Chapter 423: Dark-Dark Fruit up for Grab...

"Bang!!"

"Thunderclap Eight Trigrams!!"

In a flash, two figures were sent flying.

Yet after blasting them away, Kaido showed no sign of satisfaction. Wearing a grim expression, he locked furious eyes on the distance, angrily shouting:

"Hey, you guys… Snatching that fruit without so much as a greeting is a bit too rude, isn't it?!"

"Roar—"

High above, in the distant sky, soared a fearsome blue dragon with black wings. It radiated a formidable aura.

On the dragon's daunting head stood a tall figure with a third eye on his forehead, black wings on his back, and flames blazing behind him. He tossed the pineapple-shaped Devil Fruit in his hand, smiling:

"Sorry, but the Dark-Dark Fruit now belongs to Totto Land!"

"That's…a dragon?"

"It's someone from the Kukulkan family!"

"That blue dragon…that's the 'War God' Ares from the Kukulkan family!"

"Ahhh! And the man up top is 'Heaven's Eye' Kukulkan Dal!"

From below, members of the pirate-turned-'Marine' squad (the "Guerrilla Force") caught sight of the dragon and were left stunned, equal parts shock and anger evident on their faces.

"Talk to them? Why bother? Just kill them all in one go!"

High above, the blue dragon let out a snarling roar. Staring down at Kaido and the Guerrilla Forces, the dragon opened its huge maw wide.

"Shhhh—"

Brilliant flames converged inside its jaws.

"Heat Breath!!"

In an instant, a scorching mass of flames shot forth, the air warping around it from the intense heat as it blasted down toward the island below.

Kaido's face changed, and without hesitation he vanished from sight to evade.

"Boom, boom…"

"Aaaargh…"

A thunderous crash rocked the coastline. Flames raged in an explosion. Much of the Guerrilla Forces were instantly incinerated to ashes, while the tremendous ice wall behind them was blasted open, forming a huge hole. The shockwaves trembled across the frozen sea.

"What?!"

As heated steam poured out and large swathes of ice melted away, Black-Arm Zephyr—who had been locked in a standoff with Sengoku—spun around, his expression drastically changing.

"Damn it! Are those scum from the Totto Land Kingdom?"

Sengoku's face looked no better.

"Apologies, Admiral Sengoku. They beat us to it and took the fruit!"

Appearing by Sengoku's side, Kaido hefted his spiked club and spoke bitterly:

"That 'Heaven's Eye' Dal's ability is downright shameless!"

"What?!"

Sengoku's face sank, anger flaring. The Dark-Dark Fruit was the last thing he wanted to fall into Totto Land's clutches. Every single member of that Kukulkan family was a monstrous talent—there was no telling if they would develop a foe even more troublesome than Rocks.

"Kukulkan family…" he growled. "We can't let them leave with the Dark-Dark Fruit!"

From the CP0 side, agents rushed over.

"Admiral Sengoku, the higher-ups have ordered us to put the Kukulkan family first as a target!"

They recognized who had arrived: only younger members of the Kukulkan clan, with neither the "World's Strongest Creature" El nor "Vampire" Charlotte Linlin in sight. But capturing them could serve as prime leverage against Totto Land.

Sengoku cut them off. "I know even without you telling me," he said coldly. "Kaido, we're short on manpower. Hurry and bring reinforcements!"

They were not far from Marine Headquarters. With Kaido's Paw-Paw Fruit ability, he could instantly fetch Steel Bone Kong or Garp.

"Ohohoho, got it!"

Kaido bared his teeth in a feral grin and vanished on the spot in a flash.

"Tch, so the Kukulkan family beat us to it?"

Three imposing figures arrived soon after, each leading their own men. They were the new Warlords the World Government had recruited, replacing John, Silver Axe, and Wang Zhi, who were stripped of the title years back.

They were hardly newcomers—some had retreated from the New World after being hounded by Totto Land's NEO Marines, while others had been freed from prison to restore the Shichibukai deterrent.

"The Shichibukai have orders from the World Government: assist the Marines in taking down these Kukulkan people!" said the CP0 official stepping up, passing along the government's command.

"Heh, why should I listen to you?"

"Don't act like you're our superior!"

All of them were arrogant pirates chosen as Shichibukai—none would bow easily to CP0.

"Suit yourselves," the agent sneered. "You surely know with the New World locked down by Totto Land's navy, you have no other recourse but to align with the Government."

Hearing that, the three Shichibukai, though annoyed, did not protest further. The Grand Line (Paradise) was indeed still under Marine domain, and they could not afford to burn bridges. After all, the New World's entry was sealed off by Totto Land's forces, and none of them wished to remain cornered forever.

"Hmph, that thunder bigshot Oka, chasing me out of the New World… Let's settle the score with them here."

One burly man with an axe in hand glowered at the blue dragon overhead, speaking with bloodthirsty malice.

"Wahahaha, exactly. The sea doesn't belong to them, Totto Land or not…"

Another imposing figure stepped over, known as the "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World. Rubbing his chin, he sneered: "Time to give that monster El a lesson!"

Originally, they did not come after Black-Arm Zephyr's group. They all had their eyes on the Dark-Dark Fruit, but Kukulkan's kids had seized it first. Now these pirates could vent their frustrations on the Totto Land crew and, if possible, kill them.

They had no illusions about raiding the New World directly—Totto Land's NEO Navy had that place locked down. But here in Paradise, it was anyone's field.