147. You Are Better Than Charlotte Linlin

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Alex understood the reality of the battlefield well.

Though he had considered the complications of facing two Yonko in alliance, not all events had unfolded as expected. Even he had been caught off guard by the way his two trump cards managed to delay Kaido's arrival, blocking the Beasts Pirates' swift reinforcement.

This was one of the biggest surprises Alex had encountered on the battlefield.

Still, he felt a tinge of disappointment—he hadn't witnessed Hakai, the combination attack of the two emperors.

However, Alex wasn't one to dwell on missed opportunities. While the pressure of facing the combined might of two Yonko might have tempered his skills further, he placed greater importance on achieving victory in the war. Growth was secondary to triumph.

Raising his hand, Alex used the power of his Float-Float Fruit to manipulate the seawater, separating Charlotte Linlin from its depths.

"Mama!"

A cry rang out from the ranks of the Totto Land soldiers.

Moments later, an airship descended from above. On its deck, a seastone coffin was prepared, its surface reinforced to contain even a Yonko. Linlin, unable to resist in her current state, was brought aboard and secured in the coffin before being carried into the airship's cabin.

The soldiers looked on in shock. Was she being captured?

Kaido, like the others, considered the implications. But he dismissed the thought quickly. No matter Alex's intentions, it was clear that Linlin's role in this battle was over.

The war was nearing its end.

With the destruction of the Homie soldiers, Totto Land's forces had lost nearly half their strength. Numbers alone could no longer buy time or hold the line.

Kaido surveyed the battlefield below. King continued to fight ferociously, but Queen's presence was waning, his aura significantly weakened.

Finally, Kaido turned his gaze back to Alex.

To his surprise, Alex had brought the war-torn Wanokuni, bolstered by only a handful of samurai, into a position to directly suppress not just Kaido himself, but also Charlotte Linlin.

Kaido couldn't help but recall the day Alex, once just an ordinary figure in the seas, had dared to march into Onigashima alone, seeking an audience.

Perhaps, Kaido mused, the seeds of this war had been planted even then. For Alex, the future had always been part of a calculated plan.

A grin spread across Kaido's face. His draconic eyes glinted as he regarded Alex.

"Worororo… you remind me of that terrifying man. I wonder… will you become like him? Or will you surpass him entirely?"

Alex didn't respond to Kaido's words. He had no interest in the Yonko's musings.

Still, Alex had a fair guess as to the identity of the man Kaido referenced.

Initially, Alex had no intention of completely dismantling Kaido's forces. His primary goal—the man-made Devil Fruits—had already been sent to the World Government. With Kaido's value to the grander scheme halved, there seemed little reason to engage further.

But Kaido's forces were no ordinary rabble. They were genuine warriors, fighters capable of reshaping the seas. Compared to Big Mom's forces, which focused on excess and indulgence, the Beasts Pirates had the potential to destabilize the World Government itself.

Yet now, with Kaido tearing apart their agreement and taking the initiative to fight, Alex knew there was no turning back. Letting Kaido leave alive was no longer an option.

Some remnants of Kaido's forces might be left to scatter, but the Yonko himself? He had to be eradicated.

Alex raised his sword, his voice cutting through the tension.

"I don't care who this man you're talking about is, or what Charlotte Linlin means to you. But if you've chosen to keep fighting, then come."

His gaze shifted momentarily to Yamato and Hancock.

"Yamato, pay close attention. Learn from this. And Hancock—focus on refining your abilities."

The two women nodded, retreating slightly to fulfill their respective tasks.

Kaido's aura flared once again, a tangible wave of power radiating from his transformed body.

Having made his choice to remain after Linlin's defeat, Kaido had already resolved himself for the final confrontation.

In his mind, he cared nothing for how much Haki Alex might have spent defeating Linlin. This was a fight to the finish, and Kaido would give it everything he had.

A crimson light burned ominously in Kaido's furious dragon eyes.

The sheer weight of his presence radiated outward, as his beast-like aura exploded unchecked, shaking the ships around him with invisible force. The atmosphere crackled under the oppressive Conqueror's Haki spilling from his body, resonating like a distant thunderstorm.

Kaido's rugged face broke into a grin, his fighting spirit reignited.

Only in battle with the strongest could Kaido truly revel in the thrill of combat.

He swung his mace horizontally, the purple lightning coiled around it thrumming with palpable menace. The weapon exuded a suffocating sense of danger, growing heavier with Kaido's every step.

—!

With a roar, Kaido surged forward, the deck beneath his feet splintering into two halves from the sheer force of his movement. His massive right arm bulged as his muscles tensed, amplifying the power of his swing.

All his berserk Haki was concentrated at the tip of the mace, ready to deliver an unstoppable blow aimed squarely at Alex.

Hum!

A terrifying aura gathered in response.

Alex moved with precision, raising his blade, AkiSakura, to meet Kaido's strike head-on.

The two titanic forces collided, the shockwave tearing through the battlefield. The violent clash of Kaido's mace and Alex's sword released a storm of energy that distorted the surrounding light, and the air itself seemed to rip apart under the pressure.

The chaotic winds and deafening noise left even those observing from afar struggling to hold their ground.

Kaido's expression shifted as he felt the force within Alex's counterattack. He was taken aback but also exhilarated by the overwhelming power. His roaring Haki erupted further, adding fuel to the storm.

Boom!

A loud crack echoed through the battlefield, as though the very air had splintered.

The atmosphere rioted violently, the shockwaves blasting the terrain below. Ships buckled under the strain, and those watching from a distance were hurled back by the sheer intensity of the explosion.

Kaido's veins bulged across his body as he poured raw strength into his swing. Each motion unleashed sonic booms that echoed in rapid succession.

But despite Kaido's monstrous strength, Alex was unyielding. With measured skill, Alex matched Kaido's power, their weapons locked in a brief stalemate.

Alex's mastery became evident as he smoothly disengaged, retracting Akizakura with an elegance Kaido couldn't hope to match. A swift deflection sent Kaido's mace off-course, leaving the dragon unable to immediately recover.

In the same motion, Alex's sword moved with terrifying speed, a streak of light slashing across Kaido's exposed chest.

Shhhht!

Kaido barely managed to tilt his head aside to avoid a fatal strike, but the attack left its mark. The blade's edge carved a deep gash across Kaido's chest, and its momentum carried past his head, slicing through one of his horns.

The horn tumbled to the ground amidst a spray of blood, accompanied by Kaido's roar of pain.

The wound on his chest twisted unnaturally, slowly beginning to heal. However, Kaido could feel the difference.

This was no ordinary attack.

Kaido clutched his chest, his breaths labored. The remnants of Alex's sword energy lingered in the wound, slowing his regeneration. The injury burned as though the battle itself hadn't ended, with the remnants of the strike continuing to wreak havoc within his body.

Kaido was no stranger to damage. His Mythical Zoan powers granted him nearly unparalleled endurance, resilience, and regeneration. His body was tougher than Charlotte Linlin's steel skin, his natural durability a monstrous gift of his lineage.

But Alex's attacks were something Kaido hadn't encountered before—a force specifically designed to neutralize even the mightiest of beings.

This was the very reason Alex stood unshaken before the so-called Yonko Alliance.

Alex leveled his blade at Kaido, his voice sharp and unwavering.

"In a one-on-one fight, you're stronger than Charlotte Linlin," Alex declared, his words cutting like his blade. "But even that won't save you today."