...
On the light screen, Luffy's disheveled appearance with blood streaming down his face after forcibly taking the aftershock of "Thunderous Bagua" did not make Kaido look down on him. Instead, it stirred a different kind of interest in this sea overlord.
Kaido shouldered the spiked club "Hassaikai" that was still emitting wisps of smoke and looked at Luffy, who was struggling to stand up not far away, his eyes still burning.
The corner of his mouth curved into an arc that mixed cruelty and appreciation.
His voice was rough, carrying a vicissitude that had settled after countless battles, yet it could not hide the dominance that came from instinct: "Not bad... brat!"
Kaido looked at Luffy with great interest and said: "I assume you won't just obediently take this hit, right! Come on... let me see what you've got!"
This "praise" coming from Kaido carried extremely heavy weight.
It meant that in his eyes, Luffy had already moved beyond the category of "ants that could be crushed at will" and had barely risen to the level of "challenger worth taking slightly seriously."
A probing light flashed through Kaido's eyes. This brat who had boldly declared he would surpass the Yonko, this so-called leader of the "Worst Generation"...
Just how high could he push the "new era"?
He was curious.
"Mam-ma-ma-ma~ Kaido, why are you wasting words with this brat!"
The moment Kaido finished speaking, at the instant when Luffy's breathing had not yet stabilized due to his injuries and just having dodged a fatal strike, Charlotte Linlin beside him had already grown impatient!
She waved her massive hand. Prometheus, the "Homie" floating beside her like a small sun, immediately erupted with raging flames!
Big Mom's roar and the flames' howling sounded at the same time!
Prometheus transformed into a violent fire tornado. Instead of attacking Luffy directly, it sealed off all of Luffy's possible escape routes from a more cunning angle!
Luffy's pupils contracted sharply!
A cold, sharp slash, like moonlight appearing out of nowhere, came slashing in from the side!
The slash was not aimed at the flames, but with incredible precision, it cut toward the core of the flames — Prometheus's blurry "face"!
"Shhhrrrip!!"
A teeth-grinding tearing sound rang out!
That violent fire tornado was actually forcibly "cut" in half from the middle by this cunning and fierce slash!
The bisected Prometheus looked like a startled beast, his face filled with shock.
The one who had acted was none other than Roronoa Zoro!
He maintained his sheathing posture, slightly turned his head toward Luffy's direction, and the corner of his mouth curved into a wild and confident arc: "Hey, Luffy. This move... looks familiar, doesn't it?"
Luffy was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "Ah! It's Kin'emon's move?!"
Zoro nodded. This was something he had secretly learned. Although he had only grasped the basics, the effect was actually quite good...
"Nice one, Zoro!" Luffy did not hesitate to give a thumbs-up.
Zoro's timely rescue gave Luffy a precious moment to catch his breath.
But Kaido clearly would not allow the battle situation to be easily reversed.
"Linlin, you're too slow!"
Kaido let out a low roar. His figure once again erupted forward. Hassaikai came charging straight at Luffy with the howling of wind and thunder...
This time, he intended to completely deal with this troublesome brat!
However, just as he was about to succeed, a hemispherical transparent space silently unfolded, precisely enveloping Luffy.
"ROOM·Baton."
Trafalgar Law's calm voice rang out.
In the next second, Luffy's figure inside the space flashed and disappeared from the trajectory of Kaido's spiked club attack, appearing beside Law not far away.
"Whew... Thanks, Torao!"
Luffy landed and patted his chest, still feeling lingering fear.
Law, however, did not look at him. Instead, he carried "Kikoku" on his shoulder and stared straight at Luffy with a gaze that mixed helplessness, irritation, and a trace of barely perceptible complexity.
"Straw Hat captain..."
Law's voice returned to its usual calm and aloof tone: "I had originally planned to use my ability to move them away and ensure the battle wouldn't affect them. This was my tactical consideration."
As he spoke, Law paused, his tone growing heavier and clearly dissatisfied: "But... the way you just said 'Torao, send them away' sounded exactly like you were giving me an order as a matter of course! Don't be ridiculous!"
Law was clearly very bothered by Luffy's almost instinctive, impolite way of asking for help.
He, Trafalgar Law, was also the renowned "Surgeon of Death," a deep-minded, far-sighted "Worst Generation" Supernova!
In his heart, this alliance was a "cooperation" based on shared interests and goals, not a superior-subordinate relationship.
Luffy's casual attitude, as if he were ordering his own crew members around, had seriously violated his "principles" and "pride."
Faced with Law's righteous "accusation," Luffy blinked, looking completely bewildered and indifferent: "Huh? Did I? I just thought you could do it..."
"So I called you for help. The situation was that urgent, who would think that much?"
Luffy's logic was so simple and direct that it was infuriating. He completely failed to grasp the point that had angered Law.
"Puhahahaha!"
Eustass Kid beside them burst into loud, unreserved mocking laughter, pointing at Law with his metal arm.
"Hey! Trafalgar! You guy, right now you look exactly like Straw Hat's little brother... He says something and you just do it? Hahahaha! How embarrassing!"
Kid's words were like pouring oil on the fire, precisely striking the most sensitive part of Law's heart.
