__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kaido grabbed Dan by the collar and lifted him high into the air."Alright, brat! Since you wanna see those old bastards for yourself, your old man'll take you there!"
He grinned, teeth flashing like blades."Perfect timing too. Word is, that red-haired punk Shanks and the old man Whitebeard are meeting in a few days. I'll take you myself—so you can see just how big the gap is between your father and the other Emperors!"
Dan just laughed.
Of course he'd volunteered to tag along—wasn't this the perfect chance to knock out all three of his missions at once?
[Mission 1: Witness up close the historic meeting between the Four Emperors, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate and "Red-Haired" Shanks.]
He was still just a kid.Sure, his power wasn't anything to scoff at these days—but showing up near the Four Emperors?He'd be noticed instantly, maybe even targeted.
With Kaido covering him, though?That mission was practically free points.
[Mission 2: Engage in direct combat with a Marine Admiral–level opponent or higher and last more than one minute. (Note: Passive defense or avoidance doesn't count—must include active offense and defense.)]
A Four Emperor counted as Admiral level or higher, didn't they?If he could just survive a one-minute scuffle with either Whitebeard or Shanks, he'd walk away with that reward too—effortless.
[Mission 3: Defeat four individuals of Warlord level or above. (Note: Previously defeated opponents do not count.)]
That one was even simpler.Every Emperor had officers strong enough to rival the Seven Warlords.If he could just find an excuse—or an opportunity—to clash with a few of them during the meeting, he could clear the quest in one go and unlock another world ability.
And with Kaido there, even if he burned himself out from using too much Haki and Conqueror's spirit, he wouldn't have to worry about dying.
Yeah—if this trip went the way he planned, the gains would be massive.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office—
"All the ships near Whitebeard and Red-Hair were destroyed?!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral! Not one left!"
"I see…" Sengoku frowned deeply. "Those two monsters meeting is like tossing a lit match into a powder keg. Let's just hope they don't actually set it off."
He slammed the receiver of the Den Den Mushi down.
Borsalino leaned back, legs crossed, tapping the rim of his shades."Aiya~ scary stuff, huh? Two Emperors having a private little chat… wonder what tricks they're planning to pull~"
Akainu's voice was cold as magma. "That red-haired bastard's always been dangerous. You never know what he's after."
Tsuru's tone was calm but heavy. "If Shanks is in such a hurry to meet Whitebeard… it's probably about that traitor—Blackbeard."
Just then, another Den Den Mushi rang shrilly—the emergency line from G-5. Its eyes were wide, trembling in panic.
Sengoku snatched it up. "What is it?!"
"F-Fleet Admiral! Emergency intel from Onigashima! Just now—Kaido! He's turned into a dragon and taken off!"
Sengoku frowned. "Kaido leaving Onigashima isn't exactly new—why panic over that?"
"But sir—his flight path… it's heading straight toward the meeting point of Whitebeard and Red-Hair!"
The office went dead silent.
Then the voice from the line blurted again, faster, more desperate:"And he's not alone! The Demon Child, Dan—he's riding on Kaido's head!"
A vein throbbed on Sengoku's forehead. His migraine flared instantly."Kaido and that damn Demon Child?!"
Garp, who'd been quietly munching on rice crackers, choked and sprayed crumbs across the desk."Pfft—wahahaha! That bastard Kaido's bringing his kid to a Four Emperor meeting?! I'm gonna die laughing!"
But even as he laughed, the air in the room grew heavier.
Granny Tsuru sighed. "This isn't a meeting anymore. It's outright provocation."
Kizaru gave a low whistle. "Ooh~ now things are getting spicy. A Three-Emperor Summit? And they've got a mini-Emperor in tow~"
Akainu's expression darkened to pitch black. "We can't let them get away with this. The world's balance—"
"Balance?!" Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk. Papers exploded into the air. "That balance is about to be kicked straight into the damn ocean! All units near Whitebeard and Red-Hair—stay on highest alert! Monitor the—no—the Three Emperors' movements closely!"
