Chapter 145: Two Emperors Clash

"You brought them here, Yamato?!" Kaido roared, spotting Whitebeard and his crew alongside his own daughter. Seeing Yamato leading the charge toward them, Kaido couldn't help but snarl about her misplaced "filial piety."

"Today, I join them to liberate Wano Country and defeat you!" Yamato declared, wasting no breath before charging at Kaido with her mace.

Kaido didn't hesitate – he transformed into his hybrid form, a hulking figure blending human and dragon features. Yamato mirrored him, assuming her own zoan hybrid form.

"Full Zoan isn't the only powerful form," Yamato bellowed, launching into an attack.

"Is this... are these truly father and daughter?" Marco muttered, wincing as the two clashed with brutal ferocity. This was a fight devoid of any semblance of familial affection, a bizarre display of "filial piety" unlike any they'd ever witnessed.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Nami pleaded with Luo Ning, the violence tearing at her conscience. "They are father and daughter, for goodness' sake! At the very least, we shouldn't let Yamato be branded a parricide!"

The others murmured in agreement.

"Whitebeard," Luo Ning addressed the legendary pirate captain. "Shall we intervene?"

"I'll take the first crack at the oaf," Whitebeard boomed, a fierce glint in his eye. "He's caused me enough trouble over the years!"

Whitebeard was also unambiguous and directly attacked. Kaido often troubled him after he arrived, but Kaido seemed to be another unkillable cockroach – extremely slippery and able to fly.

This stalemate continued for a while, with neither Whitebeard nor Kaido gaining a clear advantage. However, Whitebeard, now having regained some of his fighting power, was determined to beat Kaido down. Of course, defeating Kaido completely would likely take days.

Even in his current state, Whitebeard wouldn't dare claim he could kill Kaido. If Kaido wanted to flee, Whitebeard wouldn't be able to stop him.

The strength gap between the two wasn't vast. While Whitebeard could overpower Kaido, he couldn't deliver a final blow. Kaido, too, was at his peak. Whitebeard could best him, but not kill him.

"Yamato, get back!"

After Whitebeard joined the fray, Yamato couldn't bear the immense strength radiating from the two Emperors. Though strong, Yamato wasn't on Kaido's level. She could wound Kaido, but the injuries wouldn't be significant.

Many could injure Kaido, but inflicting substantial damage remained a challenge for Yamato.

"Old man Whitebeard, itching for a coffin already?"

Seeing Whitebeard charge at him, Kaido was bewildered. While he wasn't privy to all of Whitebeard's circumstances, it was clear the old pirate didn't have much strength left.

Their previous encounters involved Kaido avoiding a direct confrontation. This time, Whitebeard rushed in recklessly.

"Kaido, this time I'm taking your head!"

Whitebeard wasted no words, imbuing his naginata with Conqueror's Haki and striking directly.

Kaido countered by cladding his mace in his own Conqueror's Haki and unleashing a thunderous attack reminiscent of his "Eight Trigrams" technique – a move that once helped Luffy overcome his Gear 4th addiction.

The force of their collision shattered the clouds above, tearing a massive hole in the sky.

"Incredible!" Yamato watched from the sidelines, awestruck. This clash between Emperors was far beyond her current capabilities.

After the impact, Whitebeard raised his Naginata once more. This time, the weapon crackled with a white aura – the power of his Gura Gura no Mi.

The combined might of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and his Conqueror's Haki surprised even Kaido. However, he roared and unleashed a counter with even greater power than before. The resulting shockwave sent tremors rippling throughout Onigashima, threatening to tear the entire floating island apart.

Whitebeard's use of his Devil Fruit ability this time significantly intensified the damage. Onigashima shuddered violently, on the verge of collapse.

This exchange had taken its toll.

"Damn you, Whitebeard! You old fool! You were holding back on me before?" Kaido roared, genuinely startled and angered. The power Whitebeard wielded with his naginata far exceeded his expectations. This wasn't the feeble old man he thought him to be – Whitebeard's fighting prowess was nearly on par with his prime.

"Gurarara! Shut your yap and take another one!"

Whitebeard paid no heed to Kaido's tirade, launching another relentless assault. His prowess in close combat was equally fearsome. After all, he didn't solely rely on his Devil Fruit power.

Even without it, his aging body had been enough to pummel Blackbeard into submission. Had Whitebeard not shown mercy in the end, Blackbeard would have perished then and there.

The last time they didn't fight wasn't because Blackbeard begged for mercy, but because Whitebeard was truly exhausted.

To be honest, there were obviously traces of restraint left at the end.

Even when Whitebeard's body finally reached its limit, his fist remained raised high. Unless he deliberately stopped himself, the punch would definitely land.

Just like a freefall, unless something is caught by an external force, it can't stop on its own. The fist had already been launched, and taking it back wouldn't be easy. Yet, Whitebeard stopped abruptly right before hitting Blackbeard.

It would be absurd to say he didn't show restraint.

Back to the present, As Whitebeard slashed down with one quake attack after another, the shock throughout the place intensified.

In the end, the collapse began directly from the edge.

It's no exaggeration to call Whitebeard's power a natural disaster; it's a complete environment destroyer.

"The island can't hold it anymore!"

Marco and the others were also terrified. The island's collapse was imminent, and there was no way to stop it unless Whitebeard stopped now. But was that possible? Obviously not.

"Land of Steel!"

Luo Ning injected his power into the earth, solidifying it to a hardness surpassing even steel.

Through this intervention, they could barely withstand the childish brawl of these two emperors.

Others could naturally feel the change in the earth's hardness. After all, the collapse had been temporarily halted.

Moreover, the hardness was far greater than what met the eye, and the vibrations had lessened slightly.