Chapter 78: [1] Hey! What’s With That Look in Your Eyes?!

"Whitebeard! Is this the extent of your strength?!"

Kaido bared his teeth in a savage grin.

Yet the slight trembling in his arms revealed that he was far less relaxed than he appeared.

The air was thick with tension.

It felt as though a world-shaking battle could erupt again at any moment.

"Kaido."

Whitebeard looked at him coldly.

His gaze was devoid of emotion, as if he were staring at a dead man.

"You haven’t forgotten Oden’s death, have you?"

His voice was low and heavy.

Every word seemed squeezed through clenched teeth, carrying endless anger and sorrow.

"Worororo! You mean that fool Oden?"

Kaido burst into laughter.

The sound was tinged with madness, as though he had recalled something utterly ridiculous.

"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I almost would’ve forgotten!"

"I’ve sailed the seas for decades, and I’ve never seen an idiot actually jump into a boiling pot!"

"WORORORORO!"

His laughter grew even louder.

Tears nearly streamed from his eyes.

He looked like a beast completely out of control.

However—

The colder Kaido’s mockery became, the colder Whitebeard’s gaze grew.

His eyes resembled eternal ice.

Killing intent poured from him like a raging tide.

The surrounding air itself seemed to freeze.

At that moment, the entire battlefield was enveloped by an invisible pressure that left everyone breathless.

"...You deserve to die."

Whitebeard suddenly roared.

His voice exploded like thunder across the sky.

Everyone present could feel the overwhelming force of his presence and the fury raging within him.

Whitebeard slowly raised Murakumogiri.

The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit (Gura Gura no Mi) instantly enveloped the blade.

The air distorted.

Even the surrounding space seemed to warp under the pressure.

Then lightning gathered around the weapon.

Crackling arcs of electricity intertwined with Conqueror’s Haki, creating a terrifying aura unlike anything before.

Anyone witnessing the scene would instinctively feel awe.

"Godfall: Yokozuna!"

Whitebeard moved.

Like a tiger breaking free of its chains, he charged forward with unstoppable momentum.

The strike appeared simple.

Yet every movement contained incredible precision and control.

Empowered by lightning, the speed of the attack reached an entirely new level.

Even with the Observation Haki of a Four Emperor, Kaido could only barely track a trace of the blade’s trajectory.

However—

Tracking it was one thing.

Avoiding it was another.

"Damn it!"

"I can’t dodge it!"

Kaido could only watch as the lightning-covered blade descended toward him.

His heart burned with frustration.

"AAAAARGH!"

The moment the blade struck, Kaido let out a pained roar.

A deep wound tore across his chest.

Blood erupted outward like a crimson fountain.

The surrounding area was instantly stained red.

The intense pain nearly drove him mad.

What made it worse was the location of the wound.

It was the very same spot where Oden had scarred him years ago.

Now that old scar had been ripped open once more.

The physical pain was immense.

But the blow to his pride hurt even more.

For someone as arrogant as Kaido, such humiliation was almost worse than death.

"Damn you...!"

"DAMN YOU!!!"

He had expected Whitebeard to press the attack.

Instead, when he regained his senses, he saw something completely unexpected.

Whitebeard was holding a small bottle.

And collecting his blood.

"Old bastard! What the hell are you doing?!"

Kaido’s furious roar echoed through the sky.

Whitebeard ignored him entirely.

Only after collecting the final drop of blood did he calmly return to his original position.

Then he looked at Kaido.

A trace of mockery appeared in his eyes.

"Kaido."

"What do you think would happen if your power were used as a mount?"

"WHAT?!"

Kaido instantly understood.

Whitebeard was a Three-Devil-Fruit User.

He was obviously planning to use Kaido’s blood for research.

Perhaps even create subordinates capable of transforming into Azure Dragons.

What disgusted him even more was Whitebeard’s implication.

The old man wanted to turn his Devil Fruit ability into a mere riding beast.

It was a direct insult.

A slap to his face.

Rage surged through Kaido’s body.

His fists clenched.

Veins bulged across his arms.

He could not tolerate such humiliation.

Nor could he accept his power being treated so lightly.

"You dare?!"

"Gurararara!"

Whitebeard laughed.

"Don’t worry, Kaido."

"I’ll make very good use of your ability."

The words struck deeper than any blade.

To collect that blood, Whitebeard had taken quite a few of Kaido’s attacks himself.

His entire body ached.

His breathing felt heavy.

At the same time, he had reached a conclusion.

The recovery ability of a Mythical Zoan was simply absurd.

Combined with Kaido’s monstrous physique and Oni bloodline, many of the injuries Whitebeard inflicted recovered at astonishing speed.

Defeating Kaido was possible.

Killing him was another matter entirely.

Kaido was currently at the peak of his power.

And this was Wano Country—his territory.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for Whitebeard.

If he exhausted himself killing Kaido and was left weakened afterward, the consequences could be troublesome.

Whitebeard rapidly assessed the situation.

Still—

Looking at Kaido’s heavy breathing and the effort it took him to suppress his injuries, Whitebeard was satisfied.

He had obtained the blood sample.

The mission was essentially complete.

The only question now was whether his sons had finished their tasks.

If not, perhaps he should continue stalling for a little longer.

Although killing Kaido wasn’t realistic at the moment—

Opening a few more wounds and collecting more blood certainly was.

Without attracting attention, Whitebeard stored away the small bottle.

He weighed it in his hand.

Too little.

Far too little.

Then he looked back at Kaido.

The way he stared...

Wasn’t how one looked at an opponent.

It was how one looked at a blood bank.

Kaido’s expression instantly changed.

"Hey!"

"What’s with that look in your eyes?!"

A chill suddenly ran down his spine.

For the first time, he felt that Whitebeard’s gaze was strangely unsettling.

It was as though the man wasn’t looking at a fellow Emperor.

But at prey waiting to be harvested.

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