"Damn you, Garp! I'll kill you!"
Kaido's furious roar echoed through the colossal palace of the Barbarossa Kingdom in the New World.
Several shallow fist marks were clearly visible on his body. Each one had been left behind by Garp.
In the fierce battle against Garp and Zephyr, Kaido had been forced to fight two peak-level powerhouses at once, with Marine Hero Garp being the greatest threat among them. For two full days, he had been hammered relentlessly.
In the final moments, Garp had unleashed his true strength. That iron fist had broken through Kaido's near-invincible defense, leaving behind those lingering marks.
Even Kaido struggled to withstand that level of Armament Haki.
With his monstrous recovery ability, the damage would eventually fade, but it would still take several days for the marks to fully disappear.
After some rest, Kaido had mostly recovered. During the battle, he had not suffered truly severe injuries. What he lost was stamina, drained by two days and two nights of nonstop combat.
Beside him, Yamato was openly mocking him, which only fueled Kaido's anger.
At the same time, a trace of unease lingered in his heart.
Garp was still terrifyingly strong. At his peak, he was even stronger than he had been a decade ago.
Kaido knew the truth. Right now, he was not Garp's match.
Garp genuinely possessed the strength to defeat him, though the gap between them was not insurmountable.
If Kaido were to fight Zephyr or Garp one-on-one, he was confident the battle could last ten days and ten nights. Against Zephyr alone, Kaido believed victory would eventually be his.
But facing two top-tier martial artists at once, even a moment of restraint meant devastating punches landing on him. That he had endured two full days against peak Admiral-level fighters was proof of his terrifying strength.
After all, even Garp and Sengoku together had needed three days and three nights to defeat Golden Lion Shiki. And Shiki had been better suited to aerial combat, with far more troublesome abilities.
Kaido had lost this battle, but he lost with dignity.
In the previous era, the Navy had been most active in the New World, an age dominated by maritime overlords. Zephyr, Sengoku, and Garp, the Navy's three pillars, had each confronted one of the legendary pirates of that era.
Zephyr against Golden Lion Shiki.
Sengoku against Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
Garp against Pirate King Roger.
Zephyr's strength had declined slightly after the tragedy at age forty-two. After resigning as an Admiral to train the next generation, his power had stagnated.
Even so, Zephyr was still at his peak. His shortened lifespan only meant his decline would come sooner, not that his current strength was lacking.
And Kaido had not simply endured the beating passively. He had fought back relentlessly, trading blows with an endless barrage of Thunder Bagua. Zephyr and Garp, lacking Kaido's monstrous physique and recovery, had also suffered significant injuries.
Kaido was not reckless.
This battle had been a test.
A test of the world's true apex combatants. Whitebeard. Golden Lion. And their peer, Garp.
It was preparation.
Preparation for challenging Whitebeard and Golden Lion in the future, to firmly establish his status as an Emperor of the Sea.
It also stemmed from absolute confidence. Even if the Marines captured him, they could not kill him. His power had reached a level where Seastone restraints no longer mattered. Chains and cuffs would eventually be torn apart.
"Captain," King said cautiously, "for now, we should avoid provoking the Marines. The struggle for the Emperor title is more urgent. We should decide which dominant pirate crew to challenge first."
He had no desire to face Garp and Zephyr again. During that battle, they had been terrifying. If those two had truly intended to stop him, King was not confident he could have brought Kaido back alive.
They likely understood this as well.
Capturing Kaido would only lead to heavy losses. Letting him go was the wiser choice.
And their objective had already been achieved.
If Kaido had not insisted on continuing the fight, it would have ended much sooner.
Over the years, Kaido's personal strength had reached a sufficient level. His focus had shifted to developing his crew. A pirate crew could not rely solely on its captain.
The struggle for emperorship was not a duel between individuals. It was a clash of entire forces.
Without sufficient strength, even if a crew seized territory, they would not be able to hold it.
"First," Kaido said slowly, "the Trickster."
