The battle inside the laboratory raged without pause, and the fighting outside was just as intense. Explosions shook the ground, shockwaves rippled across the island, and the sound of clashing power echoed throughout Egghead.
Among all the battles, the duel between Saint V. Nusjuro and Kaido stood out the most.
Both warriors fought like living fortresses. Each of them possessed overwhelming durability and monstrous physical strength. Their attacks could break through each other's defenses, yet neither side could deliver a decisive, fatal strike.
Still, as the strongest among the Gorosei, Saint V. Nusjuro held a slight advantage.
Even though Kaido had awakened his Devil Fruit and gained tremendous power, Saint V. Nusjuro continued to press him with subtle but undeniable suppressing force.
The real problem was the Gorosei's immortality.
Even after Marco explained the trick behind it, Kaido still found the ability troublesome to deal with. He had not fully mastered the method yet and continued testing it during the battle.
Kaido glanced down at the bruises covering his body. His eyes narrowed slightly, surprise flashing across his face. He had not expected Saint V. Nusjuro to possess such extraordinary strength.
Then the surprise quickly turned into excitement.
"Worororo!" Kaido burst into wild laughter. "This is good, really good! You fought well, but defeating this old man with just this level of strength is nothing but a dream. Come again!"
Saint V. Nusjuro's expression remained cold.
"You lowly pirate," he said with disdain, "Daring to challenge a god. This old man will show you how foolish that decision is."
Without hesitation, he launched another fierce assault.
Kaido inhaled deeply and recalled Marco's explanation. Power surged through his body as he infused his weapon with Conqueror's Haki. The spiked club in his hand trembled with terrifying force.
Instead of spreading the power widely, Kaido compressed the Conqueror's Haki into a single point on the club's head.
Then he struck.
The attack tore through the air like a falling thunderbolt.
Kaido quickly realized something important. Concentrating the Conqueror's Haki in this way allowed him to penetrate Saint V. Nusjuro's seemingly undying defense.
After several more clashes and experiments, Kaido gradually began to master the technique.
However, even with that discovery, Saint V. Nusjuro's defensive power remained frightening. In fact, it might even surpass Big Mom's famous Iron Balloon.
Even if Kaido could bypass the secret behind the Gorosei's immortality using the method Marco told him, truly defeating Saint V. Nusjuro would still require a long and exhausting battle of attrition.
But none of this discouraged Kaido.
For a battle maniac like him, encountering such an evenly matched opponent was a rare gift.
A fight like this could push him beyond his limits and perhaps allow him to reach an even higher realm of power.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Suddenly, a deafening scream tore across Egghead Island.
The roar carried overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, so powerful that many fighters felt their bodies tremble.
The terrifying scream came from Big Mom.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Her giant sword, Napoleon, had been split cleanly in half by a devastating slash.
A horrifying wound stretched across her body, starting from her right shoulder and cutting down to her left abdomen. Blood poured out like a rushing spring.
"Mama!"
Katakuri's face changed instantly as shock filled his eyes.
The Gorosei standing before them was far stronger than he had imagined.
Even with Katakuri and King assisting Big Mom with everything they had, they were barely able to keep up. The opponent's sword aura was incredibly sharp and overwhelmingly powerful.
After the brutal battle on Whole Cake Island, Katakuri had realized how limited his strength was. That experience forced him to break through his limits.
During that battle, he awakened the ability to use Conqueror's Haki Infusion, greatly increasing his combat power.
Yet even after becoming stronger, he still felt powerless against the Gorosei.
Just like before.
This time the situation was even worse. Katakuri could only provide support from the side. Moments ago, he had even been kicked away casually by their opponent.
King's expression was equally grim.
The oppressive presence radiating from Saint Nusjuro was no weaker than Kaido's own aura.
And there were five such monsters among the Gorosei.
That terrifying fact made King wonder something he had never questioned before.
Could Kaido truly save this world?
In the past, King had absolute faith in Kaido's strength. After Kaido awakened his Devil Fruit, that faith had only grown stronger.
But after witnessing the true power of the Gorosei, doubt slowly crept into his mind.
"It hurts... it hurts so much..."
Big Mom gritted her teeth, struggling against the intense pain as she staggered backward several steps. A rare trace of fear flickered in her eyes.
Around the battlefield, members of the Big Mom Pirates noticed the situation immediately.
They were stunned.
Their Mama, the woman they believed to be invincible, was actually injured.
Without hesitation, many of them rushed toward her, hoping to protect her and provide support.
Their sudden retreat created a huge opening on the battlefield.
The Marines immediately felt the pressure on them lessen.
Not far away, Admiral Aramaki witnessed everything and burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! Did you see that? With the Five Elders here, how could we possibly lose?" he shouted. "Marine soldiers, raise your spirits! Once Lord Nusjuro defeats Big Mom, victory will be ours!"
"Oh!!!"
The Marine soldiers who had been on the verge of collapse suddenly regained their morale.
Even one of the Four Emperors was being overwhelmed.
For the first time since the battle began, they saw hope.
Meanwhile, Kaido noticed the commotion from afar while continuing his fierce clash with Saint V. Nusjuro.
He frowned and shouted angrily toward Big Mom.
"Old Hag! This is what happens when you spend all your time having children! Even with Katakuri and King helping you, you still can't defeat a single Gorosei. What a disgrace!"
Ever since the battle on Whole Cake Island, the Big Mom Pirates had lost much of their standing within the Three Emperors Alliance.
Because of that humiliation, they insisted that Saint V. Nusjuro must be the strongest among the Gorosei.
After all, Marco had suppressed two Gorosei by himself, forcing three of them to fight together just to hold him back.
Meanwhile, Big Mom had been locked in a stalemate against Saint V. Nusjuro alone.
To preserve Big Mom's pride, they had convinced themselves that Saint V. Nusjuro was the strongest of them all.
Otherwise the comparison would be too embarrassing.
Today, Kaido had deliberately held back the strongest Gorosei, Saint V. Nusjuro, allowing Big Mom to face Saint Nusjuro instead.
Thinking back to the Whole Cake Island battle, Saint Nusjuro had required assistance from Saint Mars and Saint Peter just to fight Marco to a draw.
Even if the Gorosei had taken drugs to enhance their strength now, Big Mom should not have fallen into such a miserable state.
Saint Nusjuro glanced at the heavily bleeding Big Mom and spoke with cold contempt.
"Your so called Iron Balloon may intimidate ordinary insects."
"But before this old man, it is nothing more than a joke."
"Damn it!"
Big Mom roared in fury.
Without hesitation, she made a ruthless decision.
"At the cost of three years of my lifespan, restore my body!"
Powerful soul energy surged out from her body.
In an instant, the massive wound across her chest began to close rapidly.
The flesh regenerated, the bleeding stopped, and her terrifying presence returned once more.
===
If you want to read more, there are up to 100 chapters available on patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph