The sight of Wood leaping through the air and the terrifying dragon breath that had destroyed Pudding Island caused a heavy silence to fall upon everyone present.
Whether it was Wood's temporary allies like Stussy, Doflamingo, who had been against Wood in every way, or even the Big Mom Pirates, who had reached an agreement with him, all fell into a collective hush.
They had known before that the Navy traitor, Wood, was powerful, but no one had expected him to be this powerful!
There had always been rumors throughout the sea that Wood was the strongest under the Yonko and the three Marine Admirals, yet many people had doubted that. They believed that his high position was largely due to the backing of powerful forces behind him.
But today, seeing what had unfolded before them, everyone present finally understood that Wood's fame wasn't just due to his connections or business ventures—he was an extraordinarily strong individual in his own right!
After striking Kaido's dragon breath and sending it flying back, Wood felt his hands go numb. But before he had time to relax, his sharp Observation Haki warned him of sudden danger approaching from behind.
In an instant, Wood's right hand reached for the hilt of his sword, and as he spun around, he drew it in one fluid motion.
"Elbaf's Spear: Ikoku!"
A massive sword beam came crashing toward him. Wood barely had time to draw his sword, Tenku, to block it, but the overwhelming pressure immediately knocked him, sword and all, straight into the sea.
As Wood was sent flying into the ocean, the gigantic sword energy cleaved through the sea, leaving a trench that stretched for several dozen kilometers across the water.
Naturally, the one who had unleashed this attack was Big Mom, riding on the giantified Zeus as she flew through the air.
The *Ikoku* attack, which originated from the giants of Elbaf, was a skill Big Mom had learned during her time living in the Elbaf village.
After sending Wood crashing into the sea, the now-enraged Big Mom didn't stop there and instead turned her attention back toward Kaido.
"Heaven's Fire!"
Standing atop Zeus, Big Mom grasped Napoleon in one hand and grabbed Prometheus with the other, hurling him toward the island where Kaido was.
As Prometheus transformed into a towering pillar of flame, it struck down upon Chocolate Island, triggering a massive explosion.
The extreme heat instantly melted large swaths of chocolate on the island, and just like Pudding Island before it, Chocolate Island was now obliterated by the clash of the Yonko.
Yet even in the face of such a powerful attack that could destroy an entire island, Kaido, now transformed into his dragon form, bathed in flames as he roared out, emerging unscathed.
This "strongest creature on land, sea, and air" was as tough as ever, with barely a scratch to show.
Moreover, as Kaido shot out of the flames, he retaliated by unleashing another blast of "Boro Breath" aimed at the airborne Big Mom.
The "Boro Breath" Kaido used this time, however, wasn't the fiery heat blast from before. Instead, it consisted of countless razor-sharp wind blades.
These wind blades were not only incredibly dense but also razor-sharp, each one as powerful as the flying slashes of a master swordsman, easily capable of slicing through armor and stone.
"Tendai Jizaitenjin!" Big Mom responded to the wind blades with a wide-range attack of her own.
Manipulating Zeus, Big Mom unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts in all directions. These bolts weren't just mindless discharges; each one had a mind of its own, capable of changing direction to target anything that tried to evade them.
As the wind blades and lightning clashed in the air, the sky itself seemed to change color, and a massive tsunami surged up from the sea, capsizing many ships that had been attempting to flee Totto Land.
"This can't continue," Perospero muttered as he and Big Mom's other children stood on the shoreline of Cake Island, watching the fierce battle in the distant sky, their faces heavy with worry.
Although Wood had successfully drawn Big Mom and Kaido away from Cake Island, the battle was still taking place within the territory of Totto Land. If the fight dragged on, even if Cake Island was spared, the other islands would suffer.
Big Mom's children wanted to stop the battle, but they simply didn't have the power to intervene.
Even the elite members of the Big Mom Pirates—the Sweet Commanders and the Three Calamities—were no match for the full force of the Yonko.
And since the fight was taking place in the sky above the ocean, there was little they could do. Most of them didn't have the ability to fly, and even if they did, engaging in a battle in the air against the Yonko was extremely dangerous.
Besides, most of the key fighters in the Big Mom Pirates were Devil Fruit users. Falling into the sea would spell disaster for them.
"Where's Wood? There's no way he's dead just from one of Mama's Ikoku attacks, right?" one of Big Mom's children asked anxiously.
Previously, when they had negotiated with Wood, they had been gambling on luck. But after witnessing his display of strength, they now genuinely placed their hopes on him.
"I don't know if he survived the Ikoku, but based on what we've seen, Wood's power seems to come from a Devil Fruit. Now that he's fallen into the sea, even if he wasn't killed by the attack, he might drown."
For all Devil Fruit users, seawater was a natural enemy, with few exceptions among those with extremely strong Zoan powers. In Smoothie's opinion, Wood might not have died outright, but after being thrown into the sea, he likely no longer had the strength to fight.
Meanwhile, the battle between Big Mom and Kaido continued, with neither Yonko holding back their power.
Guests who had come to attend Big Mom's tea party were in a state of panic. Normally, the Yonko refrained from fighting, but when they did, the destruction was on a colossal scale.
