Kapitel 148: Chapter 148: Battle Concluded
"The fight has started."
The world had only just learned that the Sun and Moon Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were clashing in a long-awaited battle between Emperors, a rarity in the last ten years.
This news, naturally, was the handiwork of the King of News, Morgans.
After hours of relentless effort, every staff member at his newspaper agency worked overtime to get the latest edition out across the seas.
"The Beasts Pirates versus the Sun and Moon Pirates… Just the thought of it is enough to make my blood boil. Who's going to win?"
"I'm betting on the Sun and Moon Pirates. If they dared to stay and fight, they must be confident."
"Ridiculous. The sea is full of overconfident pirates. If confidence were enough to guarantee a win, why haven't I won every time? Kaido has an army of top commanders and tens of thousands of pirates. How could he lose?"
"Lose? Hasn't Kaido lost plenty of times already? Out of all the Emperors, he's the one with the most defeats."
"That's just because Kaido loves getting himself killed, always acting alone."
The debates heated up.
"In a few days, we'll know the outcome. Why are you arguing?"
"A few days? When monsters fight monsters, it takes at least ten days to two weeks to see a winner."
"Fine then, two weeks from now, we'll see who comes out on top."
The strong across the world who got wind of the battle were all curious about the outcome.
However, they all knew this fight would take time.
Take the Whitebeard Pirates, for example.
The commanders were placing bets.
Betting on how long the fight would last—Diamond Jozu said ten days, Vista said eight, and Izo placed his bet on fifteen.
Not a single bet was under five days.
"Pops, if Kuke loses, and Captain Marco gets caught by the Sun and Moon Pirates, then…" Diamond Jozu trailed off, worry evident as he looked at Whitebeard.
The words made all the commanders' expressions darken.
"If Captain Marco ends up in Kaido's hands, it's going to be trouble," one of them added.
Whitebeard clenched his massive fists, the cracking of his knuckles echoing through the room. "If Marco's with Kuke, we'll have a chance. But if he falls into Kaido's hands, then things will get bad—real bad."
At Mary Geoise, the Holy Land.
Akainu slammed his hands down on the table in front of the Gorosei. "This is too rare an opportunity! We need to send troops. This is the perfect chance to wipe out the Sun and Moon Pirates."
The Gorosei remained unmoved by Akainu's passion.
"Sakazuki, this topic is closed for discussion," one of them stated firmly.
There was no interest from the Gorosei in sending troops.
Even if this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The mysterious nature of Kuke, past failures... It all made them wary.
"But why?" Akainu demanded, frustration boiling over. "Do you really believe that Kaido alone can kill Kuke?"
"Why shouldn't that be possible? You know just how strong Kaido is, don't you?"
Kaido, too, was a thorn in the side of the Gorosei.
They understood his raw strength and monstrous tenacity.
"I've faced Kuke myself in Sabaody. He's not weaker than Kaido. Even if he loses, there's no way Kaido can prevent him from leaving Wano. A fighter of that caliber won't be caught."
Akainu did not believe Kuke could be restrained by Kaido.
For those on that level, retreat was always an option.
"So, instead of hoping for them to annihilate each other, let's wait for them to exhaust themselves, and then strike when they're both wounded."
The Gorosei remained indifferent.
Akainu was furious.
"What about the disgrace of the Fleet Admiral's death? Doesn't that need to be avenged? What about the Navy's honor?"
"The Navy's honor means nothing here," one of the Gorosei scolded.
"Enough nonsense. No action will be taken in Wano without our explicit command."
They were merciless in ignoring Akainu's anger as he left.
"Even if Kuke manages to leave Wano, after a battle with the Beasts Pirates, the Sun and Moon Pirates will undoubtedly suffer heavy losses."
"After fighting Kaido, many of Kuke's secrets will come to light."
"Once he gets through Wano, Big Mom will be waiting for him. Then there's the strongest man in the world—Whitebeard."
"It won't be long before Kuke is left with nothing but a tattered crew, and we'll have gathered all his secrets. Once we know his weaknesses, dealing with him will be child's play. Sakazuki is too much of a brute to see this."
The Gorosei mocked Akainu.
All he ever thought about was fighting. Couldn't he use his head for once?
"We need to mold Sakazuki a bit more if he's to take over. Kong's position as Fleet Admiral is just temporary."
Back in Wano.
"Orochi-sama, the battle on Onigashima is already over," one of Orochi's subordinates reported.
Orochi, who was being entertained by a group of dancers, brightened at the news.
He jumped to his feet. "Already over? Looks like there's a big difference between these Emperors. I thought Kuke's Sun and Moon Pirates were terrifying, but clearly, they're nothing. If I'd known they were this weak, I wouldn't have feared them in the first place."
Orochi sneered. "Come on, we're going to Onigashima."
His subordinates were puzzled.
The fight is already over—why are we going to Onigashima now?
"We have an alliance with Kaido, don't we? It's only proper to check in on our partner."
And maybe to see a mighty Emperor in a pathetic state.
On Onigashima.
"Uncle Kyoshiro, can we help them leave Wano?" Hiyori asked, looking at Denjiro.
Denjiro frowned.
Fighting Kaido was no small matter. He wasn't afraid of death, but he feared putting Hiyori in danger.
When it came to Hiyori's safety, Denjiro couldn't give his consent so easily.
"Uncle, think about it. Kuke might have lost today, but he's incredibly strong. You saw it too—he was dominating Kaido at first. He's powerful, and his crew, the Sun and Moon Pirates, are stronger than Kaido's crew," Hiyori reasoned. "They might have lost today, but in the future, they could surpass the Beasts Pirates. If we help them today, then twelve years from now, they could help us defeat Kaido."
Denjiro looked at Hiyori in astonishment.
She was only thirteen, yet she was thinking so far ahead.
He couldn't help but admire her.
She truly was Oden's daughter.
"You're right," Denjiro agreed.
Hiyori smiled.
She peered towards the massive scar of destruction left from the battle.
"He might have lost today, but I believe he'll win in the future," Hiyori said confidently, putting her trust in Kuke's future.
The impression Kuke had left on her during the beginning of the battle was indelible.
"Only Boss Kaido could still leave such a mark after a fight. What a way to carve out a path," the Beasts Pirates members muttered, looking on in admiration at the path that lay before them.
"Of course. It was only a few hours of fighting. Boss Kaido was probably just getting warmed up."
"No comparison. Kuke isn't even worthy of being mentioned alongside our Boss."
"Hey, why does Boss look… smaller?" one of them asked, squinting at the horizon.
The pirates strained to see.
In the distance, they could see a figure approaching.
Yamato gripped her kanabo, every muscle tense, ready for a desperate fight.
The sound of footsteps echoed.
Kuke dragged Kaido behind him, strolling along the path left by the battle.
"Well, they're lying in a neat line," Kuke said casually.
To the stunned eyes of everyone present, Kuke tossed Kaido's battered body onto the ground next to King and Queen.
The top members of the Beasts Pirates, lying together in defeat.
Neatly, side by side.
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DONT FORGET POWER STONE
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