"I truly do not know how to thank you, Master Sherwin..."
Seeing that Orochi Kurozumi had not completely died even after having his heart pierced, Hiyori Kozuki felt a wave of lingering fear. She approached Sherwin, intending to perform another kowtow.
Sherwin immediately caught her and pulled her up.
Since she wasn't going to "work like a horse" or "repay him with her body" anyway, Sherwin had no interest in playing the Buddha and watching people bow down to him.
So...
It was better to get something practical!
"My hobbies are collecting famous blades and Devil Fruits," Sherwin said bluntly.
"Coming to Wano this time, besides looking for trouble with Kaido, I also wanted to see if I could find a famous blade or two in this country that has produced so many swordsmiths."
"Famous blades? That is no problem at all!"
Without Sherwin even needing to bring out Shusui for an exchange, Hiyori had already decided to give Enma to him.
She even felt that this wasn't enough to repay Sherwin kindness, so she proactively promised: "My late father was a 'Great Two-Sword Style' swordsman.
Before he was executed, he entrusted his two swords to my brother and me... When brother Momonosuke returns in the future, I will persuade him to give Ame no Habakiri to you as well."
"Additionally, if we are fortunate enough to drive Kaido out of Wano this time, I will also ask Kawamatsu and the others to help you collect more famous blades, as well as those Devil Fruits that grant people sorcery."
"That would be for the best."
Sherwin original goal was only Enma he certainly wouldn't refuse the chance to get Ame no Habakiri or even more famous blades.
"Sherwin-san~ Uncle Issho is coming over, Meow."
(=ω=)
Just as Sherwin and the others were preparing to leave Blade Weapon Port and return to where the other Felynes were, Shermie Meow suddenly tugged at his ear and pointed toward the ocean to alert him.
Looking in the direction of her small paw, he saw a circular rock floating in the air above the distant sea, flying toward them. One could vaguely make out a person sitting atop it.
Compared to Shiki Float-Float Fruit ability, Issho Press-Press Fruit was slightly slower for flight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have just barely arrived so long after Kaido had already returned.
However, there were other reasons why Issho was arriving so late...
"Uncle Issho, you look a bit worse for wear."
At this moment, not only was Issho purple kimono tattered, but several parts of his body were wrapped in bandages, with some spots still slightly seeping blood. It was clear he had only performed simple first aid before rushing back.
"So it is Sherwin. No wonder Kaido suddenly left. This is truly wonderful..."
Issho steps were even a bit unsteady as he dismounted from the rock. He leaned against the stone to steady himself, yet a look of relief appeared on his face.
After breathing a sigh of relief, he finally had the chance to answer Sherwin question.
"I did not expect that even as a Devil Fruit user, Kaido could actually ignore the restraint of the seawater. As a result, I suffered a great deal..."
Subconsciously touching his abdomen where blood was still seeping, Issho continued with a sigh of emotion:
"However, even if I had known that, I still wouldn't have been a match for him. For Kaido to become one of the Four Emperors, his strength is truly at the pinnacle... Oh, wait, it should be the Five Emperors now."
Relaxed, Issho even felt in the mood to tease Sherwin.
"I haven't congratulated you yet, Master Sherwin, on becoming the fifth emperor of the sea."
Kozuki Hiyori, standing nearby, cast a gaze filled with surprise and admiration. She never imagined that Sherwin was an existence on par with Kaido in the outside world no wonder he dared to come and cause trouble for him.
Although being stared at by a beautiful woman with such admiration felt great, Sherwin head remained clear.
He curled his lip and said, "I'm not a pirate, and I don't plan on building an organization or occupying territory, so what use is that title to me? Besides, except for Whitebeard, the 'World Strongest Man' whom I haven't fought, I can't beat the other three."
"Being able to fight the other emperors of the sea and retreat safely already proves that you possess the qualification."
Issho touched his wound again. "Unlike this old man, who could only flee in a sorry state when facing Kaido. If you hadn't arrived in Wano Country in time, my life would have likely been lost at Kaido hands."
"Right!" Speaking of which, Issho finally remembered the main point. "If you're here, Sherwin, then where is Kaido?"
Almost at the same moment he asked this, the clouds in the distant sky suddenly looked as if they had been sliced by a master swordsman, splitting toward both sides.
Even from such a distance, Sherwin and the others could still feel that pressure—or rather, those two pressures—that surpassed even Elder Dragon-level monsters.
Sherwin first took out a bottle of Angel Medicine and tossed it to Issho, then pointed in the direction of Ringo. "There, right over there."
