Sali's return to the battlefield immediately lifted everyone's morale.
With both the main tank and main damage dealer back in position, the group fought with far greater ease. On the other hand, Kaido's situation became increasingly frustrating.
From Kaido's perspective, these opponents were undeniably strong. Even more absurd, every one of them had mastered Ryuo.
Still, at best, they were only slightly stronger than the All-Stars or Sweet Commanders under the Four Emperors. That level of strength might trouble someone like Whitebeard or Shanks, but against Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, whose defenses were nearly impenetrable, it was far from threatening.
So what if they knew Ryuo? Even if he took a direct hit, at most he would cough up some blood. The damage barely mattered, and his recovery far outpaced their ability to harm him.
However, from another angle, while Kaido and Linlin possessed overwhelming durability, their offensive power was not as sharp or decisive as Whitebeard's or Shanks'.
At the very least, against this group of persistent fighters, Kaido lacked a reliable way to finish them in a single decisive blow.
The most troublesome part was their numbers. They simply would not give him the opportunity to land a killing strike.
At this point, Kaido had to admit that these opponents were far more difficult to deal with than the Nine Red Scabbards or even powerful samurai like Shimotsuki Ushimaru.
Those warriors of Wano could not compare in terms of physique, durability, or recovery.
As the battle dragged on, Kaido also noticed something else. The slippery kid lingering at the edge of the battlefield possessed an incredible healing ability.
With his vast combat experience, Kaido understood immediately. In any group battle, the healer had to be eliminated first.
But every attempt was blocked.
The ones controlling lightning, metal, and earth clung to him like leeches, disrupting his attacks. Whenever they failed to hold him back, the Demon Saint Youki would step in and take the blow head-on, buying time for the others.
Closing the distance was nearly impossible.
Even his Boro Breath was neutralized, countered by one fighter using fire and another dousing him with water.
What irritated him even more was that the one using water also controlled fire.
A rare Mythical Zoan, perhaps?
Once Kaido sorted through his thoughts, the realization shocked him.
Not only were all of them Devil Fruit users, but many were Logia or Mythical Zoan types.
It made them even more troublesome.
By now, Kaido had completely lost interest in focusing on Ash.
These opponents were like parasites, impossible to shake off. After Sali rejoined the fight, the others even dared to take Kaido's strikes head-on, retreating afterward while coughing blood, only to be healed and return again with grim determination.
Kaido's eyes reddened with frustration.
"These pests…"
His kanabo swung faster, tearing through the air with violent force.
Sali's return added pressure, but not enough to change the core situation.
Kaido was irritated, and Ash was growing bored just watching.
Ash glanced toward the bow of the ship. Youki, Wyper, and Jason had already withdrawn and were busy eating and drinking, while Saff stood nearby, steadily healing them.
"Are they badly hurt?" Ash asked.
Saff hesitated, then replied softly, "It's manageable… not as serious as Sali's injuries earlier."
"Got it."
Ash leaned back into his chair, losing interest.
To him, the outcome of the battle was already decided.
King was fighting Pini, but neither could overpower the other. King's Lunarian durability prevented a quick defeat, while Pini lacked the means to break through decisively.
It was a battle of endurance. Whoever overcame their limits first would win.
Ash believed Pini had the greater potential, simply due to the nature of his Devil Fruit.
The same applied elsewhere.
Kaido remained overwhelmingly powerful, but against Sali, who was gradually pushing beyond his limits under pressure, he also lacked the ability to end the fight instantly.
Even when Kaido knocked someone down, another would immediately step in to fill the gap.
Blunt weapons like a kanabo, even with Conqueror's Haki coating, simply did not deliver the same lethal precision as a blade.
At the same time, Sali and the others struggled to deal meaningful damage to Kaido. Their Ryuo attacks could pierce slightly, but not enough to turn the tide.
It was another battle of attrition.
The difference was that Sali's side had numbers. They could rotate, recover, and return.
The outcome would be decided when someone broke past their current limits.
And when that happened, the balance would collapse.
Ash had no interest in watching a foregone conclusion.
His gaze drifted across the battlefield until it landed on the unconscious Beast Pirates scattered nearby.
His eyes lit up.
In the next instant, he vanished.
He reappeared at the edge of the battlefield, casually ignoring those without Devil Fruits. Without hesitation, he grabbed Ulti and Page One.
Another flash, and he returned to the bow of the Dawn Ship.
"I'm heading to the back to run an experiment. Keep watching the fight."
Before anyone could respond, he disappeared again.
The others exchanged puzzled looks, then turned toward Youki and Saff, who had spent the most time around Ash.
Youki simply shrugged, continuing to eat without pause.
At that moment, nothing mattered more than recovering his strength so he could return to fight Kaido.
Saff gave a similar response. "I don't know either."
…
At the top of the Dawn Ship's tower, inside Ash's room.
Ash stood over the unconscious siblings, Ulti and Page One, who lay carelessly on the floor.
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
More than a month ago, during the celebration after the ship's repairs were completed, Ash had planned an experiment involving Devil Fruits.
His goal was simple. He wanted to solve the problem preventing Nico Robin from sharing the same longevity as the others.
However, circumstances had delayed him.
No pirate crews dared approach the Dawn Ship on its journey to Wano, and Ash himself had no interest in hunting down Devil Fruit users.
As a result, the idea had remained nothing more than a thought.
Until now.
In truth, the experiment was straightforward.
Ash wanted to test whether someone who had already consumed a Devil Fruit could still use the fruits he created.
That was all.
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