Although Kuzan had clearly held the advantage throughout the battle, that advantage was far from overwhelming.
Take speed, for example.
Even under normal circumstances, Kaito's movement speed was no slower than Kuzan's—if anything, it was slightly superior.
Once he activated Dragon Appears in the Field, the gap became even greater.
If Kaito chose to attack, Kuzan could rely on his superior Observation Haki to predict and respond to every move.
But now the situation was different.
Kaito had decided to withdraw.
Whether it was Kuzan's own speed or the attack speed of the Ice-Ice Fruit, neither was sufficient to intercept Kaito once he committed to escaping.
Kuzan understood this perfectly.
That was why he hadn't attempted to pursue him.
It was also the reason he had tried to provoke Kaito into continuing the fight.
"Another dangerous monster is about to emerge on these seas..."
After standing silently for a long while, Kuzan slowly exhaled.
It was as though he were trying to vent the frustration building inside him.
He looked toward the direction Kaito had disappeared.
A headache began to form.
Along with it came an even deeper sense of unease.
There was no doubt that after experiencing their first battle firsthand, Kuzan had gained a much clearer understanding of Kaito's true strength.
Setting everything else aside...
Purely in terms of combat ability, Kaito had already surpassed the level that ordinary military forces could hope to handle.
In other words...
Only someone with Admiral-level strength could truly contend with him.
That alone was enough to prove just how dangerous Kaito had become.
And Nico Robin is at his side...
Kuzan frowned even more deeply.
Robin possessed the ability to read the Poneglyphs.
Those ancient stones not only recorded the lost century of history...
They also contained the clues leading to the final island—Laugh Tale.
In other words...
Kaito possessed the potential to become the next Pirate King.
Thinking back to the chaos Roger had unleashed upon the world after reaching that title...
Kuzan's expression grew even darker.
Reverse Mountain
Five or six hours later...
After blasting their way through the frozen sea with relentless cannon fire, the War Pirates finally arrived safely at the waters surrounding Reverse Mountain.
"I wonder how the captain is doing."
"Don't worry."
"We all know how strong he is."
"Even if his opponent was a Marine Admiral, there's no way the captain would lose so easily."
"That's right."
"Maybe he's already on his way here."
The fleet remained anchored near the entrance to Reverse Mountain.
No one felt like celebrating.
On the flagship, Bone, Robin, and the others repeatedly looked toward the sea behind them.
Everyone was anxious.
Time continued to pass.
Kaito still hadn't returned.
Even calm people like Law and Lafayette, who continued encouraging everyone else, were quietly growing uneasy themselves.
After all...
This time their opponent had been a Marine Admiral.
Even if none of them fully understood the true level of an Admiral's strength...
The frozen ocean they had witnessed...
And the terrifying battle they had seen from afar...
Were more than enough to fill them with dread.
Until Kaito returned...
No one could truly relax.
Suddenly—
The Den Den Mushi loudspeaker rang throughout the fleet.
"The captain!"
"It's the captain!"
"The captain's back!!"
The sentry's excited shout echoed across every ship.
"Really?!"
"Where?!"
"Look!"
"There's someone coming from over there!"
"It's really him!"
"The captain's back!"
Everyone immediately rushed toward the side of the ships.
Far across the sea...
A lone figure was rapidly approaching.
As the distance closed and the figure became clearer...
Robin and the others finally recognized him.
Joy instantly spread across every face.
Whoosh!
The figure descended from the sky.
A moment later, Kaito landed lightly on the deck of the flagship.
"Captain!"
"Are you alright?"
Robin and the others immediately surrounded him.
Concern filled every expression.
Robin and Neferpit were the first to reach him, quickly inspecting him from head to toe for injuries.
"Don't worry."
"I'm not hurt."
"My clothes just took a beating."
Kaito smiled casually.
He slipped one arm around Robin's slender waist while using his other hand to gently rub Neferpit's head.
His relaxed expression instantly eased everyone's worries.
"I told you!"
"A Marine Admiral isn't anything special."
"How could the captain possibly lose?"
Sandy burst into loud laughter, his confidence immediately returning.
"Captain..."
"What was the result of your fight with Aokiji?"
Law asked curiously.
Everyone else immediately looked toward Kaito as well.
"I lost."
Kaito shrugged without the slightest hesitation.
"He really is incredibly strong."
"We fought for several hours, but I couldn't do anything to him."
The deck suddenly fell silent.
Everyone was stunned.
Even Sandy's proud grin froze awkwardly on his face.
"...But..."
After thinking for a moment, Law looked carefully at Kaito.
"The Admiral couldn't do anything to you either... right, Captain?"
The others quickly realized the same thing.
Although Kaito admitted defeat...
He didn't look injured at all.
"Pretty much."
Kaito nodded.
"I lost the fight."
"But he couldn't break through my defenses either."
"So that's how it was."
Lafayette smiled lightly as he twirled his cane.
"That hardly sounds like a defeat."
"It sounds more like a draw."
"Exactly!"
Sandy instantly recovered.
"Captain, you're being way too modest."
"If he couldn't defeat you either, then how can that really count as losing?"
He laughed loudly once more.
Robin gently leaned against Kaito.
A warm smile appeared on her beautiful face.
"No matter what happened..."
"The important thing is that you came back safely."
"For me..."
"That's worth celebrating all by itself."
Winning or losing didn't matter.
As long as her captain returned alive...
That was enough.
Standing nearby, Zoro finally spoke.
"Captain."
"So..."
"Are we heading into the Grand Line now?"
He pointed toward the towering entrance of Reverse Mountain rising not far away.
Kaito turned and looked at the massive mountain.
A broad smile spread across his face.
"That's right."
"It's time."
"It's time for us to enter the Grand Line."
As he spoke, Kaito released Robin's waist.
With a single powerful leap, he landed atop the figurehead at the bow of the flagship.
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