Just as Sherwin was enthusiastically gathering materials from Kurozumi Orochi, the battle between the two Kaidos had reached a fever pitch.
"Wororororo! Refreshing! This is far too refreshing!"
After yet another clash that ended in a stalemate, Kaido retreated two steps, casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and laughed heartily. "It has truly been a long time since I've had such an exhilarating fight!"
However, Kaido Meow was not nearly as relaxed. Although techniques from the Monster Hunter world allowed Kaido Meow to maintain a deadlock, those were ultimately burst-type skills.
Being able to sustain them for this long was already a testament to Kaido Meow extraordinary natural talent, but no matter how gifted he was, he was gradually starting to feel his stamina flagging.
Even though he had known from the start that he was no match for the Kaido before him, Kaido Meow still did not give up on seeking victory, and his words remained just as stubborn.
"Meowrorororo... I, on the other hand, frequently participate in battles much more dangerous than this. I am very experienced in that regard, meow."
"Oh?"
Kaido showed a look of surprise. He naturally did not think that someone of the other strength would lie to him about such a thing.
But...
Besides himself and those other three individuals, what else in this world could threaten a powerhouse who also bore the name of Kaido?
As the "Strongest Creature in Air, Land, and Sea" of the One Piece world, Kaido perspective was naturally very high.
In the current world, the only ones he held in any regard were BIG MOM, Red Hair, and Whitebeard—the three who shared his fame. He did not even spare a thought for the Navy Admirals.
Even accounting for the Navy and the World Government, he had never heard of Kaido Meow before.
When the Felyne Investigation Team was collectively issued bounties not long ago, Kaido Meow had indeed appeared on a wanted poster, but the World Government didn't even know his name they had simply slapped on a bounty of five million Berries, an amount that completely failed to reflect his true strength.
Kaido Meow saw the doubt in the other eyes, but he did not offer an explanation.
After all, he couldn't exactly conjure up a Gaismagorm or something similar here.
Fortunately, Kaido did not dwell on it. Instead, he extended an invitation for the third time:
"With your strength, there absolutely no need to follow that Hunter fellow! Come and support me! As long as we join forces, no one on these seas will ever be able to stop us! If you don't like the title of pirate, I can even change the name of the Animal Kingdom Pirates to the Animal Kingdom Research Commission!"
Perhaps it was because Kaido Meow abilities were too similar to his own, or perhaps the Maine Coon majestic appearance struck a chord with Kaido aesthetic regardless, he truly wanted to recruit Kaido Meow.
"No!" Kaido Meow refused Kaido recruitment for the third time and gave the most invincible reason:
"I don't like you meow! A guy who doesn't even cherish his own daughter doesn't deserve to live in this world meow!"
(=◣皿◢=)
"So... it because of that rebellious child Yamato?"
At the mention of his "son," Kaido face immediately darkened. "That rebellious child opposes me at every turn! It was merciful enough that I didn't kill her!"
"If a child doesn't listen, then educate them properly! Abandoning them just because of their rebellion is nothing but your own incompetence as a father meow!"
Kaido Meow, who was already dissatisfied with Kaido putting explosive shackles on his own daughter, felt an even deeper loathing for this namesake after hearing from Yamato about the "education" she had received.
The little Felynes in the Research Commission would also cause trouble from time to time, but wasn't Sherwin still patiently and slowly teaching them? Not to mention that Yamato only wanted to do good deeds... even if her methods were a bit... well, hard to evaluate.
"How I educate my son is none of your business!"
The fact that his "son" was disobedient had troubled Kaido for years. Given his personality, he naturally wouldn't think it was his own fault, but Kaido Meow remark about him being "incompetent" had truly struck a nerve.
Flying into a rage, he leaped high above Kaido Meow, raising Hassaikai loftily as lightning crackled around the spiked club.
"Conqueror of Three Worlds: Ragnarok!"
"That is your daughter! Not some son-meow! A guy like you, who doesn't even bother to understand what his own child is thinking, isn't fit to be a father-meow!"
All of Kaido Meow fur stood on end as he activated the Akantor power within the Eight Disaster Precepts.
On the pitch-black spiked club, several irregular dark red streaks appeared, glowing intermittently as if magma were flowing within.
Eight Disasters: Akantor Mode!
At the same time, the large Maine Coon felt a strange yet familiar power erupt from within alongside his fury. He subconsciously controlled that power, wrapping it around his weapon along with Armament Haki.
"Daiwitoku: Conqueror Roar-meow!"