Garp took out a rice cracker and said to the people around him, "The title of the world's strongest has already changed hands, but Roy and Whitebeard are basically unharmed. There's no doubt that this operation has failed."
Beside him, Sakazuki instantly clenched his fist, his gaze fixed on the ice without hiding his killing intent in the slightest.
"Calm down, Sakazuki. Right now, the battlefield has the former world's strongest and the current world's strongest on it. On top of that, there are other great pirate forces hiding in the dark. We have no chance of winning!"
Kuzan exhaled a breath of cold air and spoke in a deep voice.
On the ice, after the people of the Thunder God Pirates were awakened by Whitebeard's laughter, the corners of everyone's mouths began to split into wide grins.
"Weehahahaha!"
"Yohoho!"
"Hahahahahaha!!"
A mad performance unfolded on the ice. Whether it was the main combat members or the ordinary crew members, all of them threw their heads back and laughed.
Even Kuma, who rarely smiled, faced the sky, the corners of his mouth lifting into a gentle curve.
"Let's go."
Compared to the Thunder God Pirates' revelry, even though Whitebeard himself did not care about his defeat, he could not stop his sons from falling into a low mood.
Only one person, in a corner where no one else could see him, had the corners of his mouth stretched wide, his eyes blood-red as he let out a silent laugh.
"Zehahaha! So this is the abnormal power of someone who has mastered two Devil Fruit abilities? If I obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit, then maybe I can become even stronger too. And when that time comes, if I add…"
Teach glanced at Whitebeard, then quickly withdrew his gaze.
However, a flash of firmness and resolve passed through his eyes.
Meanwhile, on the Thunder God Pirates' side, after a burst of howling and cheering, they discovered that Roy was simply smiling quietly as he watched them. Their momentum gradually settled down.
"You didn't disappoint me. Even when facing the strongest pirate crew in the world, you all showed your own presence."
Roy said it with a smile.
"This is what we should do!"
"We couldn't let Whitebeard look down on us!"
"That's right, that's right!"
Waves of excited voices rose one after another. Clearly, they still had not calmed down from this enormous news.
"Good. Then, according to tradition, next comes the banquet!"
"Woohoo!"
The scene erupted into joyful shouts once again.
"However, before the banquet…"
Roy suddenly interrupted their shouting and raised his head, looking at a black dot rapidly falling from the sky.
"We still have to deal with some minor trouble first."
"Boom!"
The black dot crashed down onto the ice, creating a huge crater. The surrounding ice instantly shattered!
"Katakuri-nii, could that person be…?!"
Far away from Punk Hazard, the members of the Big Mom Pirates, who had long been hiding here, also noticed the abnormality.
Katakuri, who was leading them, had a red light flash through his eyes as he said in a muffled voice, "That's right. It's Kaido of the Beasts!"
On the ice, the shattered chunks scattered away, revealing a towering figure.
"So you came after all, Kaido, you brat."
Beneath the Moby Dick, Whitebeard, who had been preparing to board and leave, also curved the corner of his mouth as he looked toward the ice.
He was tall and powerfully built, with black hair draped over his shoulders. A pair of horns grew from his head, and he had a long mustache that resembled dragon whiskers. His left arm bore a dragon-scale tattoo.
His upper body was bare, with a cross-shaped scar on the right side of his abdomen. A purple coat hung at his waist, two golden chains dangling from the hem. His lower body was dressed in loose dark-green pants, and a shimenawa rope was tied around his waist. He looked like an ancient demon god.
This was the future Emperor of the Sea, the current captain of the Beasts Pirates, the suspected user of a Mythical Zoan Dragon Fruit: Kaido of the Beasts!
After revealing himself, Kaido raised his enormous head and stared fiercely at Roy.
"So it's just a brat who hasn't even grown all his hair yet. Hey, Whitebeard, did you really lose to a brat like this? You didn't deliberately go easy on him, did you?"
After sizing Roy up for a while, Kaido turned his head and shouted toward Whitebeard.
"That bastard actually dares to insult Pops?!"
"Pops?"
"That guy isn't someone who lets others casually judge him."
Whitebeard looked toward Roy and discovered that Roy was also sizing Kaido up without restraint, his gaze filled with interest.
"Hey, I said, you're Kaido of the Beasts, right?"
Roy spoke, drawing Kaido's attention back.
"Hic—what is it, brat? Are you that impatient to die? Perfect. Let me see exactly how you managed to beat Whitebeard and take the title of the strongest from him!"
Kaido let out a drunken hiccup, then drew the massive kanabo from his waist.
At the same time, his eyes were filled with eagerness and interest.
Seeing Kaido like this, Roy gave a faint smile.
Kaido was the kind of person who liked fighting against many opponents alone. He often challenged the Marines by himself without bringing his subordinates.
He had once said that he wanted to destroy this boring world and create the greatest war in the world.
Clearly, he was a complete and utter war maniac.
"How about we make a deal?" Roy looked at Kaido, several ideas coming to mind.
"Hah? A deal?"
"To be precise, a wager."
Roy looked at Kaido's body, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.
"A wager? What wager?" Kaido rested the kanabo on his shoulder and asked in a heavy, booming voice.
"One move."
Roy looked at Kaido and raised three fingers.
"Don't you like going all over the world trying to kill yourself? Then I'll bet that I can kill you with one move. If I can't kill you, I'll join your Beasts Pirates. If I can kill you in one move, then the Three Calamities under your command, along with all your forces and subordinates, will merge into my pirate crew. How about it?"
After Roy finished speaking, the ice fell silent once again.
It was even quieter and more deathly still than before.
Only after a long while—
"Heh! Has that guy gone mad?! That's Kaido! Among all creatures on land, sea, and air, he's the pirate known as the 'World's Strongest Creature.' He's famous for his sturdy body and unkillable constitution. That's why people call him the strongest creature among the strong!"
At this moment, whether it was the Marines hidden in the dark, the Big Mom Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates at the scene, or the Thunder God Pirates, all of them felt that this was utterly absurd.
That was Kaido!
His reputation for being unkillable was just as famous as Whitebeard's name.
(End of Chapter)
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