Chapter 411: World-Ending Heat Breath! The Backstabbing Overlord and Absolute Domination
Feeling the terrifying, almost tangible killing intent in the sky, the temperature inside the Cake Island castle hall plummeted.
The expressions of Charlotte Perospero, Blackbeard, and the others changed drastically.
The calculations they had been making against one another were instantly replaced by shock; without a moment's hesitation, everyone immediately pulled away and rushed out of the ruined castle.
The moment they stepped into the driving rain and gale, they looked up at the firmament shrouded in black clouds and violent lightning, truly experiencing the suffocating pressure of an impending apocalypse.
The giant azure dragon circling in the sky had eyes as crimson as blood, its scales reflecting a cold luster under the illumination of the lightning.
At this very moment, Kaido's mind was completely dominated by the rage of his subordinate having died in battle.
Having come to these waters, he did not care at all whether those below were the remnants of the Charlotte Family who had caused Jack's death, or the Blackbeard Pirates lurking nearby with ulterior motives.
In his eyes, every living thing within his sight would become a sacrifice to endure his fury.
"Roar——!!"
Accompanied by a dragon's roar that shook the Totto Land waters.
Kaido opened his abyss-like maw, and a blinding, dark-red light rapidly gathered deep within his dragon throat, illuminating the surrounding night sky as if it were broad daylight.
"Heat Breath!!"
A massive pillar of fire, capable of instantly vaporizing the earth, descended from the sky like divine punishment, striking straight at the central plaza and the main building of the Cake Island castle.
Where the fire pillar passed, even the air was incinerated, emitting an unbearable, explosive screech.
Facing this massive, world-destroying strike, Blackbeard, who had lost an arm, had absolutely no way to evade it.
The range of the Heat Breath was too vast and its speed too fast; it had completely sealed off his retreat.
At this life-or-death moment, Blackbeard could only grit his teeth and slam his remaining left arm onto the ground, his facial muscles twisting in fear and rage:
"Black Hole!!"
Surging black mist poured out from his palm like a tidal wave, rapidly forming a massive dark barrier above everyone's heads.
The gravitational properties of the Dark-Dark Fruit erupted, beginning to forcibly absorb and devour the terrifying high temperatures and overwhelming destructive power of the descending Heat Breath.
Fire and black mist intertwined fiercely in mid-air, erupting with rolling waves of heat.
However, the price paid for this brief defense was painfully unbearable.
Although the Dark-Dark Fruit could absorb damage, its "double pain" side effect magnified the burning sensation of the flames it greedily devoured many times over.
"Aaaahhh—!"
"It hurts like hell! It's so hot!!"
Blackbeard was scorched by the residual high heat, his skin cracking and flesh tearing, with wisps of white smoke rising from his body.
He let out a shrill scream, his massive body retreating repeatedly, leaving a trail of charred footprints on the ground.
The intense pain was like a bucket of cold water, allowing Blackbeard, who had been in a panic, to regain his senses.
While wiping the black ash from his face, he looked grimly at the sky where Kaido seemed to have gone mad.
He knew very well that in his current state, in this place filled with hostility, trying to fight a Four Emperors monster head-on was an act of extreme stupidity.
"Damn you, Kaido! Shouldn't a madman like you be staying in Wano Country?"
"Why would you go crazy and come here!"
Blackbeard cursed wildly in his heart.
Kaido's sudden appearance had smashed all his grand plans of reaping the rewards as the fisherman to pieces.
But at this moment, he knew better than anyone that plans could be remade, but his own life was the most important thing.
As long as he could survive, there would always be a day to turn the tables.
Blackbeard looked down at the alliance contract he had just drawn up in his left hand.
He sneered, his five fingers exerting force, and tore it into pieces, tossing them into the air and letting the paper scraps turn to ash in the wind, rain, and the raging flames all around.
"Shiliew!"
Blackbeard quickly took out the Den Den Mushi for communication from his bosom and roared hysterically into the receiver.
His voice penetrated the noise of the battlefield and reached Shiliew, who had already used the Clear-Clear Fruit's ability to quietly sneak into the interior of the Charlotte Family's treasure vault:
"Did you get the rubbing of the poneglyph? If you got it, hurry up and take the men and retreat!"
"I don't want to stay in this hellhole for even one more second!"
After receiving a hoarse and firm confirmation from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, the heart Blackbeard had been holding finally settled.
He turned his head and glanced at the remnants of the Charlotte Family, who were struggling desperately amidst the raging flames with faces full of despair, and a ruthless laugh reappeared on his face.
"Zehahahaha!"
"Charlotte Perospero, it seems your Charlotte Family's luck is truly rotten!"
"Big Mom is unconscious, Katakuri is dead, and now even Kaido has come to take your lives!"
"I'm not sticking around for the mess this madman has caused!"
As his voice fell, the members of the Blackbeard Pirates, under the cover of the black mist raised by the Black Hole, fled madly toward the "Saber of Xebec" docked at the harbor without looking back.
Faced with the choice between profit and survival, this dark overlord did not hesitate to use the Charlotte Family, whom he had just been planning to ally with, as a shield and cannon fodder to resist Kaido.
