Chapter 438

Everyone looked at the old vice admiral with nothing but pity.

If the world is about to sink, land will only grow scarcer, unable to support so many people.

Under these circumstances, it was naturally better for the Celestial Dragons if there were fewer people.

Moreover, revealing such news in advance would bring nothing but endless panic.

This era, already taut on a single thread, would instantly spiral out of control.

From the Celestial Dragons’ perspective, no matter how they concealed the news, secretly seeking an escape route was the best choice!

Yet at the same time, the marine high command present felt only an indescribable sense of helplessness and despair.

This was the tide of heaven and earth—it would not change for any human will.

Even someone as powerful as Knight Gao Wen could never alter the heavens and earth.

The conference room fell silent.

Compared to the news of the world’s impending sinking, the ever-expanding strength under Knight Gao Wen’s command seemed insignificant.

After all, if humanity itself was heading toward extinction, justice, evil, the Marines, the pirates—all these concepts lost all meaning!

Long silence.

Akainu slowly opened his eyes, and within them, molten lava seemed to flow.

“If the World Government abandons this world, then what exactly… can we do?!”

“Tell me, what is the justice we bear—and who defined it?!”

“It is time for the Marines to make their own choice!”

Their expressions hardened—they now understood Akainu’s intent.

Only now did they realize why every Marine office contained a seat for Zefa.

Even though that man was dead, his name had become a taboo even the World Government and Marine Headquarters dared not speak.

But he had never left.

Crash—!

The conference room door was violently shoved open; standing at the threshold, Green Bull lifted his gaze and met the eyes of all present—he felt a jolt in his chest:

“Looks like I came at a bad time.”

“No!”

Akainu grinned:

“You came at the perfect time!”

…

…

…

Time rewound—minutes earlier.

Britannias.

Kaido roared, breaking free from Gao Wen’s Haki, but scanned the surroundings and found no trace of Gao Wen.

That meant—even across an unknown distance—that man could still use Conqueror’s Haki to precisely lock onto, and even suppress, him!

Such power…

Was there truly a monster in this world capable of anything?!

Even his earlier defeat at Gao Wen’s hands had only made Kaido wary—not fearful.

But now, feeling this Conqueror’s Haki, Kaido’s palms were drenched in sweat; he finally understood firsthand what Whitebeard had faced during the Marineford War!

In shock, Kaido realized.

What had just happened was merely Gao Wen’s warning—if he continued to forcibly target Moria, next time Gao Wen would strike with lethal intent!

A lethal strike no one could block!

“Tch—!”

Kaido spat, glared fiercely at Keluo, sheathed his Hachisai, and turned to leave.

Keluo smirked, slightly disappointed.

He had hoped to fight Kaido, to test just how far he’d grown in this time.

But since Kaido had chosen to retreat, he had no reason to pursue further.

After instructing the nearby doctors to carry Moria away, Keluo’s figure blurred and vanished from everyone’s sight.

Meanwhile, the competitors in the stands remained immersed in the lingering weight of that Conqueror’s Haki.

Lei De’s pupils shrank; his hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his longsword:

“This aura…”

“It’s the same monster from the Marineford War!”

He had been present on the battlefield of Marineford and had watched from afar as Gao Wen fought Whitebeard.

Back then, though Gao Wen was strong, the aura he displayed had merely surpassed Whitebeard slightly—not nearly as overwhelming as what he had just exerted over Kaido.

In other words, unless Gao Wen had grown stronger during this time, then during the Marineford War, he had held back far more than he showed against Whitebeard.

Lei De finally understood the weight of this.

“Just the aura alone makes one feel suffocated…”

Luffy stood by the window, pondering how he himself would fare against this power—or even against the Gao Wen of the Marineford War.

The answer terrified him.

“Are you confident?!”

Kid swallowed hard, unable to help asking.

“No.”

“Not at all?!”

“Not at all.”

Kid stared at Luffy’s grinning face and felt a surge of frustration:

“Then why are you smiling so brightly?!”

“Isn’t this great?!”

Luffy tilted his head, his face lit with confident joy:

“Just when I thought my strength was enough to decide everything, a new opponent appears.”

“Adventure…”

“Has no end!”

“Isn’t that exciting?!”

Kid rubbed his forehead, momentarily speechless, even regretting why he’d ever agreed to Luffy’s joking bet.

Once you boarded this pirate ship—even with your whole family aboard—it wasn’t easy to get off.

“Take this seriously!”

“Asshole!”

“Hahahahahaha—!”

Amid their roughhousing, the despair brought by Gao Wen’s Haki was slightly diluted.

Mihawk sat aside, gently polishing the edge of his black blade.

Hum—!

The black blade, sensing Gao Wen’s aura, vibrated continuously—it thrilled at the prospect of facing such a peak.

And at that moment,

In the Round Table Arena, Zan Gao’s announcement, transmitted via Den Den Mushi, spread across the world:

“Round 8 of the World’s Strongest Martial Arts Tournament’s quarterfinals: Winner, Kaido of the Beasts!”

“Thus concludes the quarterfinals of this World’s Strongest Martial Arts Tournament. The finals will begin in three days—stay tuned!”

“Ding—!”

The video feed cut off.

Those who watched the battle wore varied expressions.

Some were stunned into existential doubt by the monstrous power on display; others were unsatisfied; still others were uneasy.

But the Five Elders seated in the Palace of Mary Geoise showed no expression whatsoever—nearly numb.

If Moria’s sudden display of Emperor-level power had merely made them take notice and raise their guard,

Then Gao Wen’s use of Conqueror’s Haki to suppress Kaido from afar left them on edge.

Moreover, in this tournament, every warrior from Britannias who fought had reached Emperor-level strength.

“This isn’t about determining the world’s strongest—it’s Britannias flexing its muscles, showing us!”

Nasu Shourou’s face darkened as he drew a deep breath.

The others beside him were equally grim; Ma Zi rubbed his beard nervously, his face unusually pale:

“The Round Table Knights…”

“He’s targeting the Divine Knights. This man has already written his ambition on his face.”