"You bastard, how dare you attack Boss Xiano!"
The Mammoth Giant Elephant roared as it charged into the dock, rushing toward Kaido without hesitation.
He had just finished transporting treasure chests from the bank and had no idea who this horned man was—nor did he care!
All he knew was that this guy had suddenly descended from the sky with an aggressive stance, clearly intending to harm Boss Xiano!
In that case, Jack had no choice but to step forward!
To stop this old fool!
"Hmm?"
Kaido blinked in surprise, eyeing the reckless youth charging at him with a hint of astonishment.
"Where did this brat come from?"
Quite bold, wasn't he? And seemingly a rare Ancient Zoan user at that. To think Xiano had such a subordinate—it made him a little envious!
But still...
A cold glint flashed in Kaido's eyes.
This kid hadn't even grasped the scent of Haki yet. With skills like these, he dared to attack him head-on...
Did he really have no respect for the title of the Four Emperors?!
Crack!
Kaido grinned, not even bothering to draw his Spiked Club. Instead, he simply clenched his right fist and threw a punch!
—Crackle!
Thick black lightning surged forth—not Conqueror's Haki, but Armament Haki compressed to its absolute limit.
Jack's pupils shrank abruptly.
Who the hell is this guy? He's strong!
He sensed the terrifying power behind that punch, but in his Mammoth form, his mobility was severely reduced. There was no way to dodge.
Fine. Then he wouldn't dodge—he'd take it head-on!
With a furious roar, Jack refused to retreat, continuing his reckless charge!
But then—
Whoosh!
Just as Kaido's fist was about to strike Jack, a black shadow suddenly flashed between them, throwing a punch of its own!
BOOM—!!!
Fists collided, and a terrifying shockwave erupted instantly!
The ground cracked like a spiderweb, and a violent gust of wind swept outward, causing the surrounding dock walls to collapse in an explosion of rubble!
Jack was sent flying by the aftershocks, his massive body tumbling several times before crashing with a thunderous impact into the dock's enormous iron gate.
The thick steel door instantly dented inward, nearly pierced through by his tusks.
"Not bad. That's some strength."
Kaido ignored Jack, instead narrowing his eyes with growing excitement as he examined the black-haired youth standing before him.
"Your Haki is strong too! Exceptionally strong! No wonder, no wonder!... I heard Hanafuda didn't last long against you—what was it, three or four hours before he was beaten down?"
"To be precise, less than two hours."
Xiano glanced at Jack, who, despite being unharmed, was now grunting as he struggled to pull himself free from the steel plate. "Did you come here today to avenge him?"
Hanafuda's strength was only mid-tier among the Warlords of the Sea. The only reason he lasted that long was because the Tyrannosaurus Fruit greatly enhanced his durability.
"That guy's reason accounts for, at most, a small fraction of it!"
Kaido suddenly drew the Spiked Club from his back. "Right now, I'm more interested in beating the hell out of you—to see if I can make you submit willingly and join my crew as a member of the Beast Pirates!"
Just as expected.
Xiano had already anticipated this attitude.
"It seems you and Hanafuda are old friends, but your relationship isn't that great after all."
Xiano grinned. "If it were King who died by my hand, it'd probably be an endless feud, right?"
"Gurararara... There's no way King could die by the hands of a brat like you! Stop talking nonsense!"
Kaido laughed wildly. "Forget that—why don't you just surrender and become one of my 'All-Stars'? If you do, I might go easy on you so you don't end up half-dead by the time I'm done!"
"Speaking of which, that old man Whitebeard has a bunch of commanders, and Linlin has her Sweet Commanders. But right now, I only have two All-Stars. The underlings aren't much use in big fights—what I'm missing is someone like you!"
"Become an All-Star, and your status in the Beast Pirates would be second only to mine! Even Marine Headquarters wouldn't dare touch you anymore! So? Think about it!"
"No thanks."
Xiano shook his head. "You sound so sincere, like you're willing to let bygones be bygones. Almost makes me emotional. But..."
"Compared to bending the knee and becoming your subordinate..."
Xiano bared his teeth in a savage grin, his fists clenching as dense Armament Haki surged around them like a tide.
"—I'd much rather beat you into the ground, Kaido!!!"
Before the words even finished, his figure shot forward like lightning, both fists drawn back, gathering power before slamming toward Kaido's chest with overwhelming force!
"Arrogant brat! You're asking for death!"
To reject it outright without even considering it!
Kaido flew into a rage, his massive hand gripping his Spiked Club as it crackled with black-red lightning. He swung it down with terrifying force—
"Thunder Bagua!!!"
"Six Styles Ultimate Technique—Ripple Dash!!!"
