Hancock didn't say another word. The instant Kaido swung his massive kanabo, aiming to crush her skull, she vanished from the spot, leaving his weapon to strike nothing but air.
Kaido spun around instantly, locking his sights on the lower right. "There you are!"
Just as Kaido predicted, Hancock reappeared directly beneath the arc of his club. But once again, a split second before impact, she evaded the strike. Simultaneously, the blood pool on the ground surged upward, reforming into giant serpents that lunged at him.
Kaido swung his Armament-clad hand, smashing them all back into the earth.
Suddenly, Hancock appeared in the air about ten meters above Kaido. She reached out with her left hand and pulled back with her right as if drawing a bow. The blood pool manifested into sharp bolts; as she released her grip, several arrows condensed from the blood pierced through Kaido's body.
Wracked with sudden pain, Kaido couldn't help but stumble back two steps.
BOOM!!
The arrows that had transfixed Kaido's body struck the ground, triggering a deafening explosion. The earth buckled and burst, sending a shockwave of jagged stone shards flying in all directions.
"Ugh!!"
The onlookers quickly raised their arms to shield their faces from the debris.
"That 'Kaido of the Beasts' is actually on the back foot!"
"When did the Pirate Empress become this powerful?"
The members of the Immortal Pirates watched in shock. While Hancock's strength was undeniable, the general consensus was that she shouldn't be this formidable.
Did her current appearance signify something more?
"Damn woman... don't get too full of yourself!!"
Kaido let out a thunderous roar. The sheer pressure of his shout extinguished a large portion of the surrounding fires. Gripping his weapon tight, the battle resumed. Both were direct-combat types, turning the duel into a pure contest of power and ability.
Meanwhile, the group led by the Black Thorn Pirates and Barto Club had successfully breached the castle reserved for the Shogun's clan.
THUD!!
After clearing a path through a squad of samurai, Fallon kicked a hole through a sliding shoji door. He led his men inside, only to find that the castle, which should have been the Shogun's residence, was completely devoid of the ruling family.
"Did they tuck tail and run before we arrived?"
Fallon scanned the room, muttering to himself, "But there was no report of anyone escaping through the city gates. That means they're still hiding somewhere in this country."
"How about we grab a few people for a little 'interrogation'?" Bartolomeo suggested.
"We came to take the city, not exterminate it... but your method works for me."
Fallon agreed. They rounded up several surviving samurai and used every means at their disposal to force them to talk. To their surprise, these men were more stubborn than expected; even after a long ordeal, they refused to utter a word.
"Boss Bartolomeo, Great Boss Fallon! We found a fat pig in the back."
Gambia of the Barto Club walked over to report. His subordinates threw a middle-aged man before the group, a bloated figure dressed in an expensive kimono, looking very much like a swine.
"Who's this? This fat pig?"
Bartolomeo menacingly drew his dagger and pressed it against the man's throat. "If you don't have any useful intel, I'll carve the fat off your body piece by piece!"
When the man noticed the Immortal Pirates' insignia on Fallon and the others, he fell to his knees, begging for mercy. "No! Lords of the Immortal Pirates, I am Imai! Please, do not kill me! I... I have actually helped the Immortal Pirates before!"
Hearing this, Fallon signaled for Bartolomeo to step back and stepped forward. "Explain."
This man named Imai was the very same retainer who had played a key role ten years ago when Alucard, in the form of "Loli A," came to Wano. He was instrumental in Wano granting a vast sum of money to the Immortal Pirates. He was also the political rival of Kozuki Oden.
After listening to the man's desperate explanation, Fallon loosened his grip on the man's collar. "I see. So, you aren't technically an enemy."
Imai had just begun to sigh in relief when Fallon's tone shifted. "But if you can't give us the answers we want now, you're still dead."
Imai looked ready to burst into tears. Truly, pirates were the most unreasonable creatures. Helpless, he could only divulge the Shogun's secret hiding place. He had originally been tasked with guarding the rear, only to be captured by the Barto Club.
…
Back on the streets of Wano, the clash between Hancock and Kaido raged on.
BOOM!
Both fighters utilized Armament Haki. Hancock's whip-like kick collided with Kaido's straight punch, sending a shockwave and gale-force winds screaming through the surroundings.
Hancock nearly hit the ground from the impact, but the blood pool, acting like her beloved Salome, rose up in tendrils to catch her mid-air, allowing her to regain her balance.
The longer the fight lasted, the more Kaido felt the sting of humiliation.
If he were fighting Alucard, he wouldn't feel this way. But Hancock was a woman, someone he had despised from the bottom of his heart. To be locked in a stalemate with her was an unbearable disgrace.
"Grrr... Damn it..."
Just as Kaido prepared to strike again, a violent gust of wind swept through, completely extinguishing the flames burning in the street.
Kaido's expression darkened. Without turning his head, he growled, "Storm..."
Walking down the street behind Kaido was Queen the Storm along with the crew of the Sabertooth.
"Haah... Boss Kaido, you're still as fast as ever," Queen said with a yawn.
At the sight of the Beasts Pirates' reinforcements, the Immortal Pirates moved into a defensive formation, ready for a larger brawl.
"The Beasts Pirates' reinforcements are here."
"It's Queen the Storm, and Elburn, the ace of the Sabertooth."
"Don't sweat it. If we can't handle Kaido, does that mean we can't handle his subordinates?"
"Watching the Empress fight made my hands itch anyway. Perfect timing."
Elburn merely spared a glance toward the Immortal Pirates before turning to Kaido. "Boss Kaido, let's retreat. We just intercepted intel on our way here, Alucard is heading this way. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late."