"An invisible hand…?" Kaido's pupils suddenly constricted, his voice tinged with shock. "Could you be talking about Joy Boy?"
The moment he finished speaking, Kaido's eyes widened as he stared at Marco, asking in disbelief, "Marco… could it be that you are Joy Boy?"
Marco froze for a moment, caught off guard. He hadn't expected Kaido to immediately jump to Joy Boy. But thinking about it, the reason Kaido's strength seemed constrained here did seem connected to Joy Boy.
He shook his head firmly. "Stop talking nonsense. I'm not Joy Boy, and I have no desire to be anyone else. But! If you give me time, I will surpass even Joy Boy."
"Worororo! You sure have courage to say that!" Kaido chuckled darkly. He knew enough about Joy Boy, much of it from King. Joy Boy was a figure said to be able to change the world, a savior in King's eyes. Kaido didn't believe in reincarnation, but deep down, he secretly yearned for the power and freedom such a savior could command.
"Hey, Kaido, how about we take a break?" Marco called out. After three days of continuous combat without food, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. His body was straining to keep up.
Kaido, though also fatigued, laughed heartily. "Worororo! I didn't expect that I, too, would need a break, just like Linlin. I had intended to finish you in one strike, but… that seems impossible. So, a break it is!"
Marco exhaled in relief, but Kaido quickly added, "But! I'm not Linlin. Don't think that because we're taking a break, you'll be able to defeat me. Tomorrow morning at five, I'll be waiting here. Don't be late."
"Understood," Marco replied. A break was enough for him to recover. With his Devil Fruit awakened, his destructive power rivaled Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit, but his recovery ability was superior. By dragging out the fight, internal injuries and blood accumulation would work in Marco's favor over time.
The crew on the Moby Dick and Azure Dragon watched their captains step back. King and Ace rushed forward immediately.
"Kaido-sama…" King's speed was unmatched, and he arrived beside Kaido respectfully. Ace followed, creating a fiery barrier to separate Marco and Kaido, ensuring no sudden attacks could occur.
Kaido grinned. "It's just a break, no need to be so nervous. Go prepare food and drinks, I'm starving."
"Understood," King replied respectfully.
"Marco, are you alright?" Ace asked as he reached Marco.
"I'm fine," Marco forced a smile. "Hurry and prepare the food—I'm starving too!"
Onboard the Moby Dick, Marco devoured his meal. With Life Return mastered, he could digest quickly, allowing his physical strength to recover rapidly. Mental fatigue, however, required rest to overcome fully.
Meanwhile, on the Azure Dragon, Kaido feasted on meat and wine, three days of battle leaving him drained as well. The Beasts Pirates watched silently, aware of the immense effort their captain had expended.
As Kaido ate, he recalled Marco's words about the invisible hand limiting his power. It resonated—ever since reaching his peak a decade ago, Kaido had struggled to break through further with Haki or Devil Fruit mastery. He could increase his strength, expand his Haki, but achieving a true breakthrough remained impossible. Red-Haired Shanks had done it, surpassing Kaido qualitatively, and this thought left him irritable.
Kaido glanced at King and began to speak, "King… Joy Boy… he—"
He stopped mid-sentence, realizing the absurdity of asking such a question.
"Kaido-sama?" King looked at him with confusion.
"Never mind, it's nothing," Kaido said finally, letting it go.
By five o'clock the next morning, both Marco and Kaido had returned to Nanku Island, ready to resume battle.
Kaido greeted first, "Worororo! Looks like you had a good rest. Your spirit seems strong, Marco."
"You look well too, Kaido," Marco replied, sizing up his opponent.
In his previous fight with Linlin, Marco's stamina had only reached 8,000 points, and even after power-ups, it peaked at 10,000. Now, with his Devil Fruit awakened and maximum attribute points allocated, his stamina had skyrocketed to 20,000. Marco was confident he could endure a prolonged fight.
Kaido licked his lips, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Honestly, the past three days have been exhilarating. Whitebeard, Oden… they all fought decisively, ending battles quickly. But you're different. A Mythical Zoan like me, awakened Devil Fruit, long-lasting endurance, Haki mastery… you match me in almost every way. Fighting you feels… satisfying."
Marco shrugged lightly. "To be frank, we're both high-defense, high-endurance types. Neither of us can finish the other quickly. The only way to win is a prolonged battle, a test of stamina."
Kaido grinned wildly. "Worororo! That's perfect. Punch for punch, that's a true man's fight!"
"Aren't you using a weapon?" Marco gestured toward Kaido's spiked club.