Chapter 48: Storm Is Coming, The Final Battle Is Coming

"From today on, the Beasts Pirates will become history."

As soon as Carlos finished speaking, an uproar erupted in the castle hall!

Everyone stared at Carlos in disbelief, unable to comprehend his words.

"Did you orchestrate all of this?"

"Who are you? What is your purpose?"

Seeing the crowd's agitation, Carlos smiled and said:

"Does it really matter?"

"As I've said, the downfall of the Beasts Pirates is inevitable. For the sake of cooperating, I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender now; it might save some of your lives."

Fuzifu sneered, "As long as we take you hostage, we might still find a way out."

Carlos shook his head with a hint of amusement.

"Take me hostage? Don't you understand your situation?"

Fuzifu snorted and pointed around.

"Look around you! These are all members of the Beasts Pirates! No matter how skilled you are, how can you handle over 6,000 of us?"

"Idiot, you're the one who doesn't understand the situation!"

With Black Maria, Saeki, and a dozen top fighters present, plus several barbarians and six to seven thousand fully armed warriors, this force was enough to topple a country.

And Carlos was just one person.

Fuzifu couldn't fathom where this guy's courage was coming from.

Carlos nodded and reached for the scabbard at his waist with his right hand.

"Well, since you're about to be the first to fall to this renowned sword, you're worthy of being its first victims."

"Boy, stop pretending!"

"Shave!"

Fuzifu snorted coldly and charged at Carlos. As he rushed forward, his body expanded rapidly and transformed into a saber-toothed tiger hybrid.

"Finger Pistol!"

His sharp claws sliced through the air, aiming directly at Carlos's heart!

In the next moment, a shout came from the distance.

"Thunder Eight Trigrams!"

A massive mace descended from an angle.

The blow was powerful and heavy, as if driven by immense force, and it struck Fuzifu's shoulder with a resounding impact.

There was a loud crash as Fuzifu was hammered to the ground, embedding him deeply into the floor tiles!

As the dust settled, everyone was astonished to find that the mighty beast who had been so formidable just moments ago was now unconscious, his eyes rolled back.

"Sir, Your Highness Yamato, what are you..."

Yamato set the mace down, placed one hand on his hip, and said:

"Many years ago, the Beasts Pirates invaded Wanokuni, using despicable means to occupy it and bring hunger, fear, and death to its people.

"I have Kaido's blood in my veins, so I must atone for these sins. From now on, I am Kozuki Oden, and I will protect this country like him!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone was thrown into chaos.

They recognized this woman as Lord Kaido's daughter. The young master who was supposed to inherit the Beasts Pirates was now leading a rebellion!

Resistance seemed futile. This person's strength was terrifying, capable of confronting Kaido's monstrous power directly.

Fuzifu's fate was proof enough of that.

With nearly ten thousand samurai outside the castle, the Beasts Pirates had no chance of escaping, and everyone's expressions were as grim as if they had eaten something unpleasant.

They were at a loss.

"What? Where did your bravado go?"

"If you don't want to fight, drop your weapons and surrender."

"If you want to continue fighting, I will fight until the end!"

Carlos's eyes darkened.

Conqueror's Haki surged forth, spreading an overwhelming and powerful aura throughout the castle.

"Well..."

In a moment, thousands of people present rolled their eyes and fainted to the ground like cut wheat.

Under this immense pressure, Maria and Samu trembled, completely losing their will to resist.

The castle gates were opened.

The warriors filed in and were stunned by the scene inside the castle.

"What, what is going on? Is it already over?"

"Your Excellency Carlos defeated thousands of people in one blow. I can't believe it."

The warriors sighed with relief. They had expected a fierce battle with the Beasts Pirates, but instead, the enemy had already surrendered.

Carlos smiled.

"Is Wanokuni secure?"

Denjiro nodded solemnly.

"I've killed Kurozumi Orochi. The Flower City, Rabbit Bowl, and other areas are now completely under our control."

