Kaido stared at the massive Buddha statue that had been half-destroyed, his expression filled with disdain.
He spat toward the sea and scoffed, "Fifth Emperor? I'll beat the Fifth Emperor myself!"
Moments later, Arima's true body crossed space itself and appeared on the statue's broken shoulder.
Kaido's arrogant grin froze in shock, he could've sworn he'd just sensed his enemy being completely obliterated.
"This little rat really knows how to run for his life!"
He spat into the ocean again, frustration seething in his voice.
Big Mom's bloodshot eyes locked onto the reappeared shinobi. Her twisted, furious face looked almost monstrous as she roared, "Arima! Give me back my treasure!"
Arima pressed his palms together, instantly entering Sage Mode. The strange markings on his face glowed faintly, lending him an even deeper air of mystery.
"Your treasure?" he said coldly. "No. It's mine now."
Then he turned his gaze toward Kaido. "And your vault… has some pretty good stuff too."
His calm, indifferent tone only fueled the fury of the two Sea Emperors.
"Hakai!"
Kaido and Big Mom once again combined their might, unleashing their strongest joint attack.
"Sage Art: Wood Release, Conqueror's Susano'o: True Thousand Hands!"
Arima tapped the foot of the broken Buddha lightly. In an instant, the statue came alive again, the cracks mended themselves, and a dense layer of blue chakra armor enveloped its form.
Streams of black and crimson Conqueror's Haki pulsed like blood across its surface.
At his call, the giant statue extended thousands of massive hands, meeting the oncoming ocean of Haki head-on.
The collision triggered an explosion of blinding light that illuminated the night sky like daylight. The sea below erupted into thousand-meter-high waves that rolled outward for miles.
"Hah! Now that's more like it!"
Kaido's eyes burned with excitement. His massive frame shifted, transforming into his most powerful dragon-hybrid form.
With a single leap, he soared into the air, coating his iron club in Conqueror's Haki. The weapon spun rapidly as he dove downward, aiming straight for Arima's head atop the wooden colossus.
Kaido's descending form trailed lightning made of Haki, his strike carrying the weight of divine wrath. The sight alone was apocalyptic.
Even Arima felt a chill of genuine danger. His Observation Haki foresaw every possible movement, and no matter how he dodged, this blow would strike true.
"Susano'o, Kamui!"
Through Susano'o, Arima amplified Kamui's power dozens of times over.
The moment Kaido's club, wreathed in violent Conqueror's Haki, came into contact with the distorted space, it was sliced apart by the terrifying force and vanished completely.
"Susano'o, Shinra Tensei!"
Without pause, Arima shifted his technique. Raising a hand toward the sky, he unleashed an immense gravitational pull that yanked Kaido straight toward him.
He intended to capture the dragon using his Dark-Dark Fruit powers.
Kaido's body was dragged downward despite his violent struggle. No matter how he resisted, he couldn't escape the crushing pull beneath him.
Big Mom swung her greatsword, Napoleon, releasing a massive wave of blade energy toward Arima on the Buddha's head, trying to free Kaido from his grasp.
"Sage Art: Wood Release, Armament: Shield Wall Technique!"
Seeing her attack, Arima split his focus and commanded the wooden statue to raise its massive shields, blocking the incoming slash.
Kaido seized the opportunity, his Haki burst outward with explosive force, finally shattering Arima's gravitational hold and freeing himself.
"Not bad, not bad! For a moment there, I actually saw my own death! Hah! Arima, you're making me love this fight!"
The close brush with death only thrilled Kaido more. With a feral roar, he hurled himself forward, using his body as a living weapon.
Arima showed no fear. He launched himself upward, meeting Kaido head-on.
Their fists collided, bone against bone, Haki against chakra. The shockwaves sent them crashing from the sky to the ocean floor, and then to a nearby island.
Everywhere they went, destruction followed. The entire region had become a dead zone, devoid of any life.
Big Mom joined in, relentlessly pursuing Arima, refusing to let him rest for even a moment.
Battle was the fastest way for a warrior to grow. Arima could feel his mastery of Haki deepening with every exchange.
His body's potential was being drawn out under the relentless pressure of fighting two Emperors at once.
But what shocked him most was that the purity of his Otsutsuki bloodline was gradually increasing.
He didn't understand why his bloodline was being powerful, but he wasn't about to waste such an opportunity.
Originally, he had planned to use the Dark-Dark Fruit to capture both of them, but with this rare chance for growth, he abandoned that plan and chose instead to continue the battle, body-to-body.
He fought while talking, taunting them nonstop.
"I've already got two Poneglyphs, thanks to you two, by the way."
"The sweets on Whole Cake Island were delicious. Katakuri lost with honor."
"Yamato's too wild for her own good, and Queen… well, that guy's just sick."
Each jab hit a nerve, fanning their fury.
Their rage became bottomless. Just as Arima wanted, both Emperors went all out, hurling everything they had at him.
Meanwhile, the CP0 agents stationed nearby didn't dare approach the battlefield. Anyone who got too close would be reduced to dust in an instant.
Because of this, Sengoku and the Marines knew only that the three "Five Emperors" were locked in a cataclysmic clash, but the details were a mystery.
After receiving CP0's report, the Marine fleet immediately set sail toward the battle zone. After three or four hours of nonstop sailing, the once-calm sea began to churn violently.
Sailors rushed to the deck, staring at the sky in shock.
From the lookout tower came a frantic shout: a towering tsunami was racing toward them from the horizon!
The report reached the command center at once.
Sengoku's face was grave.
"Judging by the timing, this must be the aftermath of their battle. In less than five hours, we'll reach the combat zone.
If the opportunity arises, I intend to capture all three of the 'Five Emperors' at once!"
"Sengoku, that sounds a bit unrealistic," said Vice Admiral Tsuru, frowning. "Those three sea kings aren't exactly easy prey."
"I know it's risky," Sengoku replied firmly, "but we'll have the advantage of rest and preparation.
I ask all of you to fight with everything you have, for justice! If we succeed, this could finally end the chaos Roger left behind!"
He bowed deeply.
The officers around him were stirred by his words, echoing the cry of "Justice!" in unison.
Even Tsuru, usually the voice of reason, felt her blood heat.
She remembered why she had joined the Navy in the first place, the years of witnessing corruption and cruelty had dimmed her ideals, but now, that old fire rekindled.
Shaking her head with a wry smile, she muttered, "Fine then. I will risk my life for one more fight."
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