Bang! Bang!
The enormous figures shook the ground with thunderous footfalls, kicking up dust. The walls and houses behind which the pirates hid trembled, and their hearts pounded.
Fear, awe, and tension swept through them, leaving them trembling where they stood.
Sunlight shone behind the figures, and their shadows on the ground grew longer and larger.
Then, at a certain moment, both figures stopped.
In the middle of Baglan Town's street, the two giants locked eyes, and the atmosphere suddenly froze.
"Kaido, it's been a long time!"
"You don't seem to be in very good shape!"
Big Mom laughed, but her eyes were exceptionally sharp.
They had once sailed on the same ship and worked together with considerable understanding. But time had flown, and decades had passed in the blink of an eye. How much of their old friendship still remained in their hearts?
"You mean these scars, Linlin?"
Kaido lowered his head to look at his body. Patches of freshly shed scabs left his body looking terrifying, imposing, and savage.
"These are the scars I earned fighting River!"
"They're also my medals of valor, proof that I cannot die!"
He stroked his scars with his right hand, then slowly raised his head and fixed Big Mom with a fierce stare.
The invisible, domineering presence in the air grew even more overwhelming, crushing the surrounding walls until cracks spread through them.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!"
"Are you joking, Kaido? River left you looking like this?"
"Even for you, injuries like those must have nearly cost you your life, right?"
"Now I'm wondering whether you've gone so long without fighting that your body has rusted."
Big Mom laughed, doubt showing in her eyes.
They had been friends for a long time and naturally knew each other's strength. Not just anyone could inflict wounds like