"Hey! There's an island in that direction! You can fight there!"
Kizaru shouted, appearing in a flash of light as he pointed ahead. His expression twisted with bitterness—he was a Marine Admiral, yet here he was, guiding pirates to their battlefield. How far had he fallen?
Neither Kaito nor Kaido replied. Instead, their battle's destructive trajectory curved toward the direction Kizaru pointed.
Before long, they reached a lonely, barren island—a wasteland of gravel and rock.
Two figures crashed down from the sky. The invisible shockwave that followed swept across the island in an instant, raising clouds of dust that darkened the sky.
Bang! Bang!
Two streaks of light tore through the air like storms of destruction. Cracks began to spiderweb across the surface of the island.
Click! Click!
Then, with one final, deafening impact—boom!—the island shattered once more.
Their battle surged back into the sky.
Kizaru's mouth twitched as he glanced at his watch. "Less than a minute… and they've already destroyed another island?" He sighed helplessly. "Forget it. Let them fight here. It's still a fair distance from Impel Down."
High above, the two combatants stepped through the air, colliding again at blinding speed.
Afterimages flashed through the sky—two titans trading blows that carried monstrous power.
Black fists cloaked in Armament Haki slammed together, their clash shaking the heavens. The very air screamed from the impact.
Waves rippled across the ocean below, spreading outward like rings of destruction.
Each collision sounded like thunder tearing through the sky.
Kaito narrowed his eyes as pain tinged his arm for the first time in the fight. His opponent grinned wickedly.
"Boy! What's wrong? Feeling nervous?" Kaido's grin widened. "You've fought well enough—but this little game ends now!"
Kaito's expression stayed calm, though a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.
"That's fine by me. You've shown most of your strength already…" His smirk turned cold. "But me? I haven't even used a quarter of mine yet. You wanted a fight—then I'll show you real power."
The air around him began to hum with energy.
"Congratulations, Kaido. You're the first to make me go all out. In return—" Kaito's grin widened, "—I'll leave those two horns of yours intact."
His fists clenched, covered in blazing Haki and a flicker of deep blue energy.
Boom!
Dark energy gathered, forming a massive skeletal fist that tore through the sky. The impact split the air like a wave of destruction. The sea below rose into monstrous tides, swallowing the calm that once existed.
A shadow fell from above—Kaido's massive body crashed into the ocean like a meteor.
The water erupted, and a deep gouge stretched across the surface, carving a scar that seemed to split the world in two.
Even half-submerged, Kaido's form radiated power.
The water churned violently as he began to rise again.
Above him, Kaito hovered—his body wrapped in a luminous blue Susanoo, radiating divine power. Without hesitation, he turned into a streak of light and rushed down toward his opponent.
Elsewhere—
An isolated island within the Calm Belt.
Trafalgar Law and his crew stood on the shore, unease written all over their faces.
"Captain, how long are we gonna stay here?" Bepo asked, clearly frustrated.
Law sighed. "There's no helping it. Kaito killed a Celestial Dragon. We need to lay low for a while. Once this mess blows over, we'll return to Sabaody and then head for the New World."
"How long's 'a while,' Captain?" Shachi complained. "This place is dead. Even birds won't come here."
"At least… half a month?" Law replied reluctantly.
Groans filled the air as the crew sank into collective despair. Law twitched slightly. These guys…
Then, his expression hardened. "Everyone, stay alert. Someone's coming!"
Instantly, the crew straightened up, all joking forgotten. Their eyes turned toward the horizon.
A distant figure cut across the water, moving at incredible speed, leaving trails of water in its wake. As it drew closer, Law's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That figure… that's—Kaido of the Beasts!"
His voice trembled with shock.
The crew froze, air hissing through clenched teeth.
"C-Captain! Are you sure?" Bepo stammered.
"It's him! But… why is he here!?" Law's mind raced.
Every pirate in the New World knew the Four Emperors—their symbols were as terrifying as death itself. Seeing one up close was enough to shake anyone to their core.
"What are you standing around for? Move!" Law roared. "Set sail! Now!"
The shout jolted everyone into motion. They scrambled aboard, hoisting sails and cutting anchors in record time. They didn't know what was happening, but Kaido's arrival like that could mean only one thing—he had been hit by someone.
And everyone knew exactly who that someone was.
"Kaito!" they all shouted in unison.
Law's expression darkened. It wasn't hard to piece together—Kaito had killed Jack, one of Kaido's top commanders. Kaido must've come for revenge, and knowing Kaito's strength, it was clear how this fight came to be.
Not long after Law's ship vanished beyond the horizon—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore through the island behind them. The ground split apart, a massive trench carving the land nearly in two.
From the smoking crater, Kaido emerged, his face twisted in fury, flames of rage burning in his eyes.
High above, Kaito stood calmly, encased in his blue Susanoo, looking down upon his foe with an unreadable expression.
"You little brat!" Kaido's roar shook the skies. "You've managed to anger me! Now die!"
His voice echoed like a shockwave, making the island itself tremble.
Then, with a burst of light, Kaido shot into the air like a blazing comet, hurtling toward Kaito for one final, cataclysmic clash.
---