Chapter 57

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Chapter 57: Raid on G5! The Naval Headquarters Go into a Frenzy! (Please Subscribe)

With two days remaining before Luffy's arrival in Sabaody, the New World Marine G5 Division was gripped by a startling development. Virgo had reported that he "inadvertently" consumed the top-tier Logia Thunder Fruit. This mishap transformed him into the center of attention for observation and protection by the Marines. 

Given the potential of the mightiest Logia, it was almost certain that Virgo would become the next Admiral. Neither the Marines nor the World Government would allow him to perish easily, especially after learning that he had obtained the fruit aboard the Blackbeard IV ship. Akainu even requested that he return to Marineford, the Naval Headquarters, for advanced training.

Virgo was in his dormitory, hunched over and packing his bags, a surge of thoughts hidden behind his sunglasses. He realized that if Kaido did not reappear, he needed to escort Kanjuro to Marineford first. Suddenly, the branch's alarm echoed through the air. 

Virgo shivered, stood up, and peered out the window. Island-wide broadcasts blared the ominous message: "Pirates are coming! Pirates are approaching!!! All soldiers, please assemble immediately!!" A flurry of footsteps and the shouts of anxious soldiers filled the corridors as everyone rushed towards the destination.

In the seclusion of his small room, Virgo felt his own heart racing, the pulse nearly deafening. Taking a deep breath, he stood at attention, then left his room. Opening the door revealed a hallway flooded with personnel, all scurrying in one direction. Without hesitation, Virgo ascended skywards, using the Moonwalk technique to glide above the crowd below.

The radio issued another urgent update: "It's Kaido!! It's the Four Emperors' Kaido!!!! Run!! Assemble!!! Find a way to escape!! Report to the higher-ups immediately!!!" Then, a sudden roar interrupted the broadcaster's scream, and the radio fizzled out as if it had lost its signal. 

"Shhh..." An abrupt, piercing sound sent a wave of discomfort through the Marines, prompting them to cover their ears. Their heads pounded as if drums were echoing inside, their faces flushed with the rush of blood.

As the name "Four Emperors... Kaido..." emerged from the radio, many stood dumbfounded, their minds blank with shock. An icy fear ran through them, manifesting as cold sweat and uncontrollable trembling; their faces were rigid and lifeless, with only confusion and timidity flickering in their eyes. 

What were they to do in the face of Kaido's unexpected visit to G5? They exchanged nervous glances, searching the crowd for a leader or at least someone who might make the first move to flee, which could potentially plunge the scene into chaos as most would frantically seek boats for escape.

The sky suddenly darkened. The soldiers looked up to see an enormous black dragon hovering over the island, its massive eye staring down at them. As the dragon lowered its head, a figure emerged from its long neck. The burly silhouette, topped with towering horns, was unmistakably Kaido! He looked down at them with a cruel smile, his gaze locking with Virgo's for a fleeting moment before the dragon opened its gaping maw.

I saw the black dragon's mouth burst into flames, and a sense of destruction filled the hearts of the marines. They didn't understand why the dragon-like creature had appeared under Kaido. They'd all studied the material and knew the significance of this fiery scene.

"Run!" one of the marines shouted first. The crowd scattered like ants, racing towards various exits. However, the black dragon aimed only at one spot, and from its mouth spewed thick flames.

"!!!"

With a tremendous boom, the condensed flame erupted, and a high-temperature fire cyclone instantly expanded. A hemispherical dome of fire formed there, from which only miserable screams could be heard.

"Ah!!!"

"!!!"

"!!!!"

Everything around the impact site was destroyed. Houses, stone walls, steel—all were shattered and melted in an instant. In that moment, everyone gathered there was annihilated. No one could escape the reach of the flame explosion.

After a few moments, the flames dissipated, leaving a large pit filled with charred bones, molten iron, and lava. Kaido sneered and directed the black dragon towards more people.

Seconds later, a pair of pitch-black hands emerged from the ruins beside the pit. A man covered in charred soot crawled out; his front was charred, his flesh festering. Standing in place, he looked at the distant black dragon, gasping heavily, his heart racing.

"Kaido almost killed me just now!" he thought. Had he not become Logia, that blow would surely have been the end of him. Was this what he had pledged his life to stop?

Virgo's chest, stained and wounded, rose and fell. White smoke swirled around him, his pupils shaking behind cracked sunglasses. He was struggling to regain his composure. This threat was far more terrifying than he had imagined. Even Kaido's mount was powerful. How could he muster the courage to face Kaido directly?

At the Naval Headquarters Marineford,

"Fleet Admiral! Urgent!"

The same soldier from earlier rushed into the Fleet Admiral's office again.

"Speak," Akainu replied coldly, as if accustomed to such interruptions.

"Kaido appears!!! At the G5 branch," the soldier said urgently.

"What?!!!" Akainu stood up abruptly, his face a picture of surprise. "When did this happen?"

"Just now!" the soldier replied promptly.

Why had Kaido gone to the G5? Akainu pondered the same question as the G5 marines. Was Kaido there to commit suicide? That seemed unlikely. Kaido must know that the branch didn't have the capability to kill him, and his presence was akin to declaring war on Marine itself!

Had the G5 branch simply surrendered? No, that was impossible. Every branch on the Grand Line held critical importance, and moreover, Virgo was there. Virgo possessed the Thunder Fruit, a power not seen in Marine for hundreds of years. Could Kaido be targeting Virgo?

Then it dawned on him. They had overlooked some information!

"Where are the documents from the Virgo newspaper?!" Akainu frantically searched his desk. As he shuffled through a stack of papers, he found what he was looking for. Blackbeard's ship had crossed this route. "This is the shortest path from Hive Island to Wanokuni. Did Virgo steal something from Kaido?"

Suddenly everything clicked for Akainu. Kaido had come for revenge. Virgo was in grave danger.

"Call the Grand Staff, the Grand Inspector, and the three Admirals to me at once!" he commanded.

"!!! And make it quick."