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Bang! Boom!
Veins bulged, and muscles knotted, glistening with a dark sheen. The surging power within Kaido's body was as deep and unfathomable as the sea itself. Each collision between him and his opponent unleashed shockwaves like a natural disaster, tearing the earth apart.
"Hmph!"
Bracing against Kong's terrifying punch, Kaido swung his spiked club mercilessly, smashing it hard into Kong's abdomen.
Pffft!
The blow landed with immense force. Kong coughed up a mouthful of blood and shot backward like a cannonball.
"Old fool! You think you can stop me?!"
Kaido's entire body radiated a chilling killing intent, his demonic aura erupting skyward. After knocking Kong away, his fierce gaze turned toward the burning city below, his brow furrowing.
"Orrick made his move, too?"
"That bastard!"
The direct assault on the Holy Land had been a plan Kaido devised only after disbanding his pirate crew; he had never discussed it with anyone beforehand. As he had once said, 'If Rowen can do it, why can't I?'
With Akainu and the other commanders chasing down Poseidon, the Holy Land's defenses were nearly empty, the perfect time for a surprise attack.
But Kaido hadn't expected Orrick to act at this exact moment as well. There was no doubt now: his own arrival had been part of Orrick's calculations all along, serving some secret agenda.
"Whatever," Kaido growled indifferently. "You play your games, what's it got to do with me?"
'As long as you don't stand in my way, I don't give a damn what you do!'
With a snarl, Kaido looked up at the towering government buildings, their windows reflecting the flames of chaos, and opened his mouth wide.
Hot Breath!
"Stop him!"
"Quick, don't let him unleash it!"
The Holy Land defense forces, already gathered after Kong was knocked away, paled in horror at the sight. Dozens of figures shot into the sky to intercept Kaido before he could attack.
However, they gravely overestimated their strength, and underestimated the Kaido who had now fully regained his true self.
Boom!
Instead of retreating, Kaido charged forward like a raging bull, crashing through the defenders. One by one, the supposedly elite officers of the Holy Land were smashed to the ground, bones snapping like twigs.
Then Kaido seized his moment, and exhaled flames.
Whoosh…
BOOOOOOM!!
An orange-yellow beam tore through the night sky, striking the massive government tower that had stood for centuries.
Crack, !
The enormous structure snapped in half. Tons of concrete and stone plummeted to the ground, fracturing the streets below into spiderweb cracks.
Crash…!
Flames roared upward. The Cross flag, symbol of the World Government's authority, burned to ash midair.
"You bastard! How dare you---!!"
Kong, struggling to his feet, stared in disbelief and fury.
That towering building was the symbol of the Holy Land, and of the World Government's terrifying dominion over the seas. Tonight's events had already gone far beyond reconciliation. Even if they somehow won, the consequences would be disastrous. And now Kaido had even burned the sacred flag itself…
It was an unforgivable humiliation!
Kong bit down hard enough to draw blood, his voice thundering across the battlefield: "KAIDO!!!"
"Oh? You can still stand?"
Blue dragon scales rippled faintly across Kaido's body. His slitted eyes gleamed as he rested his club on his shoulder, sneering.
"Well, whatever. I've gotta kill someone anyway, might as well start with you!"
…
Room of Flowers, Living Quarters
Staring at Vic's corpse, eyes still open in death, Doflamingo swallowed hard.
"You're saying… all of us are trapped in his Fruit's ability?"
"Ah, that's right." Orrick glanced at him curiously, grinning faintly before turning his indifferent gaze back to Im.
"I should've guessed it. If this Fruit was kept locked deep within the Forbidden Grounds, it could only have ties to you."
"What exactly is it?" Orrick finally growled, unable to contain his frustration.
"You've already given it a name, haven't you, Orrick?"
Imu brushed aside the corpse in front of her, completely ignoring the murderous aura radiating from Orrick. Walking over to a desk, she placed a handful of food into a birdcage.
"The Dream-Dream Fruit… quite a refined name."
"But---!" Doflamingo roared, unwilling to accept his new reality. "I'm not a damn bird!"
