Suppressing The Demon Sword! (2/5)

"Kaido! Speak clearly! Finn is part of the Marines! What did he do to make you so furious?" Sengoku's voice was commanding, but beneath it lay genuine curiosity. Whatever Finn had done, it must have been monumental to drive the fearsome Kaido straight to Naval Headquarters.

Kaido, however, wasn't interested in giving explanations. His pride as one of the Four Emperors had been deeply wounded, and the details were far too humiliating to share. "What did he do?!" Kaido's voice boomed. "Damn it! Stop wasting time with questions! You know he's one of yours! Today, Naval Headquarters will pay in blood!"

Without warning, Kaido's massive dragon tail swept towards Sengoku and the Marine officers, its sheer size capable of flattening anything in its path.

"Great Eruption!"

"Buddha Fist!"

"Jihe Cut!"

"Finger Pistol!"

The Marine's high-ranking officers responded in unison, unleashing their combined attacks against Kaido's violent advance. They knew there was no reasoning with a force like Kaido. The only hope was to wear him down—force him to retreat by sapping his strength.

Sengoku quickly barked out orders. "Sakazuki, you handle the frontal assault! I'll take the rear! Everyone else, flank from the sides!" He turned sharply to his adjutant, Stucky. "Get in touch with Aokiji, Kizaru, and Garp. Tell them to return to HQ immediately!"

"Yes, Marshal!" Stucky hurried to send the message, knowing full well this fight would not end quickly.

The Marines had faced Kaido before, and they knew well enough that defeating him was no short affair. It could take days—sometimes weeks—of relentless battle to exhaust him.

"Dark Hound!"

Sakazuki (Akainu) showed no fear, charging straight toward Kaido, his molten lava fists aimed directly at the beast. His attack made contact, scorching Kaido's dragon scales and turning them a fiery red. But...

That was it.

For anyone else, a hit like that from Sakazuki would be devastating, maybe even lethal. But for Kaido, it merely caused discomfort.

"Out of my way, scum!" Kaido roared, his massive dragon claws descending. In an instant, they were coated in Armament Haki—jet-black and deadly.

Puchi!~

Sakazuki staggered as the dragon claws pierced right through his body.

"Akainu was hit!"

"Armament Haki on his dragon claws!"

"This is bad!"

The Vice Admirals were visibly shaken, but Sakazuki remained unfazed. "Don't be idiots! That attack won't hurt me!"

As if to prove his point, his fists morphed into molten lava, blasting Kaido backward in a fiery explosion. Though Kaido stumbled slightly, it became clear that his massive physical strength was not easily shaken.

Up above the clouds, Finn watched the battle unfold, observing through the telescopic vision of his keen eyes. He remembered a similar scene from the past: Whitebeard piercing Aokiji's chest with a haki-coated blade, yet Aokiji had emerged unscathed. Now, it seemed Sakazuki possessed the same level of defense. Admirals, after all, were a different breed.

"Good, Sakazuki! Keep it up! You may not break him, but you can wear him down!" Sengoku shouted encouragement as he charged into the fray, his golden Buddha form shimmering, hands raised to strike Kaido once more.

Meanwhile, Finn chose not to engage yet. He stood in the clouds, watching from afar, holding a particle teleportation device in his hand. With a single press, he vanished from the sky and reappeared aboard a massive super battleship hidden beneath the sea, not far from the Marine base.

"Mr. Finn, did you find Kaido?" Kozuki Hiyori rushed to greet him as he appeared.

"Found him," Finn replied coolly, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out several ice creams, distributing them to Hiyori and the others.

Her eyes lit up in delight. "Thank you! You always bring the best treats!"

Finn smirked, leaning casually against the railing. "Kaido's fighting the Marines right now. Let them wear each other out. Once they're both exhausted, that's when we strike."

He unsheathed his sword, Yan Mo—a cursed blade among the twenty-one Great Swords, renowned for its power and danger.

"Is that... Yan Mo?" Tashigi's voice trembled with awe. "One of the most legendary swords in the world?"

"Yes," Finn said, but when Tashigi reached out to touch it, he quickly grabbed her hand. "Don't. This sword is a demon blade. Ordinary people can't handle it."

The sword, Yan Mo, had a life of its own. Though Finn had mastered its power, it came with a cost. It drained his energy every time he wielded it, as if the blade itself demanded a toll from its master. But Finn's stamina, amplified by his own intense training and the use of attribute pills, allowed him to endure its insatiable hunger.

"Armed color!" Finn commanded softly, and the sword hummed in response, radiating a monstrous aura. Even Tashigi, who had seen many powerful weapons, could sense the danger lurking within this blade.

"It's alive," she whispered, her heart racing. She had never seen anything like it.

But Finn was in control. Using his precise technique, he manipulated the energy within his body, keeping the sword's hunger at bay. Yan Mo may have been cursed, but in Finn's hands, it was just another tool—one he would soon use to claim his prize when the time was right.