"What? You want me to fight a Five Elder?!"
Kaido had just eaten the Azure Dragon Fruit and hadn't even begun to digest his new powers when he was suddenly dragged into an all-out battle.
Naturally, he didn't want to get involved, especially when their opponent was one of the Five Elders.
As one of the supreme leaders of the Celestial Dragons, Saturn's strength was undoubtedly terrifying.
Even if Kaido and Linlin joined forces, there was no guarantee they could defeat him.
But Saturn wouldn't be able to easily kill them either.
Thinking this through, Kaido glanced at the silent Charlotte Linlin and said gravely:
"The Navy reinforcements have already arrived. If we go after Saturn now, we might not make it out alive."
He paused for a moment and added:
"Why don't we retreat for now and come back for that Devil Fruit another day?"
Hearing this, Ethan Sugawa's heart sank. His eyes shifted anxiously to Big Mom.
He had expected her to agree with Kaido's plan and was already preparing to face Saturn alone.
He gripped his longsword tightly, fully ready to fight to the death.
But then Big Mom's deep voice echoed in his ear.
"I promised you a Devil Fruit, and I'll keep my word."
Charlotte Linlin raised Napoleon her broadsword, now transformed into a grim, skull-headed great blade and locked her eyes on the well-dressed elder ahead, her fighting spirit blazing.
"If we want to carve out a place for ourselves on the seas, we'll eventually have to cross the Celestial Dragons. This is the perfect chance to see what the Five Elders are really made of."
Kaido sighed helplessly. "Fine then. I guess I'll risk my life and join you. Let's see whose power is greater, the Five Elder's or my kanabo."
Seeing the two of them burning with fighting spirit, ready to battle Saturn to the death, Ethan quickly reminded them:
"Just to be clear, I'm only after the Devil Fruit. I'm not here to take his life."
He paused briefly, watching Kaido and Big Mom's expressions calm down, then continued:
"I just need you two to keep Saturn occupied. Leave the rest to me."
With their plan in place, the three of them quietly closed in on Saturn.
…
On the other side.
After blasting Bartholomew away with a single strike, Saint Saturn glanced at the boy's battered body with pure contempt.
"Bucaneer brat, you have only two paths in this life: slavery or death. That's what history has decided for your kind."
Ethan, steeped in the weight of history, couldn't help but retort:
"Who says only the noble can rule? Who says only the chosen can reign?"
He stared directly at Saint Saturn, his expression solemn.
"In the tides of history, you Celestial Dragons are nothing more than grains of sand. Sooner or later, I'll overthrow the World Government and drag you all down from your false throne."
Saturn's eyes narrowed as he noticed the vertical eye on Ethan's forehead.
"A brat from the Three-Eyed Tribe… you're an unstable variable. Since I've run into you today, I might as well erase you now."
As he spoke, he swung his black lightning-coated fist straight at Ethan, aiming to pulverize him.
But before the fist could reach him, two towering figures appeared in front of Ethan, unleashing waves of Conqueror's Haki that clashed fiercely with Saturn's own.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
Charlotte Linlin and Kaido unleashed their strongest attacks simultaneously, blasting Saturn's massive fist away.
"Rocks Pirates' little brats," Saturn sneered, easily recognizing the two of them.
His eyes turned cold.
"I wasn't planning to deal with you today, but you've brought this on yourselves. You dared to attack God Valley alongside Rocks?"
As he spoke, his body began to swell, black bull horns sprouting from his head, and eight spider-like legs growing from his lower half.
His entire body radiated murderous intent.
"You'll all die here today!"
Without another word, Saturn activated his Devil Fruit powers. His eyes gleamed with a destructive force as he fired an overwhelming blast of energy toward the two.
"Demonic Gaze!"
Kaido and Big Mom didn't dare to be careless. They instantly took on their most powerful battle forms.
Even with their defenses up, they were sent flying, new wounds tearing across their bodies.
"Your bodies are impressive, but that's all."
Saturn sneered as he watched them struggle to stand.
Seeing them still resisting, he whispered:
"Freeze."
An invisible force suddenly bound Kaido and Big Mom, completely paralyzing them.
"It's over."
Just as Saturn was about to finish them off, a sharp sound split the air.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
But Charlotte Linlin was frozen in place who else could be using this sword technique?
Before he could figure it out, a terrifying sword wave slashed across his chest, leaving a deep cut. It healed rapidly, leaving no trace behind.
"Perfect timing!"
Ethan seized the opportunity and tore open Saturn's suit. A Devil Fruit hidden beneath it fell to the ground.
Before Saturn could react, Ethan snatched it.
Without a moment's hesitation, he shoved the tricolored Devil Fruit into his mouth.
"Damn you, brat! Stop!" Saturn roared, his eyes burning with fury as he lunged to snatch the fruit back.
But Kaido and Big Mom wouldn't let him.
"Blast Breath!"
"Heavenly Lightning!"
A mountain-crushing blast of heat and a paralyzing bolt of lightning struck Saturn, forcing his massive hand to veer just a few centimeters off course.
Saturn tried to grab Ethan again, but another lightning strike hit him directly, stunning his powerful body for several precious seconds.
By the time he recovered, Ethan had already devoured the Devil Fruit.
"So this is what it feels like to wield the power of a Devil Fruit…"
Ethan felt the surging strength of a Mythical Zoan awaken within him, his body rapidly evolving.
He soon discovered a profound change in his constitution. Deep within his abdomen, three seeds had appeared, each nestled in the upper, middle, and lower dantian regions of his body.
"These must be the unique constitution granted by the fruit," Ethan speculated as he observed the three seeds floating calmly inside him.
Beyond that, he found that he could now command three elemental forces white flame, blue frost, and purple lightning.
At the moment, he could only control the white flame, but the other two elements would surely become accessible as he continued to develop his abilities.
He could also now manifest his three-headed, six-armed Asura form, though his mastery of it was still clumsy.
"I've secured the Devil Fruit. Time to go."
Ethan calmly finished absorbing his new powers and looked at the ongoing battle.
Kaido truly lived up to his future title as an Emperor of the Sea. He had only just eaten the Azure Dragon Fruit, yet he was already able to partially transform into a dragon hybrid.
It wouldn't take long before he could fully master his Mythical Zoan abilities.
As Kaido became more proficient with his new powers, he and Big Mom had already gained the upper hand. If the battle dragged on, they might actually be able to defeat Saturn.
But their mission was complete. They had no reason to continue this fight.
Just as Ethan was about to call for their retreat, a Den Den Mushi's voice suddenly echoed across the entire island:
"Rocks is dead! The rest of you will you still refuse to surrender?"