Kaido didn't bother with Queen at all. As soon as he tossed him aside, he flew in the opposite direction without looking back.
From the start, Kaido had two plans for escaping with Queen.
If nothing went wrong, they'd escape together, and everything would end well for everyone involved.
But if something did go wrong, Queen would be left to buy time. If Queen found a way out, that'd be great, but even if he didn't, Kaido was determined to survive no matter what.
He had already accepted the consequences. One way or another, he wasn't going to lose.
"Sorry, Queen. If you're still alive, I'll definitely find a way to save you," Kaido thought, though he knew it was a lie. He didn't dare to look back, fearing that doing so might slow him down and allow Whitebeard's forces to catch up. He flew as fast as he could, eyes closed, not daring to stop for even a second.
At this moment, King trembled in Kaido's grasp, while Queen's agonizing screams still echoed in his ears. He was terrified, unsure if he'd be next. Swallowing his fear, he gathered the courage to speak up.
"Boss, you'd better let me go. I can fly on my own," King said nervously.
Kaido kept a stern expression, replying, "I'm faster than you."
King fell silent, realizing speed wasn't the issue anymore.
"Boss," he repeated, "you should let me go. Carrying me will only slow you down."
Still struggling, King tried again.
Kaido frowned. "After all this time, how can you still say that? You think I'd leave you behind?"
Under normal circumstances, King would've been touched by Kaido's words. But now, all he could think about was Queen's fate. Queen wasn't even cold yet, and King couldn't shake the fear that he'd be next. He just wanted to get away.
But Kaido showed no signs of letting him go. Whether Kaido genuinely cared or had other plans for him, King couldn't tell.
King knew he couldn't sit idly by. Whitebeard could catch up at any moment. The brief moment he had seen Whitebeard earlier, he had been overwhelmed by the man's sheer, terrifying presence.
A monster.
That was the word most people used to describe Kaido. Every opponent who fell to Kaido had called him that.
But after seeing Whitebeard, King wasn't sure Kaido deserved the title.
Compared to Whitebeard, Kaido seemed as harmless as a kitten.
If Whitebeard caught up, they wouldn't stand a chance.
As they flew, Kaido suddenly felt King wriggling fiercely in his grasp.
He frowned. "King, what are you doing?"
King shouted back, "Boss, let me go! I'll hold them off for you!"
Kaido was touched but said, "It's not necessary yet—they haven't caught up."
He didn't outright refuse, though.
King's heart sank.
Is he going to end up like Queen?
He couldn't wait around to find out.
Kaido noticed that King's struggling hadn't stopped; in fact, it was getting more intense.
What's he up to now?
King's frantic movements were distracting Kaido and starting to affect his speed.
Growing frustrated, Kaido barked, "King, stop moving!"
But King wasn't about to listen. If he didn't do something, he'd end up just like Queen!
Without warning, King shifted into his pterosaur form, using his sharp beak to stab at Kaido's dragon claws.
Kaido's pupils shrank as his grip loosened. Instinctively, his claws opened, and King finally broke free from Kaido's hold.
"I'm sorry, boss, we're scattered all over the world, but we're destined to meet again!"
After parting ways with Kaido, King flew off in the opposite direction without hesitation.
His thoughts were sharp and clear. He understood that his captain, Kaido, would undoubtedly be a much bigger target than himself.
If people had to choose between chasing him or Kaido, they'd most certainly go after Kaido. Once they did, King would have the chance to escape.
Kaido never expected King to abandon him and flee on his own, and his face twisted in fury, nearly green with anger.
If it weren't for the dire situation, Kaido would've chased after King to deliver a Thunder Bagua right to his back.
But in the brief moment he hesitated, Kaido suddenly spotted Whitebeard behind him, wielding his naginata, propelling himself through the air toward him.
"Kaido, you're not getting away!"
Kaido trembled in fear, feeling a chill run down his spine. Forgetting King entirely, he immediately sped up, fleeing even faster.
Not far behind, King caught a glimpse of the scene and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he'd made the smart choice to split from Kaido earlier. Now, Whitebeard's entire focus was on Kaido, completely forgetting about him.
Just as King was about to slip away unnoticed, a sudden green flame shot up from the sea. It moved so quickly that he didn't have time to react before the flame hit him squarely in the abdomen. His face twisted in pain.
As the flames subsided, Marco's youthful yet serious face emerged.
"You can't run, Quinn."
It was a callback to what Whitebeard had just said to Kaido, only now Marco was addressing King directly.
King didn't recognize Marco, but the sheer force of Marco's attack took him by surprise.
That kick was nearly as strong as his own full-powered strike!
Gritting his teeth, King growled, "Are you blind? My captain's that way!"
Marco tilted his head, unfazed. "I know. But you are the one I'm looking for."
Without wasting any more words, King turned and bolted, deciding against a pointless conversation.
Marco, however, smirked and immediately gave chase.
King was fast, but Marco was just as quick.
Over time, under Thatch's relentless training, Marco's physical abilities had greatly improved, elevating his overall power to a new level.
Even though Marco still looked like a child, his strength wasn't much weaker than King's. In fact, even Shanks and Buggy, who were in the same age group, couldn't match his abilities.
King glanced back at Marco in disbelief, his heart pounding in shock. Who on earth was this guy?
He had initially hoped to use Kaido as bait and slip away unnoticed, but it seemed that his plan wasn't working out quite as he had expected.