"Damn you, Blackbeard! You treacherous piece of scum!!"
Watching the figures of Blackbeard and his crew rapidly receding, Charlotte Perospero was so angry that he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Blackbeard's desertion and ruthless backstabbing at the critical moment made the already precarious situation of the Charlotte Family go from bad to worse in an instant.
Before the remnants of the Charlotte Family could recover from their anger, the giant azure dragon in the sky swooped down violently.
The massive dragon body twisted and contracted violently in mid-air, and amidst a blinding flash of lightning, transformed into a slightly smaller "hybrid form."
Kaido's towering body, adorned with dragon horns and covered in azure scales, slammed heavily into the center of the plaza like a meteorite.
"Boom!!"
The ground trembled, and the hard stone pavement was instantly covered in huge cracks like spiderwebs.
The violent shockwave blew away all the burning ruins nearby.
Because the soul of the family, Katakuri, had already died in battle.
Facing this invincible, tyrannical enemy before them, Charlotte Perospero, as the eldest son, could only suppress the fear in his heart.
He bit his lip until it bled, blood streaming down, and pushed the power of the Candy-Candy Fruit to its limit, creating walls of candy as tall and thick as city ramparts before him.
Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Cracker, and the remaining sweet commanders and family officers all had red eyes at this moment.
They knew there was no retreat behind them, so they all erupted with the strongest power within their bodies, blocking the essential path leading to Big Mom's bedchamber.
"For Mama! For the dignity of the Charlotte Family!"
"Brother Katakuri is gone, so we will guard this place! We cannot let this madman pass, even if we die!!"
Accompanied by shrill and resolute shouts.
The remaining Charlotte Family members, like moths to a flame, brandished their weapons and charged one after another toward the demon god exuding endless killing intent.
However, the massive chasm in strength made this tragic bravery appear so pale.
This was not a battle between equals at all, but a cruel crushing initiated by the world's strongest creature.
Facing the Charlotte Family officers charging all at once, not a ripple stirred in Kaido's eyes.
His thick arms tightly gripped the giant kanabo "Hassaikai" wrapped in black-red Haoshoku lightning, and facing the attacks whistling towards him from the sky, he swung it out with a ferocious expression.
"Thunder... Bagua!!"
A terrifying pitch-black afterimage flashed and vanished in the wind and rain.
In an instant, the candy walls Charlotte Perospero was so proud of were like paper, shattering into pieces the moment they made contact with the kanabo.
The violent thunder and fierce force, with momentum unabated, swept out in a fan shape.
The sweet commanders Charlotte Smoothie and Charlotte Cracker, who were at the level of Lead Performers, had no room to resist at all in the face of this move.
They couldn't even take a single blow before screaming and spitting blood, their bodies sent flying far away like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily into the distant castle ruins, their fates unknown.
Charlotte Perospero, who bore the brunt of it, was hit directly by the aftermath of the violent Haki.
He was struck as if by lightning, his cane shattered, and after his body smashed through several stone pillars, he fell into a pile of rubble, unable to move.
In less than a minute, the high-level combatants of the Charlotte Family who had originally attempted to defend the castle were completely wiped out in the face of Kaido's absolute power.
The wide plaza was running with blood, and the remaining broken walls were silently burning in the cold rain.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Kaido breathed heavily, hot white smoke puffing from his nostrils.
He held the giant kanabo, which was dripping with blood, in one hand, like a true Shinigami of the night from hell.
Carrying an aura of slaughter, he stepped over layers of ruins and finally walked up to a very ornate door.
Directly behind that door was the intensive care ward of the Four Emperors "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin, who was in a deep coma due to severe injuries.
"Bang!!"
Kaido suddenly raised his thick right leg and, with violent force, kicked the heavy door to pieces.
Wood chips and dust splattered everywhere, revealing the dim and silent room inside.Chapter 412: Kaido's Bottom Line! The Returning Giant Dragon
Wood chips splattered through the air, smashing against the corridor walls.
Inside the room, it was a stark contrast to the noise and raging fires in the hall outside.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant, and the monotonous, rhythmic "beep" of various complex medical instruments echoed in the darkness.
Kaido took heavy, unmatched steps, slowly walking to the large hospital bed in the center of the room.
The other Four Emperors—Charlotte Linlin, who had once stood on equal footing with him, ruled the New World for decades, and even bestowed a Devil Fruit upon him back in the days of the Rocks Pirates—was now lying there quietly, devoid of any life.
The once-iron balloon, the arrogant, tyrannical queen, was now wrapped in thick white bandages.
She wore a heavy ventilator, her chest rising and falling weakly and slowly with the aid of the machine.
She was completely unaware of the world-destroying thunder and fire outside, or the shrill screams and slaughter of the remnants of Totto Land.
Looking at the old woman before him—someone once familiar, now reduced to such a miserable state.
Kaido's mind echoed with the image of Jack's severely bloated corpse, and the anger he had just suppressed began to churn crazily in his chest again.
"Linlin... My most loyal subordinate died in the sea because of your Charlotte Family!"
