"Uh? You can't? What a shame."
When Kaido said that, he deliberately dragged out the ending, his face showing a look of "what a pity, what a pity."
But the smile he could not suppress at the corner of his mouth, and the obvious relief in his eyes, practically had the words "thank god he can't" written across his forehead.
It really answered the saying: you fear your brother suffering, but you also fear him driving a Land Rover.
Ron looked at Kaido's expression and frowned slightly. You brat... you're not even pretending?
At least they could be considered comrades who had fought side by side. What kind of person felt relieved because a comrade's ability was not perfect enough?
"Fine... who told me to spoil you, Kaido?"
The moment his voice fell, an even denser golden Nine-Tails chakra surged into Kaido's body through the connected arm like boiling magma.
Kaido's body trembled fiercely. The pale red chakra cloak instantly expanded, wrapping him like a burning flame.
Ron's chakra arm slowly withdrew and returned into the enormous body of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Don't disappoint me, Kaido. Otherwise, there won't be a next time."
"Ron, you really are loyal as hell."
Kaido was so touched he almost teared up. His grip on the kanabo tightened slightly, and he faced Rayleigh properly.
"I'm going to fight... ten of you."
"Hmph." Rayleigh was amused by his stance and laughed softly. "You're young, but your mouth is certainly big."
"Take this!"
Kaido roared. The kanabo in his hand pulled back first, then swung forward violently.
Rayleigh kept to his earlier strategy. He did not want the conflict to escalate further, so he did not counterattack. Instead, he raised his arm to block.
Then...
Boom!
A dull crash exploded around them. The enormous impact erupted from the point where kanabo met arm, and Rayleigh's pupils contracted sharply.
His entire body was sent flying backward by Kaido's swing.
"Oh-ho?"
Kaido was stunned too. Even he had not expected that, when he used his full strength, he could swing such a handsome blow.
He looked down at his hand, then at Rayleigh flying backward, and the smile at the corner of his mouth could no longer be suppressed.
"Bastard Rayleigh!" Kaido shouted, chasing after him with his kanabo raised. "Take this!"
Rayleigh frowned slightly. He had not expected Ron's Devil Fruit to possess such a rare ability, capable of transferring power to others.
"Truly eye-opening," Rayleigh praised without stinginess. Then he looked at Kaido charging toward him and said seriously, "Hey, brat from the Rocks Pirates, I'm getting serious now."
"Idiot. Who cares what you do? Do whatever you want," Kaido snapped.
The battlefield split into two sections: Whitebeard versus Roger, and Kaido versus Rayleigh.
Ron, meanwhile, became completely free.
Looking at the already condensed Super Tailed Beast Bomb, Ron wondered whether he should send it to Roger and Rayleigh.
But... if his aim was slightly off, it might affect Kaido and Whitebeard too.
Remembering how Whitebeard had complained during the Heavenly Tribute robbery, asking whether Ron was trying to kill him as well, Ron could not help sighing lightly.
"Let's wait a little longer," Ron murmured. For the time being, he had no plans to fire.
At that moment, he inadvertently looked down.
On the ground, a figure was slowly wriggling.
Ochoku!
Ron froze for a second. Then a trace of heartfelt admiration flashed in his pupils.
"Life really is stubborn. He still isn't dead after all that."
At Ron's thought, the Nine-Tailed Fox slowly lowered its huge fox head close to the ground.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Ron clicked his tongue softly, as if examining an interesting little toy.
Ochoku broke into a cold sweat. He struggled to turn over, leaning his back against the rubble as he looked up at the gigantic golden fox blotting out the sky.
His voice trembled. "Ron... I'm already like this... are you still going to wipe me out completely?"
Ron sneered. "You know, Ochoku. I gave you a chance earlier. You just didn't treasure it."
"I've already told you everything you wanted to know. What else do you want from me?"
"Fine." Ron's voice remained even. "Then I'll give you another chance."
Ochoku instantly let out a breath of relief. He lowered his eyes, and a trace of viciousness flashed through them. He swore that one day, he would make Ron even more miserable and desperate than he was right now.
"I'll remember your mercy," Ochoku said in a deep voice. Then he turned over and used both hands to prop himself up, beginning to crawl forward again.
Ron did not answer.
His movements did not stop either.
A chakra arm extended from the Nine-Tailed Fox's right side and dug an enormous pit in the ground. Then that same arm stretched out again, grabbed Ochoku by the waist as he crawled, and lifted him up.
Ochoku's body stiffened in midair. He looked down at the bottomless pit, and the little color that had just returned to his face vanished completely.
"What... what are you doing, Ron? You said it. You said you'd give me another chance!"
"Of course," Ron said unhurriedly. "As long as you don't die next."
The chakra arm released him.
Ochoku's body fell into the pit, accompanied by a short and miserable scream.
Then, with Ron's thought, the already condensed Tailed Beast Bomb was held above the pit by another chakra arm and aimed at the figure below, who was still struggling to climb up.
"No, Ron, you can't-"
Boom!
A world-shaking explosion completely swallowed Ochoku's final scream.
Fire shot into the sky. Thick smoke rose and formed a dark-gray mushroom cloud that lingered for a long time.
After the dust had slightly dispersed, the place where the pit had been was now a huge depression.
The bottom was completely charred, with nothing left behind. The man nicknamed the "Pirate Cult Founder," Ochoku, had been reduced to ash.
A short while later, in a sea area not far from Ron's island, the ocean rose and fell unevenly from the battle's aftermath.
On the deck of the Saber of Xebec, the Rocks Pirates were gathered together, lined up along the ship's rail.
All eyes looked in the same direction.
"What's going on?" Marlon stared toward the island and spoke slowly. "The place where we're supposed to rendezvous... there's a battle happening? Did the Marines catch up?"
"Mama-mama."
Linlin suddenly laughed. "We just finished a meaningless operation not long ago. If the Marines really caught up, we might as well run. Newgate can escape on his own anyway, and then he can meet up with us later."
"Hahaha," Gansui also laughed. "What Linlin said has no conscience at all, but it sounds pretty good!"
"Everyone, relax for a moment."
A low voice came down from above the sail.
Streusen lowered the telescope in his hand and continued, "It's not the Marines. It's Roger and his people."
"Roger?"
Everyone showed surprise.
Why was that guy always haunting them? Did he have nothing of his own to do? Why was he always circling around other people's backsides?
After the surprise, however, most of their eyes quickly lit up.
Because the same thought appeared in their minds almost at the same time. If the Roger Pirates were all fighting on the island, then what about their ship?
What about the treasure on their ship?
If they did not take advantage of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, were they even pirates?
"Jihahaha."
Golden Lion moved the fastest. His body suddenly rose into the air, both feet leaving the ground as he floated above the deck. He looked down at the "comrades" who had not reacted yet, and the corner of his mouth split into a smug grin.
"Goodbye, everyone. I'll scout the road for you first."
"Tch."
Linlin snorted as she watched Golden Lion's figure, her tone full of disdain. "You're not the only one who can fly. What's there to be proud of, Shiki?"
Silver Axe said, "Linlin, take me with you. You know how this works. If we really find something, I'll help you deal with Shiki, and we'll split the treasure."