The shocking scene struck deep into the fragile hearts of the pirates.
Ace was especially shaken.
Having now experienced the overwhelming power of both Whitebeard and Kaido, he found Kaido to be even more monstrous in his mind.
When Whitebeard had fought him, he hadn't even used his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, so the pressure back then hadn't been as violent as what he was feeling from Kaido today.
"Someone just sent Kaido flying? And it's a woman? Who... who is she?"
Ace pointed at Yamato, his voice trembling.
He had been sailing for so long, traversing the Grand Line, yet he had never encountered a truly formidable female pirate. Even among the Marines, he had never seen a female officer with such strength.
And now, suddenly, a woman appeared—one who had effortlessly blasted Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, away.
Having just suffered defeat himself, Ace felt an immense shock.
"A woman? Rumor has it that all the strongest women on the seas are in the Sun and Moon Pirates. Could she be a member of their crew?" Sabo speculated, his pupils widening.
Hearing this, Ace stretched his neck forward, staring at Yamato. Could it be true?
"It's General Yamato! She's an officer of the Sun and Moon Pirates!"
She was not some unknown figure—many pirates immediately recognized her.
No matter how much the World Government tried to suppress their reputation, the Sun and Moon Pirates were now just as well-known as any of the Four Emperors.
"Is another Emperor arriving?"
"Is the Radiant Emperor Kuke here too?"
"Even for a mythical Zoan fruit, would it really attract two Emperors?"
"Could this be the legendary battle between Emperors about to unfold?"
"I think I once heard that the Radiant Emperor Kuke defeated Kaido within a few hours. I wonder if that's true."
"That's impossible! That has to be a lie."
The pirates were in absolute shock.
They frantically scanned their surroundings, searching for signs of the Sun and Moon Pirates' main forces.
Finally, Ace trembled with excitement.
His dream was right before his eyes.
But when he suddenly looked down at his own battered and defeated state, his joy faded.
He felt ashamed of himself.
Meanwhile, Kaido, who had been sent flying, twitched at the corners of his mouth as he slowly sat up.
Even he was in disbelief.
Years had passed, but he had never forgotten the terror that Kuke had instilled in him.
And now, hearing the pirates shout about an Emperor battle breaking out, Kaido's expression became even more unnatural.
Are you guys serious?!
Fight Kuke? Go to war with the Sun and Moon Pirates?
Are you trying to get me killed?
Suddenly—whoosh!
Two figures appeared beside Yamato.
Belo Betty and Kuina.
Just three of them.
No one else.
The grand army of the Sun and Moon Pirates that everyone had anticipated, especially Kuke himself, was nowhere to be seen.
"Is the captain of the Sun and Moon Pirates, Kuke, not coming?"
"Did he go into hiding?"
The pirates kept glancing toward the port, but no new figures appeared.
Some felt disappointed.
After all, opportunities to witness an Emperor up close were rare.
"Hiding? What nonsense! Kuke is an Emperor of the Seas. Why would he hide?"
"He must not have come at all."
No one believed an Emperor would disgrace themselves by hiding.
"If Kuke isn't here, then Kaido still calls the shots today."
With no Emperor battle in sight, the pirates turned back toward Kaido, their fear returning.
They didn't think Kaido had lost, even after being sent flying by Yamato.
"He's not here?"
Ace felt both disappointment and relief at the same time.
A conflicted mix of emotions.
He preferred to meet Kuke only after reaching the peak himself.
"Wait, this isn't good."
Ace suddenly realized something, and his face changed drastically.
He looked at Yamato and the others with concern.
If Kuke were here, Ace had no doubt that he would be able to defeat Kaido.
But since he wasn't…
"They're in danger," Ace said, deeply worried.
"Sabo, today we fight with everything we've got." Ace stood up, eyes filled with determination.
Sabo silently nodded.
"Sabo, do you know who they are?" Ace took deep breaths to recover his strength, preparing for the upcoming battle. No matter what, he couldn't just stand by and watch Kuke's subordinates fall here.
"General Yamato, the Bewitching Belo Betty, and the other one… I don't know."
Sabo named the two he recognized but wasn't sure about Kuina.
"Are they strong? Where do they rank in the Sun and Moon Pirates?"
Since they were going to fight together, Ace needed to understand their level of strength so he could coordinate accordingly.
"Yamato, who just struck Kaido, is extremely powerful. Her bounty is over a billion. Belo Betty's bounty is also eight hundred million. The other one… hasn't even reached a hundred million."
Sabo wasn't sure of their exact combat strength but could judge based on their bounties.
"Their bounties are that high?" Ace's pupils dilated as he stared at Yamato and Belo Betty in shock.
No wonder they were so strong…
"They must be the strongest officers in the Sun and Moon Pirates, right?" Ace asked, quite certain.
With power like that, they had to be among the top ranks.
"Actually… I don't think so."
Sabo recalled his past investigations into the Sun and Moon Pirates. From what he remembered, the most renowned members weren't them.
Meanwhile, Kaido, having waited a while without seeing Kuke appear, still felt uneasy. His voice lost its earlier bravado as he hesitantly asked, "Kuke… he really isn't coming?"
"You aren't even worthy of our captain's time," Yamato said coldly.
Kaido let out a few awkward chuckles and didn't argue back.
Right, right, you're absolutely right.
Ace, the Golden Emperor Gray, and the other rising powerhouses stared in complete disbelief, wondering if they had heard incorrectly.
"A mere officer of the Sun and Moon Pirates is talking down to one of the Four Emperors? Does she have a death wish?"
Gray's eyes widened in horror. If Kuke himself had spoken with such dominance, he could accept it.
But this was just an officer?
That level of disregard for Kaido was beyond comprehension.
Before the battle, Gray had not feared the Four Emperors too much.
Now, all he felt was terror.
"No wonder they call her General Yamato, the craziest officer in the Sun and Moon Pirates."
"The Sun and Moon Pirates… always the same, always overwhelming."
Some veteran pirates sighed.
After all these years, they could finally feel the presence of the Sun and Moon Pirates reigning supreme once more.
"It's a pity we didn't get to see those even stronger than General Yamato. The legendary Phoenix Queen, the Empress, the Witch, the Violent Queen… I wonder what kind of presence they have, how stunning they must be."
Ace overheard an old pirate's sigh and widened his eyes in astonishment.
Curious, he asked, "Those names… they're all officers of the Sun and Moon Pirates? Are they really stronger than General Yamato?"
"Of course. General Yamato is only around the fifth or sixth strongest in their ranks."
The veteran's eyes gleamed with admiration.
Anyone who had lived through that era knew—
For pirates, that had been the golden age.
Ace swallowed hard, trembling with excitement.
He clapped Sabo's shoulder repeatedly.
"Sabo, Sabo, did you hear that? The Sun and Moon Pirates are ridiculously strong! No wonder they're Kuke's crew!"
Sabo, rubbing his sore shoulder from Ace's enthusiastic beating, nodded frantically.
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DONT FORGET POWER STONE
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