A humanoid unidentified object was flying backward through the air.
"That old bastard has no honor, coming to deceive and sneak attack me, a twenty-one-year-old young man. At least wait for me to transform! Isn't there supposed to be invincibility frames during transformation?"
Kai complained frantically about Shanks in his mind.
But complaints aside.
Shanks' Haki intensity was beyond his imagination, even somewhat unreasonably powerful. Could Red Hair's mother have a special bloodline?
Otherwise, it was hard to imagine that Garling Saint, a pure-blooded Celestial Dragon, would find a civilian from a non-affiliated country to bear his child.
As Kai pondered this, he suddenly felt himself crash into something soft.
Hm?
A hot air balloon?
Kai looked down, his lips curving. He seemed to know who it was.
In the basket below the hot air balloon, a birdman was holding high-powered binoculars, spitting excitedly as he provided passionate live commentary to a Den Den Mushi camera.
"Latest battle status: Natural Disaster Kai has severely wounded Red Hair Pirates vice-captain Ben Beckman to the point of incapacitation! The battle situation's undoubtedly tilting toward the Beast Pirates!"
"But Natural Disaster Kai was also struck by the enraged Red Hair's blade and sent flying!"
"Place your bets! Will Kai survive Red Hair's furious strike?"
"I should remind everyone that prior to this, Kai had already fought desperately with Beckman for three days and nights!"
"One hundred million berries—betting that Kai can survive."
Morgans was enthusiastically commentating when a voice of interest suddenly came from behind him.
"I don't accept wagers here. If interested, please call..." After irritably rattling off a string of numbers, Morgans suddenly realized what was happening, his feathers standing on end in fright.
"WHAT?!"
He mechanically turned around to see Kai wearing a malicious smile, still chewing food stored in the basket.
"Ha, ha, ha, Kai-kun, how'd you end up here?" Morgans forced out a smile.
Having the betting subject appear wasn't good news for him. Especially since the other party had already warned him.
However, Morgans was someone who'd weathered great storms, not embarrassing journalism one bit. He immediately shouted into the Den Den Mushi: "All bets placed in the last thirty seconds are void! Kai's alive and well! Congratulations to the winners!"
After finishing, his eyes rolled as he turned the Den Den Mushi toward Kai, obsequiously offering a microphone.
"As someone who experienced it firsthand, how about an interview?"
"No need for interviews, but—"
Kai considered briefly, then put on a business smile for the Den Den Mushi. "For weapons, which is best? Beast Products, king of kings! Recognize our anti-counterfeit marks well; fighting never goes to waste!"
"Still troubled by expensive Den Den Mushi?"
After rattling off several advertisements for Beast Pirates' main products, Kai finally hung up the Den Den Mushi with satisfaction, leaving Morgans with a stiff expression.
"What's your broadcast range?"
Kai didn't play by conventional rules, so Morgans didn't dare get angry. He dry-laughed as he answered, "Not much, mainly some major pirates, nobles, and such, of course, also including—"
He raised a wing pointing upward, everything left unsaid.
Kai nodded knowingly. Morgans' network spread wide indeed.
"Hand over thirty percent of revenue to the Beast Pirates. No problem, right?"
Kai's tone was flat but carried undeniable pressure. He leaned slightly forward, shadows seeming to envelop Morgans' entire bird face. "If my captain comes to negotiate with you, it won't be this price."
"No problem, of course no problem."
Morgans wiped cold sweat from his forehead, knowing he'd passed this test.
"That's settled then."
Kai swallowed the last bite of bread, brushing crumbs from his hands. "I still need to return to battle. Remember our agreement."
He turned to leap down but was urgently called back by Morgans. "Wait! Kai-kun."
The birdman approached several steps, covering his mouth with a wing as he whispered, "Free intelligence—Marine and Charlotte family fleets have actually been lurking nearby."
His eyes glanced toward the distant sea surface, voice dropping lower. "Even the Whitebeard Pirates are heading this way."
Kai's eyebrow twitched slightly.
The appearance of Marines and Charlotte family wasn't surprising. Before they'd even acted, a certain warm-hearted CP0 lady had tipped them off.
