"Kaido, I have to admit… you've gathered quite a powerful group of allies…"
"Blackbeard, Gecko Moria, Red the Aloof, Douglas Bullet, Byrnndi World, Hanafuda… oh right, and Doflamingo, who's been colluding with you since long ago."
"If not for me… your alliance really could've done whatever it wanted across this sea, couldn't it?"
Michael looked at Kaido with a faint indifference in his eyes.
If Kaido had just stayed holed up on Raijin Island, Michael honestly would've saved him for last.
After all, the Beasts Pirates alone were far from a real 'threat.'
But after Michael killed Shiki the Golden Lion, the scattered pirates—each fleeing for themselves—flowed toward other pirate factions…
Then the Whitebeard Pirates and the BIG MOM Pirates founded their nations one after another, further reducing the choices pirates had.
And in this "whale fall," the Beasts Pirates became the greatest beneficiaries.
This sudden swelling of strength made Kaido once again set his sights on Wano.
"Enough talk, Michael."
Kaido's massive dragon head tilted slightly as he looked toward Onigashima.
"I've long wanted to take your life…"
With that, he flew straight toward Onigashima.
"That's enough, Hancock." Michael raised a hand and gently patted her head. "You've done well. Leave the rest to me… the people of Wano will meet you near the coastline."
"Alright." Hancock let out a breath, then stepped onto Geppo, walking away toward the shore while looking back every few steps.
"Please… return safely."
"Don't worry. It's just Kaido… hardly enough to cause me trouble."
...
"C-Captain! Are we really just hiding here? Is this fine?" a subordinate of Ochoku whispered. "Our allies are already fighting…"
"You idiot. If you really think they're allies, you won't even know how you died!" Ochoku rolled his eyes, still shaken by those two massive flying slashes from earlier.
He wasn't weak.
He wasn't some coward who fled at the sight of a strong enemy.
He possessed considerable power… but he instinctively preferred the easiest way to achieve his goals.
For example, the one who first charged toward the Seraphim was Ochoku's own fleet…
But after that enormous flying slash, Ochoku quietly ordered his fleet to split left and right and stay out of sight.
This left the unlucky Gecko Moria first in line—now directly facing the Seraphim…
And the Secret Special Force aboard the Seraphim.
However…
For a seasoned fox like Ochoku, who had lived through the Rocks Era, the God Valley Incident, and the Great Pirate Era…
What was shame?
Dying for no reason, without even accomplishing your goal—that was true shame!
In his eyes, whether it was Rocks or Roger…
They were both shameful!
Only surviving to the very end mattered—whatever he said would then become truth!
Longevity was everything!
Besides…
He was a pirate.
Cunning and deceit should be his specialty, right?
Ochoku thought this as a proud smile crept across his face.
The strong fighting the strong, wearing each other down…
Then Ochoku swoops in as the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
What a delightful story!
"Captain! Something's happening!"
"That Gecko Moria looks like he's going all out!"
"Going all out?" Ochoku grinned even wider. "Looks like the legendary Secret Special Force is strong indeed… Moria was once someone who could rival Kaido, after all… even if he's lost some edge, he's still formidable… and they already pushed him to desperation?"
"A-And there's something else!"
"What now? Another battlefield shifting?"
"On the Seraphim's ship—a golden path is stretching across the sea… headed straight for us!"
"Golden? Are you imagining treasure again?" Ochoku followed the pointing finger. "What gold—holy crap! It IS gold!"
Across the sea's surface, a floating golden road rushed toward Ochoku's pirate ship at incredible speed!
And atop it was a group of Marines…
All staring at them with unwavering focus.
"H-Hey hey hey, what is this… they're ignoring that fight completely?" Ochoku twitched at the corner of his mouth and sighed. "So much for benefiting from the chaos… are they forcing me to show my true strength?"
As he spoke, Ochoku unclasped his cloak and tossed it aside.
Then, violent, surging dual-color Haki flooded through his body.
"If that's how it is… then come!"
"Let me see what the Marines of the new era are capable of!"
...
Kaido stepped onto Wano's soil once more, emotions swirling in his heart…
But none of the confidence he once had remained.
From the air, he saw Kozuki Oden leading all his samurai, standing ready at the coastline.
The moment he saw Oden, Oden seemed to sense him as well—raising his head, eyes sharp as blades.
Kaido's mouth twitched into a twisted grin…
That one exchange of gazes…
Made the three scars Oden left him begin to throb again.
His face, his neck, and his lower back…
Oden had carved three wounds into his body—scars that would never fade.
Even if Kaido had long surpassed Oden now…
The pain Oden gave him lingered like maggots clinging to bone, forever echoing in his mind.
"Hmph, Kozuki Oden… once I'm done with Michael, you're next."
"Kaido, you are strong. I can't defeat you at full power right now…" Oden's hands rested on Ame no Habakiri and Enma. "But the same applies to you. You won't defeat my father-in-law."
"…Your father-in-law? I don't recall any old man in Wano like that."
"No—you're heading to Onigashima right now to fight my father-in-law."
Kaido's enormous dragon body froze midair.
In his eyes erupted pure, tangible contempt and disappointment:
"I thought you were a real man…"
"And you mean to tell me you married Michael's daughter just to beat me? What an utterly shameless beast!"
Kozuki Oden: "What the hell are you talking about, you damn villain!?"
-----------
Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg