While Aokiji, Borsalino, and Sengoku were fighting Kaido, they were also deeply shaken by the scene unfolding before them.
"I've said it before. On this sea, only Haki can reign supreme over everything!"
"There's definitely a realm beyond the entanglement of Conqueror's Haki. What is that?"
Kaido swung his naginata and laughed with excitement.
Even though he was in danger while being surrounded by Aokiji, Borsalino, and Sengoku, he didn't care at all.
He was thrilled by Caelan's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, capable of fighting against five opponents alone.
This was an opponent he truly recognized. All of his fighting spirit was ignited.
What stunned him even more was that Caelan's Haki was still growing, advancing toward a realm he could not comprehend.
That mysterious and unknown realm of Haki fascinated him. Even if it killed him, he wanted to witness it with his own eyes.
"It's terrifying. I didn't know Haki like that could exist."
While battling Kaido, the three of them were filled with awe at the immense power of Caelan's Haki.
Even Sengoku, who had seen Roger's Haki, could not compare it to what Caelan now possessed.
Borsalino used Yasakani no Magatama to push Kaido back and said with a strange tone, "Maybe what Caelan said earlier about sparing our lives was true."
Sengoku and Aokiji both paused slightly at those words.
Borsalino had a point. The image of Caelan falling from the sky and cutting down five of the Five Elders with one strike was still vivid in their minds.
It was only because of the Five Elders' mysterious immortality that they were able to survive.
And Caelan had told Kaido to stop them while stating clearly that he would spare their lives.
So should they still fight to drive off Kaido, only to help the Five Elders battle Caelan next?
Of course not.
Back when the World Government had not yet been denounced by Caelan as the Pirate King faction, and before the Navy had lost face, they had been willing to fight for the World Government.
But now, the Navy was in ruins, and the Five Elders had shown no intention of passing the title of Fleet Admiral down through the Navy's ranks.
They had no more reason to keep fighting for a World Government that had been branded as the Pirate King.
"Borsalino, don't say what you shouldn't."
Sengoku scolded and resumed attacking Kaido with Aokiji.
"My bad."
Borsalino shrugged and rejoined the assault.
But this time, all three had clearly lost their earlier fighting spirit. Their attacks no longer carried the ferocity of their first coordinated assault.
...
As time passed, the combined pressure of the Five Elders made no progress. In fact, there was a growing sign that they were about to be pushed back by Caelan.
"What's going on?" Saint Warcury shouted in disbelief. "The five of us can't suppress him?"
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, Saint Peter, and Saint Mars also turned pale.
Their brief moment of pride was wiped away in an instant.
From what they could sense, Caelan's Haki wasn't just resisting. It was growing, steadily pushing back against theirs.
No, if this continued, it wouldn't just resist. It would soon reverse the pressure entirely.
"His Conqueror's Haki is growing stronger. He's using our Haki to refine his own!"
Saturn's voice trembled with horror.
He could feel it clearly. Under the suppression of their combined Conqueror's Haki, Caelan's aura was evolving.
Like sand being forged into glass. Like iron sand being smelted into steel.
"What? That's impossible." Peter muttered in disbelief. "The five of us together can't overpower him, but he can grow stronger from it?"
The combined Haki of the five of them was strong enough that even Red-Haired Shanks, widely recognized as the most dominant user of Conqueror's Haki, would have been overwhelmed.
Yet Caelan alone had not only resisted them, his own Haki was rising.
It was unacceptable.
"If his Conqueror's Haki keeps growing, will he reach the level of Nika from eight hundred years ago?"
Mars asked, his voice filled with fear.
Caelan was already terrifying. If he gained that level of Haki on top of it, they were truly finished.
"No. We can't let him continue!" Peter was now truly afraid. "If he masters that level of Conqueror's Haki, all five of us will die!"
Kaido's belief that Haki reigns over everything was no longer just a phrase.
If Caelan really achieved Haki on par with Nika's from eight hundred years ago, then not even their so-called immortality could save them.
They had already seen Caelan regenerate after being shattered by Saturn's blow.
If he gained the means to surpass their own regenerative abilities, they would be facing true death.
"Withdraw your Conqueror's Haki. Don't let him keep refining his own!"
Saturn gritted his teeth.
He had thought suppressing Caelan with fivefold Conqueror's Haki would end it. Instead, he had handed Caelan the key to defeating them.
"Agreed!"
Saint Nusjuro, Mars, and the others all responded in unison.
The five of them withdrew their Conqueror's Haki at the same time, preparing to meet Caelan's retaliation head-on.
With the suppression lifted, Caelan's aura surged back instantly.
In the blink of an eye, it went from low tide to a violent tsunami.
His purple-black thunderous Haki exploded with all the fury that had been held back. Like an unstoppable wave, it crashed down on the Five Elders.
Boom!
The five enormous Mythical Zoan forms were simultaneously struck by lightning. Their eyes sparkled with dizziness.
The enormous magic circle beneath them trembled under the force of the Haki.
"He almost reached it!"
Saturn's mind was dazed from the impact, but the instant the magic circle quaked, he snapped back.
Just a little more.
If they had delayed withdrawing their Haki by even a few moments, and allowed Caelan to refine his Haki further, he truly would have reached the level they feared.
Saturn felt a deep sense of relief that they caught it in time. Any later, and it would have been too late.
"It won't be that easy. Caelan's Haki has found its path. As long as he doesn't die today, he will reach that realm sooner or later."
Nusjuro's face was grim, his expression deeply solemn.
Saint Warcury's face turned even darker. "Which means, if we let him live today, he will definitely come back and kill us."
...
Unprecedented fear took hold in the hearts of the Five Elders.
They had always looked down on humanity. Even Fleet Admirals were just dogs to them. They had always maintained the posture of gods.
Not only because their strength was on par with the strongest Marines of every generation, but also because they held the greatest trump card: immortality granted by Imu.
They had lived for eight hundred years without aging, able to recover from any injury and return to peak condition. That was what truly made them superior.
But now, someone had appeared who could threaten that immortality. Who could actually kill them.
It shattered their godlike arrogance. For the first time, they became afraid.
"We can't let him leave!"
"We must not let his Haki reach that level!"
Saint Nusjuro, Mars, and Warcury all came to the same conclusion.
Either Caelan dies today, or they do tomorrow.
They had lost their composure. They were going mad. They were willing to sacrifice everything to kill Caelan here and now.
"Caelan, you're going to die here!"
Five terrifying Zoan-beast forms charged at Caelan with the frenzy of cornered beasts.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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