Law, who had always been calm and rational, known for being "aloof" and "strategic," instantly broke his composure!
"Eustass captain!!!"
Veins bulged on Law's forehead. The hand gripping Kikoku trembled slightly: "We are only in a temporary alliance! We each take what we need! Who is whose little brother?!"
"Who is whose little brother has nothing to do with me. Anyway, you're all just inferior pirates!"
For a moment, the three captains who should have been united against a common enemy and resisting a powerful foe together were actually, atop Oni Island where the Yonko surrounded them and danger lurked everywhere, engaging in a childish war of words and internal conflict over the question of "who is whose little brother"...
The atmosphere, which had been tense and murderous, suddenly became somewhat... comical.
"Mam-ma-ma-ma~!"
Charlotte Linlin's massive laughter rang out again, filled with mockery and anger: "You brats who don't know whether you're dead or alive... aren't you being a bit too arrogant?! In front of me and Kaido, you actually dare to argue?!"
Before her words finished, she flicked her fingers repeatedly. Three orange-red fireballs the size of human heads, yet containing terrifying heat, shot toward the arguing Luffy, Law, and Kid like meteors!
These were attacks split off from Prometheus. Their power could not be underestimated.
As the fireballs came flying, the three captains almost simultaneously stopped arguing.
Luffy's eyes widened: "Hey! You two! Whoever dodges first is the inferior pirate!"
Kid snorted coldly: "Afraid of you? Whoever dodges is a grandson!"
Law's face turned ashen as he gritted his teeth: "...Childish!"
The three of them actually reacted with surprising consistency. Out of stubborn pride, they all stood their ground and none of them moved!
As if dodging this fireball attack would truly make them the "little brother" or "inferior pirate" the others had called them!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Three muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously!
The three fireballs solidly struck the three captains, exploding into three blazing balls of flame that swallowed them!
"You three idiots!!!"
Seeing this scene, Zoro instantly became so angry that smoke seemed to rise from his seven orifices as he cursed loudly!
Even the hand gripping his sword trembled slightly from anger.
This was a life-and-death battle against the Yonko!
Not playing house!
These three fools had actually, for such a childish and ridiculous reason, used their faces to take a Yonko's attack head-on?!
Even if it was only the aftershock, it was still a Yonko's attack!
When the flames dispersed, they revealed the three captains' slightly disheveled but still mutually glaring figures.
The edges of Luffy's clothes were somewhat charred. Law's spotted fur hat was emitting smoke. A patch of Kid's metal arm had been blackened.
The three of them looked at each other and simultaneously let out a "hmph," turning their heads away.
But after this commotion, the previous bit of grudge over "who orders whom" seemed to have... vanished in some absurd mutual understanding?
At least, no one brought it up for the time being.
Outside the light screen, God Valley.
"Hahaha! These three pirates... are too interesting!"
Little Loki was so amused by Luffy and the other two's unexpected "internal conflict" and "stubborn pride" that he was rocking back and forth with laughter, temporarily forgetting the heavy emotions that had accumulated from his father's tragedy earlier.
"They're clearly facing a powerful enemy, yet they can still argue over something like this and even take the attack head-on... Do they have too much guts or is there something wrong with their brains?!"
His pure laughter sounded somewhat out of place in the solemn God Valley, yet it also brought a rare moment of lightness.
Indeed...
The "unreliable" performance of these three representatives of the "Worst Generation" — Luffy, Law, and Kid — on the life-and-death battlefield was completely different in tone from the deep, tragic, conspiracy-filled, and sacrificial atmosphere in the stories of Harald and Rocks.
This was filled with the recklessness unique to young people, acting on impulse, and a certain peculiar, indescribable way of building "bonds."
The other pirate spectators also could not help but laugh and shake their heads.
Even some Marine officers had strange expressions on their faces.
They found it absurd, yet had to admit that this "reckless" style seemed... to fit that straw hat brat's way of doing things?
No...
It really fit Garp's personality!
Not far away, Garp watched his grandson's "saving face at the cost of suffering" foolish behavior and was so angry that his beard stood on end. He muttered curses: "This idiot! If you're going to fight, then fight properly! What are you trying to prove!"
Seeing Luffy forcibly take Big Mom's attack, his eyebrows twitched. But even though he was cursing, he still felt heartache for his grandson.
Sengoku rubbed his brow and whispered to Zephyr: "So this is what the pirates of the 'new era' are like... Although their strength is decent, this discipline and sense of the bigger picture... is simply a pile of loose sand."
Watching Luffy, Kid, and Law's actions, Sengoku truly did not know what to say.
However, although that was what he said, he had a faint premonition in his heart.
Perhaps it was precisely this quality of not being bound by traditional rules, filled with unpredictability and uncertainty, that was the most terrifying thing about this "new era."
Rocks and Roger, these two overlords of the old era, watched the three noisy young men on the light screen who had unexpectedly survived a wave of attacks from the Yonko. A trace of subtle emotion also flashed through their eyes.
In their current era, alliances were often more pragmatic, more ruthless, and filled with calculation and betrayal.
A relationship like the one between Luffy and the other two — mutually unconvinced, constantly arguing, yet able to reach a certain understanding at critical moments and face a powerful enemy together... was rather novel.
...