That thought had barely flashed through Who's-Who's mind when his body had already begun to transform.
There was no time to think about success or failure. Sakazuki was flying toward him at incredible speed, closing the distance in an instant.
Who's-Who turned into a massive saber-toothed tiger. His already large body expanded even further, swelling into something like a mountain of flesh, yet entirely muscle.
The enormous beast crouched low on the magma like a predator preparing to hunt. His entire body was coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, his limbs sinking deep into the molten ground as he gripped it firmly. Muscles bulged and veins throbbed across his body as his eyes locked onto Sakazuki, who was about to crash into him.
"Tekkai..."
Blood surged through Who's-Who like a roaring pump, gathering toward the front of his body. Already hardened by Armament Haki, combined with Tekkai, his defense became nearly unbreakable.
"Fang Flash!!!"
Before Sakazuki could hit him, the massive saber-toothed tiger lunged forward from its crouched stance. Its sharp fangs aimed straight at Sakazuki's heart, as if to pierce through his back.
The flying Sakazuki collided with the tiger's afterimage.
Boom!!!!!
A thunderous explosion erupted as violent shockwaves spread out, blasting magma into the air and exposing the barely stable ground beneath.
At the center of the clash, Sakazuki stood with his back to the giant tiger. The saber fangs pressed firmly against his back, yet could not pierce even a fraction.
A trace of disbelief flashed through Who's-Who's eyes. 'How is this possible…?'
Sakazuki slightly turned his head. "Six Powers?"
Realizing that the man was completely unharmed, cold sweat poured down Who's-Who's body.
Sakazuki looked at the tiger, several times larger than himself, and said indifferently, "How's your Soru?"
From the distance came Kaido's furious roar, "Idiot! What are you standing there for!!!"
In his hybrid form, Kaido swung his kanabo as lightning crackled wildly.
"Vajra Arrow!!!"
A massive pillar of force shot forward, crushing everything in its path as it rushed toward Sakazuki.
Whoosh!
Panicking, Who's-Who used all his strength and activated Soru, fleeing in the opposite direction. His pink hair trailed behind him like a streak of light.
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion erupted behind him, making his heart tremble.
Suddenly, he felt someone beside him.
He turned his head slightly, and his pupils shrank as the world seemed to slow down. Even at the high speed of Soru, he could clearly see it.
Sakazuki was also using Soru, starting later yet catching up instantly, looking at him like he was already dead.
Then…
Sakazuki's figure vanished from his side.
Boom!!!!
The massive saber-toothed tiger was abruptly slammed to the ground, its fangs seized and pinned down by Sakazuki. Far behind them, Kaido's attack finally struck the ground, sending tremors across the battlefield.
Sakazuki looked down at the terrified beast. His left hand shifted slightly, adjusting the grip on the fang, then he slowly raised his right hand, forming a fist.
"Shigan."
Bang!!!!!
A sharp, explosive sound echoed across the sky.
Sakazuki's arm remained clenched as if it had never moved, then slowly lowered. He released the fang.
The beast's face was filled with shock, as if something inside him had shattered. The massive saber-toothed tiger collapsed to its knees.
Looking at his completely intact chest, Who's-Who muttered in disbelief, "How… is this possible… Six Powers… can actually be…"
This strong…
The last two words flashed through his mind as the body that should have fallen forward bent backward in a twisted, unnatural arc.
Who's-Who had once been a genius of CP9, a master of the Six Powers. With his Devil Fruit and those techniques, he had risen to become the strongest among the Tobiroppo. His talent and strength were undeniable.
But he had never imagined that someone could push the Six Powers to such a level.
Completely crushed. Killed by the very techniques he had trained in all his life.
All those years of effort now felt like a joke.
Behind the fallen Who's-Who, the violent force of the punch shattered a vast stretch of ground, sweeping the magma away in a fan-shaped path that stretched endlessly into the distance.
Inside the massive saber-toothed tiger's chest, flesh and bone had been pulverized into powder and burst out as a cloud of blood mist. Only a thin layer of skin remained on the front, while the back had been completely blown out, leaving nothing, which was why his body had bent backward so strangely.
Thud.
Who's-Who's corpse hit the ground limply and lay still.
Ignoring the useless body, Sakazuki slowly raised his head.
Kaido arrived a moment later, leaping into the air in a fury. Both hands gripped the kanabo as Conqueror's Haki coiled around it, and the dark clouds above roared in response to his rage.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Lightning wrapped around the weapon as it crashed down toward Sakazuki.
Bang!
He raised his left hand and caught the descending strike. The impact rang out like thunder as his body was driven into the ground, and he frowned slightly. His palm felt numb. Even for him, taking it head-on was not easy.
But killing Kaido was not his goal. Not yet.
He pushed upward slightly with his left hand and looked at the pirate coldly. "Before I flip the table myself, who gave you the nerve to make the first move? You've been called an Emperor a few times, and you really think you're something?"
Kaido's face darkened as killing intent poured from his voice. "What did you say?!"
His arms bulged as electricity crackled wildly, sounding like countless birds screeching at once. Blinding arcs of lightning surged as if they might melt the kanabo itself, pressing Sakazuki deeper into the ground.
He only stared back indifferently. The surface of his left hand erupted with outward-flowing Armament Haki.
With a splash, his entire body melted into magma and sank into the sea of lava covering the island.
Boom!
The kanabo smashed into the ground, shaking the island violently.
Kaido's furious roar echoed across the battlefield. "All of you! Leave the island immediately!"
From Ulti to Who's-Who, he finally understood Sakazuki's intent.
That man was going to kill his subordinates one by one. This was revenge, and he could not afford any more losses.
After years of building his forces, his high-ranking officers were limited. Below the Three Calamities were the Tobiroppo, and now three of them were dead. Half of them were gone.
Below them were the Numbers stationed in Wano, and as for the Shunichi and lower ranks he had brought here, most had already been wiped out in that devastating explosion.
* * *
On the other side of the island, Sakazuki's form had just reformed when he sensed Kaido rushing toward him at high speed.
He ignored it.
His right hand turned into magma as he raised it and looked toward an empty patch of sky.
"Hellhound."
A pillar of magma shot out instantly, stretching nearly a thousand meters.
Pfft!
It struck something unseen, though nothing could be seen.
Sakazuki's figure vanished from the island and reappeared in the air a thousand meters away, using the extended magma as a conduit. His right hand remained embedded as he twisted it slightly.
The empty space in front of him distorted in pain and was forced to reveal itself.
"Where are you going? Scientist Queen…"
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