A trace of awe at Kaido's formidable power flashed in Jozu's eyes, his normally steady expression now slightly disturbed.
Marco frowned slightly, complex lights flickering in his profound gaze. "Indeed, but it seems Pops is still stronger!"
On the other side of the battlefield,
The CP0 agent chuckled coldly, slowly wiping his blood-stained sword.
His pristine white suit was now splattered with his comrades' blood, creating a shocking visual contrast.
His gaze remained fixed on the staggering yet stubbornly standing Kaido, a hint of apprehension flashing beneath his mask.
"As expected of Kaido, hailed as the 'Strongest Creature'—still unleashing such combat power when exhausted..." he murmured softly, his voice unusually low in the tense silence.
Then, he slowly raised his sword, the blade glinting with a bone-chilling cold under the sunlight, seemingly capable of freezing the surrounding air.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he curled his lips into an icy smile and said coldly.
"Allow me to send you on your final journey."
At this critical moment,
A black-gloved hand suddenly shot out like lightning, blocking the CP0 agent's path.
The seemingly casual gesture carried an intangible authority and power that froze the CP0 agent's movements.
He turned his head slowly in shock, his eyes falling upon the ever-silent black-robed figure.
"G-Great One...?" The CP0 agent's voice unconsciously carried a trace of awe, his throat seemingly choked by something as his words trembled slightly.
He never expected this enigmatic and unfathomable figure to intervene at this very moment.
The black-robed figure remained standing silently, not uttering a single word, merely making a simple yet profound gesture.
With a light flick of his wide sleeve, the unconscious King was tossed to the CP0 agent like a heavy bundle.
The CP0 agent hurriedly extended both hands, carefully catching King's severely injured body.
Just then, a hoarse, low voice reached his ears.
"Take him to Vegapunk."
The voice was as rough and grating as sandpaper, sending shivers down one's spine.
"Go. Your business here is done," the black-robed figure's voice sounded again, leaving no room for doubt.
"Yes!"
The CP0 agent bowed in salute, his movements swift and respectful, not daring the slightest negligence.
Immediately after, he grabbed the unconscious King and, moving like lightning, vanished from the edge of the battlefield in a few leaps.
Witnessing King being taken away by CP0, Kaido's massive dragon eyes ignited with furious flames.
His entire body tensed, the blue-black dragon scales gleaming with a cold luster under the sunlight, resembling impenetrable armor.
The black and red lightning crackling around Hassaikai sizzled.
"Thinking of taking King away? In your dreams!" Kaido roared.
His colossal frame erupted with astonishing speed as the spiked club, carrying earth-shattering force, shot straight toward the CP0 agent, intent on crushing everything in its path.
At this critical, life-or-death moment—
"CLANG!!!"
A deafening metallic clash reverberated across the battlefield, loud enough to shatter eardrums.
A simple, archaic-looking cane suddenly extended from the black robe, firmly blocking Kaido's Hassaikai.
The shockwave generated by the collision of the two weapons surged outward like raging tidal waves, cracking the ground in all directions.
Spiderweb-like fissures spread rapidly as billowing dust blotted out the sky.
"What!"
Kaido's already ferocious face twisted to the extreme, his pupils contracting sharply like a tranquil lake struck by a boulder, rippling with shock and fury.
This strike of his was fueled by pure rage—
The raised Hassaikai seemed to carry the weight of a thousands ton, capable of cleaving towering mountains and reducing solid rock to dust.
Yet, such an unstoppable blow was parried by his opponent.
His full-powered assault was nothing but a trivial farce in the other's eyes.
Had he truly reached the end of his strength...?
What shocked Kaido even more was that the mysterious black-robed figure hadn't retreated a single step.
His stance, firmly rooted to the ground, resembled an unshakable mountain, unmoved despite the storm's onslaught.
Moreover, the cane in the black-robed figure's hand didn't tremble in the slightest, as if it had withstood not a world-shattering blow, but a gentle breeze.
"You...!" Kaido gnashed his teeth, grinding them audibly under immense fury, while his arms trembled from uncontrollable rage.
From the start of the battle until now, he still couldn't clearly see the face hidden beneath the black cloak.
This feeling of being shrouded in mist and toyed with by the unknown made the fury in his heart burn like a pile of oil-soaked firewood, raging so fiercely it nearly consumed his very soul.
"Vermin who hides his head and conceals his tail!" Kaido roared, the sound vibrating painfully in everyone's eardrums.
In the blink of an eye, he suddenly changed his move.
Hassaikai traced a bizarre arc through the air.
The swift downward strike transformed into a sweeping motion, aimed directly at the hooded figure's head.
It was like a vicious dragon choosing its prey, carrying endless ferocity and dominance.
"Show me your true form!"
Amid Kaido's furious roar, this strike was as fast as lightning, wrapped in a violent Conqueror's Haki.
The Conqueror's Haki seemed almost tangible, forming an invisible shockwave that spread outwards, causing the surrounding air to emit a "hissing" sound as if torn apart by this immense power.
The hooded figure seemed caught off guard by Kaido's sudden change in attack.
Although he reacted quickly, retreating, he was still a fraction too slow.
"Whoosh—"
The gust from the spiked club howled past, its powerful force like a sharp blade sweeping across the hooded figure's hood.
Black fabric fluttered in the air.
As the hood was flung back, the true face hidden beneath the cloak was revealed.
It was a dignified, weathered face with a prominent scar on the left cheek resembling a winding earthworm.
He had a fluffy white beard and curly white hair that trembled slightly in the breeze.
The entire battlefield fell into silence, time itself seeming to freeze at this moment.
"The world's highest authority, the Five Elders!"