"It's time to counterattack!"
Reddy was filled with immense joy.
As the saying goes, only when pushed to the brink can one realize their full potential.
This applied to the clones as well.
Earlier, the eight clones had not pursued BIG MOM after she was sent flying by Mon's attack, which was a crucial part of his plan.
BIG MOM had never truly fought the clones before and might still underestimate them.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have started with a simple "Heavenly Fireball" from Prometheus but would have instead announced her participation with a "Vagabond Drill."
But Kaido was different.
Being suppressed by the enemy as one of the Four Emperors was a disgrace.
To wash away this shame, he had to make a statement.
Kaido understood the strength of these clones and knew that neither he nor BIG MOM alone could handle them.
Thus, the two Emperors fell into the rhythm Reddy had carefully orchestrated.
The seemingly absurd formation of the eight clones led Kaido to join forces with BIG MOM and unleash their combined technique, "Ocean Sovereignty."
Reddy's goal was simple: to use the attack of the two Emperors to force the clones like Mon and the others to tap into their latent potential and forcibly master the advanced application of Armament Haki.
The eight clones did not disappoint him.
They blocked "Ocean Sovereignty," which was infused with Conqueror's Haki coating, proving that their mastery of the advanced Armament Haki techniques had deepened.
After all, fluid defense was more effective against shockwaves than solid defense.
Even in the worst-case scenario, Reddy still had seven lightly injured clones as backup, ensuring that he could at least hold his own against the two Emperors.
However, the worst-case scenario did not occur. The eight clones had all mastered the advanced application of Armament Haki, enough to break through Kaido's defenses.
As for BIG MOM's "Iron Balloon" body... Reddy still hadn't found a better way to deal with it.
But being able to obtain Kaido's genetic sample was already a huge win.
Thinking of this, Reddy snapped his fingers.
The eight clones immediately split into two groups.
Ray 1 and Ray 2 rushed toward BIG MOM.
The other six clones... aside from Pyo, who was more severely injured and acted as a mobile force to harass Kaido, the remaining five clones brandished their named swords and swept toward Kaido like a storm, launching fierce attacks.
BIG MOM was still lost in confusion over the clones blocking "Ocean Sovereignty," so her reaction was slightly delayed. Ray 1 and Ray 2 teamed up and sent her flying again.
Kaido wanted to intervene, but five slashes targeted five different parts of his body, forcing him to swing his club, "Hassaikai," to block the attacks that even he found threatening.
The two Emperors were quickly separated.
Ray 1 and Ray 2 took BIG MOM far away, leaving the battlefield to Pyo and the other five clones.
"Linlin..."
For the first time, Kaido felt uneasy.
These clones now gave him an inexplicable sense of threat.
Facing clones that were rapidly growing stronger in battle, he didn't want BIG MOM to be taken away.
But Pyo and the others gave Kaido no chance to speak.
Five named swords, coated in Armament Haki, struck at Kaido's vital points relentlessly, forcing him into full defense.
"Kozuki Oden..."
As the five sword-wielding clones pressed him step by step, Kaido began to see glimpses of Kozuki Oden in them. The scar on his abdomen started aching faintly again.
This feeling grew stronger with time.
It made Kaido momentarily dazed, as if he were seeing five Kozuki Odens surrounding him.
After just a brief lapse in focus, the back of Kaido's head was struck hard, causing him to stagger forward.
Mon and the other four clones immediately swung their swords, landing heavy blows on Kaido's body.
A trickle of blood seeped from the wounds.
His defense was broken!
Jimbei and the others were invigorated.
This was the first time Kaido had been injured in this battle.
Mon acted swiftly, reaching out to grab the trickle of blood.
The other four clones did the same.
Reddy was secretly overjoyed, eager to add Kaido's genetic sample to his gene bank.
As for the concern that prolonged exposure to the outside would cause the Devil Fruit powers to vanish, Reddy didn't care at all.
The Punk Hazard research facility still housed an artificial Zoan-type Mythical Fruit, the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, personally created by Vegapunk.
Reddy still hadn't decided who to give this perfect artificial fruit to, so it remained stored in his lab.
If no better candidate emerged, he could always create a clone using Kaido's genetic sample and turn it into a lesser version of Kaido.
Just as Reddy was planning how to utilize Kaido's genetic sample, a stream of magma suddenly struck.
Before it even hit Kaido, the scorching heat evaporated the blood that had seeped from the wound.
Reddy was furious. "Sakazuki, how do you want to die!"
Pyo and Shadow immediately abandoned Kaido.
One flew toward Sakazuki at high speed, while the other activated his Devil Fruit ability, turning into a shadow and launching a surprise attack from Sakazuki's own shadow.
"If you want my life, let's see if you have the ability!"
Sakazuki showed no fear at the charge of the two clones. He fired a "Hell Hound" directly at Pyo while simultaneously reaching for Shadow, who had emerged from his shadow, ignoring the slash Shadow aimed at him.
The magma was shattered by Pyo's direct strike, but it also slowed his flight speed.
At the same time, the named sword "Yuki" coated in Armament Haki pierced through Sakazuki's abdomen.
"Kuzan, stop him!"
Sakazuki used his Logia intangibility to evade Shadow's attack and firmly grabbed Shadow's throat, his hand instantly turning into scorching magma.
The next moment, his grip loosened.
A swarm of black bats fluttered away, quickly reforming into human shape nearby.
By then, Sakazuki's "Hell Hound," meant to stop the clones from obtaining Kaido's blood, was easily dispersed by Kaido's sweeping strike.
"Sakazuki, you dare look down on me!"
Kaido, with his fiery temper, was enraged that Sakazuki had interfered in his battle, as if he couldn't even protect a drop of his own blood. He immediately went berserk.
"Hassaikai" crackled with black lightning as he swung it in a wide arc, forcing the four clones back.
Sakazuki remained expressionless, ignoring Kaido's rage, and fought Pyo and Shadow.
Bang!
A loud gunshot rang out.
Sakazuki's head exploded into scattered magma.
Reddy knelt on one knee, holding the Barrett sniper rifle transformed by his maid, firing shot after shot to vent his frustration.
They had been so close to obtaining Kaido's genetic sample, only for Sakazuki to ruin it.
"Threat detected!"
Sakazuki used his Logia intangibility to avoid fatal damage, and his head quickly reformed. However, there was a hint of wariness in his eyes.
The bullet that had just struck him was infused with Armament Haki, posing a lethal threat.
Fortunately, Reddy's aim was terrible. Aside from the lucky headshot, none of his subsequent shots hit Sakazuki, who was now on guard.
Bang... Bang... Bang...
Reddy, consumed by rage, kept firing, unwilling to stop.
Jimbei and the others watched silently, their hearts chilled.
While Reddy hadn't shown proficiency in Observation or Armament Haki, his maid perfectly compensated for his shortcomings.
A weapon imbued with Armament Haki... Everyone fell silent.
This guy had too many trump cards!
Sakazuki dodged another possibly coincidental shot, his heart sinking.
He was in trouble now!