Kaido let out a low roar, the withered and hard muscles on his arms bulging layer by layer like rock.
Black and red Haoshoku lightning danced wildly in the void once more.
He slowly raised his heavy, crude Hassaikai high above his head.
If this blow were to fall, not only would Charlotte Linlin be crushed into a pulp of indistinguishable flesh and blood, but the hospital bed and all the medical instruments around it would be destroyed in an instant.
However, at the very moment that Hassaikai, radiating an aura of endless destruction, was about to be ruthlessly swung down with the force of wind and thunder.
Kaido's movement stopped abruptly in mid-air.
"Boom—"
The violent force of the club stirred up a gust of wind that swept through the narrow ward, blowing the oxygen mask on Charlotte Linlin's face, revealing her aged and bloodless complexion.
Yet, even facing this imminent threat of death, the woman lying on the bed showed no signs of waking, her eyes tightly closed.
Looking at this fragile body, like a candle in the wind, before him.
In Kaido's crimson eyes, the violent rage that had dominated him began to cool down bit by bit.
Replacing it was a sense of intense astonishment, along with deep contempt and disdain.
"Hmph... I came all this way."
"Are you saying I should swing my club at a dying person who can't even speak?"
Kaido was a tyrannical, cruel war maniac who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, but he had his own twisted bottom line.
He worshipped absolute force, the clash of power, and the glory of dying on the battlefield.
If he were to kill an old woman who was already seriously injured, unconscious, and had no power to fight back, that wouldn't be revenge.
It would be an insult to his own domineering power that stood above the world.
This scene made him involuntarily think of the fateful duel twenty years ago in Wano Country against Kozuki Oden, who was known as the invincible samurai.
Back then, Kozuki Oden had already severely wounded him with "Paradise Totsuka."
Just as the outcome was about to be decided, that damn old hag with the Clone-Clone Fruit turned into Momonosuke, causing Oden to be distracted during the decisive clash.
Although his club blow won the victory, the humiliation and frustration of that unfair win had tortured him for twenty years.
For this reason, he had mercilessly killed that clever-by-half old hag afterwards.
Now, in the Totto Land castle, that sense of familiar humiliation surged in his heart again, making him completely lose the interest to swing the Hassaikai in his hand.
His huge hands, which had been raised above his head, slowly released their force.
"Bang!"
With a dull, loud thud, Kaido let the heavy Hassaikai fall onto the hard floor under the force of gravity.
The moment Kaido withdrew his killing intent, a series of intermittent sounds of flesh rubbing against the ground suddenly came from the broken corridor outside the ward.
"Mama... don't... touch my Mama..."
Perospero, on the verge of death, had his once-magnificent formal wear long since torn into rags by the previous sword qi and thunder.
At this moment, with multiple broken bones in his hands and feet, he relied on the astonishing obsession to protect his mother, dragging himself inch by inch along the corridor into this special care ward, using his broken fingers to claw at the gaps.
Behind him, a long, dark red bloodstain was dragged across the expensive carpet.
Perospero used the last bit of vitality in his body, finally crawling to the hospital bed amidst heavy panting.
He tremblingly opened his arms, which were covered in blood, protecting Big Mom behind him tightly.
His swollen eyes glared at the giant in front of him with resentment and fear, roaring in a voice so hoarse it was unrecognizable:
"Kaido... you monster!"
"If you have the guts, come at me! Don't touch Mama!"
Looking at this ant who couldn't even stand up, yet still tried to bare its fangs at him, Kaido bent down expressionlessly.
He reached out his thick, large hand, as if picking up an insignificant chick.
He grabbed Perospero by the throat, lifting his massive body into mid-air.
Regardless of how weakly Perospero's hands slapped at his wrist, Kaido's iron-pincer-like palm did not waver in the slightest.
He looked down gloomily at the eldest son:
"Shut up, weakling."
"I don't even care to slaughter a piece of trash that's already finished."
"Answer my question. Although the old woman Linlin isn't as strong as she used to be, she shouldn't have been beaten into this state."
"Was it really that Straw Hat who beat her into this half-dead state?"
Perospero, having his throat gripped by fate, began to turn from white to blue due to suffocation.
Mouthfuls of blood kept coughing out from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the back of Kaido's hand.
Upon hearing Kaido's questioning, the fear in his eyes gradually receded, replaced by endless resentment and madness.
Perospero stared at Kaido, spitting out those two names that were famous throughout the sea intermittently:
"It's... it's the Straw Hat Pirates... Straw Hat Luffy..."
"And, that damn Crimson Lotus... Victor..."
Hearing these two names, even Kaido, who prided himself as the world's strongest creature, fell into a moment of silence.
The hall was left with only the cold ticking of medical instruments.
He thought of the previous newspapers, and thought of Doflamingo's defeat.
He finally began to realize that these two brats, whom he had regarded as ordinary outsiders not long ago, had changed after experiencing this shocking battle at Zou.
They were no longer brats to be slaughtered, but true monsters capable of overturning the New World and subverting the pattern of old Four Emperors like them.
After a brief silence, Kaido suddenly sneered.