Watching a clash between two Yonko was a rare opportunity, but most of the people in Totto Land now wanted nothing more than to escape.
There was no other option—battles between the Yonko were simply too dangerous. The destruction of island after island proved that this was far beyond their ability to handle.
Although Cake Island was currently safe, it was only a matter of time before the battle reached them. Once Big Mom and Kaido fully unleashed their power, they wouldn't care who or what was in their way.
The ships that had been capsized by the tsunami were proof of that—those who had tried to flee in terror had been the first to fall.
At this moment, few people on Cake Island remained calm, with only strong individuals like Doflamingo, Stussy, and Robin maintaining their composure.
Although the battle between the Yonko was terrifying, there were still many powerful fighters present. As long as they weren't directly targeted by Big Mom or Kaido, they had enough confidence to leave Totto Land safely, even if the entire nation was destroyed.
"Robin, your boss was just hit by Big Mom's Ikoku and fell into the sea. Even if the best Fish-Man swimmers went to save him, they wouldn't be able to withstand the aftershocks of the fight. In other words, your boss is most likely already dead," Doflamingo said, his voice dripping with amusement.
The grin on Doflamingo's face showed that he was not only unafraid of the current situation but actually enjoying it.
Truthfully, after seeing Wood simultaneously knock back both Big Mom and Kaido earlier and using advanced Haki techniques that even Doflamingo hadn't mastered, he had been deeply shaken.
He and Wood had a long-standing grudge, and during the tea party, he had continuously provoked Wood. Seeing Wood's overwhelming strength had filled him with fear.
But now, the tables had turned. After being blindsided by Big Mom's sneak attack, Wood had taken a full hit from Ikoku and was sent into the ocean.
Doflamingo didn't know what kind of Devil Fruit Wood had eaten, but he knew that seawater was the ultimate enemy of all Devil Fruit users, with no exceptions.
Moreover, although Wood had connections with the Fish-Man Island, it seemed he had only brought Nico Robin to this tea party. Even if he had brought Fish-Men along, they wouldn't have been able to survive in the center of Big Mom and Kaido's battle, where the area was consumed by fire and lightning.
Even Doflamingo, confident as he was in his own strength, wouldn't dare claim he could enter that area unscathed.
"So, what exactly do you want from me, Doflamingo?" Robin asked coldly.
Although she hadn't interacted with Doflamingo much, she knew of his reputation and held no affection for him, especially considering his past conflicts with Wood.
"Don't be so cold, Demon Child. Truthfully, I've always admired your work. Now that your boss is dead, haven't you thought about finding a new master?
Your strength is decent, but without Wood, do you really think you and Ruth can hold on to that vast empire?
Golden Emperor Tesoro is working with you mostly because of Wood, isn't he? If he learns Wood is dead, do you think he'll just sit idly by and let you keep that treasure trove?"
Doflamingo's signature laugh rang out as he spoke, grinning
all the while.
Robin, still expressionless, looked at Doflamingo. Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she replied, "Oh? So you're suggesting that before Tesoro makes his move, I should find a new, stronger backer. And this supposed backer is you, Doflamingo?"
"Why not?" Doflamingo continued with a smirk. "In the underground world, aside from Wood, I hold the most power. If you join my Donquixote Family, you'll become one of my own, and I always protect my own.
I'll even guarantee that your status in my family will be the same as it is now—second only to me."
For a long time, Doflamingo had coveted Wood's weapons business and the massive network it had built. In fact, most people in the New World had their eyes on it.
Several people had attempted to copy Wood's business model, but none had succeeded, as no one could match the advanced technology that Wood's company possessed. As a result, Wood's company had a monopoly on the weapons trade.
With Wood now presumed dead, his business empire was up for grabs, and Doflamingo couldn't resist the opportunity.
However, even in death, Wood's empire was formidable. With capable individuals like Nico Robin and Ruth under his banner, plus a host of powerful Fish-Men and cutting-edge weapons, Doflamingo knew that trying to take over Wood's operations by force would be costly.
So the best strategy, in his mind, was to win over Nico Robin. Although the Donquixote Family had clashed with Wood in the past, Doflamingo had no personal enmity with Robin.
According to his sources, Robin held the purse strings of Wood's weapons empire, commanding immense influence and respect on Dark Abyss Island.
If she were to join the Donquixote Family, Doflamingo believed he could take over Wood's entire empire without too much trouble.
"Considering the enmity between Wood and you, the members of his pirate crew must be well aware of it," Stussy interjected, interrupting Doflamingo's pitch. "If you were to join the Donquixote Family, those loyal Fish-Men would revolt.
So, if you're thinking of switching sides, I'd be more than happy to welcome you into our fold, Nico Robin."
Clearly, Doflamingo wasn't the only sharp mind present. As he tried to recruit Robin, Stussy had also appeared, flashing her long legs in black stockings and holding her handbag. Like Doflamingo, she sought to claim the massive treasure that was Wood's empire.
Seeing Stussy step in to interfere, Doflamingo's face darkened with frustration.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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