"As for the Beasts Pirates..."

Carlos waved his hand dismissively.

"These individuals, who devastated Wanokuni, will be sent to repair farmland, dams, and rebuild the country to atone for their crimes.

"As for the most heinous among them, they will stay and work in Rabbit Bowl for the rest of their lives."

"Yes!"

Brubrubru—

At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in Carlos's hand suddenly rang.

After the call was connected, the news from the other side shocked everyone present.

"Leave Wanokuni immediately. The operation has failed; Kaido is heading back towards Wanokuni."

An uproar erupted in the castle hall.

"What exactly is going on? Wasn't this ambush supposed to be foolproof?"

Carlos frowned deeply. He had already informed the Five Elders and expected them to be prepared.

Unexpectedly, Kaido was still at large...

Stussy's helpless voice came through the phone.

"We underestimated Kaido and Big Mom. It's pointless to dwell on it now. You should leave Wanokuni as soon as possible."

"Are you serious?"

Carlos's tone grew colder.

Leave? Does this mean all his efforts over the past few months have been in vain?

Stussy was silent for a moment before advising:

"The days are long, and there will be more opportunities to deal with the Beasts Pirates. One failure is acceptable for us, but you..."

"Hey, leave Wanokuni quickly. If you hesitate any longer, it might be too late."

Carlos took a deep breath, trying to suppress his frustration.

"Tell me everything about the situation. It's up to me to decide whether to fight or flee!"

Stussy sighed helplessly and recounted what happened at Punk Hazard.

After finishing her account, there was silence in the castle hall.

Denjiro, Shutenmaru, Kawamatsu, and others couldn't help but recall the scene from ten years ago.

Defeating Kaido back then was impossible.

Now that Kozuki Oden was gone and only five of the Red Scabbard Nine remained, did they really stand any chance against Kaido?

Was everything they had done during this period for nothing?

Was the restoration of Wanokuni just a pipe dream?

Thinking of this, everyone lowered their heads, their expressions dim.

Struggling with her emotions, Kozuki Hiyori finally spoke.

"Carlos-kun, you've already done enough for us. No matter what happens, let us bear the burden."

"You should leave Wanokuni before Kaido returns."

"Let's leave Wanokuni quickly before Kaido comes back."

The sound from the phone made the enormous castle hall fall into silence.

Everyone looked at Carlos, waiting for his decision.

Carlos considered his options for a moment and decisively refused.

"Leave Wanokuni? No, I choose to stay."

Stussy was taken aback.

"Stay? Are you Serious?"

"That's right. I don't like giving up halfway. After planning for so long, it would be a shame to quit now."

"And as you mentioned, Kaido fought with Big Mom and clashed with Akainu and Aokiji all night. He's suffered serious injuries and is physically exhausted. We might still have a chance."

Stussy sighed, her tone serious.

"I must advise you not to underestimate Kaido."

"His attack before leaving destroyed all of Punk Hazard! Honestly, I don't think you can defeat him."

"You've already performed admirably on this mission. If you abandon it now, no one will fault you. There will be future opportunities. There's no need to take such risks."

Underestimating Kaido?

Carlos thought to himself.

He knew better than anyone how terrifying the Beast King was.

But there was no turning back now. Kurozumi Orochi was dead, and all the Beasts Pirates, including Quinn and Fuzifu, were captured.

He was now completely opposed to Kaido.

To weaken the Beasts Pirates, he had even offended the Big Mom Pirates.

In the New World—or perhaps the entire Grand Line—there would be no place for him if he gave up now.

To survive, he would have to remain in hiding and never appear on the seas again.

Carlos understood this well. In this world, strength was everything. Without it, one could only be crushed underfoot.

Things had reached this point, and there was no turning back.

There was only one path forward: seize this rare opportunity to defeat Kaido and earn the reward from the Erwuzi system.

If he now had the combat power of a Marine Admiral, why would he hesitate?