In those bloodshot dragon eyes, the violent killing intent that had just cooled down was reignited by an unprecedented fighting spirit and excitement in this instant.
Since Charlotte Linlin was finished.
But in this world, there were more powerful opponents who could make him feel excited.
This meant that his boring and long life could finally usher in a thoroughly satisfying battle of destruction.
"Hahahaha! How interesting!"
"Straw Hat, and Crimson Lotus Victor... I'll be waiting for you in Wano Country!"
Kaido sneered, casually tossing the half-dead Perospero like a piece of trash into the corner of the room.
With a dull thud, Perospero passed out completely in the ruins.
Kaido didn't even have the interest to take another look at these Totto Land losers, striding out of the ward filled with the smell of medicine.
The moment his burly, towering body stepped out of the corridor, the Devil Fruit power within his body went berserk again without reservation.
His bones began to expand rapidly, and layers of green, hard scales instantly covered his entire body.
"Roar—!!"
Accompanied by a great dragon roar that shattered the clouds in the sky.
Kaido once again transformed into that green giant dragon covering the sky and sun.
His massive, mountain-like dragon body soared into the sky, violently smashing through the broken, huge dome of Whole Cake Chateau.
The giant dragon circled in the night sky filled with thunder, rain, and spreading fires.
Then it turned direction, speeding away at full speed towards his territory, Wano Country.Chapter 413: Blackbeard's Review! The Indecipherable Rubbing and the Vulture's Patience
Amidst the raging storms and fierce waves.
The "Saber of Xebec" was running at full power, cutting through the pitch-black sea, hurriedly fleeing the waters of Totto Land.
On the distant horizon behind them, even through the heavy rain and wind, dark red flashes of terrifying fire flickered from time to time.
The dull, piercing sound of thunder traveled across the sea from dozens of nautical miles away, still clearly audible.
The constantly trembling atmosphere signaled the kind of violent and devastating rage that the "of the Beasts" Kaido was inflicting upon that Land of Sweets at this very moment.
After several consecutive hours of high-speed sailing, the Navigator of the Blackbeard Pirates finally relaxed their tense nerves after repeatedly confirming there was no sign of a giant dragon pursuing them from behind.
They dropped anchor and docked beside an obscure, nameless desert island far away from the shipping lanes of Totto Land.
"Splash—"
As the heavy anchor slammed into the shallows, the crew let out a long sigh of relief.
Having just faced the life-or-death situation of enduring a Four Emperors' Blast Breath almost point-blank, these vicious criminals and pirates felt a sense of exhaustion.
They jumped off the deck one after another, stepped onto the wet sandy beach, and reached the foot of a massive rock wall that could shelter them from the wind, gathering some dead branches to start a roaring bonfire.
The tongues of the bonfire flickered violently in the sea breeze, dispelling the chill brought by the night.
Beside the warm fire, Teach sat on a reef with a gloomy expression.
He reached out and took off his magnificent coat, which had been scorched black by the high-temperature heat breath.
"Cough, cough... Boss, don't move around. If this wound isn't treated quickly, the skin will rot, hehehe..."
The ship's doctor, "Shinigami" Doc Q, rode his sickly, thin horse over slowly.
While coughing violently, he tremblingly took out a jar of special ointment that emitted a strange herbal smell from a cloth bag by the saddle.
Shinigami used a wooden stick to pick up some of the black-green ointment and carefully applied it to Blackbeard's badly burned left shoulder and most of his chest.
"Hiss... Ugh!"
As soon as the ointment touched his skin, the side effect of double pain brought by the Dark-Dark Fruit erupted instantly.
Veins bulged on Blackbeard's forehead. He gritted his teeth tightly, grabbed a bottle of rum from his side, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.
"Damn Kaido... that unreasonable lunatic!"
"I'll peel his skin off with my own hands sooner or later!"
Blackbeard wiped the wine stains from his mouth while cursing at the burning bonfire to vent the anger in his heart.
Having finally finished treating the shocking burns on his body, Blackbeard let out a long breath.
He used his remaining left arm to reach into his inner pocket and carefully took out the only trophy their Blackbeard Pirates had paid a huge price for today.
The red road poneglyph rubbing possessed by Totto Land.
He treasured this slightly rough rubbing, unfolding it and laying it flat on a relatively dry and level rock surface.
Blackbeard turned around and squatted his burly body in front of the rock.
Borrowing the orange light of the leaping bonfire, he widened his eyes and carefully examined the ancient block characters on it.
Few people on the sea know that this seemingly rude, gap-toothed, and unscrupulous Blackbeard Teach actually has a real hobby in private: studying history.
He frowned tightly, even bringing his face close to the rubbing.
Those block symbols, exchanged for twenty years of forbearance and calculation, flashed with an unusual luster in his eyes.
Blackbeard tried to find some spelling patterns or hints of word order for ancient characters from these rigid lines.
He sat motionless in front of the rubbing in deep thought for a long time, countless ancient documents he had secretly read on Whitebeard's ship flashing wildly in his mind.
But unfortunately, facing this kind of top-secret code that only Ohara scholars and the Wano Country's Kozuki Clan could truly master in this world.
