Gekko Moriah's sudden action took many people by surprise.
Aside from Kaido, the first person startled was Whitebeard.
From his vantage point, Whitebeard saw Moriah leave the defensive line and step onto the icy surface of the inner bay, loudly declaring his intent to have a showdown with Kaido.
Questions quickly raced through Whitebeard's mind.
Gekko Moriah?
How dare he?
…
Among the ranks of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Doflamingo noticed Gekko Moriah, standing next to him moments ago, heading straight for Kaido to settle a score.
He couldn't help but admire him.
Impressive.
Truly impressive.
Not everyone has the guts to throw their life away like this. Doflamingo mourned for Moriah in his heart.
This guy might not last a minute.
Any other time, Doflamingo would have erupted with his signature "fuffuffuffu" laughter. But not now.
Now, he was quiet as a mouse.
He didn't want to draw Kaido's attention and risk angering him.
Doflamingo had probably never been this subdued in his life. This was, after all, a man who shot his own father dead as a child.
The other Seven Warlords of the Sea also reacted.
But the one most intrigued was Hawkeye.
He was eager to see just how strong Kaido really was.
What kind of being is the "strongest creature in the world"?
He kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield.
On the Navy's side,
"Moriah…"
Sengoku's expression shifted slightly.
After all, since Gekko Moriah's defeat at the hands of the Straw Hat Pirates, he had disgraced the title of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The World Government had been planning to strip him of his title.
The Navy was also preparing to capture him and imprison him in Impel Down.
While the Seven Warlords enjoyed certain privileges, they also bore the responsibility of maintaining their reputation.
Moriah's capture had been postponed due to Whitebeard's invasion.
Whitebeard was simply too powerful. The Navy didn't have enough combat strength to spare.
For now, Gekko Moriah was being kept to participate in the war against Whitebeard's Pirates.
After the war, Moriah would lose his value.
Then, he'd be captured.
To the Navy, and especially Sengoku who knew the situation, Moriah seemed somewhat pitiable.
And now, this very pitiful Moriah had become the first to attack Kaido! His bravery gave the Navy a much-needed morale boost. For this contribution,
Sengoku thought, perhaps Moriah might receive a lighter punishment when the time came.
…
The three Admirals silently observed Moriah's actions.
His courage was commendable.
Perhaps dying here would be a better fate than ending up in Impel Down.
The Navy's elite officers were buzzing with excitement.
A member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had made a move!
Attacking Kaido!!
Someone had taken the first bold step.
This show of bravery stirred the hearts of many Navy officers.
Shouts of support for Moriah began to echo throughout Navy Headquarters.
Moriah's boldness, broadcast on the screens, reached the Bubble Islands, where it ignited cheers among the people there.
"Moriah took action!"
"As expected! He holds a deep grudge against Kaido and jumped into battle the moment they met."
"Excellent!"
"Kaido may be one of the Four Emperors, but we have the Seven Warlords!"
"From what Moriah's said, his hatred for Kaido runs deep. Even if he can't defeat him quickly, he'll definitely hold Kaido off, giving us a chance to focus on Whitebeard."
"Exactly!"
"Doflamingo is running an arms business in the New World, so there must be some rivalry and bad blood between him and Kaido… If he joins in, Kaido could be finished soon."
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea teaming up to bring down a Four Emperor? Now that's something."
"Moriah! Moriah!"
The people cheered, raising Gekko Moriah to the level of a hero.
On the icy battlefield at Navy Headquarters, after his bold declaration, Gekko Moriah wasted no time unleashing his Devil Fruit powers. As the wielder of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Gekko Moriah could control shadows and do incredible things.
"Shadow Box!!!"
Moriah yelled, as his shadow transformed into countless bats that flew toward Kaido.
The shadow bats swarmed around Kaido, merging to form a black cube-like box, trapping him inside.
Inside the shadow box,
Kaido glanced at the darkness surrounding him.
"So weak."
He evaluated Moriah's attack.
"It's not even 'top-tier,' let alone 'king-level.' At best, this is 'advanced.'"
Reading about Moriah's fight with Luffy in the past had left Kaido with the impression that Moriah was formidable.
He seemed mighty and had once fought Kaido himself, so Kaido assumed he would be impressive.
But now, facing him directly?
Too weak.
Pathetically weak.
Kaido didn't even bother defending himself. He just stood there, letting Moriah's attack hit him.
It couldn't even scratch him, much less break through his defenses.
However,
From the perspective of others, the scene looked far more impressive.
"Moriah trapped Kaido!!"
"Kaido seems stunned—he's not even moving, like he can't dodge!"
"Is Moriah about to finish him off in one strike?!!"
"Hahaha!"
The Navy's elite were thrilled.
The people of the Bubble Islands thought the same.
The excitement was palpable.
And the fight was far from over.
After trapping Kaido in the shadow box,
Gekko Moriah pressed on with his assault: "Shadow Horn Spear!!!"
As he roared the move's name, shadows gathered together, forming a large black spear that burst from the ground.
It pierced straight through the shadow box.
For a moment, the entire crowd fell silent.
They stared at the shadow box, waiting for any sign of movement.
Kaido was still trapped inside, and now the spear had pierced through the shadow box.
Did that mean Kaido had been impaled inside and killed?
Could it be?
A Four Emperor.
Defeated by a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, just like that?
That's what everyone hoped for.
But it was too surreal.
The Four Emperors couldn't possibly be this weak. How could they reign over the New World if they were?
Or perhaps the Seven Warlords were stronger than anyone realized?
The crowd waited, as the shadow box remained eerily still.
It seemed as if Kaido really had died inside.
Slowly, murmurs of disbelief spread through the crowd.
"Is Kaido really dead…?"
"That was fast! Did he die before I could even process it?"
"Are the Four Emperors really this weak?"
"Kaido, what a disappointment."
"Did we actually just win? Hahaha!! Kaido's too weak! I feel like I could beat him myself!"
After the initial shock, the crowd erupted into excited laughter.
Moonlight Moriah was also momentarily stunned.
"Hey, Kaido, you're not going to die just like that, are you?"
Moriah looked around, confusion etched on his face.
All eyes were fixated on the shadow box at that moment.
Why was there no reaction?
What was Kaido doing? Surely, he wouldn't die so easily, would he?
As Moriah continued to gaze at the shadow box, still nothing happened.
Gradually, he began to feel a rush of excitement. "I can't believe it… I really killed Kaido, right?"
But still, the shadow box remained unresponsive.
"Hahaha—"
Finally, Moriah erupted in laughter, relief washing over him. "Kaido, I haven't seen you in over 20 years, and you've become so weak!! Hahaha—too weak, too weak!! Kaido, I killed you!!!"
After hearing Moriah proclaim Kaido's death, many who had previously hesitated now felt a wave of relief wash over them.
If the one involved claimed Kaido was dead, who could doubt it?
The shadow box did not react, leaving no room for doubt—Kaido was dead.
But no one had expected this.
So, the Four Emperors could be killed so easily?
Many had thought they were invincible.
Despite this, Whitebeard, the three Admirals, and Marshal Sengoku all wore solemn expressions, devoid of excitement or surprise.
Just as the elite Navy and the people of the Bubble Islands began cheering for Kaido's supposed demise, a voice suddenly resonated from within the shadow box.
"Is this the end? No more tricks? I'm still waiting for your ultimate move."
Kaido's voice came out, filled with doubt.