The situation in Wano was indeed complicated.
Accompanying Roy this time was Atmos, who had grown accustomed to these trips.
"Big bro, you're still worried about Loxus, aren't you?" Atmos asked.
"You think he'll have any trouble with his strength?" Roy replied.
"He shouldn't. Loxus is really strong," Atmos said.
"How do you know?"
"I heard it."
"Hearing doesn't count. Seeing is believing. We'll know when we see it. That battle is probably over by now."
The story had changed due to his involvement. He no longer knew how things would unfold or what outcomes to expect.
He had to go see for himself, see what the result really was.
What if Kaido actually won?
Of course, Luffy was unlikely to lose, his protagonist halo and the awakening of Nika made him nearly invincible. But Roy wanted to witness Nika with his own eyes.
When Roy set out, the real battle had just begun.
On one side, Luffy, Kid, Law, and Ace, leading their crews alongside the samurai of Wano.
On the other, Kaido and Big Mom, two Emperors united.
The great war was about to erupt. Ace had taken Marco's place, and Kaido faced five supernova-level opponents alone, while Ace fought King and Queen by himself.
"Captain Ace!"
Just as Ace clashed with King and Queen, Loxus appeared.
"Loxus!!" Ace looked at him. Their eyes met, Ace smiled, while Loxus looked back calmly.
"Loxus, we came to find you!" Deuce and the others were excited.
"Thanks for not forgetting me. But... Captain Ace, I'm now an officer of the Beasts Pirates."
Loxus drew his spiked club and stared at Ace.
"I figured. Luffy will defeat Kaido. As for you, your opponent is me." Ace smiled.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Loxus transformed into lightning in an instant. Ace let go of King and Queen, who were shocked Loxus would act.
Apparently, Loxus still had pirate honor, he didn't betray them.
They'd been worried he might, which was why they teamed up to deal with Ace and let Loxus fight others.
Now, they knew better. As the son of an Emperor, Loxus knew what he had to do.
It was time to settle things with Ace.
"Fire Dragon!"
Their attacks clashed with explosive speed. Flames and lightning collided, causing massive explosions. The fire engulfed nearby buildings.
The shockwave blew everyone back. In the next moment, a black dragon burst from the flames, with black scales and whiskers.
"Boro Breath!"
The dragon opened its maw and unleashed searing flames at Ace.
Ace jumped from the blaze, swallowing the fire from the earlier explosion.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace's signature attack met the dragon's heat breath head-on.
The fire collision caused another enormous blast, flames raged across the battlefield. No one dared remain nearby.
Outside, Kaido clashed with the supernovas. Inside, Ace and Loxus fought.
The Scabbards were in action. The Straw Hats faced their own opponents.
On Onigashima, chaos reigned, and battles erupted everywhere.
As the fighting continued, everyone found their match: Sanji fought Queen, Zoro fought King.
The key difference was Ace's presence, who kept Loxus at bay.
"Get out of the way!"
Loxus swung his club and sent Yamato flying, who had tried to stop the fight.
"Weren't you once Ace's subordinate? Why are you doing this to him?" Yamato asked, seeing Loxus fight Ace.
He had known Ace longer; they'd fought, become friends.
He'd met Loxus only because Kaido often praised him, scolding Yamato and comparing them.
Kaido had stirred up conflict between them, he wanted Yamato to be Loxus's sparring partner.
Their relationship wasn't good. Yamato now looked at Loxus with disdain. How could he raise a hand against his former captain?
"Yamato, this has nothing to do with you. Step aside," Ace said coldly.
"But he's attacking you."
"This is between me and him, none of your business."
Yamato instantly understood.
To bring Loxus back to the Spade Pirates, Ace had to either defeat Kaido or Loxus.
There was no other option.
Ace needed to prove himself, that he had the strength to bring Loxus back.
If he couldn't win, or if Kaido won, then Loxus would remain a member of the Beasts Pirates.
To Ace, the only way was to prove himself with power.
If you're weak and lose your comrades, the only way to bring them back is through strength.
That was what happened to Gecko Moria; he lost his crew because he was too weak, then blamed them instead of himself.
Ironically, Moria had treated his subordinates well; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so loyal.
The fight resumed. Kid and Law teamed up against Big Mom. The other battles raged.
With CP0's interference, everyone believed Luffy had lost, and Kaido had won.
Kaido descended from the rooftop and saw Ace battling Loxus.
"Roger's son. Are you here to reclaim your comrade?" Kaido laughed.
Both men were in half-dragon form. Seeing Kaido now, then looking at Loxus, Ace burst into flames.
"Wororororo... defeat me, and you can take him back!" Kaido roared and transformed into a giant dragon, charging at Ace.
"Fire Dragon!"
A fire dragon charged to meet Kaido. Loxus stood nearby, watching.
Then, amid everyone's despair,
A rhythmic drumbeat sounded.
A giant hand reached down from the rooftop and grabbed Kaido's dragon form.
To everyone's shock, it dragged Kaido into the sky!
Ace's attack missed, but Loxus did not freeze. He went on the offensive.
"Looks like Luffy's still in the fight," Loxus said.
"I knew he could do it," Ace smiled.
"But sorry, Captain Ace. You won't win." Loxus was cloaked in flames.
"Fire Dragon Great Torch."
"Don't underestimate me. I've grown too. How else could I be your captain?"
Ace's Conqueror's Haki exploded. So did Loxus's.
Their Haki clashed violently, equal in power.
"Fire Dragon Emperor's Flame!"
Blue, nearly transparent flames burst from Ace's back.
Their firepower melted the surrounding rock. They couldn't see Luffy's battle anymore.
But just this battle alone was already earth-shattering.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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