Even though he had a decent historical background, he could only be confused and helpless at this moment.
A moment later, Blackbeard shook his head with some irritation and decisively gave up the foolish idea of continuing to blindly interpret it himself.
After all, he was a thorough pragmatist and would never waste too much energy and time on meaningless things.
Blackbeard stretched out his left hand, rolled up the rubbing tightly again, and safely tucked it into his closest inner pocket.
In his heart, this chess game for the Pirate King's throne had never been in disarray.
Although this thing was just a piece of waste paper that couldn't be deciphered when held alone right now.
But as long as he waited until he gathered all four road poneglyph rubbings by force in the future.
It wouldn't be too late to find a living dictionary scholar on this sea who could read ancient characters to translate it for him.
"Boss, the meat is ready! Come and taste this fresh stuff!"
Just then, Jesus Burgess walked over swaggeringly.
He was carrying a huge wild boar he had just caught on this desert island on his shoulder, throwing it heavily into the pile of rocks next to the bonfire.
Burgess stretched out his thick arms, tore off a large piece of sizzling roasted wild boar meat, and stuffed it into his mouth without any image.
While wiping the grease from his mouth, he looked at Blackbeard and asked in a muffled voice:
"Weehahahaha!"
"Boss, since the alliance of those guys in Totto Land has completely blown up now."
"How should we proceed with our grand plans next?"
"Do we still want to get involved in the muddy waters of Wano Country?"
"Straw Hat and Crimson Lotus and those people are all there!"
Hearing the question raised by Burgess, Blackbeard's brows, which had just calmed down, frowned fiercely again.
In those eyes hidden in the shadows, a trace of unwilling and violent gloom flashed quietly.
He sat cross-legged in front of the fire, took another piece of meat from Burgess's hand, and began to analyze the turbulent situation before them for the Blackbeard Pirates executives gathered around him.
"Go to Wano Country? No, going there now is pure suicide!"
"Totto Land is completely finished now."
"Charlotte Linlin, that old woman, is currently in a deep coma and cannot participate in any level of combat at all."
"With just that piece of trash Perospero and the remaining morale-depleted remnants of Totto Land."
"What can they use to resist the strongest creature in the world who is in a state of violent rage?"
"They don't even have the qualifications to fill the gaps in Kaido's teeth, that lunatic. They will be smashed into meat paste by Kaido in a few minutes."
Blackbeard chewed the meat in his mouth fiercely and cursed vaguely.
Kaido's sudden appearance objectively disrupted all his original perfect strategic deployments.
His original wishful thinking was to use Big Mom's remaining forces as pawns to fight Straw Hat and Kaido in Wano Country until all three were defeated.
And then he would act as the hunter to harvest everything at the end.
But now, this group of cannon fodder was destined to be wiped out under Kaido's iron hooves, just as he had expected.
However, for an ambitious man like Blackbeard, saving his own life and preserving his fighting strength always came first, no matter what.
As long as their Blackbeard Pirates could survive intact now.
Relying on the unique Devil Fruit ability he possessed, as well as the road poneglyph rubbing he had just obtained.
They would always have the day to stir up monstrous waves on this sea and completely turn the tables.
Although they couldn't wade through the bottomless muddy waters of Wano Country for the time being.
But after a brief contemplation, Blackbeard once again cast his gaze toward the direction of Totto Land.
An old Four Emperors who was destined to fall, even if they had lost Katakuri and their main fleet.
But within their vast territory that had been managed for decades, there must still be immeasurable astonishing wealth left...
As long as he waited for Kaido to vent his anger and leave, that ruin would be an supreme treasure vault belonging to him, Blackbeard.
Blackbeard spat out the residue in his mouth and slowly stood up.
Facing the biting cold wind blowing from the sea, he looked at the gloomy sea area covered with thunderclouds where Totto Land was located, and shook his head with some regret:
"Notify the little ones to rest on this island for a few days."
"In a few days, when the storm subsides a little, let's go to Totto Land again."
"Zehahahaha..."
"I hope that lunatic Kaido hasn't smashed all the good things inside to pieces by then."Chapter 414: A Fatal Intelligence Gap! Arrogant Onigashima and Misaligned Revelry
Onigashima.
Black giant rocks and menacing reefs appeared and disappeared under the pounding of the waves.
However, unlike the cold, gloomy sea outside, the interior of Onigashima had already entered a state of all-night revelry in preparation for the upcoming annual "Fire Festival," the grandest event of the year.
The interior of the massive skull dome was decorated with lanterns and brightly lit.
Countless huge fire pits illuminated the dark stone walls in a crimson glow.
The rich aroma of roasted meat and the pungent scent of alcohol, mixed with the noisy shouting and loud laughter of rough pirates, formed rolling waves of sound that rushed straight to the roof.
" Ooh ooh ooh ooh! Follow my rhythm, dance! Little ones!! "
On the huge steel stage in the center of the hall, the Lead Performer "Plague" Queen was sporting his comical large golden braids, puffing out thick smoke from his cigar while dancing his funk dance clumsily and comically to the dynamic beat.
His fat body swayed comically with the music, drawing bursts of frenzied cheers from the thousands of pirates below.
