After Kaido landed, his gaze fell on the dueling Garp, and a fierce battle lust flashed in his eyes. He roared at Whitebeard, "Hey, Newgate! You already had a round with him earlier. How about you hand Garp over to me now?"
Garp's immense power made Kaido desperate for a chance to fight him.
"Piss off! This has nothing to do with you," Whitebeard snapped, taking a moment from his own fight.
Kaido's expression soured. He strode forward, intending to force his way into their fight.
But just then, a massive, shimmering golden figure came sprinting across the ice. It leaped into the air, transforming into a giant golden Buddha before his very eyes. A colossal palm, radiating an infinite golden light, slammed toward Kaido, unleashing a staggering shockwave.
Kaido met it with a punch of his own, shattering the initial blast and colliding with the golden palm. A storm of pure kinetic energy erupted instantly, forcing both of them to slide backward.
The golden Buddha landed heavily on the ice, cracking the surface beneath its weight.
Kaido took several steps back, staring at the golden Buddha with a savage grin. "Sengoku. You want to be my opponent?"
Sengoku clenched his massive golden fist, then adjusted his glasses. His eyes shot out a palpable killing intent.
"What, am I not worthy of being your opponent?"
"Not exactly. But you're still a step below Garp," Kaido sneered.
A sharp light flashed in Sengoku's eyes. He charged forward again, instantly closing the distance, and threw another golden fist at Kaido.
Not to be outdone, Kaido met the blow. The two fists collided violently, and another terrifying shockwave ripped through the air.
"Heeey, heeey, heeey! Who's going to be my opponent?" A tremendous female voice echoed across the ice. Big Mom had also jumped down, and she was swaggering over.
A figure flickered across the ice, appearing before Big Mom in an instant. It was Zephyr.
"Zephyr? You're here to be my opponent?" Big Mom loomed over him. She grabbed the bicorne hat from her head, which transformed into a giant sword, and a terrifying aura washed over Zephyr.
"Mama, watch me fry him!" "I'll burn him to a crisp!"
The thundercloud Zeus and the sun Prometheus glared at Zephyr with sinister eyes. In an instant, a bolt of lightning and a ball of fire shot out, striking Zephyr's body.
Zephyr merely swiped his arm, scattering the flames and lightning. His pitch-black, Haki-coated body was completely unharmed. He had activated his "Iron King Martial Body."
Big Mom cackled and swung her giant sword at Zephyr. Not backing down, Zephyr met the blade with his fist, and the two immediately erupted into a fierce battle.
Bege stood on the deck of the Sky God, watching Whitebeard and the others engage their opponents. His gaze instantly locked onto Akainu.
Akainu was currently locked in a fierce battle with King the Conflagration. Bege took a step, blurring through the air toward them. In a flash, he appeared directly behind Akainu. The cursed sword Hannya slashed across Akainu's back, sending the Admiral flying and crashing hard onto the ice.
Akainu coughed up blood. A ghastly wound had been carved into his back.
"Akainu. Today, I'm taking your head," Bege stated, his eyes frigid. A wave of his supremely ferocious Conqueror's Haki washed over the area.
Akainu pushed himself up, ignoring his injury as magma rolled from his body. He looked at Bege, his eyes equally filled with murderous intent.
Just as Bege was about to strike, his brow furrowed. He spun around just in time to see a figure closing in at high speed. He slashed out with his sword, but the man met the Cursed Sword Hannya with a bare fist. A world-shattering force slammed into him, knocking him backward.
Bege slid back several steps before stabilizing. He looked at the newcomer—it was "Steel Bone" Kong. A mocking smile touched his lips. "Steel Bone Kong. Can you even lift those fists anymore?"
Kong's face was impassive. He strode toward Bege, his aura swelling with every step, as if a giant were approaching.
Bege's brow furrowed. He unleashed his own ferocious Conqueror's Haki, which crashed violently against Kong's terrifying presence.
"Capone Bege," Kong's voice was grim, his eyes locked on him. "In my entire career as a Marine, my single greatest regret is failing to send you to Impel Down. Even after I became Commander-in-Chief, you have remained a thorn in my side that I can never forgive." The intense killing intent he held for Bege erupted in that instant.
"In my last year as Fleet Admiral, I formulated the 'Dragon Slaying Plan.' Even after becoming Commander-in-Chief, I continued to silently support Sengoku's efforts to see it through. We spent years, consumed countless manpower and resources, and finally managed to instigate the war between the Fire Tank Pirates and the Fear Pirates... It was the perfect chance to eliminate you."
"But in the end, it still failed. Worse, it allowed your power to expand even further. At that time, I was so furious I almost lost my composure."
"You were lucky to survive the battle on Fear Island, and it has allowed you to live to this day. Now, I will personally send you to Impel Down." Kong's face was a mask, but his aura grew sharper and more immense.
"You're pretty arrogant yourself, Steel Bone Kong," Bege's eyes narrowed. "If you want to capture me, let's see if you have the strength to back it up!" He took a single step, his cursed sword flashing like lightning as he slashed at Kong's head.
Kong raised one hand, instantly coating it in Armament Haki, and caught the Cursed Sword Hannya by the blade. His eyes flashed, and his left fist shot out directly at Bege's torso.
Bege instantly drew his Fire Cloud Sword to intercept the punch. The moment steel met fist, an explosion of black lightning engulfed them both.
The terrifying power from Kong's punch made Bege's left arm ache. His eyes turned vicious. A brilliant, blood-red fire ignited on Hannya's blade. He twisted the sword, trying to rip it free from Kong's grasp. The blade screeched against the Haki-coated palm, sending a shower of sparks.
But Kong's strength was unexpectedly immense. Bege couldn't pull the blade free.
His first punch blocked, Kong swung again. Bege countered with his sword. Fist and blade collided relentlessly, black lightning erupting outward, covering a hundred-meter radius. The ice beneath them shattered rapidly under the force of their impacts.
Bege suddenly activated his ability. The space around Kong's right hand began to twist violently, contorting his arm. Sparks flew from Haki-coated limb as it was warped.
Kong's brow furrowed. He finally released his grip, and Bege yanked his sword free. In that same instant, Kong punched again. This blow punched a hole in the air itself, the violent force flying toward Bege like a dragon.
Bege crossed both swords in front of him. The surging, immense force slammed into his blades, blasting him hundreds of meters away and carving a long trench in the ice as he skidded to a halt.
Bege steadied himself, shaking his numb arms as he stared at the mountain-like figure in the distance.
"As expected of the man sitting in the Commander-in-Chief's chair." Bege's expression turned serious. From that brief exchange, he knew this high-ranking official, who hadn't personally fought in years, had not grown soft. He still possessed terrifying power.
"This is the man who rivaled the 'Red Count' back in the day... I actually underestimated him." Bege felt a twinge of shame for his earlier mockery.
During Roger's era, there was a legendary pirate. He wasn't a captain, he was a force of one. His name was Patrick Redfield, but he was known to the world as 'Solitary Red,' or the 'Red Count.'
This 'Red Count' had, by himself, defeated the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. His personal strength was peerless, and as he roamed the seas, he had no equal. Not even Roger or Whitebeard ever managed to defeat him.
And the greatest rival of the 'Red Count's' life... was 'Steel Bone' Kong. Kong once fought the 'Red Count' to the point of utter exhaustion—though, to be fair, the 'Red Tally' had also defeated Kong by that point. In the end, with both men down, Garp was the one who 'cleaned up,' capturing the legendary pirate and sending him to Impel Down.
That battle alone was proof of Kong's monstrous power.
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