Chapter 150: I Really Want to Improve, Kaido!

"Bastard, daring to lay a hand on Boss Siano!"

Roaring, the Mammoth Giant Elephant burst into the shipyard, charging straight at Kaido without hesitation.

He had just finished delivering a chest and emerged from the bank; he had no idea who this horned man before him was, nor did he care!

All he knew was that this fellow had suddenly dropped from the sky, brimming with aggressive intent, clearly aiming to harm Boss Siano!

Since that was the case, then he, Jack, must step forward!

Stop this old fool!

"Oh?"

Kaido paused slightly, looking at this rash youth who had suddenly charged over, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.

"Where did this brat come from?"

Quite bold; and seemingly a rare Ancient Type. That Siano actually has such a Devil Fruit user under his command makes one somewhat envious!

It's just that...

Coldness surged in Kaido's eyes.

He couldn't even smell a trace of Haki on him; at merely this level, he dares to actively launch an attack against him...

Truly not putting the title of Yonko in his eyes at all!!!

Snap!

He bared his teeth, too lazy to even draw his spiked club, simply clenching his right hand into a fist and punching out casually!

—Crackle!

Thick black lightning spread out; it wasn't Haoshoku Haki, but rather Armament Haki compressed to its absolute limit.

Jack's pupils contracted sharply.

Who exactly is this guy? So strong!

He sensed the terrifying power contained within this punch, but having transformed into a mammoth elephant, his agility was greatly weakened, making it impossible to dodge this blow.

Then he wouldn't dodge; he would tank it head-on!

Letting out a roar, Jack simply stopped dodging or flashing, continuing to charge forward with his head down!

However—

Whoosh!

Just at the instant Kaido's fist was about to smash into Jack, a black shadow suddenly flashed between the two, throwing out a punch of its own!

Boom—!!!

Two fists collided, and a terrifying shockwave instantly exploded!

The ground cracked inch by inch like a spiderweb, violent air waves swept outward, and the four walls surrounding the shipyard collapsed with a crash, sending debris flying!

Jack was likewise blown away by the aftermath, his massive body rolling several times on the ground before finally slamming with a boom against the shipyard's huge iron gate.

The thick steel door panel instantly dented inward, nearly pierced through by his ivory tusks.

"Not bad, this strength."

Kaido paid no attention to Jack, instead narrowing his eyes slightly as he examined the black-haired youth blocking his path with increasing delight:

"The strength of your Haki is also very high! Extremely high! No wonder, no wonder!... Laozi heard that Boss Hua Zha didn't last long in your hands, seeming to be beaten down in just three or four hours?"

"To be precise, it was less than two hours."

Siano glanced at Jack; the latter wasn't seriously injured and was currently grunting with effort, trying to pull himself out of the steel plate. "You came to find me this time to seek revenge for him?"

Boss Hua Zha's strength was merely average among the Seven Warlords; the only reason he could entangle in battle for so long was simply because the Pteranodon Fruit provided a significant boost to physical durability.

"That guy's reason accounts for at most a small half of it!"

Kaido suddenly drew the spiked club from his back. "Right now, I actually want to beat the hell out of you, to see if I can make you join my crew with a convinced heart and total submission, becoming a member of the Beasts Pirates!"

As expected?

Siano had long anticipated this attitude.

"It seems you and Boss Hua Zha are old friends, but your relationship is just so-so."

Siano grinned. "If it were King who died in my hands, I'm afraid it would be a grudge ending only in death, wouldn't it?"

"Uro ro ro ro... How could King possibly die at the hands of a brat like you? Don't speak such big words!"

Kaido laughed wildly. "Rather than that, why don't you just voluntarily defect and come serve as Laozi's 'Top Commander'? In that case, Laozi would consider showing mercy, so you won't be beaten half to death by me later!"

"Speaking of which, that old man Whitebeard has a bunch of Division Commanders, and that fellow Big Mom has her Four Sweet Commanders, yet Laozi currently has only two Top Commanders; the little ones below are useless in major situations. What I lack is talent like you!"

"Once you become a Top Commander, your status in the Beasts Pirates will be second only to mine; even the Marine Headquarters, which wants to put you to death, won't dare to move against you anymore! How about it? Consider it!"

"No interest."

Siano shook his head. "You speak so sincerely and without holding grudges that I'm almost moved, however..."

"Compared to yielding and becoming your subordinate or whatever..."

Siano grinned ferociously as he clenched his fist, dense Armament Haki coiling around him like a tide:

"—I'd rather beat you down, Kaido!!!"

Before his voice had even faded, his figure shot out like lightning, fists separated and each gathering power, rushing toward Kaido's chest with the force of thunder and lightning!

"Arrogant brat! Seeking death!"

Refusing directly without even considering it for a moment!

Kaido instantly flew into a rage, gripping his spiked club tightly, wreathed in glaring black-red lightning, and swung it down violently toward Siano—

"Thunder Bagua!!!"

"Rokushiki Ogi: Hadou Shissou!!!"

Boom!!!

