BOOM!
The massive platform fell into dead silence.
As the sudden wave of special forces emerged, Catarina and the others—freshly escaped from Impel Down—felt like they had a fishbone stuck in their throats.
They had thought that with their numbers and the arrival of the Beasts Pirates, they could turn the tide.
They never imagined things would spiral this far out of control.
Even Doflamingo, who had been full of confidence, now looked uncertain. He was the first to break the silence:
"Kaido, what do we do now? We can't afford to lose this battle!"
At this point, Doflamingo and Blackbeard had already openly betrayed the Navy.
If they won, they could still salvage their reputations and negotiate with a defeated Marine HQ.
But if they lost, they'd lose everything—including their influence in both the underworld and the pirate world.
"Shut up! You hold off Yamato. Killing that brat is nothing to me!"
Kaido roared, his massive body twisting through the sky.
The thought that he had just left Wano, only to have his home stolen and his heir taken—was enough to drive him into a frenzy.
"You bastard, Kaido! You've tried to kill me over and over, and you still expect me to call you father? Never! I'll kill you!"
Yamato roared back, gripping her kanabō and charging forward.
BOOM!
The platform trembled as lightning crackled around her. She leapt into the air, swinging her weapon:
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Foolish child," Kaido snarled.
"You still don't get it. This is a world where the strong devour the weak. That brat hasn't moved an inch—without you so-called 'special forces,' he wouldn't even dare show up!"
"And that attack? That's not even worthy of being called Thunder Bagua!"
BOOM!
Lightning exploded again.
The shockwave blasted outward like a raging storm, sending Yamato flying like a cannonball.
"Doffy! If you're not moving now, when will you?" Kaido bellowed.
Doflamingo snapped out of it, his face twisted with frustration.
"Blackbeard! If you want to get out of this alive, help me stop Yamato!"
"Shield White Thread!"
He lunged forward, manipulating the shattered debris around him into writhing threads that shot toward Yamato like serpents.
Blackbeard hesitated, then gritted his teeth and joined in.
Together, they managed to restrain Yamato.
Magellan tried to move to help, but Shiryu stepped in his way.
Cigar clenched between his teeth, Shiryu's face was dark.
"Shiryu! Can't you see what's happening? It's not too late to stop this. Help me suppress the prisoners—"
"Stop?" Shiryu growled.
"I'm not spending my life in a prison cell. This is my only shot at freedom."
"And Kaido was right. If that arrogant new admiral really had the strength to stop him, he wouldn't need all these 'special forces.'"
"All I have to do is stall you. Give Kaido time to kill that brat. That's all it takes."
"Catarina! If you're not moving now, when will you?"
Catarina and the others, still hesitant, finally snapped to attention. Their expressions hardened, and they stepped forward.
King and Queen arrived from the distance, but before they could speak, Fujitora chuckled lightly:
"Heh… looks like you've all misunderstood."
"He only invited us so he could claim the bounty fair and square. He didn't force us to fight."
"As for earlier… well, they just wanted to show off."
"But since even old Nagli's made a move, I guess I'll show off a little too. Otherwise, I won't get to enjoy my sake in peace later."
"Gravity Field: Meteor Shower!"
Fujitora unsheathed his cane-sword.
He slashed several graceful arcs through the air—then sheathed it again.
The move seemed so anticlimactic that everyone was left dumbfounded.
Wasn't he supposed to be one of the strongest special forces?
Why did he just wave his sword and stop?
"Look! What's that?"
A pirate suddenly screamed in terror.
Everyone looked up.
Massive shadows appeared in the sky, piercing through the thick clouds.
"M-meteors?! There's dozens of them!"
Panic erupted across the sea.
And the worst part?
They were falling directly onto the pirate fleet.
Until now, most of the pirates had assumed the real battle didn't concern them.
But Luo Yu's special forces didn't play by the rules.
This was a dimensional mismatch.
If those meteors landed…
The much-hyped 120,000-strong pirate army might be wiped out in an instant.
"Heh, don't look at me," Fujitora said with a chuckle, walking off with his cane.
"From here on out, you're on your own. I'm done."
King and Queen were livid, their faces dark with fury.
They trembled with rage.
If not for the situation, they would've attacked Fujitora on the spot.
But now, all they could do was look to Kaido.
"King! Queen! Go save the others. That brat—I'll kill him myself!"
Kaido roared, making his decision.
King and Queen exchanged a glance, then turned and rushed toward the pirate fleet.
They knew that if they didn't act, few would survive the incoming meteors.
Now, only Luo Yu and Kaido remained on the platform.
Kaido's murderous glare bore into him.
Luo Yu took a sip of his earthy liquor and smiled:
"Trying to save your men?"
"Sorry, but I don't want my pay docked. Besides, old man Sengoku said if I drive you off, I get a 100 million berry bonus."
"100 million?" Kaido froze—then gripped his kanabō tightly and roared:
"You bastard! You dare put a price on me that low? I'm worth more than that!"