Benedict's figure dashed across the sea, incredibly fast, the water splashing in his wake, churning up waves.
Not far away, five warships were rapidly approaching.
Kaido, witnessing the scene before him, felt no fear of any reinforcements from the Xuanwu Navy.
The battle he desired was not something just anyone could participate in.
"Marshal!"
Wang Zhi watched Benedict arrive and said gravely, "The scholars of Ohara are safe."
They were supposed to be stationed near Reverse Mountain, making preparations for reception.
However, with the continuous appearance of pirates and their subsequent attacks, Wang Zhi and Yin Axe knew something had changed.
They immediately tried to contact Sakata Gintoki, but it was impossible to reach him.
As for Benedict, he didn't have a Den Den Mushi on him at the time.
Therefore, as a precaution, after a brief discussion, they led their troops to respond.
Just moments ago, they had repelled the fleet of the Beast Pirates.
Without Kaido or Queen leading the fleet, facing Wang Zhi, a powerhouse who already possessed the strength of a true Admiral, they were insignificant.
"Keep an eye on him!" Benedict placed Sakata Gintoki on the deck and said, "Wait for my return!"
With that, Benedict turned and vanished.
"Kaido, die!"
The next moment Benedict reappeared, he was already on the distant sea. Under the Moon Walk, his figure continuously leaped towards Kaido, who was in the sky.
Kaido, seeing Benedict charging towards him, raised his kanabo and swung it down, laughing, "Thunder Bagua!"
Benedict's figure flickered rapidly, dodging the descending kanabo.
He even used the kanabo as a landing point, moving rapidly again.
Kaido's massive dragon eyes swept forward, his body twisting in the air, attempting to shake Benedict off.
In that instant, Kaido realized what Benedict was planning.
His immense body meant there were many areas he couldn't defend or counter-attack.
Was Benedict exploiting this weakness to attack him?
"Get down!"
Seeing Benedict unfazed and already on his back, Kaido immediately changed his form.
Kaido, in his Azure Dragon form, instantly reverted to his original appearance, his body plummeting towards the sea.
Benedict, seeing this, revealed a cold smile of a successful scheme.
"Rokushiki Ultimate Technique, Kyūshō, Gōken!"
Benedict stabilized himself from above, Armament Haki covering his arms, and punched down onto Kaido's back.
Kaido, having shed his Azure Dragon form, held his kanabo with his back to the sky, presenting Benedict with an opportunity.
Kaido felt Benedict's attack and the threat it posed, his expression turning grim.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido swung his kanabo. Despite falling, his powerful physique allowed him to forcibly twist his body, swinging down at Benedict, who was launching a surprise attack.
The two immense forces collided. The very space in this area seemed to plunge into darkness, blinding the eyes.
*Boom!*
Due to the mutual force, Kaido's body plummeted rapidly.
Benedict, however, was flung upwards.
In this clash of powers, neither side gained an advantage, and it was far from enough to harm Kaido, whose defense was astonishing.
Benedict was well aware of this.
"Hachimon Tonkō, Open!"
"First Gate, Open!"
"Second Gate, Open!"
...
"Sixth Gate, Open!"
While falling rapidly, Benedict immediately unleashed the Eight Inner Gates technique in mid-air.
Having opened six gates in succession, the aura emanating from Benedict shocked the falling Kaido.
With a roar, just as he was about to hit the water, he transformed into his Azure Dragon form.
His massive body stirred up enormous waves in the sea, and he rapidly surged back into the sky.
"Boro Breath!"
The magma-like flames, possessing extremely high temperatures and immense destructive power, could easily vaporize a mountaintop.
These flames were spewed towards the falling Benedict.
Just as the flames were about to engulf Benedict, in the blink of an eye, Benedict's figure left an afterimage in the air.
The fiery attack missed.
"Seventh Gate, Open!"
Kaido heard Benedict's voice in his ear. A sense of immense danger washed over him, and he immediately dispelled his Azure Dragon form.
Simultaneously, Kaido noticed Benedict right in front of him.
The aura erupting from Benedict at this moment filled him with immense dread.
This was potentially fatal for him, as he couldn't transform into his half-dragon form.
Although it was instantaneous, Benedict's anomaly caused Kaido to be momentarily stunned.
Cracks appeared on Benedict's body, as if the earth itself had shattered.
Was this a technique that overdrafted one's lifespan?
"Asakujaku!"
Just as doubt flashed through Kaido's mind, Benedict's attack struck.
There was nowhere to dodge.
Each punch contained terrifying power, giving a sensation of one's body about to explode.