Ripple-shaped shockwaves rose in concentric circles, intertwining and crushing against the black-red lightning, before finally sweeping outward in all directions with mighty momentum!

This time.

It wasn't just Dock One.

The entire ground of Water Seven began to tremble violently, as if struck by an earthquake...

The network of waterways crisscrossing the city like field ridges churned even more violently, waves surging and crests churning!

Siano's right fist slammed hard into Kaido's chest, causing the muscles on Kaido's chest surface to ripple like stones cast into a lake.

His left arm, however, was blocked by the spiked club; after a brief stalemate, it still couldn't withstand that terrifying force, sending his entire body flying backward!

Boom!

As luck would have it, the trajectory along which Siano flew was exactly the same as the path the Mammoth had just taken.

Jack, who had finally managed to pull his tusks out of the giant steel gate, let out another miserable scream as he became perfectly embedded in it once again.

With Jack acting as a buffer, Siano managed to halt his momentum in time.

Propping himself up with one hand on the tusk and wiping the fresh blood spilling from the corner of his mouth with the other, he stumbled to his feet, twisted his neck, rubbed his forehead, and his slightly dazed gaze quickly regained its clarity.

"Is that all?"

Siano couldn't help but burst into laughter, lifting his head to look at Kaido once more.

Facing this same club strike, his performance far exceeded that of Nika during the Five Emperors era, though that was only natural.

Having stepped foot by foot to where he stood today, even someone as powerful as a Yonko finding it absolutely impossible to kill him in an instant was a certainty!

"Urorororo!!! Burp~!"

Kaido, not yet sober from his drink, laughed loudly as well; he placed his left hand over his chest, where the skin had caved in, though no blood flowed out.

"It feels slightly painful around the heart area, kid! So you've already mastered the technique of internal destruction? It seems this fight will be more enjoyable than I anticipated!"

He gripped the spiked club tightly again, hoisted it onto his shoulder, his eyes blazing with Xiong Xiong fighting spirit as he grinned:

"Recovered already, kid? Time to take Laozi's second strike!"

—But Siano raised his right palm, signaling a pause:

"Let's stop fighting."

"Hm?"

Kaido frowned. "Scared?"

"How could that be possible? Hahaha!"

Siano laughed heartily.

Stop here?

We've barely begun!

This Thunder Bagua was similar to Garp's "Fist Bone Impact," allowing him to subtly grasp a hint of the secret behind Conqueror's Haki infusion.

He had to continue; he couldn't stop!

He had only just started to get a feel for it, and he hoped to comprehend even more from it!

Taking a club strike was indeed unpleasant.

But...

Kaido, I want to improve so badly!!!

"Then what do you mean?" Kaido asked displeasedly, pressing further.

"Let's change locations, Kaido."

Siano said with a grin.

He was currently standing between two massive iron gates; looking down, most of the Water Seven cityscape was visible at a glance.

The nearby streets and waterways all showed signs of collapse, while citizens were frantically fleeing toward the outskirts in terror.

Just the aftermath of this single punch exchange possessed such destructive power.

If they continued fighting, what would turn into ruins wouldn't just be Dock One of the Galley-La Company, but the entire city.

Kaido noticed Siano's gaze, followed it with a glance, and immediately guessed his thoughts.

"Why worry blindly about irrelevant people, kid."

Kaido snorted coldly, saying somewhat impatiently, "Why care about ants? When the strong fight, the weak naturally suffer; isn't that only natural?"

"You may not care, but I'll be held back."

Siano pointed at himself. "If I can't unleash my full strength, the fight won't be satisfying; in that case, even if you knock me down in a few moves, it would be meaningless, right?"

"Sophistry!"

Kaido sneered disdainfully, slamming the spiked club heavily onto the ground, shaking the entire island.

"Urorororo... However, since I've finally found you and I'm in a good mood today, I'll grant your wish and change locations to fight with you!"

He untied a wine gourd from his waist again, tilted his head back to gulp some sake, his gaze turning cold and piercing:

"Speak up, kid, where do you want to go? Don't waste too much time; Laozi doesn't want to go somewhere too far!"

"Don't worry, it's very close."

Siano raised his hand and pointed toward the outskirts of Water Seven below:

"See that station over there? Following the direction the tracks extend, the Sea Train can reach Enies Lobby in a few hours; with your ability to fly, you'd be even faster. Isn't fighting on World Government territory more interesting than demolishing civilians' houses?"

"Enies Lobby?"

Kaido looked over with interest; under the moonlight, the silhouette of that sea track extending toward the end of the horizon was indeed clearly visible.

"Urorororo!!"

Kaido laughed wildly. "Kid, you certainly know how to pick a place!"

"You should have said so earlier; it suits me perfectly! The World Government is still dreaming, wanting to use Laozi's hand to eliminate you, but Laozi will simply not grant their wish!"

"What does that mean?" Siano's eyebrow twitched slightly, his mind already forming suspicions.

"What do you think, you Bai Chi brat!"

Kaido snorted, "The Paradise isn't like the New World; it's territory under the complete control of the Marines! Do you think that under normal circumstances, those guys would let a Sea Emperor run rampant all over the first half? They would have been scared out of their wits and immediately dispatched an Admiral to intercept!"

