps, his towel flying away.
"GET OUT!!!"
Kaido roared as he sat up, looking like a demon from hell. He grabbed a massive barrel of rum, crushed the lid, and drained it in seconds. The liquor mixed with seawater, soaking the massive scar on his chest—the one Oden had left. And now, there was a new mark of shame on his head.
"AARRGGHHH!!!" Kaido smashed the barrel and grabbed Hassaikai. CRUNCH! He slammed the club into the railing, splintering the ship.
"SHIKI! SHIKI! SHIKI!!!" Kaido's eyes were crimson as he screamed the name, each shout punctuated by a devastating blow to his own ship. The entire vessel trembled under his wrath.
"Boss... calm down! The ship's going to break!" Queen huddled in a corner, tears of fright in his eyes.
"CALM DOWN MY ASS!!!" Kaido turned his murderous gaze on Queen. "Do you know what kind of look that bastard gave me?! He called me a crawling lizard! He called me a brat playing house! That old man... that damn cripple..."
Kaido panted, his chest heaving. After the rage came a chilling silence. He sat back on his ruined throne, touching the throbbing top of his head. The power of that kick still resonated in his bones.
"King."
"I am here," King said, kneeling.
"Did you see it clearly? His legs."
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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