Chapter 437: The Successor

Boom—!

A fistful of sound waves suddenly exploded in the air, impacting the countless Video Den Den Mushi suspended around the Colosseum.

The view seen by everyone at Marine Headquarters blurred for a moment, and when the image cleared again, the scene before them made everyone's breath nearly stop.

All they saw was a lean figure suddenly appearing in the center of the frame.

Invisible air currents flowed around him, while behind him, a semi-transparent tail with a blade-like tip capable of slicing through the atmosphere twitched restlessly.

Pure white flame clouds drifted over his shoulders.

That was proof of an Awakened user; coupled with the emerald-green air currents flowing around him like a raging wind, even the dullest person realized it.

A Mythical Zoan!

And an Awakened Mythical Zoan at that!

Countless Devil Fruit users existed across these seas, but among them, those who could develop their abilities to the point of Awakening were exceedingly rare.

And as the rarest among the three Devil Fruit types, the Zoan Mythical type, Awakened users were even more like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns—virtually non-existent.

With the appearance of the Zoan Awakening traits, the identity of the attacker was revealed beyond any doubt!

"Hundred Plans Kuro!"

"Under Knight Gao Wen, there is a great general!"

"This guy... he actually possesses combat power sufficient to face Kaido head-on?!"

Sengoku felt his throat go somewhat dry.

It was solely because the blow Kaido had prepared to finish Moria was steadily caught by Kuro, and that was a full-power strike from Kaido holding nothing back!

A killing move capable of instantly blasting a mountain peak to smithereens!

Hundred Plans Kuro's combat power had far exceeded the expectations of Marine Headquarters.

"Ko~wa~i~ne~"

Kizaru, sitting on one side of the conference room, slowly straightened his body, looking at Kuro in the projected image with a gaze that was rarely solemn:

"Demon Jin, Black Leg Sanji, Roronoa Zoro, and now another Hundred Plans Kuro... do you think the Round Table Knights of Britannias might all possess Admiral-level combat power?!"

Sengoku frowned, almost subconsciously shaking his head:

"How is that possible?! Admiral-level combat power, in any era, is enough to leave one's name in history."

"How could such existences possibly..."

The more he spoke,

the quieter Sengoku's voice became.

An eerie silence fell over the conference room.

After all, one only needed to take stock of the Round Table Knights members who had already shown themselves at the World Martial Arts Tournament.

One would discover that every single one of these existences, without exception, was qualified to serve as an Admiral at Marine Headquarters.

Even Black Leg Sanji and Roronoa Zoro, whose combat power was slightly inferior to the other three, could definitely easily surpass Admiral candidates like Momousagi and Chaton.

Once a vacancy appeared, their promotion to fill the spot was a foregone conclusion.

And there would be no need to worry about someone cutting in line halfway, as happened with Momousagi and Chaton.

In the end, Momousagi and Chaton still lacked a degree of strength; they couldn't command the room, nor could they fight pirates of Yonko caliber.

Even Ryokugyu Aramaki, who had just recently assumed the position of Admiral, would find it hard to say whether he could suppress these two monsters.

Whereas Demon Jin, the Devil's Offspring Barrett, and Hundred Plans Kuro, who just blocked Kaido's certain-kill strike, would rank at least in the upper-middle tier even among the Admirals of past generations in the Marines.

Monsters like Barrett were even qualified to contend with Akainu for the position of Fleet Admiral.

Even Sengoku and Garp in their youth might not have been able to suppress them!

Calculating it this way, among the Round Table Knights, a group of only ten-plus people, every member who had appeared possessed Admiral-level combat power?

Then what about the remaining members...

When everyone thought of this point, they felt the pressure bearing down on their shoulders suddenly surge to an unbearable degree.

With such a force, let alone the Marines, even the World Government would feel their scalps go numb, hesitating before acting to weigh whether they could bear the consequences.

One must remember that back then, Rocks, who broke into Mary Geoise and even appeared before Im, claiming he would replace Im to become the King of the World,

did not have subordinates with Admiral-level combat power that came anywhere close to the current level of Britannias!

How were the Marines going to face this monster?!

Just as this question arose in everyone's minds, a thought simultaneously and irresistibly surged up.

The era of the World Government...

Was it about to end?

Then where lay the future of the Marines?

The more they tried to control themselves from thinking about it, the more irresistibly this question appeared before everyone's eyes, interrogating their hearts.

Aokiji narrowed his eyes slightly.

Unlike the others, one thing he knew clearly was that perhaps not every member of the Round Table Knights possessed Admiral-level combat power, but the number was certainly greater than what they currently saw.

At the very least, Fujitora had undoubtedly already joined Gao Wen's faction.

And as time passed, the combat power under Gao Wen's command would only continue to grow.

Especially now, with the change in the world order, the New World had shifted from the four Yonko standing together to Britannias confronting the World Government as a single pole.

For those pirates with nowhere else to turn, throwing in their lot with Gao Wen was almost their only choice!

"Truly..."

"An era of drastic change!"

Aokiji murmured, then immediately turned to look at Akainu, his gaze gradually becoming firm at this moment.

This increasingly turbulent era was a crisis for the World Government, but it was also an opportunity for world transformation!

If the Navy does not change soon, once this fig leaf of justice is stripped away, the filth beneath will be enough to cause those Marines to suffer a mental collapse.

Setting things right is imperative!

……

A few minutes ago.

Britannias, Round Table Arena.

The sea breeze around them suddenly stilled; even the flags hanging high around the arena stopped fluttering.

Kaido's killing blow was blocked; alongside his shock, a nameless fury rose within him!

"You should know the consequences of interrupting my fight!"

Xiang Keluo's expression remained calm, his gaze level as he looked at Kaido.

His aura was sharp and domineering; even facing one of the Four Emperors of the New World, he showed no inferiority!

"This fellow attacked the prison of the Britannita Temple, stealing the shadows of countless hardened criminals; I am now arresting him for interrogation."

Xiang Keluo pushed up his glasses with his palm; half his face transformed into a Kamaitachi, making him appear even more ferocious and sinister.

Killing intent, thick enough to be nearly tangible, erupted from him, as if a faint mist of blood swirled around him.

Extremely vicious, sinister and ferocious!

Xiang Keluo slowly raised his head, meeting Kaido's eyes:

"Any problem?!"

Kaido was speechless.

His beard and hair moved without wind!

The wild Haki surging around his body was barely suppressible.

"Brat!"

"……"

The moment the word landed.

Kaido's expression froze abruptly; an invisible pressure bore down on his shoulders, heavy as a mountain range, as if trying to bend his spine!

Boom—!

The ground cracked, Kaido's feet sinking deep into the floor.

Spiderweb-like fissures spread in all directions.

"Are you kidding me!"

Kaido roared in anger.

He had been humiliated.

Knight Gao Wen hasn't even appeared, yet they think they can suppress me?!

How could they let you succeed!

"Roar—!"

A dragon's cry exploded from Kaido's mouth.

The Den Den Mushi video transponders around them shattered in response, cutting off the transmission; all those watching this battle saw nothing but darkness.

"Why did the feed cut out at this moment? What exactly happened?!"

"Was Kaido suppressed?"

Marine Headquarters.

Sengoku recalled the final image, utterly certain of this in his heart.