But Whitebeard was coming too? Was it because of Red Hair's presence?
He needed to tell Kaido about this.
"Thanks."
Kai said no more, stepping onto the basket's edge and leaping down, his figure plummeting straight toward the ground.
Below, on the island, Kaido and Shanks were locked in fierce combat again.
During his rapid descent from above, Kai's sharp gaze swept the battlefield. He saw Yamato fiercely battling Lucky Roux. Though covered in dust and looking somewhat disheveled, her kanabo swung increasingly fiercely with unstoppable momentum.
Just then, black-red Haki lightning suddenly crackled from Yamato's pitch-black kanabo.
Oh, this girl had mastered Conqueror's Haki coating? Then there should be nothing to worry about.
His gaze continued rapidly scanning the chaotic battlefield. He soon noticed another duel—Building Snake was intensely fighting the dragon-human form of Kozuki Hiyori.
The current Hiyori was covered in fine pink dragon scales, with small dragon horns sprouting from her head and a dragon tail swaying. Like a miniature pink "Kaido."
With the tenacious vitality granted by the Pink Dragon Fruit, Hiyori fought Snake evenly, neither gaining an advantage in the short term.
Had Hiyori grown to this level too? Kai felt slight sentiment internally.
On the surface, the battle situation favored the Beast Pirates, but the Red Hair Pirates weren't pushovers either.
On another front, Ulti and Page One, fighting the human-monkey combination of Bonk Punch and Monster were predictably defeated. Also fallen and unable to rise due to severe injuries or exhaustion were Reiju, Ace, Zoro, Sanji, and others.
However, Violet, who'd been staying in the rear as a "human ward" providing vision support, remained unharmed. Though days of high-intensity battlefield observation had mentally exhausted her to the extreme, her face was as pale as paper.
Seeing important companions temporarily safe from mortal danger, Kai hesitated no more, accelerating his dive straight into the center of Kaido and Shanks' battle circle.
"Bad news—Whitebeard Pirates, Charlotte family, and Marines are all coming to interfere."
"Wororororo, so what?"
Kaido's wild laughter rang out. Very much in Kaido's style.
Kai smiled. "I mean, should we team up to eliminate Red Hair first?"
He shouted loudly without concealment.
"Perfect timing!"
A killing intent locked onto Kai. Red Hair narrowed his eyes, his domineering Conqueror's Haki surging toward Kai.
"Your opponent is me!"
"Great Virtue Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido swung his kanabo, blocking Shanks' path. Haki clashed with Haki again, the entire island trembling once more.
During the fierce battle, Kaido still warned, "Don't interfere with my fight, Kai boy!"
"Fine."
Kai shrugged.
At the same moment, Sengoku and Charlotte Linlin almost simultaneously gave orders.
"Move out!"
Two massive fleets that'd been ready to strike broke through the waves like precision machines suddenly activated, rapidly approaching Chagos Island.
"Mama Mama! This place is quite lively!"
Accompanied by her signature strange laughter, Charlotte Linlin in her wide pink dress stepped onto Chagos Island like a moving castle.
Her massive frame and terrifying aura instantly drew everyone's attention. She locked her gaze directly on Kaido, her booming voice making the air buzz.
"Kaido! I'll ask you one last time! Will you cooperate with me or not?!"
Unsurprisingly, Kaido's answer was just one word.
"Scram!"
"You bastard!" Charlotte Linlin gnashed her teeth in rage, even her Homies seeming to sense their master's anger and growing restless.
On the Marine flagship's bow, Garp burst into unrestrained laughter, pounding the railing. "Hahaha! Old hag, your relationship with Kaido doesn't seem very good!"
Charlotte Linlin suddenly whipped around, her furious gaze almost shooting flames as she glared at Garp. "Want to fight?! I'll go all the way!"
Oh?
Were those two sides about to fight instead? Kai raised an eyebrow, simply sitting cross-legged with one hand supporting his chin, watching the show with great interest.
Come on, fight! I want to see blood flow like rivers!
Unfortunately, Charlotte Linlin, not suffering from an eating disorder, had normal intelligence—even cunning—and forcibly suppressed her anger.
