Rayleigh glanced at the blueprint in his hand and finally decided to step in. With one swift slash, an invisible blade energy tore through the earth.
SWISH!
In an instant, a gash hundreds of meters long was carved across the ground, splitting the land in two.
Kaido halted abruptly, forced to stop right at the edge of the chasm.
"Rayleigh... you old timer who's supposed to be retired, why are you also getting involved in this mess?"
"Hahaha... there's no point in fighting over this. Whether these two blueprints are real or fake, they are completely useless even if you get your hands on them." Rayleigh shook his head.
He wouldn't have bothered at all if Phantom hadn't chosen this exact location for their schemes.
While the two were speaking, a figure shrouded in blood suddenly appeared right in front of Kaido.
"Kaido... are you the one known as the Strongest Creature in the World? Your blood... it should taste absolutely delicious!"
Ledfield laughed and suddenly lunged forward with his right hand, reaching straight for Kaido.
"Hmph! Just because you ate a Mythical Zoan fruit, you think you're invincible?"
Kaido scoffed disdainfully and struck out with his palm, unleashing a shockwave of Armament Haki without even making physical contact.
THUD!
With a dull thud, Kaido's attack forced the vampire back.
But this brief obstruction cost Kaido his best chance to escape.
By now, he was completely surrounded.
The Marines, Whitebeard, and countless other pirate crews — everyone still standing here was a formidable and dangerous opponent.
Vladimir swirled the wine in his goblet gently, watching the scene unfold with keen interest.
Suddenly, Kaido scanned his surroundings, looked up toward the sky, and shouted loudly:
"King of Heroes! I don't care if you belong to Phantom or not. I'm offering you 30 Devil Fruits — join forces with me and help me drive them back!"
"Hahaha..."
Vladimir chuckled softly. "I am Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. You speak of joining forces with me... Kaido, Emperor of the Sea? For a mere mortal, you are quite impressive — but you are still a hundred years too early to speak to me as an equal!"
Kaido wasn't angered by the reply. He simply turned his gaze back to Whitebeard and the others.
It was enough for him to know the King of Heroes would not intervene. He was confident in his ability to escape.
The biggest problem wasn't the enemies right in front of him — it was the blockade of hundreds of warships out at sea!
"Picnes! Are you going to make a move or not?!"
Kaido roared suddenly.
Everyone's expression sharpened.
A heavy sigh echoed from thin air, and a figure stepped out — as if crossing from the void into reality itself.
The man wore a grey cloak and a crown upon his head. He was around forty years old, tall and powerfully built.
"Kaido... I didn't think you'd actually manage to get the blueprint." The man smiled.
"But I'm afraid I won't be stepping in. There are too many powerful figures here; I'd be blown to dust the moment I showed myself."
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and focused his gaze.
"The clan head of the Picnes family... Picnes the Void King, known as Walker of the Void..." He frowned deeply. "Another troublesome character."
Picnes the Void King — nicknamed Walker of the Void — was the user of the Void-Void Fruit.
His combat strength was only average, roughly equal to that of a top commander under an Emperor.
However, his ability was extremely powerful: his true body remained hidden within the Void Dimension, making him nearly impossible to kill.
His skill at escaping was arguably the best in the world.
The so-called Void Dimension was a separate, empty world that existed parallel to the real world.
Similar to the Dream World or the Mirror World, it was a dimension created by a Devil Fruit ability — small in size, but more than enough space to hide a single person.
To deal with someone like him, one needed a spatial-type ability.
Seeing him appear, even Vladimir raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had known for a long time that someone like this was hiding in the shadows; the Star That Knows All, Sees All had already pinpointed his exact location.
"However... this Void Dimension is a bit of a nuisance. I might need the Sea Dragon's Sea Dragon God form to deal with him... or perhaps Gilgamesh's Enuma Elish." He analyzed leisurely.
"Of course, the simplest and most direct way would be my true form — Emperor Vladimir... I could crush him with a single flip of my hand. Nothing to worry about."
With that thought, Vladimir shifted his gaze toward the west.
His vision seemed to travel across a great distance, settling upon a man and a woman...
---
District 70.
The Pirate Empress stared fixedly at the man standing before her.
She had seen this face many times before — but back then, the aura he gave off was completely different from now.
Now, his presence felt ethereal and untouchable. He was clearly right in front of her eyes, yet she could not sense him at all.
It was as if he existed in a different dimension, completely beyond her perception.
"You foolish dragon!" The Empress huffed softly. "You actually dared to show yourself openly."
"I am Emperor Vladimir... not the Sea Dragon you know." Vladimir replied calmly.
"Leave this place. I will let you go out of respect for the deep connection you share with the Sea Dragon."
"Liar! You foolish dragon... do you still think you can deceive me?"
A faint smile appeared on the Empress's lips. "You and he are the same person. No matter how different your aura may be... your eyes are exactly the same."
"My eyes?" Vladimir asked with curiosity. "You are that certain?"
"My intuition never fails me." The Empress stated firmly. "Take this."
She tossed a small chest toward him.
Vladimir caught it, and with a quick sense of perception, he understood what was inside — a Devil Fruit.
"This is your reward," she said, "for helping me assassinate the Celestial Dragons."
____________________
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