"I can't beat him."
"!!!"
At those words, Kin'emon's expression changed drastically. His lips trembled, and he staggered back two steps.
Even... even Luffy, who had just defeated Kaido, admitted himself... that he couldn't defeat the man before them?!
The shock of that realization was far more devastating than any enemy's roar.
In a corner no one was watching, Dragon lay "unconscious" on the ground, his tightly shut eyelids twitching ever so slightly;
Shanks, propped against a stone lantern and relegated to the background, seemed to curl the corner of his mouth beneath his unruly hair into an almost imperceptible smile.
Both men inwardly gave him a thumbs-up almost simultaneously-if they had the mood or strength for it.
He could still learn! At least he wasn't a complete idiot!
There was no helping it. Reality was right before their eyes.
The two of them had roamed the seas for decades and ranked among the world's most formidable fighters.
They had fought two against one, played every trump card, and still ended up dragged here like dead dogs.
If even they had suffered such a crushing defeat, could they really expect Luffy, who had only just reached the level of an Emperor,
and barely defeated Kaido after using everything he had, to turn the tide and pull off a miraculous comeback?
Besides, here in Wano Country...
There truly wasn't anyone who could contain Gern's damned vibration ability and its absurd range!
If an all-out battle erupted, this place would probably become a living hell in an instant, even more horrific than the final battle on Onigashima.
"Sir Luffy..." Kin'emon's voice had taken on a despairing sob.
He looked at Luffy, then around at the Straw Hat Pirates, every one of them wearing a grim expression.
Kin'emon still wanted to say something.