Chapter 81: [1] Kaido-sama, It’s Not That I Didn’t Want to Help, It’s Just That...

After the battle, Onigashima was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.

Kaido leaned back in his seat, his body wrapped in bandages around the waist. One hand supported his forehead as he frowned deeply, rage flickering in his eyes as though it could erupt at any moment.

This sudden defeat had dealt him a tremendous blow.

Ever since he had obtained the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, he had never suffered such a loss.

Yet today, during his clash with Whitebeard, even with the speed advantage granted by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Whitebeard’s final slash had been unbelievably fast—so fast that he had barely been able to react.

If not for his powerful Observation Haki and a desperate last-second dodge, his kidneys would have truly been gone.

"Damn you, Whitebeard!"

Kaido growled through gritted teeth, his voice filled with resentment and hatred.

The next moment, he slammed a fist into the armrest beside him.

Boom!

The entire room trembled.

The fury burning within him refused to subside.

For Kaido, this was a humiliation that absolutely had to be repaid.

Seeing his furious state, everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

The atmosphere was suffocating.

This battle had been a complete defeat. Both strategically and psychologically, the Beasts Pirates had suffered an unprecedented blow.

They had never realized just how troublesome Logia Users could be—especially when those powers were used for hit-and-run tactics.

They were practically impossible to pin down.

Standing nearby, Queen looked exhausted and helpless.

After letting out a long sigh, he spoke.

"Kaido-sama, please understand. It’s not that I didn’t do my best. The situation in Udon was simply too chaotic."

"Those bastards not only ruined our plans, but they also released every prisoner being held there."

"Faced with that situation, I had no choice but to prioritize suppressing the prison riot."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"From beginning to end, I barely had a moment to rest. I didn’t even have time for a single bowl of oshiruko."

"I only managed to stabilize the situation and secure the important areas a short while ago. That’s why I’ve only just arrived to report to you."

After hearing Queen’s explanation, Kaido remained silent for a moment before nodding.

Although he was still dissatisfied with the outcome of the battle, he understood that Queen’s actions had been reasonable under the circumstances.

"Cough... cough... Kaido-sama, I..."

King raised his head while clutching his chest.

Violent coughing wracked his body, and blood sprayed from his mouth with every cough.

Among everyone present, his injuries were clearly the most severe.

His face was pale as paper, cold sweat covering his forehead as he endured intense pain.

"King, don’t speak."

Kaido frowned slightly, a trace of concern hidden beneath his stern expression.

He knew how serious King’s injuries were.

At a time like this, words would accomplish nothing.

"Focus on recovering."

Though his tone sounded harsh, it carried genuine concern for his subordinate.

King nodded and fell silent.

He understood Kaido’s intentions.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed as much as possible and conserved his strength to speed up his recovery.

Kaido let out a long breath.

His anger only grew stronger.

Whitebeard’s slash had nearly wiped out the last of the Lunarian race.

The fact that King had survived was nothing short of a miracle.

Perhaps it was luck.

Perhaps it was the blessing of his ancestors.

Either way, Kaido felt both relieved and furious.

Relieved that King was still alive.

Furious that it had happened in the first place.

"I’ll remember this debt for you."

Kaido’s voice was low and powerful, each word squeezed out through clenched teeth.

King’s body trembled slightly.

When he looked back at Kaido, his gaze had become even more resolute.

At that moment, Jack stepped forward.

His mouth twitched as tiny arcs of electricity occasionally crackled across his body, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.

Every step looked difficult.

After finally reaching the center of the room, he gathered all his strength and said:

"Kaido-sama, it’s not that I didn’t want to help. I was literally electrocuted numb!"

He then recounted everything that had happened in the Flower Capital, including his encounter with Izou.

"It’s outrageous!"

"Those cowards never fight you head-on. They just stand far away and keep throwing lightning at you!"

Jack cursed as he described his ordeal.

If his body hadn’t been exceptionally tough, he might have been electrocuted to death already.

Even now, his entire body was still numb. His limbs remained sluggish, making movement difficult.

Kaido frowned.

"Another Rumble-Rumble Fruit User..."

Just hearing those words gave him a headache.

After all, he had personally experienced how troublesome that power could be.

Still, considering that Jack had genuinely done his best and had suffered significant injuries, Kaido didn’t blame him further.

Seeing that Kaido showed no signs of anger, Jack secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

A trace of joy appeared on his face.

He quickly retreated and returned to his original position, grateful to have escaped punishment.

At this point, only the Tobi Roppo had yet to speak.

The atmosphere grew tense once more.

"Who’s-Who is still unconscious," Kaido said with some regret.

"He’s been coughing up blood continuously. Whether he’ll survive or not remains uncertain."

His gaze shifted toward the others.

The question in his eyes was obvious.

His calm expression contrasted sharply with the blade-like sharpness of his gaze, as though he could see through everyone’s thoughts.

Black Maria was the first to step forward.

Under the dim lighting, her tall figure appeared even more imposing.

She gave a respectful bow and spoke softly.

"Kaido-sama, when you and Whitebeard were fighting in the sky, we had already arrived."

"But that battle was beyond our ability to interfere with."

"At the same time, we received reports that numerous invaders possessing Admiral Kizaru’s abilities were causing chaos across the island."

"They were looting warehouses, stealing gold, jewels, and other valuables."

"So we went to capture those intruders."

Her explanation caused the others to nod in agreement.

After speaking, Black Maria glanced toward Jack and added:

"Jack can testify to that."

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