"Jahahahaha! Isn't this interesting?" Shiki set the Vampire Fruit aside and stood by the window, overlooking Pirate Island. Staying on this island was incredibly boring, so it was rare to encounter something so amusing.
"How many years has it been since someone dared to cause trouble here?"
The last person this brave was Kaido, but even that kid was taught a lesson by Newgate in the end, and then obediently stayed here as an intern.
Thinking about it carefully, that seems to have already been six years ago.
This time, it seems another monster has broken in. Shiki was delighted; he had always wanted to recruit Kaido, but that guy was stubborn and unresponsive, instead having a very good relationship with Charlotte Linlin.
Speak of the devil. Shiki had just been thinking about Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, and now these two were actually walking over together.
"What's going on, Shiki? It's so noisy over here."
The current Charlotte Linlin was still a tall, fiery beauty.
"Linlin!" Shiki turned around, looking at her with a rather unkind gaze. Although they were in the same pirate crew, the relationship between them could hardly be considered friendly. "What are you doing here? This is my turf!"
"Just here to take a look. It seems you've run into some trouble, doesn't it?" Big Mom walked leisurely to the window, glanced outside, and then said in surprise, "Hey, Kaido, looks like he's an intruder, just like you were."
Kaido was a bit unhappy that Big Mom brought up the past, but he still stepped forward to take a look; he was equally curious about this intruder.
With just one glance, Kaido's interest was piqued. He felt a constant urge to kill the other man germinating within him. So, he turned his head and said to Shiki, "Shiki, let me handle this guy!"
He gripped the Hassaikai on his back, looking eager to try.
"How dare you call me by my name! It seems no one has taught an intern like you any manners!" Shiki scolded angrily, though that was just talk on his part. He acknowledged Kaido's talent, and with that premise, even calling him by his name was something Shiki found acceptable.
"Fine, since you kid want to go, I'll let you give it a try." Shiki thought for a moment; letting Kaido, the kid, expend some effort wasn't bad. Although he valued the intruder's strength, it hadn't reached the point where he absolutely had to take action personally.
So Shiki silently sheathed the swords at his waist, folded his arms, and started watching the show together with Charlotte Linlin.
Seizing this opportunity, Big Mom lowered her voice and said:
"Shiki, the situation lately seems a bit off. The Marines seem to be making some special moves."
"The Marines? What is there to fear from those guys!" Shiki said disdainfully. The powerhouses of the sea, especially the great pirates entrenched in the New World, were rarely afraid of the Marines.
Take themselves for example; the location of Pirate Island was hardly a secret. Yet, with Rocks having ruled the New World for so long, which Marine dared to come knocking on their door?
Seeing Shiki's attitude, Charlotte Linlin didn't say anything more. Their relationship wasn't very good to begin with, especially with Shiki's arrogant character, which made him rather unpopular. Mentioning it casually was already doing her duty.
So the two stopped talking and focused on the distance.
Kaido carried his mace, charging down like a fierce dragon, instantly attracting Kozuki Oden's attention.
Interestingly, these two were almost the same age this year. They were similar in age, and their strength was surprisingly about equal. Oden kicked the surrounding pirates away, then opened his twin blades and charged toward Kaido like a ninja.
"Wororororo..." Demon-like horns grew from Kaido's head as he raised the Hassaikai high. The Haki wrapped around it shot out like lightning. "Thunder Bagua!"
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Tachibana!" Oden flew up to meet him, his blades parallel as he slashed horizontally at Kaido, but he was blocked by the Haki-infused Thunder Bagua.
At this time, Kaido's ability was actually at most at the level of Thunder Bagua, and Oden was also somewhat immature.
Watching this from afar, Shiki nodded slightly and said, "Linlin, you've taught that kid quite well."
Kaido used to be a soldier in a certain kingdom. Although he was strong, he didn't have systematic Haki usage techniques. These were things he learned later, and Big Mom helped him a lot in this regard.
"That guy still has a lot to learn." Big Mom shook her head. Even Kaido's current strength was considered just passable in their eyes.
But for Oden, this was completely an evenly matched opponent.
"You are strong. Are you that Golden Lion by any chance?" Oden held his swords, staring at the man whose size was almost twice his. However, his words completely infuriated Kaido.
"You bastard, don't confuse me with that bastard Shiki!" The veins all over Kaido's body bulged as he slammed the Hassaikai fiercely into the ground. It wasn't that he looked down on Shiki, he just simply didn't like the guy.
"No?" Oden was surprised for a moment. He had heard sailors say that the two strongest people on the island currently were the Golden Lion and Big Mom. Since the latter was a woman and Kaido was so strong, Oden thought he was the Golden Lion.
"My name is Kaido! You bastard, remember that well!" Kaido snorted coldly, then smiled cruelly, "No, it doesn't matter if you remember or not. You're going to be killed by me soon anyway!"
"That's not certain." Oden laughed, then placed his twin swords horizontally in front of him. Ryuo flowed continuously through his body. In the eyes of those who mastered Haki, his whole body seemed to be wrapped in some kind of golden flowing water.
Conversely, Kaido was the same.
"My name is Kozuki Oden!"
"I have absolutely no interest in your name—" Kaido roared. The ground beneath his left foot had completely cracked. The next moment, he rushed out like a demon god. The Hassaikai almost tore the air apart; although it wasn't a blade, it still produced an effect similar to a slash during high-speed swinging.
Oden immediately met the attack. The Ame no Habakiri and Enma in his hands overlapped into a cross, piercing forward like a pair of scissors.
"Thunder Bagua—"
Kaido swung the Hassaikai. The Haki-infused Hassaikai was released during the swing, forming a pillar of air that shot toward Oden from a distance. Oden was not to be outdone either; he thrust his twin swords out, and sword energy flew out, rushing forward like a flying dragon!
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Gun Modoki Giri."
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