Chapter 198

As he spoke, Sengoku's body began to radiate a dazzling golden light. His form rapidly expanded, and the execution platform trembled under the immense pressure. Within moments, the structure gave way, crumbling beneath his sheer size.

Seeing this, Kai acted immediately. He kicked Ace away first, sending him soaring through the air. Just then, a Somersault Cloud appeared beneath Ace, catching him and swiftly carrying him toward Whitebeard.

Kai himself performed a steady backflip, landing gracefully on the battlefield below.

But Sengoku wasn't paying attention to Ace anymore. In his eyes, Kai was a far greater threat.

So what if Ace was the son of the Pirate King? The World Government could tolerate the existence of the Pirate King himself—it wasn't Ace they truly feared.

It was the Marines who wanted Ace dead. Executing him would send a message and reinforce their influence across the seas.

Remember, this war wasn't just about the Marines. It was about the World Government.

Originally, no one from the higher ranks of the World Government planned to intervene. But now, nearly all of their most powerful figures had gathered here.

Because of Kai.

The Five Elders had warned him—Kai's existence could shatter the balance of the world. That was why they were all here.

This execution may have started as a mission to kill Ace, but the moment the World Government took control, its purpose had changed entirely.

Now, the real goal was…

To eliminate the Demon King, Kai!

That was also why, after capturing Ace, they had gone after another target—Nico Robin.

They had no guarantee Kai would come for Ace. After all, they had only crossed paths briefly in Alabasta.

But Nico Robin? She was different. She had spent years alongside Kai, uncovering the secrets of the Void Century.

To make sure Kai showed up, they took her too.

And now… he was here.

The moment Sengoku moved, the Five Elders—who had been sitting back until now—suddenly sprang into action. Alongside them, the commander of the Holy Knights, Saint Figarland Garling, charged toward Kai as if they had coordinated in advance.

At the same time, they all unleashed their attacks.

Seven of the strongest warriors in the world launched their blows at Kai in unison, sealing off all possible escape routes.

Their goal?

Kill him in a single strike!

Even Kai was momentarily caught off guard by the sheer force of their assault. But he reacted instantly—before the attacks could reach him, a golden barrier materialized in front of him.

"BOOM!"

The moment the seven attacks collided with the barrier, a thunderous explosion shook the battlefield.

The golden shield shattered almost instantly, unable to withstand the sheer power behind the combined strike. The remaining force of the attacks surged toward Kai.

His pupils contracted.

There was no time to fully charge his counterattack—he had to release it early.

Another deafening explosion.

In the next instant, Kai's body was sent flying, crashing heavily into the distance.

Before he could regain his footing, the seven powerhouses rushed at him again, their relentless assault continuing without pause.

Kai barely stood up before he was struck down once more.

The sheer force of their attacks shattered the ice beneath him, sending deep cracks splintering across the battlefield and even breaking apart a section of the island itself.

Above him, his attackers hovered in the air, watching coldly.

They knew this was just a clone of Kai. But they also believed that creating a clone with strength equal to the original had to come at a cost.

If they could destroy this clone, they were certain it would deal a serious blow to the real Kai!

After all, no Devil Fruit ability could be limitless.

If they broke the clone, they believed dealing with the real Kai would become much easier.

But…

Some things in this world just don't follow common sense.

A few seconds later, a figure emerged from the sea—Kai, drenched but very much alive. His condition was far from ideal, his aura visibly weakened.

It was to be expected. Taking a direct hit from so many top-tier fighters should have been enough to kill him outright.

Only…

As the Five Elders suspected, this was just a clone.

Not far away, the real Kai stood with an amused expression on his face.

To be fair, this was the first time since arriving at Marineford that he had actually been surprised.

But it wasn't just the fact that so many people had attacked him at once.

It was that… they had attacked his clone.

They assumed his clones had limits. But Kai knew his own abilities better than anyone. Creating them cost him stamina, sure, but that was it.

His clones couldn't recover stamina, but their bodies could be restored indefinitely.

Even if they hadn't attacked his clone, he would have dismissed it himself after a while and summoned another one.

So from Kai's perspective…

Their strategy was completely meaningless.

But he didn't blame them. People think differently. And when faced with something beyond their understanding, their logic simply didn't apply.

It was like trying to explain the Three-Body Problem to a caveman—it was just too far outside their frame of reference.

Kai casually waved his hand.

In an instant, the clone in front of the Five Elders disappeared.

All of them immediately turned their eyes toward the real Kai, trying to gauge his reaction.

They searched for any sign of strain, any hint of weakness, anything that suggested he had been affected.

But no matter how hard they stared, they found nothing.

If anything, Kai's face was unnervingly calm.

His skin was even a little too flushed—so much so that they tried to convince themselves it was a sign that his energy was rapidly depleting.

But… it just wasn't.

Kai looked at them and spoke in an even tone:

"Judging by your desperation to tear me apart… I take it I'm the real target here?"

In just a short span of time, Kai had pieced everything together from their behavior.

And that wasn't all.

Not just Marineford. Not just this war.

Back at Enies Lobby. In Water 7. Every encounter.

The way they pursued him with an almost obsessive need to erase him from existence.

All of it pointed to one conclusion.

They wanted him dead.

Kai murmured to himself.

"Pluton…"

Then, after a brief moment of thought, clarity flashed in his eyes.

His lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"Ah… so that's it."

"I understand now."