Sali watched silently as Kizaru vanished from sight, then slowly let out a breath of relief while analyzing everything in his mind.
"The speed he showed isn't as fast as Kirk and Ash's instantaneous movement, but without Half-Beast Transformation, we still can't keep up."
"Ash once said that Admiral Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit theoretically allows movement at the speed of light. But in reality, it isn't truly limitless. Restricted by the human body, Kizaru can only push it to a level that barely reaches supersonic speed."
"And even that speed mainly applies to movement. In real combat, his effective speed drops even further."
"Still… an Admiral is far beyond what I can handle right now."
"After this encounter, I'm even more interested in our upcoming trip to Wano Country."
"Kaido, known as the strongest creature… you better not disappoint us."
Seeing Sali staring in the direction Kizaru had left, deep in thought, Dicken and the others quickly gathered around him.
"What are you thinking, Sali?" Dicken asked.
"Nothing much," Sali replied with a faint smile. "Just realizing the gap between myself and an Admiral, and thinking about the next phase of training."
"Don't pressure yourself too much."
Dicken patted his shoulder and chuckled. "Like Ash always says, how long have we even had our abilities? Getting this strong already is impressive."
"Exactly," Jason added. "All those famous powerhouses on the sea trained for decades to reach their level."
He gestured toward the unconscious figure nearby.
"Take that guy for example, Donquixote Doflamingo. He has Conqueror's Haki, and at thirty-five, this is as far as he's gotten. Honestly, anyone from our first batch could beat him."
"You're overthinking it," Jella said. "Didn't Ash say that Silvers Rayleigh is a top-tier powerhouse, almost on the same level as the Admirals?"
"That old man, even if slightly weaker than an Admiral, can still suppress Youki and Pini together. That alone shows how terrifying Admirals are."
"If you ask me, instead of thinking about fighting an Admiral, you should figure out how to handle Youki and Pini two-on-one first."
Sali watched his younger brothers try to cheer him up. He didn't really need it, but he appreciated it nonetheless.
Then Jella's last comment registered.
So that's your plan, huh?
You want me to fight those two together?
Even before they got their Devil Fruits, I couldn't take them on two-on-one.
Trying to set me up after getting beaten by them during last New Year's sparring, huh?
If I lose, won't I lose face as the elder brother?
"Hmph. Fine," Sali said calmly, placing an arm around Jella's shoulder. "I'll let Youki and Pini know about your idea. For now, we should move. Since Doflamingo is dealt with, we need to catch up with the others."
Jella's face instantly turned pale.
That backfired badly.
Not only did the plan fail, but now he might get beaten twice.
Sali glanced at Doflamingo, who lay unconscious among the rubble like a discarded rag.
He wasn't worried about their conversation being overheard. His earlier barrage of punches had already knocked the man out cold before Kizaru arrived.
Besides, once defeated, an enemy no longer qualified as his opponent.
If not for Ash wanting to avoid unnecessary attention from the World Government, someone like Doflamingo would have been killed long ago.
As they passed another fallen figure, Dicken casually drew the golden dagger at his waist and slashed.
A dull sound followed.
A severed head rolled across the ground.
Sali glanced at it briefly before kicking it aside without hesitation.
Just another pirate.
Dicken's habit of beheading enemies was something he never bothered to hide.
Perhaps it came from his old days in the village, cutting hair for pirates.
Now, he simply cut heads instead.
The group continued chatting as they returned to the White Sage Beast ship, where they found Jack seated in quiet meditation.
This so-called meditation was a soul-based training method developed jointly by Ash, Jack, and Brook.
Through testing, Jack and Brook had proven its effectiveness.
As for Ash, he mainly contributed ideas, drawing from the countless Manhwas he had read in his previous life.
He excelled at theory.
As for actual training, that was another matter entirely.
…
The News Coo might be late, but it never failed to deliver.
The next day, news spread across the seas.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea, White Lion Sali, had once again appeared in Dressrosa and clashed fiercely with Doflamingo.
Whether it was due to pressure from the World Government or respect for Doflamingo's underworld influence, the report conveniently left out the part where he was completely defeated.
It only mentioned that Dressrosa suffered heavy damage during the battle.
Still, that was the extent of the cover-up.
The deaths of Pica and Gladius were openly reported.
Two major officers lost in two encounters.
The reputation of the Donquixote Family took a heavy hit.
Compared to Doflamingo, however, most factions were more interested in the reaction of Kaido.
After all, his intention to return to the first half of the Grand Line had already become an open secret.
Because of this, no one questioned Sali's actions.
Instead, they focused on his bold personality and his complete disregard for Doflamingo's connections.
More importantly, they wanted to know how Kaido would respond.
Kaido's answer was simple.
Capture Sali, Youki, and Pini.
Then bring them back to Wano Country and force them to join the Beasts Pirates.
Upon hearing that Sali had appeared in Dressrosa, Kaido immediately abandoned his unfinished feast.
Transforming into a massive Azure Dragon, he soared into the sky, riding clouds toward his destination.
As he passed through the territory of Edward Newgate, he spotted the old man holding a banquet with his crew.
Kaido felt irritation rising.
He had to personally recruit subordinates, while Whitebeard sat around, letting people come to him.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became.
Still, he intended to deal with it later.
Right now, recruiting new forces came first.
But in his drunken state, his judgment faltered.
As he flew past, he casually spat two blasts of energy toward the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard had already noticed Kaido's presence long before.
After reading the news, he could guess the purpose of his flight.
Originally, he had no intention of interfering.
Watching the situation unfold sounded far more interesting.
But Kaido crossed the line.
Flying over his territory was one thing.
Attacking his ship was another.
Whitebeard stood up, gripping his naginata, Murakumogiri.
His gaze turned cold.
"Who gave you the nerve to attack my ship?" he said.
"Have you lost your mind, brat?"
With a powerful swing, he struck toward the sky.
The heavens split apart.
===
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