Hawkeye's eyes went wide.
Doflamingo, Bartholomew Kuma, Moria... their jaws dropped.
Akainu, Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru—every single one of them froze mid-breath.
The entire Marine assembly looked like they'd been struck by lightning. Heads swiveled, searching neighboring faces for confirmation that they'd heard wrong, but every expression mirrored the same shell-shocked disbelief.
Reality crashed down on them...
Their ears hadn't deceived them. Kai had just challenged ALL SEVEN Warlords to come at him at once!!!
The training ground ERUPTED.
"That's—that's insane! Is Admiral White Dragon seriously that confident?!"
"He wants to fight all seven Warlords... simultaneously?!"
"This has to be a joke!"
Even battle-hardened Marines couldn't wrap their heads around it. Sure, maybe none of the Warlords carried bounties exceeding 1.5 billion, but each one packed the destructive power of a several-hundred-million-berry pirate!
Well... technically not seven fighters, because...
"How could I... how could this empress possibly raise her hand against Kai-kun?" Hancock's voice trembled with wounded devotion as she gazed at Kai.
Then her expression transformed. She threw her head back dramatically, thrust one finger toward the other Warlords, and declared with imperial arrogance: "You... if ANY of you dare touch Kai-kun... I will NEVER forgive such insolence!!!"
Kai's face softened with resignation. "Hancock, you don't need to do that. It's just sparring. It'll be over quickly."
Hancock melted instantly, docile as a kitten. Her cheeks flushed crimson. "Kai-kun... are you worried about me? Then I'll do whatever you say."
She retreated to the sidelines.
But Kai's words hadn't been for Hancock alone. The remaining six Warlords heard every syllable with crystal clarity.
Pure. Undisguised. Contempt.
Even Hawkeye's perpetually cold eyes flashed with anger.
Kai caught every reaction. His words weren't meant as insults—just statements of fact.
Though apparently facts they couldn't stomach.
A slight smile crossed his lips. No point explaining. If he spelled out the truth, they'd only get angrier.
Better to just beat the lesson into them. Simple.
"Come at me together. Otherwise..." His tone remained casual, almost bored. "You won't have even the slightest chance."
Even together, you still won't have a chance, he added silently.
"Since Admiral White Dragon is so confident, this old man won't hold back!" Jinbe's blue face darkened to near-purple, his voice a low rumble.
As a whale shark fishman, brutality ran in Jinbe's blood—only Fisher Tiger's influence had tempered those instincts.
And this Jinbe hadn't yet developed the righteous chivalry he'd possess five years from now.
"Fishman Karate: Five Thousand Tile True Punch!!!"
One of the absolute masters of Fishman Karate, Jinbe unleashed his signature technique without hesitation!
The devastating straight punch—capable of shattering five thousand roof tiles—rocketed toward Kai's center mass!
"Desert Spada!!!"
Crocodile's attack came simultaneously from another angle. He knew damn well ordinary techniques would be worthless against Kai.
So he opened with maximum force—both arms erupted into four massive sand blades that gleamed like polished steel. Zero hesitation as they sliced through the air toward Kai!
"Shadow Box!!!" Moria's shout echoed across the grounds.
His shadow exploded into a swarm of black bats that engulfed Kai from all sides. The creatures shifted mid-flight, merging into a solid cube of darkness that imprisoned him completely.
"Kishishishi! Once my Shadow Box has you, there's no escape!" Moria's wild laughter rang out as he watched Kai trapped inside.
Jinbe and Crocodile's attacks closed the final distance!
Both attackers' eyes lit up. Physical attacks like the Five Thousand Tile True Punch and Desert Spada were useless if they couldn't connect. But with Kai immobilized, he'd have to tank their full power head-on!
Both men had absolute confidence in their techniques.
Jinbe's fist and Crocodile's sand blades SLAMMED into the Shadow Box simultaneously. The construct shattered instantly back into countless bats—
Their attacks were about to land—
The brief flash of triumph on their faces died.
Kai's right hand rose with casual grace. His pale, slender palm spread open and caught Jinbe's Five Thousand Tile True Punch like it was a child's toy.
His left hand, coated in jet-black Armament Haki, extended the energy outward into a massive spectral palm that seized both of Crocodile's sand-blade arms in an iron grip.
Jinbe instinctively tried to yank his fist back.
His eyes went wide with shock.
No matter how much force he applied, his fist—merely pressed against Kai's open palm—wouldn't budge a single millimeter!
Impossible! He's not even gripping it!
Jinbe's mind reeled. He couldn't know this was chakra adhesion from another world—the same principle that let shinobi walk up trees, now weaponized to stick an enemy's attack in place.
Just like what Kai was doing right now.
"Perfect opening!"
Doflamingo's eyes flashed behind his sunglasses. With both of Kai's hands occupied, this was the ideal moment for a devastating sneak attack. No way he'd waste it.
"Overheat!!!"
Dozens of nearly invisible strings erupted from his palms, twisting together mid-flight into a thick cord of compressed thread. The attack blazed toward Kai with enough heat to melt steel!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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