BOOM!!!
Rippling shockwaves clashed against the black-red lightning, tangling and grinding against each other before exploding outward in a devastating shockwave!
This time.
It wasn't just Dock One.
The entire City of Seven Waters trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake.
The intricate network of waterways crisscrossing the city surged violently, waves crashing and churning!
Xiano's right fist smashed into Kaido's chest, sending ripples through the muscles like a stone striking water.
But his left arm was blocked by the Spiked Club. After a brief struggle, he couldn't withstand the overwhelming force and was sent flying backward!
THUD!
By sheer coincidence, Xiano's trajectory matched exactly where the mammoth had flown earlier.
Jack, who had just barely managed to pull his tusks out of the steel gate, let out another scream as he was perfectly embedded back into it.
Xiano, using Jack as a cushion, managed to stop himself in time.
Bracing against a tusk with one hand, he wiped the blood from his lips with the other, staggering to his feet. He rolled his neck and rubbed his forehead, his momentarily dazed eyes quickly regaining focus.
"That's it?"
Xiano couldn't help but laugh, raising his head to look at Kaido again.
Facing the same strike, his performance was far better than Nika's during the time of the Five Emperors—but that was only natural.
After everything he'd fought through to reach this point, even someone as strong as a Four Emperor couldn't possibly take him down in one hit!
"Gurararara!!! Hic~!"
Kaido, still slightly drunk, laughed heartily as well. He placed his left hand on his chest, where the skin had caved in slightly, though no blood was visible.
"Feels a bit sore around the heart, brat! So you've mastered Internal Destruction, huh? Seems this fight's gonna be even more fun than I expected!"
He tightened his grip on his Spiked Club, hoisting it onto his shoulder, his eyes blazing with battle lust as he grinned.
"Recovered yet, brat? Time for my second swing!"
—But Xiano raised his right hand, signaling a pause.
"No more."
"Huh?"
Kaido frowned. "Scared?"
"As if, hahaha!"
Xiano laughed.
Call it quits now?
This was just getting started!
That Thunder Bagua strike had been similar to Garp's Fist Bone Impact, giving him a faint glimpse into the mechanics of Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
He had to keep going—no stopping now!
He was just starting to get a feel for it, hoping to grasp even more!
Sure, taking a hit from that club was no joke.
But…
Kaido, I need to improve!!!
...
"Then what's your point?" Kaido pressed impatiently.
"Let's change locations, Kaido."
Xiano grinned.
He happened to be standing between two massive iron gates, with a clear view of most of Water 7's cityscape below.
The nearby streets and waterways already showed signs of collapse, with terrified citizens fleeing in panic toward the outskirts.
Just the aftermath of their clash had caused this much destruction.
If they kept fighting, it wouldn't just be Galley-La Company's Dock No. 1 in ruins—the entire city would be leveled.
Kaido followed Xiano's gaze and immediately understood his concern.
"Why waste time worrying about nobodies, brat?"
Kaido snorted dismissively. "Who cares about ants? When the strong fight, the weak suffer—that's just how it is."
"You might not care, but I'd be holding back."
Xiano pointed at himself. "If I can't fight at full strength, it won't be satisfying. And if you knock me out in a few hits under those conditions, where's the fun in that?"
"Nonsense!"
Kaido scoffed, slamming his Spiked Club into the ground with enough force to shake the entire island.
"Worororo… But fine, since I'm in a good mood after finally finding you, I'll humor you. Pick a new battleground!"
He untied a gourd of liquor from his waist, took a deep swig, then glared with chilling intensity.
"Name the place, brat. Don't waste my time—nowhere too far!"
"Don't worry, it's close."
Xiano pointed toward the outskirts of Water 7.
"See that station? Follow the tracks—the Sea Train reaches Enies Lobby in a few hours. With your flight ability, you'll get there even faster. Fighting on the World Government's turf sounds way more fun than wrecking civilians' homes, doesn't it?"
"Enies Lobby?"
Kaido's interest piqued as he looked over. Under the moonlight, the outline of the sea rail stretching toward the horizon was clearly visible.
"WORORORO!!"
Kaido roared with laughter. "Brat, you've got good taste in venues!"
"Should've said so earlier, that suits me just fine! The World Government's still dreaming, thinking they can use me to wipe you out, but I won't play by their rules!"
"What do you mean by that?" Xiano raised an eyebrow, already guessing the answer.
"What do you think, you brat!"
Kaido snorted. "Paradise isn't like the New World—it's completely under Navy control! Under normal circumstances, do you think those bastards would let a Sea Emperor run wild in the first half? They'd have pissed their pants and sent an Admiral to intercept me already!"
