When the Hundred Beasts Pirates' warship entered this stretch of sea, King—still in his Pteranodon form—released his talons, letting a bloodied and battered Doflamingo drop vertically toward the deck.
King then dove, shifting into his human form as he neared the boards. His appearance, dressed in the dark uniform of a high-ranking prison executioner, sent a chill through the hearts of those watching.
Thud! Kaido made no effort to catch Doflamingo, allowing him to slam hard onto the deck beside him. As Doflamingo scrambled to his feet, Kaido stared directly into his eyes, his gaze filled with infinite violence.
Faced with Kaido's raw pressure, even Doflamingo—the Underworld Emperor with Conqueror's Haki and a Shichibukai title—couldn't help but shrink his neck. A flicker of genuine fear surfaced in the depths of his eyes. If it weren't for their business partnership, his legs might have started trembling.
"Joker, your performance over these past two days... has left me very dissatisfied."
Kaido's cold voice caused Doflamingo's face to twitch. However, Doflamingo quickly stood up, forcing a jagged smile onto his face.
"Lord Kaido, the culprit stopping our transaction is that man, Rowan! If he hadn't interfered, I would have already brought Caesar to Dressrosa. If we had the raw materials Caesar holds, the current batch of SMILEs would be fully mature and ready for your army."
In just a few sentences, Doflamingo shifted the blame for the delay entirely onto Rowan.
"Hmph!"
Kaido snorted coldly. He knew the source of the trouble was the man whose name had been setting the world ablaze lately. What bothered him was Joker's inability to handle it. He had seen Doflamingo's pathetic state as he was sent flying earlier.
"Boss, news just came in. Jack has been found."
At that moment, a stout man puffing on a cigar stepped out from the cabin. Below the Hundred Beasts' emblem on his right arm, the letters 'QUEEN' were tattooed. This was the second of the "Three Calamities," Lead Performer Queen the Plague!
Queen walked up to Kaido, not even deigning to look at Doflamingo. In his eyes, Joker was a minor player; if not for the boss's deal, Doflamingo wouldn't even be fit to share the same deck. While Doflamingo was a Warlord with a 340 million bounty, Queen's bounty stood at a staggering 1.32 billion—nearly a billion higher!
"Did you find him?" Kaido asked heavily. "What's his condition?"
Queen looked toward Dachik Island and spoke slowly. "Not great. He's still unconscious. The report says Jack's Vivre Card burned down halfway, though it has stopped burning for now."
"Burned halfway, huh..."
Kaido's face grew even darker. His violent gaze fixed on Rowan. The reason he had personally set sail was this old man.
"Hey! Old Man Rowan! You've done quite a job this time!"
Though Kaido's words sounded like praise, his expression and the sheer fury in his voice told a different story. As he roared, the surrounding sea surface exploded into geysers of white water. Many onlookers clutched their ears, unable to withstand the sonic pressure.
Kaido... was truly enraged!
"Kaido... of the Hundred Beasts..."
Aboard the warship, the Marine soldiers clutched their ears in pain. Even then, they could feel their eardrums throb painfully.
"Quick! Bring the warship to Vice Admiral Rowan!" Momonga shouted. His face was deathly pale. Fear and horror were no longer sufficient to describe his state of mind. He just wanted to get Rowan and get out of this cursed place!
It was too dangerous. Ignoring the wounded Hawkeye, they were surrounded by three Warlords and dozens of infamous pirates. Most terrifyingly, three of the four Emperors had arrived—and Kaido was clearly gunning for Rowan.
"Mr. Rowan, get on the ship! We need to leave, now!" Momonga shouted as he leaped onto the shore beside Rowan.
"Senior Rowan..." Zoro also moved to Rowan's side, his hand on his hilt. Even with his iron will, his scalp was tingling.
Luffy, however, remained fearless. He grinned at the world-class powerhouses surrounding them. So these are the strongest in the world? One day, I'm gonna kick all their asses!
Rowan looked at the panicked Momonga, took a slow puff of his pipe, and chuckled. "Leave? Momonga-boy, do you think Kaido or Doflamingo will just let you sail away?"
Never mind Whitebeard and Shanks—Kaido and Doflamingo were here specifically for him. In the past, Rowan might have considered slipping away. But now? He, Rowan, was supposed to be afraid of a mere "Emperor"? Even if Whitebeard and Shanks joined in, so what?
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Rowan met Kaido's violent gaze. He spoke calmly to Momonga.
"Take the soldiers and hide in the interior of the island. Leave the rest to me."
If a fight broke out with Kaido, a thousand soldiers would be useless. They would only be a liability.
"Mr. Rowan..." Momonga felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew Rowan was right. But... he took a deep breath, suppressed his terror, and said firmly: "If you don't retreat, we don't retreat!"
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