Kaido's body gradually began to cool. After cutting off Kaido's head, Tsugikuni Yoriichi did not leave immediately. Instead, he silently stood beside Kaido's corpse, waiting for the last traces of life to fade away.
Only after Tsugikuni Yoriichi could no longer sense any vitality from Kaido's body did he slowly crouch down, reach into Kaido's chest, and pull out the ring embedded with Pure Gold.
After examining it in his palm for several seconds, Tsugikuni Yoriichi put the ring back on his finger.
His powerful Observation Haki swept across the island, but Tsugikuni Yoriichi suddenly discovered that Ochoku's presence had vanished without a trace.
Even Observation Haki capable of covering the entirety of Hachinosu Island could not find Ochoku's presence anywhere on the island.
And it was not just Ochoku. Tsugikuni Yoriichi could not sense Big Mom's presence on the island either.
From the intelligence he had gathered so far, Big Mom should have been one of the great pirates allied with Ochoku. Yet when Tsugikuni Yoriichi attacked Hachinosu Island, the only great pirates who had stepped forward to stop him were Kaido and Ochoku.
There was also that unidentified Devil Fruit user who had attacked him with stone arms earlier.
Normally, a great pirate like Ochoku, who had occupied Hachinosu for so many years, should not have had only a handful of powerful fighters under him.
Yet under Tsugikuni Yoriichi's perception, there was no one on the island with an aura close to Kaido's in strength.
It seemed that Hachinosu Island's top fighters had used some method to evade Tsugikuni Yoriichi's Observation Haki.
"Did those bastards led by Ochoku abandon Kaido and run away?"
"They went out to sea? They shouldn't have been able to move that fast."
Tsugikuni Yoriichi did not act in haste. After thinking briefly, he