Who's-Who felt that he'd only done such a trivial thing—how could it have provoked such an overwhelming reaction?
Beneath his purple mane, his temples throbbed painfully, each pulse like a war drum hammering inside his skull.
As his vision momentarily darkened, a scene from half an hour ago flashed through his mind.
"No way... Were those words 'traitor' really meant for me?"
Back then, Kawamatsu was already half-dead, lying battered and barely breathing.
Who's-Who had merely given a casual wave, handing Kawamatsu over to the remnants of the Kozuki Clan.
In his view, such a minor act of leniency wouldn't even warrant a slap on the wrist in ordinary battles.
He'd done similar things before.
Everyone usually turned a blind eye, and it was all tacitly understood.
So why today of all days...?
Could it be... that bastard Yamato had snitched on him?
The thought had barely formed in Who's-Who's mind when a cold sweat trickled down his spine.
The chilling sensation felt like countless icy serpents slithering up his backbone, making him shiver involuntarily.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed together as he recalled Yamato's horns, identical to Kaido's. After all, she was the Governor's own daughter.
Even if caught red-handed, with that status she'd at most get a few days of confinement while keeping her life.
But what about him?
A defector from CP9, he'd always been just a replaceable part in the Beast Pirates.
Normally it might not seem so bad, but once trouble came, he stood completely isolated with no one to rely on.
This realization coiled around Who's-Who's heart like a venomous serpent, tightening its grip until his breathing grew ragged.
But moments later, he shook his head violently, trying to cast out the terrifying thought.
Impossible!
That girl hates Kaido even more than I do!
He desperately recalled Yamato's usual behavior - the perpetually blood-stained shackles serving as proof of her obsession with Kozuki Oden.
She only wanted revenge for the Kozuki family, why would she betray him? But given the current situation.
..
"Die, traitor!"
Queen's blood-spewing charge suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Who's-Who's train of thought was abruptly cut off by the piercing whine of lasers, sharp enough to make one's scalp crawl.
He instinctively sidestepped as Queen's modified Mechanical Arm swept past his cheek, the gust of wind carrying the acrid smell of burnt metal and Queen's furious roar.
"Die, traitor!!" Queen's fat face contorted grotesquely, high-temperature steam hissing from his Mechanical Arm's joints - a clear sign he intended to kill!
The steam resembled demon's breath, carrying destructive power as it enveloped Who's-Who.
In that split second, Who's-Who's body seemed to move independently of his mind, reacting purely on muscle memory.
The armament haki wrapped around his right arm suddenly vibrated intensely at a peculiar frequency, like precisely controlled electricity.
"Thunder Bagua!!!"
The purple-haired man's low, powerful roar shattered the silence.
Surprisingly, even he hadn't clearly realized that the stance he'd taken was identical to Kaido's technique.
His sword swept forth like lightning tearing through darkness, moving at an astonishing speed.
With this fierce strike, blue-white electricity truly burst forth in the air, dancing like silver serpents while flashing with terrifying brilliance.
"BOOM--!!!" The two forces collided without reservation.
Instantly, a powerful Shockwave spread outward with overwhelming force.
The ground within a hundred-meter radius was flipped over as if by invisible giant hands, dust flying and debris scattering everywhere.
Queen's Mechanical Arm groaned under the tremendous force, on the verge of shattering at any moment.
Then, Queen was sent flying dozens of meters away like a meteor struck by a cannonball, tracing a pathetic arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze as if pressed by an invisible hand, plunging the entire world into an eerie stillness.
High above, Kaido, who had been about to take action, suddenly froze mid-motion.
His dragon eyes widened to their limits, filled with shock and disbelief, the massive pupils reflecting everything unfolding below.
Jack, who had just barely managed to prop himself up, was so startled by this sudden turn of events that he fell back into the pool of blood.
He forgot to wipe the blood oozing from his fangs, merely staring blankly downward, his face etched with terror and disbelief.
Even the unconscious King twitched violently under the impact of this immense power.
"This... this is..." Kaido's voice trembled noticeably, his eyes betraying a trace of barely suppressed rage.
Jack was the first to snap out of his shock, letting out a beast-like roar.
"Thunder Bagua?! How does he know the boss's ultimate technique?!" His voice was filled with both fury and fear, as if he'd witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world.
King, who had unknowingly opened his profound eyes, spoke with a chilling coldness despite his still-blurred vision.
"It's not an imitation... he's grasped the essence..."
He struggled to rise, each attempt appearing painfully difficult.
"We must... kill him now..."
Kaido was absolutely livid, his face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead.
"I personally taught Yamato, you..." His voice carried unprecedented fury, as if he wanted to unleash all his anger at once, "How fucking long have you been stealing my techniques?!"
Who'swho seemed to awaken from a dream as he slowly looked down at his hands.
The lightning still crackled around his sword, the flickering electricity feeling like the most merciless mockery.
His face instantly turned deathly pale—this was truly a situation where he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Underworld
Why had he unconsciously used Thunder Bagua? And he hadn't even bothered to change the damn name!
He inwardly cursed his misfortune, a sense of foreboding enveloping his heart.
"It's not... this is Yamato..."
He attempted a futile explanation, but the words caught in his throat.
He knew all too well that under the Beasts Pirates' ironclad rules, stealing Kaido's ultimate technique was a capital offense more severe than betrayal!