"Kaido!!"
"Get out of our way!"
"Go to hell, you bastard!!"
The roars of the Red Hair Pirates echoed like thunder.
Facing their full-on assault, any ordinary Four Emperor—even one as strong as Kaido—would have taken damage if struck head-on.
Especially now—Kaido was still recovering from the fierce battle at the G-1 Branch. His wounds hadn't fully healed, and his strength wasn't at its peak.
Knowing this, Limejuice, Bonk Punch, and Lucky Roux believed they had a chance to push Kaido back and rescue Yasopp.
But the next moment froze their blood.
Puff!
Dozens of weapons, all imbued with Advanced Armament Haki, some even capable of internal destruction, pierced through Kaido's flesh.
And yet—
Kaido didn't dodge. He charged forward.
Puff! Puff!
Spears, blades, and haki-cloaked fists embedded themselves in Kaido's chest, stomach, even his heart and kidneys.
"Kaido, you—"
Lucky Roux's eyes widened in disbelief. His words died in his throat.
They had struck Kaido—the "Strongest Creature in the World"—directly.
And they had hurt him.
Under any other circumstance, it would've been a feat to brag about for a lifetime.
But now…
No one felt victorious. No one felt relief.
"Yasopp!!"
As Kaido pinned the core Red Hair force in place through sheer brutality, the sky cracked with a new threat.
King the Wildfire descended.
He folded his wings mid-air, creating a vortex of heat and pressure, diving faster than the speed of sound.
The last line of defense was gone.
"Who do you think I am?"
From the battlefield, Yasopp raised his sniper rifle. His crimson pupils sharpened like a hawk's.
He was the third seat of the Red Hair Pirates, a former hunter, the world's greatest sniper—a man not easily shaken.
His fingers didn't tremble.
The black steel of his rifle gleamed with Armament Haki—external and internal release mastery.
As King streaked through the sky like a comet, flames roaring around him—
Bang!!
A single shot rang out.
The bullet spiraled through the air with a whine, tearing across the battlefield.
"Defensive Fire Dragon King!"
With a roar, King unsheathed his flame-wreathed blade. The fire surged along its edge and then erupted into a colossal Eastern-style fire dragon, its mouth wide open.
It devoured the bullet whole.
Flash.
King landed behind Yasopp, back-to-back.
"Yasopp."
"King."
A beat passed.
Every combatant's movement paused for a heartbeat—Shanks, Beckman, Kaido, Yamato, even Enma-wielding Ragnar.
All eyes turned to the silent confrontation. The arrival of King—head of the All-Stars—had shifted the balance of war.
The Red Hair Pirates had superior numbers, but Ragnar's faction had two Four Emperor-class fighters—and now King, whose strength rivaled an Admiral.
If Yasopp fell here—victory would tilt completely toward Ragnar's side.
Then—
"Hmph."
King groaned.
A hole the size of a bowl opened in his back. Blood gushed like a fountain, soaking the battlefield.
He fell to one knee.
Behind him, Yasopp stood firm, rifle still aimed, barrel smoking.
The Red Hair cadres erupted with joy.
"Well done!!"
"You're incredible, Yasopp!!"
"Now that's our sniper!!"
"The world's strongest sniper... specializes in shooting birdmen!"
Lucky Roux, Hongo, and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then, as if the tension had vanished in an instant, they burst out laughing and gave Yasopp the highest praise.
But amidst their celebration, none of them noticed the subtle shift in the expressions of Red-Haired Shanks and Yasopp. Their pupils contracted sharply, then slowly widened. A strange stillness gripped their bodies—as if they had just witnessed something dreadful.
Suddenly, just as King (Kaido's All-Star) half-knelt on the ground...
Yasopp's right arm snapped off at the shoulder—cleanly, soundlessly.
As the severed arm hit the ground, a ball of fire burst forth from the stump, erupting without warning.
Ssshhh—!
Within mere seconds, the fallen limb had been reduced to ashes, leaving behind only smoke curling in the air.
"Ugh!"
The shocking turn of events froze the smiles on the faces of Lucky Roux, Hongo, and the others. Their expressions twisted as if they had just swallowed poison.
The scene unfolding before them shattered their illusion.
The Red-Haired Pirates no longer had the world's strongest sniper.
"The world's strongest sniper," someone echoed faintly, in disbelief.
"I've really broadened my horizons today…"
"He truly lived up to the title."
From the flames and ash, King slowly rose to his feet. He turned his gaze toward Yasopp, who now clutched the bloodied stump of his shoulder, pale and trembling.
King's voice was calm, but carried the weight of judgment:
"What Lord Kaido said was right. Letting someone like you live... would have been a threat to the Beasts Pirates."
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