Sengoku tilted his head back, gazing up at the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon that loomed over him from above, a flicker of emotion stirring in his eyes.
On the secondary ship, both Kaido and Stussy also noticed the sudden appearance of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon.
Although its appearance had changed from a four-tailed crimson monster to a nine-tailed golden giant fox, they both instantly recognized it as Ron.
“To think Ron had such a trump card up his sleeve…” Stussy stood on the deck, glancing back at Kaido not far away, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing.
“Hey, hey, Kaido, if Ron had used this move against you during your sparring match back then, would you have held a grudge against him for life?”
Kaido shot Stussy a dark look.
This damn woman really knew how to rub salt in the wound.
“Hmph.” Kaido raised his head, no longer looking at her, and turned his gaze back to the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon.
His eyes held an indescribable complexity—perhaps even a trace of envy.
If he had possessed a powerful Devil Fruit of his own, he might have been as impressive as Ron by now.
“Hmm?
Why aren’t you saying anything?” Stussy tilted her head, pressing further, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
“Are you just naturally quiet?”
“You…” Kaido retorted irritably.
“If you’re really that bored, go help them out!”
“Hahahaha.” Stussy waved her hand dismissively, laughing.
“We’re already preparing to retreat.
Who cares about them now?”
Kaido paused for a moment.
One was a senior who had taken good care of him, and the other was the backbone of his intern alliance.
How could this woman be so heartless?
Just abandon them and run?
“Stussy, are you trying to walk the same path as that bastard Wang Zhi?” Kaido gripped his spiked club tightly, his voice low and serious.
The carefree expression on Stussy’s face instantly froze.
She felt that if she didn’t explain herself, this idiot Kaido might just swing his club at her.
“Kaido, can’t you use your brain for once?
Have you forgotten Ron’s speed?
As long as we stay within their line of sight, he can catch up to us in an instant,” Stussy said, exasperated.
“You’d better mean that,” Kaido snorted coldly.
Meanwhile, Ron, transformed into the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, wasted no time on words with Sengoku.
His body suddenly shifted, and several arms formed from condensed Chakra extended from both sides of his torso.
“Lava Release.”
Ron’s voice echoed from the massive fox’s mouth.
In the next moment, a molten rock fireball materialized in each of his palms.
Sengoku’s gaze darkened.
Without hesitation, he leaped up and swiftly darted toward the shore.
“Go.”
Ron’s voice rang out once more.
The molten rock fireballs shot forward simultaneously, trailing long fiery tails as they roared through the air in pursuit.
“Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!!”
The sound of the fireballs tearing through the air was sharp and piercing.
Sengoku did not take the attack head-on.
His figure continuously changed direction, twisted, and tumbled in the air, almost perfectly dodging every fireball.
“Boom!!”
All the launched magma fireballs landed on the ground, explosions ringing out one after another, mushroom clouds soaring into the sky as flames flickered amidst the dust.
Such a massive commotion made Whitebeard and Garp, locked in fierce combat, involuntarily halt their movements.
Both turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes first glancing toward the direction of the explosions before shifting to the sea.
When they saw the golden Nine-Tailed Fox Demon coiled on the sea’s surface, both Whitebeard and Garp couldn’t hide the surprise that flashed across their faces.
“Gurararara!!” Whitebeard suddenly burst into loud laughter, turning his head back to fix his gaze on Garp across from him.
“It seems we can have a proper fight now, Garp.”
At the same time, Whitebeard cursed inwardly: Ron, you’re such a bastard.
Why hide an ability like this?
Making me worry about your side all along.
Garp withdrew his gaze from the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, a slow grin spreading across his face.
“I remember that guy’s name is Ron, right…
Interesting.
But before that, I’ll take you down first, Newgate!!”
Whitebeard laughed heartily again.
“Who takes down who isn’t certain yet, you idiot Garp!”
As soon as the words fell, two bursts of Conqueror’s Haki exploded simultaneously, invisible pressures colliding like two transparent walls, the air groaning under the strain.
“Thud!!”
Two figures instantly clashed once more.
Halberd and iron fist met, violent shockwaves radiating outward in all directions from their epicenter.
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, with energy waves surging wildly—
Suddenly, they both sensed something almost simultaneously.
Without the slightest hesitation, they simultaneously withdrew their force, rolling and dodging to either side.
“Boom!!”
A massive object crashed down exactly where they had been standing moments before.
The shockwave swept outward, carrying rubble and dust in all directions.
Whitebeard and Garp both looked up at the fallen object.
When they clearly saw what lay before them, expressions of disbelief surfaced on their faces.
It was an entire bow section of a warship, its broken keel exposed like ribs.
Almost simultaneously, both their gazes turned back toward the sea.
On the sea, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon still hovered, but the World Government’s warship was nowhere to be seen.
Garp’s eyes returned to the broken bow section before him, his pupils contracting sharply.
Is that really our ship?
That bastard…
threw it over here?
This bastard…
really makes my teeth itch with annoyance.
“Hey, Newgate,” Garp’s voice lacked its earlier excitement.
“Can you wait for me?
Right now, I want to beat that guy to death first.”
Whitebeard was taken aback for a moment, then uttered an “Uh…” before immediately retorting, “What kind of joke is that?
Do you think we’re playing house here?”