Looking at those around him—Yamato, Denjiro, Shutenmaru, Neko Viper, Inuarashi, and Kawamatsu—his gaze finally settled on Kozuki Hiyori.

Carlos sighed softly.

When Kaido returned, he could only imagine what would happen to these people.

This uprising was his initiative, and he would feel guilty if he abandoned it now.

In a short time, Carlos made his decision.

"Enough said. I've decided to stay here to confront Kaido and finish off the Beasts Pirates once and for all."

Stussy was silent for a moment before responding with resignation.

"Alright, if you're set on this, I won't argue further."

"Although the Marine fleet has suffered heavy losses, Akainu and the Vice Admirals are rushing to Wanokuni. If you can hold off Kaido until Marine reinforcements arrive, maybe..."

"Well, I wish you good luck."

Stussy didn't continue and seemed to have little hope.

After a final sigh, she ended the call.

Everyone in the room had heard the conversation and had varied expressions.

Denjiro couldn't help but sigh.

"I really don't know how to repay your kindness."

As retainers of the Kozuki clan, recovering Wanokuni was their duty. Carlos had contributed money, effort, and now risked his life to stay and fight Kaido.

The warriors present were deeply moved.

Carlos patted Denjiro on the shoulder and smiled.

"Thank you."

Without further ado, let's focus on how to prepare for the upcoming battle.

At this point, Kozuki Hiyori stepped forward.

"Carlos-kun, is there a plan to defeat Kaido?"

"Don't worry. Everyone, including me, will follow your arrangements."

Before Carlos could respond, Quinn on the side suddenly perked up, sneering with ruthless mockery.

"I advise you not to waste your efforts and make a run for it."

"You don't understand the terror of Boss Kaido. Not only will you fail to kill him, but you can't even break through his defenses!"

Despite being shackled with seastone cuffs, the Beasts Pirates showed no sign of fear. Instead, they continued to curse and shout.

"That's right! If you know what's good for you, let us go immediately!"

"If you dare to be enemies with the Beasts Pirates, you're doomed!"

"Boy, let us go now. It's still not too late to apologize. When Boss Kaido returns, you'll get what's coming to you!"

"Put them all in the Rabbit Bowl to work!"

The insults kept coming.

Cat Viper frowned, removed the pipe from his mouth, and struck Quinn hard on the head.

"Shut up! Enough with the nonsense."

Although Quinn fell silent, his disdain was evident.

Shutenmaru sighed slightly.

"What he said is somewhat accurate. Despite our numerical advantage, Kaido's defenses are formidable. Ordinary attacks will have a hard time causing him significant damage."

Recalling the battle from ten years ago, the Nine Red Scabbards looked downcast.

The castle hall was silent.

Denjiro suddenly spoke up.

"Yes, Kaido is incredibly strong, but he is not invincible."

"If he hadn't transformed into Young Master Momonosuke, perhaps Lord Oden would have been able to defeat Kaido!"

Everyone suddenly remembered the sword at Carlos's waist.

Denjiro spoke excitedly.

"With your strength and Lord Oden's sword, Yama, we might stand a chance."

Denjiro shook his head.

"It's not that simple. Only Mr. Oden in Wanokuni has been able to wield that cursed blade effectively."

He quickly added, "I'm not questioning your strength, but the time is too short..."

"Don't worry. I haven't been idle. I've managed to wield it to some extent."

Everyone was shocked and looked at him in disbelief.

"You've tamed Yama?"

"Is that even possible?"

"This soon? It's only been a few days!"

Carlos smiled.

"Yes, but it's not enough. I need to continue feeding Haki into it to enhance its power further."

"I need to retreat to prepare before Kaido arrives. I'll leave the rest to you."

"No problem."

After explaining everything, Carlos bid farewell to everyone and entered a secret room alone.

The warriors imprisoned all the Beasts Pirates in cells and began their defense preparations.

More than 10,000 soldiers were stationed around the port, castle, and key roadways of Onigashima.

At the same time, they recharged and waited silently for Kaido's arrival.

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