40

At that moment, onlookers from the edge of Paradise watched in stunned silence as Elior caught Kaido's crushing kanabo with his bare hands. The shock of the impact alone sent a blast wave across dozens of meters, shaking the sea and sky. It was an explosion of raw force that none could believe.

What if Kaido's kanabo… or Elior's fist… had landed on any of them?

They would've been reduced to pulp—nothing left but red mist.

"That guy... Elior… is he even human?! He's going head-to-head with one of the Yonko!"

"Haven't you been reading the papers? Even Admiral Akainu took a beating from Elior. They say Elior spared his life. If he hadn't… well, what do you think would've happened?"

"But Admirals aren't the same as the Yonko!"

"Even so, Elior's no joke! He's insanely powerful. At this rate, he might just rise to be the next pirate emperor!"

BOOM!

Another thunderous collision shook the battlefield, a sound so fierce it felt like it could burst eardrums.

Far off in the distance, Elior and Kaido clashed once more. Kaido swung his massive kanabo with a force that shattered mountains. In terms of size and weaponry, he completely dwarfed Elior—like a titan against a child. It almost looked laughable.

But that image was deceiving.

Elior met Kaido's brute strength head-on with just his fists. With each blow, shockwaves cracked the frozen sea, splitting the battlefield beneath them.

His fists struck Kaido's weapon with such force that the mighty Emperor's hands went numb.

Yes—numb! From the sheer force of Elior's punches.

Kaido, who had initially scoffed at Elior, now found himself shaken. When Elior froze a vast stretch of sea at the beginning of their battle, Kaido raised an eyebrow. But now, feeling that bizarre power firsthand, Kaido could no longer dismiss him.

That slender frame... how could it hide such monstrous strength?

The frozen battlefield, spanning hundreds of meters, had already collapsed under the force of their exchange. Fortunately, the ice was thick enough to hold them for now.

"You think your little crew—just seven of you—can take on my Beast Pirates? I brought thirty thousand men!"

The Beast Pirates' total number was around 53,000, and Kaido had brought more than half his army. Among them were nearly all of his 350 Zoan-type Devil Fruit users. This wasn't some random raid—this was a full-scale operation meant to intercept the Whitebeard Pirates.

Kaido had originally estimated he could crush Elior and his crew within three hours—beat them into submission. If they couldn't be destroyed, maybe they could be recruited. Kaido valued power above all. If a warrior could fight, Kaido would welcome even a former enemy into his ranks.

Now, that's exactly what he intended to do with Elior—break him or win him over.

"Seven subordinates? Nah, you're thinking too small"

Elior replied coolly.

"I could knock out twenty thousand of your men… with just my Haki."

Elior scoffed at Kaido's threat.

"You… you actually know how to use Conqueror's Haki?" Kaido raised an eyebrow—just before swinging his kanabo once again.

Elior met the strike head-on, knocking the weapon away with a bare fist. At the same moment, a blast of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, expanding into a massive hemisphere of raw spiritual pressure.

"Interesting…"

BOOM!

Kaido released his own Conqueror's Haki in return. The two auras clashed like raging storms, tearing across the battlefield. Their Haki wasn't just spiritual—it was destructive. Trees shattered, the ice cracked, and the very air screamed from the pressure.

The surface beneath them caved in. The waves of Haki crushed the battlefield like stone under an avalanche.

The two forces collided and expanded, swallowing even the distant shores of Paradise Island. Spectators fainted in waves, their minds unable to withstand the pressure. Those too weak to remain standing collapsed like puppets with cut strings.

And then—BOOM—it all stopped.

The clash ended in a draw. Their Conqueror's Haki was evenly matched.

Kaido, silent for a moment, now had no choice but to reassess Elior.

He had underestimated him.

He had thought Elior was just some upstart brat. Now he understood—Elior had the spirit of a king.

Those who possess the potential to lead carry Conqueror's Haki… and as their strength grows, so too does their Haki. And Elior… his Haki was terrifying.

"That man…"

On Paradise Island, Gion gazed at Elior, her expression complicated. Deep down, she already felt like he was her man.

Elior had spent three days breaking both her body and her mind—and now, she was his.

Even Gion didn't realize how much she'd changed. Her sense of justice had faded. She no longer believed in the Marine's ideals.

Elior had told her: "Justice belongs to the victors."

The Celestial Dragons had defined justice for eight hundred years—because they won. The Marine only protected the member nations of the World Government. What about those left out?

Gion had been brainwashed — and yet, it was a truth she could no longer deny. Why else would so many beg for shelter under the flags of pirates? Because the World Government never protected them.

Watching Elior fight Kaido, she had felt real fear. But now that Elior wasn't being pushed back, she finally allowed herself a breath of relief.

Meanwhile, Tokikage had already informed Sengoku — Elior and Kaido had begun their battle.

On another front, Bullet and the others were already clashing with Beast Pirates. The battle was brutal. Elior's crew had only seven people, while the Beast Pirates had nearly thirty thousand.

The odds were staggering.

Bullet and Shiryu held their own, but Law and the others were struggling. No matter how strong you are, sheer numbers can crush you.

After all, even an ant can bring down an elephant if there are enough of them.

That's why Kaido, in the midst of fighting Elior, still found time to mock him. He wanted to see how long they could hold out.

But Elior just laughed.

He leapt into the air, twisted midair, and drove his right leg down onto Kaido's face. The kick was powerful enough to destroy a galleon—and Kaido's face twisted grotesquely from the impact.

Kaido was sent flying over a hundred meters before crashing to the ice, tumbling another forty meters before he could stop.

"Should I go with Ice Cavalry or Ice Storm this time?"

Elior stood tall, calmly gazing across the shattered battlefield.

Now, it was time to show Kaido and the world what it truly meant when they said:

"One man… can equal an entire army."