Kaien hadn't noticed it himself, but his magic reserves were now immensely high—especially when using a full Take Over of Whitebeard, the strongest man in the One Piece world.
In his current state, not even Jose Porla, the Guild Master of Phantom Lord and one of the Ten Wizard Saints, could take him head-on.
And being a Saint Wizard wasn't a minor title—it meant standing at the absolute pinnacle of the entire Ishgar Continent.
As for the so-called mastermind Virel… if he were truly that powerful, he wouldn't have gone down so pitifully.
Kaien picked up the shattered flute.
It radiated traces of dark magic, but not the same kind as Zeref's.
Zeref's creations were near-divine in craftsmanship—able to bring even magic itself to life.
This flute, in contrast, was nothing more than a cheap knockoff.
No wonder its only ability was to hypnotize children.
Crack!
Kaien crushed it into pieces without hesitation.
The Troll King watched in horror. His expression twisted in rage.
"You damn brat! That was my treasure! You'll pay for that!!"
Towering over 50 meters tall, the Troll King lifted his massive ironwood club and brought it crashing down toward Kaien.
Kaien raised Murakumogiri with one hand.
BOOOOM—!!!
A thunderous shock rocked the surroundings, dust and rubble blasting outward.
"Impossible?!"
The Troll King's eyes bulged.
He was the ruler of trolls. His strength had no equal—not even the Giant King dared face his full might directly.
Yet this… midget—barely seven meters tall—had blocked his attack one-handed?
Unbelievable. But real.
"Get lost."
Kaien's right hand flexed.
A terrifying force surged through his blade, and the club rebounded—sending the enormous troll hurtling backward.
CRASH CRASH CRASH!
The king's enormous body smashed through three palace walls before slamming into the ground.
He groaned and tried to rise…
But a single foot slammed down on his face.
WHUD!
Kaien stepped out into the courtyard, pinning the massive Troll King beneath his heel.
The moment the other trolls saw it—their ruler literally underfoot—they howled in fury and charged.
"Perfect timing!"
Kaien lifted Murakumogiri with both hands.
BZZZZZTT—!!
The power of the Gura Gura no Mi crackled along the blade.
SLASH—!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
Shockwaves mixed with slashes erupted in all directions. Every troll in front of him was sent flying, wailing in agony.
"AAAAAAAARRGGHH!!"
The street in front of him was instantly cleared.
Suddenly, the Troll King lunged up from behind and grabbed Kaien in both fists.
"Die!!!"
Kaien didn't even blink. "Did your mother never teach you it's rude to grab people without asking?"
BOOOOOM—!!
A shockwave exploded from Kaien's body.
"GUAAHHH!!"
The king screamed, fingers shattering. He was forced to release his grip.
Kaien stepped forward and threw a punch straight into his chest.
CRACK CRACK CRACK—!!
The air shattered around his fist.
BLOORCH—!!
The king vomited blood as he flew through the palace like a cannonball.
CRASH CRASH CRASH—!!
Entire towers crumbled as the massive body tore through them.
"MY KING!!"
"KILL HIM!!"
Enraged, trolls swarmed toward Kaien again.
Kaien gripped Murakumogiri tightly. The power of the Quake-Quake Fruit surged with every motion.
Each swing ripped buildings apart. Each quake tore through crowds.
He was unstoppable.
And for once… Kaien understood Natsu.
Destruction felt amazing.
Here, he didn't need to hold back.
He didn't need to restrain his power or calculate carefully.
Here, he could just—break things.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
The entire Troll Capital shook. Buildings collapsed. Streets cracked. Troll warriors howled in pain and fell by the dozens.
Ten minutes passed.
And finally…
Not a single troll dared charge him.
Every time Kaien stepped forward, the trolls retreated.
Their eyes were filled with terror. To them, he wasn't a human mage.
He was a monster.
Seeing them fall back, Kaien stopped attacking.
They looked like beasts, but they were intelligent lifeforms.
If they no longer dared fight him, he had no reason to continue the slaughter.
He planted Murakumogiri in the ground like a cane and strolled forward, calm and unhurried.
Each time the blade tapped the earth—thud, thud, thud—the trolls flinched.
They parted to the sides of the street, not daring to approach.
That was when the sound of battle rang out from the city gates.
Moments later, giants in full armor burst through the capital's front gate.
Leading them—the Giant King himself.
He raised his axe and bellowed, "KAIIIEEEENNNN!! BROTHER!! WE'RE HERE TO RESCUE YOU—!!"
His shout echoed through the city, a declaration of loyalty to their friend.
They would never abandon an ally—not for politics, not for peace.
Even if it cost them everything, they would come.
"Wait, Your Majesty! Something's wrong!" a soldier called.
"The Troll Capital—it's already destroyed!"
The king looked up.
Sure enough, massive sections of the capital lay in ruins.
The Troll Palace was little more than rubble.
Then they saw him.
A small figure—well, small for this city—walking calmly down the main boulevard, past cowering trolls.
"Huh? Your Majesty, why are you here?" Kaien asked casually.
"You… you're Kaien?!" The king blinked.
"Why are you an old man now?! And what's with that absurd mustache?"
Kaien noticed the confusion and cancelled his Take Over.
He returned to his usual form.
The Giant King stared, then burst out laughing. "Haha! It really is you!"
"But… what happened here?!"
"Oh, that?" Kaien pointed back at the terrified trolls.
"They're just too scared to fight me anymore."