His head was pounding.Two Emperors meeting was bad enough.Now Kaido and his little monster were crashing the party?
This was a nightmare.
...
The New World.
The Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, sailed across the churning sea like a floating fortress.Not far away, the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, the Red Force, cut through the waves toward it.
A small boat lowered from the Red Force, carrying Shanks and a few of his top men. As it approached the Moby Dick, tension blanketed the air.
Shanks' red hair glinted under the sun. A black cloak billowed behind him as his hand rested on his sword, Gryphon. He stepped onto the Moby Dick's deck.
His face was calm, but the invisible pressure of his Conqueror's Haki rippled outward. Even Whitebeard's hardened veterans staggered or dropped to one knee.
"Gurararara!"
That booming, iconic laugh echoed from the throne-like chair at the ship's center.
Whitebeard sat there, massive as a mountain, tubes and medical lines snaking across his body—but his eyes were sharp as ever, locked on Shanks.
"Red-haired brat! You've got some guts, walking onto my ship."He tapped a scar across his chest, eyes narrowing. "Every time I see your face, this scar of mine still aches."
"Whitebeard," Shanks said evenly, voice steady but firm, "I came today to talk. About Ace… and about Teach."
"I want you to recall Ace. If you let him keep chasing Blackbeard, something terrible's going to happen."
Whitebeard's grip tightened on his naginata. The air itself seemed to crackle with tension."You trying to tell me how to run my crew, brat?"
Their gazes clashed—two Emperors, two wills.The sheer collision of their Haki cracked the sky, the Moby Dick groaning under the pressure.
Shanks didn't flinch. "Whitebeard—you've heard of Kaido's Demon Child, right? That kid's bounty is three billion already. Even Blackbeard lost to him once."
"My gut tells me—Teach is desperate to grow stronger. And Ace is walking straight into his trap."
"So I'll say it again. Call Ace back."
Whitebeard squinted. "And if I say no?"
Shing!
Shanks drew his sword in one smooth motion."Then I guess I'll just have to make my point another way."
Whitebeard's aura surged like a storm as he raised his naginata. A clash seemed inevitable—
Until—
"Hey! Look! Up there!"
The lookout's scream shattered the standoff.
Everyone turned skyward.
Both Emperors narrowed their eyes.
A massive shadow loomed over the horizon—blotting out the sun.
Scales glimmered blue-green. Flames burned in its eyes. Its jaws could swallow a warship whole.
"A dragon?!" Marco's pupils shrank."Holy crap—that's a dragon!?" Yasopp shouted.Ben Beckman's voice was grave. "It's Kaido. The Beast himself. What the hell's he doing here?"
The azure dragon let out a thunderous roar. The sound rolled across the ocean, sending waves crashing sky-high.
"Kaido!!!" Whitebeard bellowed, his naginata pointed to the sky. "You bastard! What're you doing here?!"
Shanks frowned, eyes narrowing. "Wait… there's someone on his head."
The massive dragon circled once, its shadow swallowing both ships whole. Then it descended slowly, hovering between the Moby Dick and the Red Force.
And there—atop Kaido's enormous, snarling dragon head—
Stood a tiny figure.
A kid. Barefoot, wearing open-crotch pants, his big black eyes darting curiously around. He looked completely out of place next to the monstrous beast beneath him.
"Is that—?!" one of Whitebeard's men stammered, pointing upward.
"The Demon Child!" Lucky Roux bit into a hunk of meat, grinning. "Three billion berries! That's really him!"
Jozu rumbled, "So that's the brat who beat Doflamingo and Tesoro… smaller than I thought."
Shanks' gaze sharpened. He'd seen the bounty posters, read the reports—
But seeing the infamous Demon Child perched casually on Kaido's head, like a boy riding a horse?
That was something else entirely.
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________