"But who do we send? On the Navy's side, Garp is chasing Roger, Sengoku is holding headquarters, and Zephyr is fighting a guerrilla war against Golden Lion's remnants in the south. Sending anyone at vice admiral level would just get them killed. We can only transfer someone from the Knights."
"Garling."
Warcury's brow twitched slightly.
"Garling lost to Calamity at God Valley, then lost again at Hachinosu. His hatred for Calamity is already affecting his judgment. Sending him against Rocks-" "Do you have another solution? Are we supposed to go ourselves?"
"Fine. Notify Garling. Tell him to act quickly!"
Time flew, and soon the year Kaido and Annus had agreed upon had passed.
Yet when Kaido appeared in the Heavenly Kingdom again, he was a battered mess, covered in wounds.
The guards at Heaven's Gate spotted him first.
The fog was thick that evening. White mist rising from deep within the sea of clouds completely concealed the cloud wall below Heaven's Gate. First came a deep, low panting from within the mist, like the sound a large beast made only when wounded. Then came the shadow of a dragon.
When the blue-green scales emerged from the mist, their sheen was far duller than usual. Kaido changed from dragon to human and crashed onto the docking platform.
By the time Annus came out of the Temple, Kaido had slid down a pillar to sit on the ground. A God Guard crouched beside him, disinfecting his wounds with iodine tincture.
"Who did this?"
People capable of injuring Kaido were rare on these seas, but they did exist. By then, all sorts of possibilities had already flashed through Annus's mind.
Bracing his right hand on the handle of his kanabo, Kaido lifted himself slightly off the ground and shifted position to straighten his