King nodded. "Then who should we defeat next?"
Kaido had risen from his throne earlier, but now he sat back down. His spiked club rested beside him, one arm propped on the armrest, supporting his chin.
Crayel stepped forward, documents in hand.
"There are several options," the young strategist said calmly. "The first is Akane Rexter, the Trickster of the Tricky Pirates."
"He is not particularly aggressive and shows no desire to expand further. He also seems uninterested in the Emperor title. His territory is closest to ours, but I doubt the Governor would want to fight him."
"That guy is boring," Kaido said flatly.
A trace of apprehension flickered in his eyes.
He had dealt with Akane Rexter before. The Mind-Mind Fruit was terrifying.
Once, a pirate captain with a bounty of 600 million Berries had attempted to challenge the Trickster. The outcome was unclear, but the entire crew had been annihilated.
In the end, the captain slaughtered his own subordinates and then killed himself.
The Trickster possessed overwhelming suppression against the weak. Those weaker than him were easily manipulated.
Kaido was not afraid of fighting the Trickster himself. What he feared was the cost to his crew.
And despite the Tricky Pirates expanding in recent years, their growth was far less aggressive than other overlords.
The Trickster lacked ambition.
He did not seek out strong opponents the way Kaido did. Even territorial disputes rarely drew his personal involvement.
Kaido had no interest in challenging him.
"The second option," Crayel continued, "is Satan Caesar of the Satan Pirates. Like you, Captain, he is a Mythical Zoan user. His strength is formidable, and his subordinates are powerful, though still inferior to our Beast Pirates. Our chances of victory are high."
"Continue," Kaido said impatiently.
"Lastly, the Silver Axe Pirates," Crayel said, unfolding a map. "A veteran overlord previously defeated by the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Though weakened and having lost some territory, they remain powerful and deeply rooted."
Crayel pointed to the map. The territories of the Beast Pirates and the Silver Axe Pirates were close. Between them lay several valuable islands.
"I recommend the Silver Axe Pirates. Our development is already mature. By defeating them, we can greatly expand our influence."
He circled a large region on the map. Dozens of named islands lay within.
"Additionally, we've received information that the Big Mom Pirates are also eyeing Wang Zhi's forces. If both veteran overlords fall again, their prestige will collapse."
"Chaos will follow. That chaos will allow us to expand rapidly and consolidate territory."
Crayel finished and looked at Kaido. "If possible, contact Big Mom. Acting together would amplify the effect."
At the mention of Big Mom, Kaido frowned.
He glanced subtly at Yamato.
He clearly did not want to contact her. Though they had history, they had not met in years.
"That woman…" Kaido muttered.
After a moment, he made his decision.
"King," Kaido said, "send a Den Den Mushi to Big Mom. I want to talk to her."
"Yes," King replied without hesitation.
"Should we challenge Whitebeard or Golden Lion early?" Kaido asked, impatience creeping into his voice.
Crayel shook his head.
"No. Those monsters are even more destructive than Garp. Governor, you are still a step below them."
"If you challenge them now and earn their recognition too early, other great pirates will fear us and unite against us."
"That would delay our rise and weaken our development."
Golden Lion's swordsmanship and the Float-Float Fruit were terrifying. If he fought seriously, Kaido might not even save face.
Whitebeard was worse.
At his peak, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit could destroy the world itself. Unlike his future self, illness did not restrain him.
Kaido's so-called immortality was not absolute. Against those legends, a desperate battle could kill him, even if doing so was extremely difficult.
And Kaido did not truly want to die.
If pushed to the brink, he would retreat. A dive into the sea would end any pursuit.
Kaido understood all of this.
Even Garp had held back, never forcing him into his most desperate Oni state.
He was comparable to the legends now, but not yet equal.
"Then we wait," Kaido said at last, nodding. "First, we build."
Whitebeard and Golden Lion would be saved for last.
That battle would shake the world.
And when it came, Kaido would be even stronger.
He had not yet reached his limit.