In the minds of these Beasts Pirates members, Kaido of the Beasts' power was unrivaled, and their brutal rule over Wano Country was unbreakable.
In these closed waters, no one, no force, dared to have a death wish and come to cause them trouble at this juncture.
However, in this carnival hall that was almost setting the air on fire, there was one place that seemed out of place.
In a dark corner of the high platform, "King" sat quietly alone on a protruding rock.
He was wrapped in pitch-black leather clothing, his black wings slightly folded behind him, his eyes under his mask cold and clear.
He did not participate in the banquet below, but was just quietly wiping the cold-glinting sword in his hand with a clean piece of white cotton cloth in an orderly manner.
Just then, a light and hurried sound of footsteps came.
The Beasts Pirates' intelligence officer, "Bao Huang," who was responsible for coordinating information from all sides, walked quickly to King's side with a stack of documents in her hand.
Bao Huang bowed slightly and reported an abnormal situation she had just discovered to King:
" Brother King, there is a strange matter. "
" According to the original scheduled itinerary, I just tried to contact Orochi Castle in the Flower Capital. "
" I wanted to confirm with Shogun Orochi one last time the exact time he would lead his team to Onigashima for the banquet and the number of people accompanying him. "
" But... "
Bao Huang shook her head in some confusion:
" For some reason, all the encrypted Den Den Mushi calls to the Tenshukaku in the Flower Capital only returned cold busy signals. "
" I tried several times in a row, but could not establish a communication link. "
Hearing this news, King's hand wiping the sword paused slightly.
He slowly turned his head, and the brows under his mask furrowed deeply.
As the strongest and most meticulous Lead Performer of the Beasts Pirates, his keen intuition as a top powerhouse vaguely sensed a hint of something wrong.
To confirm the absolute safety of Wano Country, King placed his sword across his knees and asked Bao Huang in a low voice:
" Orochi lost contact? "
" What about that guy Kanjuro, who is lurking among the remnants of the Kozuki Clan? "
" Has that guy sent back any valuable intelligence recently? "
Hearing this question, Bao Huang hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a piece of intelligence paper she had just organized from her bosom, nodded, and replied:
" Ah, regarding this, I did receive a message from Kanjuro via a drawn bird from the outside not long ago.
" Because it was of great importance, I haven't had time to report it to you yet. "
Bao Huang handed the paper to King, pointing to the ink words on it and said:
" The message on that drawn bird was very simple — 'The Straw Hat Pirates alliance has finished gathering and is about to pass through the thick fog and officially enter the territorial waters of Wano Country.' "
However, neither the arrogant King nor the intelligence officer Bao Huang would ever have imagined that this top-secret message sent back by the mole was actually an intelligence gap trap laid by Victor.
That drawn bird was indeed from Kanjuro's hand.
But that perfect actor had already experienced Victor's mental devastation, and his subconscious had been forcibly rewritten.
Today's Kanjuro was nothing more than an intelligence puppet who regularly transmitted fake news to Onigashima according to Victor's will.
This half-truthful piece of news directly led to a serious misjudgment by the Beasts Pirates' high-level command regarding the current real whereabouts of the Straw Hat.
Looking at the words on the note that the Straw Hat were "just about to enter Wano Country."
King's heart, which had been slightly raised, finally slowly let down.
He nodded slightly, and the expression under his mask returned to its usual indifference.
Since the Straw Hat Pirates, who were qualified as enemies, hadn't even stepped into the gates of Wano Country yet.
Then Orochi Castle in the Flower Capital, located in the hinterland of the inner sea, naturally couldn't encounter any substantial danger.
He sheathed his sword and brushed off the topic lightly.
He believed that the reason why Orochi couldn't be contacted was perhaps that the lecherous and dissolute Shogun was once again lost in the tenderness of some courtesan before the Fire Festival, drinking himself into a stupor, and was too lazy to answer the Den Den Mushi.
Out of carelessness, this second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates let down his guard.
King stood up from the high platform and walked to the edge overlooking the plaza below.
He watched Queen, who was still twisting his body wildly on the stage, and casually told the other party the fake news that the Straw Hat were about to arrive.
On the stage, the music paused slightly.
After hearing King's words clearly, Queen not only didn't feel the slightest bit nervous, but instead grinned with his big mouth holding a cigar.
He puffed out a large cloud of smoke and let out a dismissive, arrogant laugh:
" Wahahahaha! King, are you kidding me? "
" That group of brats from the outer sea are only at the bottom of the waterfall now? "
Queen waved his thick mechanical arm and shouted loudly to the thousands of reveling pirates below:
" Little ones! Did you hear that? "
" That group of Straw Hat who have been in the limelight outside recently are about to deliver themselves to our door! "
" I can't wait to go and teach them a lesson! "
" What kind of bullshit Fifth Emperor! "
" On this sea, only our boss Kaido is the strongest monster!! "
" Ooh ooh ooh ooh! Beasts are invincible! Long live boss Kaido!! "
The Gifters and pirates below erupted with even more fanatical cheers.
The "Tobi Roppo" sitting in the front row of the banquet also sneered with contempt.