The Marine side, with Sengoku seemingly having no intention of fighting the Charlotte family either. A seemingly inevitable conflict mysteriously died down.
"Mama Mama!"
Charlotte Linlin's massive eyes swept the battlefield, quickly assessing the situation with a greedy, confident smile. "Since neither will cooperate, I'll just deal with both of you together!"
In her view, Kaido and Shanks were already mutually wounded. The remaining survivors, even bundled together, were no match for her Charlotte family.
Hearing this, Kaido was blunt. "Kai boy, that crazy hag's yours to handle."
Huh? Me fight Charlotte Linlin? For real?
Kai pointed at himself, somewhat incredulous. What happened to king versus king, general versus general?
If it were his peak condition, Kai wouldn't mind much, but now... Well, it seemed like there was no other option.
"The worst situation has arrived."
Kai helplessly scratched his hair, slowly standing and brushing off nonexistent dust. "Really, Kaido-san, couldn't you cooperate with Charlotte Linlin just once?"
What happened to decades of sibling affection?
Kai slowly walked forward, stopping before the mountain-like Charlotte Linlin, saying calmly, "Your opponent from now on is me."
Unexpectedly, Charlotte Linlin didn't immediately explode but instead examined Kai with an extremely strange, probing gaze.
That look mixed undisguised admiration, delight like discovering a rare toy, and naked hunger.
Kai suddenly shivered without reason, an extremely ominous premonition instantly rising. Big Mom's "reputation" in the New World was known by all.
Sure enough.
"Mama Mama!"
Charlotte Linlin released a deliberately affected, sickeningly sweet laugh, her massive frame even leaning forward slightly, attempting an "amiable" posture.
"You're that Kai, right? So strong and handsome—marry me and become my 44th husband! I can give you any treasure or territory you want!"
"As long as we marry, the entire New World will be in our grasp. Moreover, I can promise you'll be my final husband."
The forced falsetto made everyone's skin crawl.
Before Kai could recover from this earth-shattering "proposal," a white figure had already charged over like a protective lioness, determinedly spreading her arms to block between him and Big Mom.
"Absolutely not!"
Yamato looked up fearlessly at Charlotte Linlin. "The one who should marry Kai is me! Don't even think about stealing him!"
Kai: "..."
"Yamato, I'm happy you're protecting me, but—"
He gently pulled the determined Yamato behind him, smiling wryly. "What logic makes you think I need saving from this marriage proposal?"
Kai sighed, looking up at Charlotte Linlin again.
Honestly, if it were forty years earlier, facing young, peak Linlin, he might possibly... probably... consider it.
But now, facing this sixty-one-year-old Big Mom with her incredibly robust frame and appetite. Who could manage this!
"Though being Katakuri and the others' father interests me, but—"
Kai collected his expression, looking up seriously. "I refuse!"
Nearby, Katakuri's eye twitched violently. What did he mean by being interested in becoming their father!
Simultaneously, he secretly sighed with relief that Kai had refused.
On the Marine flagship, from the Fleet Admiral to soldiers, everyone was involuntarily drawn to this unexpected marriage proposal spectacle, almost forgetting they'd come to fight.
"This New World trip really wasn't in vain..."
A young Marine murmured, receiving harsh warning looks from nearby officers, though the officers themselves couldn't stop their mouths from twitching.
On the battlefield, whether Beast Pirates or Red Hair Pirates remnants, everyone was completely stunned. No matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't imagine things developing this way!
Charlotte Linlin's exaggerated, fake smile completely froze, then visibly disappeared as her already unpleasant face twisted with rage, becoming terrifyingly hideous.
Her massive frame emanated suffocating pressure, leaning forward slightly as shadows completely engulfed Kai.
"You're refusing me?"
Terrifying aura poured from her body, crashing toward Kai like a mountain.
"That's right."
Kai nodded nonchalantly.
"Then go die!" Charlotte Linlin reached toward her head. "Napoleon!"
"Coming, Mama."
The pink pirate hat on her head revealed a human face, responding as it actively jumped into its master's hand, transforming into a massive curved blade.
Without hesitation, Charlotte Linlin swung the sword!
Before the blade arrived, its fierce wind pressure had already cracked the ground.