Countless punches, accompanied by flames, rained down like a pear blossom storm, instantly turning Kaido into a fireball that crashed into the sea.
However, Benedict's attack did not cease.
The immense power punched a hole over a hundred meters in diameter in the vast sea, and under the exertion of terrifying force, a whirlpool formed.
Within the whirlpool, Benedict continuously threw punches, smashing Kaido into the depths of the sea, and continued to pound him even at the seabed.
Above the whirlpool, the evaporated water vapor from the high-temperature energy dissipation enveloped the vortex in moments.
Standing on the warships, Wang Zhi, Yin Axe, and the others were stunned by what they witnessed.
Yin Axe, in particular, instinctively swallowed.
Yin Axe could clearly sense the continuously vibrating water in the sea.
This vibration was like the trembling of the earth, not from human clapping or collision.
"Marshal, did you slam Kaido to the seabed and beat him to death?" Yin Axe blurted out instinctively.
Wang Zhi's expression was one of immense shock and excitement.
Such power was eerily similar to their former captain, Rocks.
The terror of Rocks was something they could not resist.
And what they witnessed today reminded Wang Zhi of the time Kaido challenged Rocks and was beaten into the seabed.
Back then, Kaido was not a Devil Fruit user.
Yet, even so, his strength was formidable, no less than his own.
Now, with a Devil Fruit, he had become even more powerful.
But even so, he was now being pinned to the seabed and brutally beaten by Benedict.
"Boom!"
A colossal sound, like the explosion of a Dongfeng missile deep in the sea, sent countless sprays of water flying, like torrential rain.
Benedict also seemed to suffer a great impact, doubling over and flying into the sky.
Wang Zhi and Yin Axe, along with the others, were startled by this sudden turn of events.
Upon seeing their Marshal sent flying, they inwardly thought it was as expected.
Kaido's terror was not something that could be easily extinguished.
While Benedict was furiously beating Kaido, on the verge of knocking him unconscious, he didn't expect this guy to trigger some mechanism, unleashing immense power and striking him with an incredibly fast punch, sending him flying.
*Bang!*
Benedict fell from the sky into the sea, like a massive stone plummeting from above, creating a thunderous roar.
"Will the Marshal be alright?"
Yin Axe watched Benedict fall into the sea. After a minute passed and Benedict still hadn't emerged, he couldn't help but worry.
Wang Zhi frowned slightly, also feeling a touch of concern.
They knew that Benedict could stand freely on the sea.
Therefore, even if he fell into the sea, as long as he wasn't unconscious, he could climb out of the turbulent waters.
After waiting for another minute, from the surging seawater, Benedict's hand stretched out above the surface. Then, they saw Benedict stand up.
However, Benedict appeared somewhat disheveled, but his aura had not diminished significantly.
Moreover, the cracked body he had before had now fully recovered.
Benedict glanced at his hands and couldn't help but sigh, marveling at the power of the 'Indestructible Body' physique.
Even after opening seven gates, he had fully recovered. Could opening the eighth gate also lead to full recovery?
Despite his thoughts, Benedict did not forget that he still had to defeat Kaido and activate the Justice Mall.
On the warship, Wang Zhi and Yin Axe and the others breathed a sigh of relief seeing Benedict stand up unharmed.
It was then that their gaze returned to the sea.
Several minutes had passed. Why was there no movement from Kaido, who had been beaten into the sea?
"Kaido is a Devil Fruit user, a landlubber, right?" Yin Axe seemed to recall something and then excitedly said, "Did he drown?"
Wang Zhi glanced at Yin Axe upon hearing this, feeling he was being a bit dim.
He sighed, thinking it necessary to help his old brother face some reality.
"Kaido is a monster. Even without a Devil Fruit, his physical condition is monstrous."
"He's been trying to kill himself, whether it's jumping from ten thousand miles in the sky or being drowned in the sea for eighty-one days, he never died."
"So, don't compare ordinary Devil Fruit users to Kaido."
"You'll be terrified by his monstrous vitality."
Yin Axe was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in horror, "So, he's not dead yet?"
As if in response to Yin Axe, a massive shadow attacked from beneath the sea.
Before Wang Zhi and the others could react, the colossal figure surged out, the seawater erupting skyward like a tsunami.
Wang Zhi, shocked, unleashed his full power.
He swung his saber down, forcefully cleaving the incoming tidal wave.
However, while he saved his warship, it was still rocked violently by the wave's impact. The other warships were annoyed by the commotion.
In the sky, Kaido, in his Azure Dragon form, flew away carrying the unconscious Queen.
As he left, he couldn't resist hurling threats at Benedict.
"Benedict, I'll be back for you."