Jozu's massive frame occupied nearly half of the small boat.
He was polishing the diamond on his arm when he looked up. "Are you certain Charlotte Oven will be there?"
The sunlight refracted by the diamond scattered fragmented spots of rainbow light across the sea surface.
"I heard Big Mom has recently strengthened her defenses."
"Well, they just attacked Impel Down not long ago, and all their top members were injured..."
"That's exactly why the two of us are here!" Ace laughed heartily, patting Jozu's diamond shoulder and sending sparks flying.
"With Jozu's defense and my Flame-Flame ability, it's absolutely foolproof!"
...
About several dozen nautical miles behind them.
Kaido's flagship maintained a perfect tracking distance.
Queen's mechanical arm unfolded a complex control panel, displaying the real-time course of Ace's boat on the screen.
"Following this direction... where are they heading?" He suddenly let out a strange laugh, joking,
"Muhahaha! Could it be they're planning to cross the Red Line and steal from Big Mom?"
King's feathers bristled slightly.
"Even better." A cold smirk appeared on his stern face behind the mask. "We'll intercept them after they succeed—then the stolen goods will be ours."
Queen scratched his head. "I was just guessing, don't take it seriously."
Kaido pondered deeply, grabbing a gourd of liquor and taking a large gulp.
The alcohol trickled from the corner of his mouth down to the scars on his chest, glistening in the sunlight.
"Maintain distance."
A greedy glint flashed in his eyes.
"If they truly intend to enter Totto Land, we'll strike after they've left!"
"Right, we must ensure absolute success. Otherwise, given Whitebeard's temperament, if we fail, it'll be another fierce war!" King said with lingering caution.
Jack eagerly flexed his muscles. "Alive or dead?"
"Alive, of course."
Kaido grinned viciously, crushing the liquor gourd in his grip.
"I want to see with my own eyes..." His gaze turned sinister and terrifying. "Just how much that old fool Whitebeard cares about his 'son'!"
...
Soon, the sea at dusk was coated in gold.
Ace lay on his back at the bow, his orange hat covering his face as he napped, while Jozu vigilantly scanned the surrounding waters.
His diamond fingers unconsciously tapped the gunwale.
"Strange..." Jozu muttered with a frown. "I feel like something is following us."
Ace lazily waved his hand.
"It's just your imagination~" He lifted his hat, revealing a bright smile. "This sea is so quiet there isn't even a News Coo!"
...
Three nautical miles behind them.
A massive pirate ship trailed like a hungry shark.
At the forefront of the vessel, Kaido's spiked club, Hassaikai, gleamed with a bloody sheen in the setting sun.
Jozu's frown deepened, his diamond fingers tapping out a rapid rhythm on the gunwale.
He suddenly stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the twilight.
"Something's wrong, Ace."
His deep voice carried rare tension as he carefully surveyed their surroundings.
"I think we need to speed up. My Observation Haki is picking up a massive presence."
Before Ace could respond, Jozu had already taken action.
He pressed his left hand against the stern while aiming his diamond-hardened right hand at the sea.
His entire arm transformed into brilliant diamond, light paths forming as beams continuously refracted and converged!
"Brilliant Punk: Refraction Jet!"
BOOM!
A dazzling laser-like blast shot from Jozu's arm, blasting a massive spray of water from the sea surface.
Propelled by the tremendous recoil, the small boat shot forward like an arrow released from its bowstring, its speed instantly increasing more than tenfold.
Kaido, who was chasing from behind, narrowed his eyes abruptly, his wild mane whipping violently in the fierce wind.
The Calamities beside him also sensed the sudden acceleration.
"Have we been spotted?"
He roared lowly, his massive body suddenly expanding and soaring from the sea surface.
ROAR!
The blue-black dragon scales gleamed with a cold luster under the setting sun as the Azure Dragon took flight.
"King! Queen! Jack! Follow me!"
With this dragon's roar, the three Calamities leaped into action simultaneously.
King transformed into his Pteranodon form and spread his black wings, Queen's mechanical arm spewed propulsive flames, and Jack clung to Kaido's claw.
The four figures tore through the night like vengeful spirits, madly pursuing the small boat ahead.
The commotion was so immense that Ace and Jozu noticed immediately.
"It's the Beasts Pirates!"
Ace turned to look, his expression instantly turning grave.
Flames unconsciously flickered at his fingertips.
"Kaido is leading them personally!" Jozu's diamond body shimmered with a cold light under the moonlight as he said solemnly.
"We can't fight them head-on at sea."
If it were just Kaido alone, they might stand a chance.
But with the All-Stars present, a direct confrontation on a small boat was suicide.
As he spoke, two more laser blasts shot toward the sea.
The small boat accelerated wildly like a frenzied dolphin amid the raging waves.
Behind them, the sea was torn apart by Kaido's Bolo Breath, creating massive whirlpools and boiling the water.
This life-and-death chase lasted a full seven hours.
Thanks to Jozu's propulsion, the two managed to keep a sliver of distance.
When the outline of a deserted island appeared under the moonlight, Jozu made a decisive call.
"Head for the island!"
They abandoned the boat and leaped.
Ace's flames traced a brilliant arc in the air, while Jozu crashed heavily onto the beach like a diamond meteor.
They sprinted in harmony toward the island's depths.
As Devil Fruit users, fighting Kaido and his crew on the open sea was a death sentence—once they fell into the water, it would all be over.
The dense forest on the island could at least provide some cover.
However, before they had run even a hundred meters, the sky suddenly darkened.
Kaido's massive dragon form, blotting out the stars, was already circling above the island.
His dragon eyes blazed with violent flames.
"Run! Keep running! WORORORO!"
His roar shook the entire island.
The three Calamities descended around them like Grim Reapers.
King drew his long sword, blocking the north. Queen watched them with keen interest from the east.
Jack's massive form blocked the west, his eyes reflecting the cold moonlight.
Ace and Jozu stood back-to-back, flames and diamonds starkly visible in the darkness.
A fierce battle was now unavoidable.
They were already mortal enemies, and now, meeting on this narrow path, even the air seemed to freeze.
Jozu's diamond body refracted a piercing cold light under the moonlight. He growled in a low voice to Ace.
"Go! I have higher defense than you. Once you escape safely, I can find a way to break out. Don't worry about me."
Ace clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, flames spurting from between his fingers.
"Jozu, I..."
Before he could finish, Jozu roared.
His entire body surged with diamond hardness, charging toward Kaido and the other three like a moving mountain.
"GO, ACE!"