"But this time? I've been in Paradise for days, and no one's lifted a finger! No surveillance, no tracking, no troop movements... nothing! Never had it this easy before. It's obvious the World Government wants to use me as their blade!"
No.
Kaido belched drunkenly and shook his head.
Easy?
Hmph, not exactly.
It's just that the Navy finally had the sense not to come looking for trouble this time.
He'd put in considerable effort himself.
The vast sea was boundless, and even for someone who could transform into a azure dragon and soar through the skies, finding someone he'd never met—whose presence he couldn't even recognize—was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
All he could do was fly around the islands near Alabasta, eliminating them one by one through process of elimination.
Each time he passed an island, he'd pause briefly to sense if there were any powerful auras present.
If there were, he'd land to investigate.
If not? Onward he flew!
All in all, it had been a stop-and-go journey full of detours!
Kaido couldn't understand why there were so many unwanted figures in the first half of the Grand Line, wasting his time.
First, he ran into some flamboyant freak swinging between clouds on strings—apparently a newly minted Warlord of the Sea a few years back. What was his name? Something long and forgettable.
Anyway, the guy blocked his path and got in the way, so Kaido swatted him aside with his tail, sending him flying into the horizon like a shooting star.
Then there was some idiot holed up on a sky island. When Kaido approached, the guy immediately declared himself a god and demanded he kneel.
Completely deranged and annoying as hell. Kaido casually knocked him out with a Thunder Bagua, turning his face into a swollen mess, then kicked him all the way down to the Blue Sea.
Finally, just the day before yesterday, he sensed an aura sharp as an unsheathed blade. This had to be the one! Kaido landed excitedly, only to find...
—It was Hawkeye Mihawk.
He'd known the guy for years, though they weren't acquainted enough to recognize his presence. For some reason, Mihawk was there drinking alone, looking utterly dejected, so Kaido left without a word.
Until tonight.
When he finally picked up Xiano's trail...
What a hassle!
"So that's how it is..."
Xiano gave Kaido a surprised glance.
This old brute might look rough and straightforward on the surface, appearing like another hotheaded fool like Jack, but it was all an act.
Beneath that deceptively reckless exterior lay a cunning mind adept at scheming.
"Worororo!"
Kaido laughed uproariously and took another swig of liquor. "Those idiots really thought I'd obediently play their blade? This time, it's their turn to reap what they've sown!"
"Seems we're on the same page after all."
Xiano grinned. "Then let's not waste time. Let's go!"
He turned to Jack, who had just struggled free from the iron door, panting heavily:
"You go ahead and regroup with the others. Tell them I've headed to Enies Lobby. As for the remaining loose ends here, let Kuina handle them as she sees fit."
He was referring to the maintenance and upgrades of the Sunset, as well as the disposal of the two remaining captured CP9 agents.
"But boss..." Jack reverted to his human form, looking up at Kaido with evident concern.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Xiano patted his shoulder, discreetly hooking his right foot to pick up the ivory tusk that had fallen unnoticed earlier. "Go on, be good. You're not ready to intervene in a battle of this level yet."
With that, he leaped into the air, using Moon Walk to propel himself skyward, instantly becoming a blur streaking across the sea.
Then, using sections of railway tracks as stepping points at intervals, he made his way toward Enies Lobby.
"Hey kid, not bad speed there!"
Kaido burst into laughter as his body suddenly expanded and transformed. In the blink of an eye, he became a massive azure dragon. With a flick of his tail, he gave chase.
...
Enies Lobby.
While the surrounding seas were shrouded in darkness, this island alone was bathed in celestial light, bright as day.
To be precise, this place experienced daylight twenty-four hours a year-round—a true "city that never sleeps."
As one of the World Government's three major institutions, it also served as the headquarters for the secret intelligence division CP9.
Not long ago.
The island had been ravaged by the Blue Ogre and Red Ogre, suffering severe damage. The World Government had deployed heavy reinforcements, taking nearly a month to restore it to its original state.
At this very moment.
Inside the meeting room of the Judiciary Tower, Spandam, the highest-ranking officer of CP9, held a coffee cup with a grim expression as he glared at the three subordinates who had just returned:
"So you're telling me... both Devil Fruits were stolen by that clown Buggy in Spring Queen City?"
"Yes, sir..."
Jabura turned to shoot a hateful glance at Fukuro, who guiltily lowered his head.
"Please calm your anger, sir."
Kumadori pulled out a short knife with a sorrowful expression. "Don't blame my comrades—this was all my fault! I shall now commit seppuku to atone! Yo-yoi!"
"Iron Body!"
With a metallic clang, the knife tip bounced off, leaving Kumadori completely unharmed.
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