A thunderous roar shattered the sky, sending waves of sound rippling through the air.
Cyan light exploded outward, flooding the heavens in a blinding glow.
Moments later, the brilliance faded. A colossal azure dragon—tens of meters long—hovered high above, its serpentine body coiling through the clouds. Its golden eyes gleamed with rage as it fixed its gaze on the distant figure floating before it.
Kaito's expression remained calm, his scarlet Sharingan spinning rapidly before morphing into the purple Rinnegan.
Ripples of power shimmered from his eyes. The massive skeleton surrounding him expanded, sprouting bones, flesh, and sinew until an enormous figure stood tall—a Susanoo, towering like a god of war.
In seconds, it became a complete warrior clad in spectral armor, gripping twin blades of blue flame.
Its height pierced the clouds; even Kaido's dragon form seemed small, like a loach before a mountain.
Unseen pressure radiated from Kaito's form. The air grew thick, heavy as mercury, and space itself seemed to bend under the immense energy pouring from his Susanoo.
Far off on the sea—aboard the Heart Pirates' ship—panic rippled through the crew.
"C-Captain! What the hell is that thing?!" Bepo stammered, eyes wide. "It's even stronger than Kaido's dragon form!"
Law wiped the sweat from his forehead, rolling his eyes. "Don't ask me! I've got no idea!"
Even from this distance, the crushing aura made it hard to breathe. The power those two radiated was enough to flatten entire islands.
"Set sail! Move us farther away!" Law ordered sharply. "That pressure alone could crush the ship!"
"Understood!" Shachi shouted, steering the ship to safety as everyone scrambled into motion.
High above, not far from the battle, Kizaru, Bullet, and Redfield watched in silence.
"This pressure… it's unreal," Redfield muttered, eyes narrowed. His usual arrogance vanished beneath the weight of the energy before him.
"Yeah," Bullet said grimly. "Even a Vice Admiral wouldn't last a second standing there."
Neither man liked to talk much, and the brief exchange ended quickly. But they both knew—the moment Kaito unleashed that monstrous form, the battle was already decided.
Meanwhile, Kizaru held a transponder snail, his usual lazy smirk gone.
"Oi, Tsuru-san, are you seeing this?" he asked quietly.
["I see it,"] came the calm but tense voice of Vice Admiral Tsuru through the other snail.
Kizaru's tone hardened. "When he fought us, he wasn't even using his full strength. If he had back then, we wouldn't have stood a chance."
Garp's voice joined in, unusually serious. "The space around them's warping. That kind of power…."
["Keep your distance,"] Tsuru advised. ["If it gets too dangerous, retreat immediately."]
"It's fine," Kizaru replied. "I can handle it… but yeah, even most Vice Admirals wouldn't survive this kind of pressure."
["Understood. Maintain visual. When they're done, return at once."]
"Got it."
Dark clouds gathered across the sky as the two unleashed their full power.
Thunder rumbled. The world dimmed.
"Brat! Die!!" Kaido bellowed in his dragon form, his massive jaws opening wide. Flames swelled within his maw, then erupted outward in a torrent of destruction.
Dragon Breath!
The searing red blaze tore through the sky like a beam of pure energy, distorting the air itself.
Kaito raised both flame-forged swords. Blue energy condensed at their edges as he slashed, sending a massive cross-shaped wave of sword aura straight toward the incoming attack.
BOOM!
The impact split the heavens. Fire and sword energy collided in a storm of raw power, the resulting explosion rocking the sea below.
Waves rose like walls. Wind howled across the battlefield, tearing at the sky as light and flame merged into chaos.
Sparks screeched through the air as Kaito's cross slash pushed forward, cleaving through the Dragon Breath inch by inch, unstoppable. In seconds, it reached Kaido's open jaws and cut straight through.
Boom!
Blood spattered across the sky as a deep gash split Kaido's neck. For a brief moment, his massive body wavered.
"You damn brat!" Kaido roared, the wound sealing instantly as white smoke hissed from his scales. "You'll pay for that!"
With a furious roar, the azure dragon surged forward, his massive tail sweeping through the air with the force of an earthquake.
Dragon Tail Swing!
The world seemed to bend beneath the power of the blow.
Kaito's Susanoo raised a blazing blade, meeting the strike head-on.
CLANG!
The impact echoed like thunder. Kaido flinched—the pain shot through his tail as the blade bit deep. Before he could recover, Kaito swung again, bringing another blade down toward the dragon's head.
Kaido crossed his claws, blackened with Armament Haki, and caught the blow—barely.
BOOM!
The force sent Kaido hurtling backward, his colossal body crashing through the clouds. Even as a dragon, his size and might were nothing compared to Kaito's towering Susanoo.
From the distant ships, every observer knew—it was over. Kaido was being overwhelmed.
Kaito's Susanoo spread its massive, ethereal wings, propelling forward like lightning. Despite its immense size, the giant warrior moved with impossible grace, every motion guided perfectly by Kaito's will.
In a flash, the massive Tengu-armored Susanoo appeared behind the dragon.
Bang! Bang!
The flaming swords vanished, replaced by two colossal fists of blue fire.
Before Kaido could react, those fists turned into claws, seizing his tail.
Then Kaito spun.
The sky itself twisted as Kaido was whipped around in a dizzying cyclone, the dragon's body blurring into a streak of blue light.
The scene was surreal—like a god casually toying with a beast.
Even Kizaru and the others watching from afar stood frozen in disbelief.
Across the sea, every Marine and pirate who saw the battle through Den Den Mushi feeds went silent. The "Strongest Creature in the World," Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors—was being tossed around like a rag doll.
The colossal Susanoo hurled Kaido away, sending his dragon form crashing into the distance.
Kaito surged upward in pursuit, his speed matching thunder.
In the next instant, he appeared above the fallen dragon. A massive sword materialized in his hands once more, blazing with blue flame.
SLASH!
The sword fell. Light devoured the sky.
Kaido's entire form was engulfed by the slash.
For a heartbeat, the world fell silent.
Then came the sound—ripppp!—like paper tearing apart.
Kaido's mighty dragon body split cleanly in two. Blood poured from the sky, raining down onto the shattered island below.
Kaido's fading eyes widened in disbelief.
"How… how is this possible…?" he gasped, before his massive body collapsed, crashing into the sea with an earth-shaking roar.
The ocean turned crimson.
_______
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