chapter 77

"Red hair! I swear to kill you today!" Kaido glared at the red-haired man, his body tensed like steel. His Conqueror's Haki emanated from him, creating an intense aura that filled the air. Despite the ongoing battle, Kaido showed no signs of fatigue after three nights.

"Really? My life is right here. Come and take it," the red-haired man replied with a smile.

The two stood tens of meters apart, with the red-haired man holding a Western-style long sword, exuding a confident and elegant demeanor. Shanks, unfazed by Kaido's aggression, faced him fearlessly.

"Come on then!"

Kaido grinned at Shanks, but his smile held a hint of menace.

"Let's settle this!"

Shanks pointed his long sword at Kaido.

Their Conqueror's Haki clashed, merging with the sharp aura of the sword. The force unleashed was devastating.

Kaido's expression turned grim as he leaped into the air, his fists clenched, ready to strike Shanks. However, Shanks, holding his sword with one hand, also jumped up, his weapon enveloped in Armament Haki as he fiercely slashed at Kaido.

The red-haired man moved as fast as lightning, while Kaido struck like thunder!

Their fists and swords collided with tremendous force!

Simultaneously, their Conqueror's Haki clashed as well!

As the Four Emperors ruling over the New World, their Conqueror's Haki stood at the pinnacle of the Pirate World. The clash between their Haki was incredibly terrifying! The air around them shattered, like a spider web cracking layer by layer, creating a pitch-black hole in the sky and a deep gully on the ground. Even the sea nearby churned violently.

In previous encounters, the Red Hair Pirates had often faced Kaido, but it was always Kaido who challenged the members of the Red Hair Pirates. The crew fought together, minimizing casualties and, at most, destroying islands. But this time was different. It was an all-out battle between the two pirate crews.

Benn Beckman confronted the "storm," while Yasopp and Lucky Roux joined forces against another threat.

The prolonged battle against the Red Hair Pirates had taken a toll on the already exhausted Beast Pirates. Kaido grew angrier and more resentful, wondering why Charlotte Linlin hadn't arrived three days past the appointed time.

Observing Kaido's expression, Shanks could deduce what he was thinking. He couldn't help but smile and say, "Are you waiting for Big Mom to support you? She's not coming."

Initially, Shanks had some doubts, but after three days without any sign of Charlotte Linlin, he realized that the Hunter Guild had successfully blocked Big Mom.

Kaido's expression changed upon hearing Shanks' words.

"What do you mean, Red Hair? Are you suggesting that the old fellow Whitebeard is in battle?" Kaido asked with a gloomy expression.

"Whitebeard? How could that old guy be involved in a war?" Shanks replied with a smile.

"Damn it! Did you make some deal with that woman, Charlotte Linlin?" Kaido's face grew even darker. With three days passed and Big Mom still absent, the chances of her showing up were slim. Kaido couldn't think of any other reason that would prevent Big Mom's arrival. If it were the first case, it would be understandable, but if it were the second, Kaido knew the news would spread throughout the world and cause a major uproar.

"The Hunter Guild, have you heard of it?" The red-haired man suddenly paused, looking towards the sea.

There, a Marine battleship was slowly approaching.

The red-haired man felt perplexed. He knew that Marine was monitoring their fight with Kaido, but there was an unwritten understanding between the Four Emperors and Marine in the New World. Marine could take action, but they must never interfere with the Four Emperors. Any interference would be seen as a challenge to the Four Emperors, leading to war.

The approaching battleship didn't seem like a mere surveillance vessel; it showed no intention of stopping and continued to advance. Was Marine planning to intervene in the battle?

"Damn Marine!" Kaido growled.

Kaido was already dissatisfied with the original battle against the red-haired man. The root cause of this war was Marine's killing of his subordinate, Jack the Drought. It had put his position as one of the Four Emperors in jeopardy, leading to the outbreak of the war.

Now, with the Marine battleship appearing before him, Kaido couldn't tolerate it. He unleashed a powerful punch, compressing the air and launching it like a cannonball. Such a punch would easily reduce an ordinary battleship to debris.

Shanks frowned but didn't stop Kaido. While he found Kaido's actions excessive, he understood that, as a pirate, it was not his place to save Marine.