Chapter 65

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Chapter 65: Half-Dead Is Better Than Dead!

The lightsaber shattered, and its golden fragments dissipated into the air with an intense heat. Kizaru didn't realize that this was the first time Kaido had crushed his Sky Cong Cloud Sword with bare hands. Despite exerting all his strength, compressing ultimate energy, and using his full-body Armament Haki, his sword was crushed by Kaido's bare hands over and over again. And still, Kaido calmly fired laser-like beams from his body, which merely splashed golden light on Kaido's body without exploding. His spirits hit rock bottom, and it seemed that no one in the world could stop Kaido now.

The mace struck with a force Kizaru couldn't withstand. Bang! Flesh and blood flew as Kizaru fell straight down. The dazzling world of light gradually faded away. Soon Kaido's eyes returned to the normal world. All that remained were devastated ruins and three fallen heavenly generals.

"That's the Admiral?!" someone exclaimed.

"Admiral!"

"All three Admirals have fallen!"

"All seriously injured! Life and death uncertain!"

As Kaido fought them, the vast fleet they commanded had arrived but was blocked by Kizaru's awakening power, unable to lock onto their target to fire. They could only wait for the battle to end. But no one expected this outcome.

"Isn't Kaido hurt?!" a voice cried out in disbelief. "What a joke... The three Admirals couldn't even hurt him..."

"It's clear the Admirals have been..."

"Damn! What kind of monster is Kaido?!"

The soldiers had lost their confidence, their leaders defeated. They'd followed the Buster Call process, perhaps hoping to fire at the right moment. But now, they wanted nothing more than to flee.

Virgo caught Kaido's gaze from within the crowd and immediately stood up, addressing thousands.

"I'll lure Kaido away! Go rescue the Admirals immediately!"

"Vice Admiral!" they responded.

"At times like this..."

"Kaido will kill you too!"

Virgo shook his head at the soldiers trying to dissuade him. "You rescue the Admirals and leave right away. Don't wait for me."

"What about you, Vice Admiral?"

"I'll lead him farther away. If I'm lucky, I might escape."

"If you're lucky... But..."

"Enough! This is an order from your Vice Admiral!"

With that, he turned into lightning and zipped into the sky, flying toward Kaido in mere seconds. He shouted hoarsely at Kaido, "Aren't you looking for me, Kaido?!"

Kaido sneered and lifted his mace without a word, and charged toward him. Virgo shot into the sky, with Kaido kicking off the ground to follow. In the sky, a blue shadow and a black shadow chased each other, flying towards the far side of the island.

Below, the soldiers sprung into action upon seeing Kaido distracted by Vice Admiral Virgo.

"Get the Admirals back!"

"Doctor! Medical team!"

"Hurry up!"

High above, Virgo and Kaido had already flown far away. Virgo was in the lead, with Kaido just a few meters behind, seeming unable to catch him yet persistently chasing. Virgo then asked, "Governor Kaido, why didn't you just kill the three Admirals?"

His original goal was to draw all three people in and let Kaido injure one or more of them, so that he could ascend to the position of Admiral. "What do you think is the difference between their current state and death?" Kaido asked with indifference. "This..." Virgo pondered the dire state of the three individuals and found himself at a loss for words. Indeed, there seemed to be no difference. All three had sustained severe, incurable injuries and were barely clinging to life. What's more, even if they were to somehow survive, they would likely be left incapacitated.

"They can't die just yet. And you will certainly become an Admiral," Kaido stated calmly. "Why?" Virgo furrowed his brow, not following Kaido's reasoning. "Because now is not the right time to start an all-out war with the Marines. I have to take out someone first. Once the position of the third Admiral becomes difficult to fill, they will be forced to recruit at any cost, which will, in turn, allow their strength to expand unrestricted. It's better to keep these three alive; in their current state, they are no threat to me and will serve as a limitation on the Marines' power."

Virgo still didn't quite grasp the concept. He could understand holding off on waging war with the Marines for the time being and even the need to eliminate someone first, but how could three critically injured people limit the Marines without dying? Kaido, growing somewhat tired of the pursuit, decided to explain it to Virgo leisurely, taking advantage of his interest.

"What's crucial for an Admiral in the Marines isn't only their strength, but also their distinguished record. It's what instills fear in the hearts of criminals and the cowardly at the mere mention of their names. This kind of influence comes from Admirals who have risen through the ranks and crafted their legacies over decades at sea. Among the former Admirals, Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru, currently only Kizaru can truly fulfill this role. As for Fujitora and Green Bull Aramaki, who were drafted from the general populace, they have the strength but lack significant achievements to back their title of Admiral. In the past two years, their performance and public perception have lagged far behind veteran Admirals like Kizaru. The World Government must have noticed this too."

"So, by crippling them, I've taken away their 'strength' but left their 'reputation.' This gives them hope that they will recover and assume their role as Admirals again. Instead of looking externally for replacements in an 'emergency,' they will have to choose from within the Marine ranks. And you, right now, are the strongest and most likely candidate for the position of Admiral."

Velgo was taken aback by Kaido's explanation. An icy, violent wind blew into his mouth, causing him to cough. No wonder Green Bull and Fujitora, despite being on duty for two years, have not been as effective as Kizaru. Pirates scatter at the mention of Kizaru's name, abandoning their crimes before they can even commit them in areas patrolled by the Admiral. That's the kind of impact an Admiral's fame should have...

"Well, we're still some distance from G5," Kaido noted, accelerating suddenly and moving to Virgo's side. Fear flickered in Virgo's eyes as he looked at Kaido and pleaded, "Governor Kaido... Please, be gentle..." "That won't do," Kaido replied, raising his mace and bringing it down fiercely. "How can you be sure I'm really chasing you if you're not even hurt?"

Bang! Thunder and lightning fell, bright and sharp like a shooting star.