Yet in the very next instant, all emotion drained from his face. His eyes turned blank and confused.
Flapping his wings hesitantly, the bird he had become tilted its head toward the old woman, then lowered it and began to peck at the food inside the cage.
That chilling scene made Orrick draw in a sharp breath, the suspicion gnawing at his heart was gradually becoming a terrifying reality, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
"You tell me," Imu said softly, her eyes holding an ancient amusement. "He obviously isn't a bird… yet he truly believes he is one. All his habits, behaviors, everything, perfectly match that of a bird. So, is he a bird, or not?"
A philosophical question, to be sure.
But Orrick had no mind for philosophy right now. Cold sweat drenched his forehead as he exhaled heavily.
"Twisting a person's very consciousness… even erasing their species' sense of self-identity…"
Covering his throbbing head, Orrick dropped to one knee, panting hard. "No wonder they call this a god's power!"
He forced a laugh through gritted teeth. "But too bad, that trick doesn't work on me!"
Just moments ago, a strange will had appeared in his mind, whispering to him, telling him he was a fish. And as absurd as it sounded, he had actually begun to suffocate, gasping as though dragged out of water. But Orrick had clung to his sense of self, fighting with all his will until he finally broke free.
And yet… there was something about that eerie power that shocked him even more, because he recognized it.
It was the same energy as the Devil Fruit he had once stolen from the Forbidden Grounds!
He had managed to resist the whispers only because he was deeply familiar with that power. And yet, that was impossible. Two identical Devil Fruit abilities could never exist in the world at the same time, that was an absolute law of death.
But the impossible was now standing before him, alive and real.
"You've actually reminded me of something…"
Suddenly, Imu turned calmly toward him.
"Compared to the 'Dream-Dream Fruit,' the term Dream alone doesn't quite capture it," She murmured. "Nightmare… fits its nature better."
"Let's call it the Nightmare Fruit instead."
A cold gleam of light flashed within her eyes. Orrick cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor.
"You're very clever, Orrick," Imu said softly. "Before you could determine what connection the Devil Fruits truly had with me, you restrained your desire for power, ignoring it for decades."
Her tone darkened. "But unfortunately for you… Lirisk has returned. The very day news of his survival reached your ears, I knew it, you'd come seeking that power."
"You… you wanted me to steal it?"
Orrick pressed a trembling hand to his forehead, glaring through his fingers with bloodshot eyes.
"What the hell is that Fruit?!"
"No, no…" Imu corrected gently. "To be precise, it isn't a complete 'fruit' yet, only a seed."
She slowly stepped closer, crouching down beside him.
"A seed that must be nurtured, watered, and allowed to grow… before it can become a true Fruit."
"Like every Devil Fruit across the Sea, a seed that requires a human body as soil in which to take root and grow."
Slash!
Before her final word even faded, Orrick's hand morphed into a blade, slicing ruthlessly across Imu's throat.
Feeling the flesh tear beneath his touch, Orrick lowered his hand from his forehead, his expression now calm, almost emotionless.
"Who cares where the Fruit came from?" he muttered coldly. "I just wanted to kill you."
He exhaled slowly as Im's head shot into the air, blood spraying in crimson arcs.
At last, it was done.
After all, Imu's weakness was obvious; Orrick had already noticed it during his previous escape. For all her godlike power, she was hollow inside, fragile, even wounded in the arm by him once. That was why he'd chosen tonight for his personal visit.
But then, In an instant, the world shifted.
Orrick froze. Everything around him twisted and changed. There was no blood, no corpse, nothing. And standing beside him, calm and unscathed, Imu once again approached and crouched down.
"How… how is this possible?" he whispered in disbelief.
"No, no…" Imu said again, her tone identical. "To be precise, it isn't a complete 'fruit' yet, only a seed."
"A seed that must be nurtured, watered, and allowed to grow… before it can become a true Fruit. Hmm… Have I said that already?"
Noticing the horror in Orrick's eyes, Imu smiled kindly.
"I see now… You let your guard down."
(End of Chapter)