"What happened?!"
"The sky... it's been torn apart!"
"What in the world is going on?"
"Two monsters are fighting—either in Wano or on Onigashima!"
The sudden transformation of the sky over Onigashima and Wano instantly alarmed pirates, samurai, and civilians alike.
Staring at the abyss-like hole torn through the clouds, all who witnessed it—pirates, samurai, and common folk—widened their eyes in disbelief. Some civilians with weaker psychological fortitude were stunned senseless by the unprecedented phenomenon, while even ordinary pirates and samurai fared little better.
Only the most well-informed individuals immediately grasped the truth: two monsters were clashing somewhere in Wano or on nearby Onigashima.
The Beasts Pirates stationed in Wano promptly contacted headquarters. After receiving confirmation from Onigashima, they breathed sighs of relief.
It was merely a greeting between powerful figures, not an invasion of Wano or Onigashima. The Beasts Pirates in Wano resumed their duties, while those on Onigashima observed the ongoing battle with expressions ranging from awe and fervor to shock.
Including the figure hidden behind the fox statue, who continued peeping at El with a stunned expression beneath her Hannya mask.
"Such aura fluctuations... that guy actually mastered Conqueror's coating, just like that old man."
After murmuring this, Yamato's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up.
"Could it be... they're enemies?"
At this thought, Yamato immediately grabbed her Kanabo mace—named Ajian, somewhat more slender and studded compared to Kaido's spiked version—and dashed into the building to watch the battle.
But after only a few steps, she halted abruptly. Beneath her mask, her expression was unreadable. Without explanation, she suddenly turned and disappeared.
This high-speed movement was achieved through her own footwork technique, God Foot—quite similar to Soru.
—
At that moment, the clash occurring at a higher level within the Skull Dome concluded its first round and commenced the second.
After the collision of Conqueror's coating dissipated, El and Kaido once again enveloped their weapons in Conqueror's Haki and collided once more.
BOOM!
Another deafening explosion rang out.
With the reappearance of that invisible force, the collision of Conqueror's coating—far surpassing the previous one—swept across all of Onigashima once again. As the energy continued rising into the sky, the clouds grew even darker and more expansive.
By now, the indoor floors, walls, and ceilings had been shaken by multiple collisions of Conqueror's coating; cracks began spiderwebbing across their surfaces.
This clash of Conqueror's coating was merely a greeting between the two. Otherwise, even with the room's high-quality materials, it would have already collapsed.
Doflamingo, caught in the eye of the storm, not only had to bend his knees but also used his hands to block the shockwaves—just to clearly witness the battle between these two monsters.
Yet King, standing beside Doflamingo, remained unaffected by the collision of Conqueror's coating containing such advanced Armament Haki usage from both monsters.
From this, it was evident that each emperor's deputy commander possessed strength infinitely close to the peak level—much like the three girls in Asura form or Benn Beckman of the Red-Haired Pirates.
This time, the collision of Conqueror's coating lasted several minutes before finally dissipating.
After the second round ended, El and Kaido did not proceed to a third. Instead, they simultaneously lowered their weapons.
"Worororo! No wonder you little brat reached this level at only thirteen."
Gazing down at El, who stood more than five meters shorter, Kaido's eyes no longer held contempt—only appreciation.
"You've got that old man Redfield's Observation Haki, Shiki's swordsmanship and Devil Fruit ability, and Linlin's monstrous physique. You little brat... you're not really a son of this world, are you?"
"Impressive. You could discern all that in just two rounds. As expected of the Strongest Creature in the world."
El did not deny it; instead, he affirmed Kaido's words. Hearing this, King and Doflamingo—not far away—felt their eyes narrow behind sunglasses and goggles. A surge of awe and trepidation washed over them, especially Doflamingo. He felt increasingly fortunate that he hadn't turned against El a month ago.
As long as he helped El obtain the materials and methods to harness Devil Fruit power, he would secure the favor of the Fourth Emperor of the Sea—the future strongest man in the world.
Truly a rewarding investment!
Kaido snorted lightly, then addressed King standing nearby: "King, bring three glasses of wine."
"Understood." King nodded, turned, and walked out.
After a moment, King returned carrying three large wine glasses in one hand and a sizable wine jug in the other.
"Brat... no, El. I acknowledge you."
Settling back into his specially made chair—unaffected by the collisions of Conqueror's coating—Kaido set his mace aside. Taking the wine jug King brought, he unscrewed the cap, filled the three large glasses before him, then tossed the jug back to King.
Raising the wine glass before him, Kaido looked at El solemnly and declared: "From this day forward, you are my ally and a partner of the Beasts Pirates. To our friendship—cheers!"
El also raised his glass, clinking it with Kaido's and Doflamingo's.
El merely took a sip before setting his glass down. In both past and present, El abstained from alcohol and tobacco.
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