" Hmph, just a few rookie pirates who just emerged in the New World, and they dare to reach out to Wano Country? "
" Exactly, as long as they dare to step on the sky-reaching waterfall of Wano Country, they don't even need boss Kaido to make a move.
" Our outer defensive fire line of the Beasts Pirates alone can easily tear their little boat to shreds! "
Under the arrogance and the seriously misaligned intelligence gap, the entire Onigashima once again fell into an even crazier, oblivious revelry of impending disaster.
The clinking of wine glasses and the noise rang out endlessly.
However, accompanied by the increasingly fanatical laughter in the hall.
In the deepest part of Onigashima, in a dark cave where ordinary crew members were strictly forbidden from approaching, the atmosphere was cold and lonely.
The damp air was filled with a musty smell.
On the cold, solid stone walls hung several Sea Stone chains thicker than an adult's thigh.
And at the end of the chain, a tall, curvy, unique figure was tied.
Kaido of the Beasts' own daughter — Yamato, was sitting cross-legged on the cold mud floor.
He completely ignored the heavy bomb handcuffs on his wrists, and had no interest in the carnival noises vaguely coming from above.
He used the weak, flickering light in the corner, and his hands were holding a worn-out, yellowed navigation logbook with frayed edges.
On the cover of that secret diary, which preserved countless legendary stories, were written five vigorous and powerful characters — "Kozuki Oden's Journal."
In Yamato's bright eyes flickered an endless longing for the freedom of the outside world.
He stretched out his long, fair fingers and gently stroked the ancient characters on the diary recording the vast ocean.
Listening to the faint discussions about "Straw Hat" coming from above.
In his mind, he couldn't help but think of that late night four years ago.
The young pirate man who controlled scorching flames, fought with him on this Onigashima, and finally sat on the roof and talked about dreams with him.
Yamato touched the cold handcuffs on his wrists, and a smile of anticipation slowly curled up under his mask.
He looked up at the pitch-black stone crack above, and whispered expectantly:
" Ace's brother... "
" Is that guy named Luffy finally coming? "
Yamato blinked, a flash of light in his eyes, and added to himself:
" Since Luffy is coming... then will that guy Ace come along this time? "
" It's really something to look forward to... "Chapter 415: Restoration Movement! The Young Master's Gratitude and the Aloof Supernova
Early in the morning, the rising sun broke through the layers of haze on the horizon, casting the first faint rays of golden sunlight onto the Udon quarry.
The once lifeless ruins were now a hive of activity.
Five thousand samurai, clad in fine armor and wielding sharp katanas, were silently polishing their blades and checking their muskets and ammunition, making final preparations for the battle ahead.
"Creak—rumble." Accompanied by a heavy, grating sound of gears and mechanisms.
The dilapidated steel gate on the perimeter of the quarry was forcefully pushed wide open by the samurai on both sides.
Kin'emon, with a solemn expression, escorted Momonosuke, bringing with him the last group of rebel samurai who had gathered from various parts of Kuri. Dust-covered and with sand under their feet, they stepped into the vast plaza.
The once somewhat noisy quarry suddenly fell silent in that instant.
When they saw the young child, wearing a traditional Wano Country topknot and a kimono embroidered with the Kozuki Clan crest, the eyes of the five thousand Wano Country samurai present instantly became bloodshot.
That was the young master they had been waiting for in agony for twenty years, the bloodline left behind in this world by Lord Oden.
"Clatter!!" Amidst a thunderous, overwhelming roar of clashing armor.
The five thousand fully armed samurai did not hesitate for a moment, all kneeling heavily on one knee in unison before the child.
They set down the katanas and heavy muskets they had just seized, and with the highest etiquette of a Wano Country samurai, they deeply bowed their proud heads.
Five thousand burning gazes, filled with endless anticipation, converged entirely upon the young master who bore the hope of restoring the entire Wano Country.
Facing this overwhelming, fanatical gaze, Momonosuke's face instantly turned pale, and his breathing became rapid.
He was timid by nature, but at this moment, standing before these subjects who had shed blood and tears for his family.
The heavy surname and glory of the Kozuki Clan pressed down on his shoulders like a mountain, forcing him to step forward.
Momonosuke clenched his fists tightly. He desperately tried to control the uncontrollable, violent trembling of his legs.
Under the encouraging gazes of Luffy and Kin'emon, he stepped, one by one, toward the central stone platform at the highest point of the quarry.
Standing on the high platform, Momonosuke looked down at the dark sea of steel below.
He took a deep breath, suppressed all his fear, used every ounce of his strength, and let out a youthful yet incomparably firm cry:
"Samurai of Wano Country! Fellow countrymen!
"Orochi and Kaido, those two usurpers, used lies and violence to strip us of our homeland, making the rivers of Kuri flow with poisonous water, and forcing our loved ones to live under starvation and the whip!
"The Kozuki Clan has never forgotten the humiliation of these twenty years!"
Momonosuke drew the short sword at his waist and pointed directly toward Onigashima:
"I hereby make a solemn vow to the entire rebel army!