"But what about Laozi this time? I've been in the Paradise for so many days, and not a single soul has bothered me! No surveillance, no tailing, no troop movements... nothing! It's never been this smooth; isn't it obvious the World Government wants to borrow a knife to kill someone!"

Not quite.

Kaido let out another belch and shook his head.

Smooth?

Hmph, not exactly.

It's just that the Marines finally didn't have the audacity to come looking for trouble.

He had actually expended quite a bit of effort this time.

The vast ocean is boundless; even for him, who can transform into an Azure Dragon and soar through the sky, finding someone he had never met and whose aura he was unfamiliar with was no different than searching for a needle in a haystack.

He could only fly over the large circle of islands near Alabasta one by one, using the method of elimination to inspect them.

Every time he flew over an island, he would linger for a moment, sensing whether there were any powerful auras on it.

If there were, he would go down and take a look.

If not? Then he would continue flying!

In short, this journey involved too many stops and starts, far too many twists and turns!

Kaido couldn't understand why there were so many people in the first half of the Grand Line who shouldn't be there, wasting his time.

First, he encountered a dead okama swinging back and forth on threads between the clouds, seemingly someone who had just become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea a few years ago; what was his name again? The name was too long to remember;

Anyway, he blocked his path and was a huge nuisance, so Kaido swept him away with his tail, flinging him off to become a meteor on the horizon.

Then there was a Bai Chi hiding on a Sky Island; upon approaching, the fool immediately claimed to be a god and ordered him to kneel.

Crazy and stupid, utterly detestable; Kaido casually struck him with a Thunder Bagua, beating him into a swollen mess until he fainted, then added a kick to send him plummeting to the Blue Sea.

Finally, just the day before yesterday, he encountered an aura incredibly sharp, as if a sword had been unsheathed; this time it had to be right, so Kaido landed joyfully to take a look.

—Turns out it was Hawk-Eye Mihawk.

He had actually known this person for a long time, but they had no friendship, and he was simply unfamiliar with the other's aura; seeing him drinking alone in a very depressed state, Kaido left without saying a word.

Until tonight.

Only now had he finally found traces of Siano...

What a struggle!

"Is that so..."

Siano glanced at Kaido with some surprise.

This old fellow looked rough and bold on the outside, seeming like a hothead just like Jack, but it was all an act.

Beneath that highly deceptive brute exterior clearly lay a meticulous mind skilled in plotting.

"Urorororo!"

Kaido laughed wildly and gulped down some sake, "Those fools really think Laozi will obediently act as their knife? This time, it's their turn to reap what they sow!"

"It seems we truly thought alike."

Siano grinned, "Then let's not waste time; let's go!"

He turned to look at Jack, who had just struggled out of the iron gate, panting heavily:

"You go ahead and rendezvous; tell the others I'm heading to Enies Lobby. As for the remaining loose ends here, leave them to Sister Sister Guyina to handle as she sees fit."

What he referred to were the repairs and upgrades for the Curtain Call, and the disposal of the remaining two captured CP9 agents.

"But Boss..." Jack reverted to human form, looked up at Kaido, his face full of worry.

"Don't worry, I have a plan."

Siano patted his shoulder, hooked his right foot to quietly pick up the ivory tusk that had been knocked off who-knows-when, and said, "Go, be obedient; you can't intervene in a battle of this level just yet."

With that, he leaped upward, using Moon Step to soar into the air, instantly turning into a lingering shadow as he rushed toward the sea surface.

Afterward, at regular intervals, he used the railway tracks as landing points, making his way toward Enies Lobby.

"Hey, brat, your speed isn't bad either!"

Kaido let out a loud laugh, his body suddenly expanding and deforming; in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a massive azure dragon, swung his tail, and gave chase.

Enies Lobby.

Although the surrounding seas were shrouded in night, only this island was bathed in celestial light, bright as day.

To be precise, here it was daylight twenty-four hours a day, year-round; it was a true "City That Never Sleeps."

This was one of the three major institutions of the World Government and also the station for the secret intelligence department CP9.

Not long ago.

This place had been ravaged by the Blue Demon and the Red Demon, suffering heavy damage; the World Government dispatched heavy forces to guard it, spending nearly a month before finally restoring it to its original state.

At this very moment.

Inside the conference room within the Tower of Justice, Spandam, the supreme commander of CP9, held a cup of coffee, his face grim as he looked at the three subordinates who had just returned:

"Are you saying... those two Devil Fruits were all stolen by that clown Buggy in Queen Camellia?"

"Yes, sir..."

Jabura turned his head and glared hatefully at Onigumo, who lowered his head guiltily.

"Please calm your anger, sir."

Kumadori, with a face full of grief, drew a short knife, "Do not blame my companion; everything is my fault. I shall immediately commit seppuku to apologize to you! Yo-yo-yi!"

"Iron Body!"

With a clang, the blade tip was deflected, leaving Kumasuke completely unharmed.

(End of Chapter)