"The Kozuki Clan will surely sever the enemies' heads with our own hands, fulfilling the final wishes of Lord Oden. We will take back our beautiful Wano Country!"
"Open the country!!"
This youthful vow, every word dripping with blood, was like a spark, instantly igniting the humiliation and rage that the samurai had suppressed for twenty years.
"Ooooooh!!"
The morale at the scene climbed to a boiling point in an instant. The five thousand samurai had twisted faces and were filled with tears.
They held their sharp blades and steel muskets high, their frantic, tsunami-like shouts carrying an overwhelming fighting spirit:
"Restore the country!!"
"Open the country!!"
"Follow the young master! Slay Orochi and Kaido!!"
Amidst the fanatical, boiling atmosphere of the entire scene, Momonosuke slowly withdrew his short sword. He turned around and cast his gaze toward the Straw Hat, who were sitting not far away, watching the excitement.
Looking at those familiar faces, the young master could no longer maintain the lordly dignity he had just struggled to uphold. His lips quivered, and tears gushed out like a bursting flood.
"Thump." Momonosuke bent over directly on the stone platform, and with tears streaming down his face, he bowed deeply to Luffy and the others, expressing his heartfelt gratitude:
"Lord Luffy... Lord Zoro... and everyone!
"Without these pirate allies who came from afar, we, the Kozuki Clan, we, Wano Country, would not even have the right to stand here and resist!
"This great kindness, Momonosuke will never forget for the rest of his life!"
Watching the young master crying his heart out, Luffy pressed down on his Straw Hat. He grinned and let out a hearty, cheerful laugh.
That infectious laughter echoed through the empty quarry, instantly dispelling the originally tragic atmosphere.
Just as the plaza was immersed in the harmonious atmosphere of the alliance. On the edge of the towering outer defensive wall of the prison, a tall man was standing alone in the cold wind blowing against him.
Eustass Kid was shirtless, draped in a tattered, pitch-black cloak. The countless dense scars on his body looked particularly shocking in the morning light.
His presence was so out of place with the rebel samurai below who were caught in fanatical cheers, like a lone, aloof wolf.
Kid had a sullen look in his eyes, one hand in his pocket, looking down from above at Luffy, who was being tightly surrounded at the core by five thousand samurai as their savior.
As a supernova of the same generation who had once fought side by side at the Sabaody Archipelago and refused to yield to each other at the auction house.
Kid watched his former rival now become the absolute core who stirred the winds and clouds of a nation. His arrogant face was filled with gloom, and his heart was filled with intense unwillingness and mixed feelings.
Just then, the laughing Luffy below, relying on his beast-like intuition, instantly sensed the cold gaze cast from the high wall.
Luffy turned his head, completely ignoring Kid's cold face. Instead, he laughed generously, stretched out his right arm toward the top of the wall, and loudly issued a warm invitation:
"Hey! Magnet Man!!"
"Kaido is not on Onigashima, now is a great opportunity! How about it, do you want to join our alliance, and we can all go and beat that horned monster to a pulp together!"
However, facing Luffy's sincere invitation, Kid on the wall refused coldly without hesitation:
"Stop bossing me around, Straw Hat!
"I admit, you guys are indeed strong like monsters now.
"I also sincerely thank you here for the favor of letting me regain my freedom."
As he finished speaking, a burst of unyielding, violent Haki suddenly erupted from Kid's body. Red electric arcs flashed and disappeared in the cold wind; that was the spirit of a king.
He stared at Luffy with aloof eyes, declaring his own dignity:
"But, I am also a man who possesses 'Haoshoku'!
"I, Eustass Kid, have my own pride and bottom line.
"I will absolutely never live under someone else's roof, and even less will I be some insignificant supporting act for your so-called Emperor alliance!"
Kid tugged his tattered black cloak tight, turned around, and walked toward the outside of the quarry along the towering wall without looking back.
"I have my own way of fighting.
"I am going to find my partner Killer, and all my lost crew members...
"As for the head of that bastard Kaido, I will take it down with my own hands!"
After walking a dozen steps, Kid's footsteps suddenly paused stiffly.
He stood on the edge of the high wall, gritted his teeth, seemingly overcoming some psychological barrier, suddenly turned back, and shouted at the top of his lungs at Luffy below:
"Straw Hat! The favor you did by saving me in Udon today, I will definitely repay it double!
"Before that, don't just die easily!!
"Hmph! Goodbye!"
After shouting this, Kid leaped and jumped directly off the hundred-meter-high wall, his aloof back soon disappearing into the barren wilderness.
Watching Kid's aloof back as he left, unwilling to bow his head even in death, Luffy let out a hearty laugh.
On the path of a great pirate, he understood and respected from the bottom of his heart this absolute freedom and backbone that belonged to a true pirate.
Subsequently, Luffy gradually reined in the smile on his face, his expression becoming incredibly serious.
He turned around, facing the army of five thousand fully armed, battle-ready rebel soldiers in the plaza. He took a deep breath and swung his arm forcefully:
"Alright! Everyone!
"Target Flower Capital, we are going to rendezvous with Victor!
"All troops—advance!!"
"Oh!"