Doflamingo died.
The man who tried to destroy the world ultimately failed to realize his ambitions.
For people like him, there are countless across the seas.
No one knows who will be next.
Tick, tick...
Suddenly, raindrops fell from the sky, as if mourning the fallen.
"Kaelen!"
A roar echoed through the sky.
Kaelen's movements had been too fast. Killing Doflamingo didn't even take two breaths, and only then did Kaido finally react.
Now that Doflamingo was dead, didn't that mean the production of artificial Devil Fruits had ended? Wouldn't his entire Beast Legion vanish like smoke?
Realizing that his dream of being the world's ultimate zoo director had been shattered, Kaido's fury exploded.
"Roar!"
"You actually killed Joker! Aaaargh!"
Kaido's enraged roar shook the heavens. His jaws opened wide, condensing a glowing fireball filled with searing heat and terrifying energy.
Even from hundreds of meters away, the sheer power radiating from it was palpable.
"Move!"
Kuzan yanked the stunned Robin and retreated swiftly.
Kaido had lost control. He was about to annihilate the entire palace with his attack.
...
[System Notification: Congratulations to the host for looting the corpse of Doflamingo. Acquired: String-String Fruit ability, Conqueror's Haki...]
[System Notification: Congratulations to the host for looting the corpse of Pica. Acquired: Stone-Stone Fruit ability...]
[System Notification: Congratulations to the host for looting the corpse of Diamante. Acquired: Flutter-Flutter Fruit ability...]
After acquiring Doflamingo's powers, Kaelen easily dispatched the remaining top executives—frozen in ice sculptures—ignoring the sticky powers of the slain Trebol.
Looking up calmly, Kaelen narrowed his eyes.
"That's your 'Heat Breath'? Hah, it's nothing like the legendary dragon breath."
He shook his head slightly, disappointed.
Myths were always more impressive than reality.
"Fine, if we're fighting, then fight. But spitting everywhere isn't exactly polite."
Grumbling under his breath, Kaelen shot upward, streaking toward Kaido. His right fist crackled with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, brimming with energy.
"You wanted to go one-on-one? Then let's go, Kaido!"
With a deafening shout, Kaelen hurled his fist forward.
Boom!
The air exploded, unleashing a blinding white shockwave that surged toward Kaido's dragon head.
The radiant energy split the darkness, visible from all corners of Dressrosa.
Kaido's crimson eyes flared. His heat breath had just finished charging. He opened his mouth wide and unleashed it.
A huge orange fireball, trailed by a tail of flame, rocketed through the air.
All of Dressrosa fell silent, eyes turned skyward.
Boom!
The two energy waves collided, like twin meteors crashing into each other. The resulting shockwave echoed like thunder.
Waves of destruction rippled in every direction. Clouds were blown apart, revealing the bright sun once again.
Cracks tore through the earth. Giant waves surged across the sea, smashing outward.
Both combatants were thrown back, undamaged but forced to reposition.
Kaelen, not missing a beat, transformed into golden light and appeared instantly before Kaido's face.
Kaido's massive dragon body was powerful, but his reaction speed couldn't match Kaelen's. He failed to respond in time.
Boom!
A glowing fist smashed into Kaido's head with a dull impact.
The intense vibrations shot through Kaido's skull, disorienting him. His vision blurred, his brain rattled.
For someone built like a fortress, Kaelen's tremor attacks were especially devastating—bypassing physical defenses to shake him apart from within.
"Roar!"
Kaido quickly realized his dragon form wasn't suited for a direct fight with Kaelen. In a flash, he shifted into his humanoid form and dropped to the ground.
Kaelen remained suspended in the air, gazing down.
The two stared at one another. Their intense Haki clashed invisibly, the air thick with pressure.
Then, a cold voice broke the tension.
"What are you doing here, Kaido?"
Swish!
A figure appeared out of the mist—Kuzan.
"Kuzan."
Kaido's posture stiffened. He'd been preparing to continue the battle with Kaelen, but seeing the former admiral made him hesitate.
It wasn't that he feared Kuzan more than Kaelen, but now facing both, he knew continuing would bring no gain.
He wasn't an idiot. Two against one wasn't favorable—especially when Kaelen's techniques were fast and strange.
One-on-one had already been a challenge. With Kuzan here too, the risk was too high.
"Leave, Kaido. You have no business here," Kuzan said in a calm but firm voice.
Doflamingo was dead. But that didn't mean the chaos was over. Things would only grow more complicated from here.
Kaido stirring things up now would only make matters worse.
Kaelen glanced at Kuzan. He didn't object. It wasn't the time to finish Kaido yet.
When he grew stronger, there would be plenty of time.
"Kaelen Tsukishiro... you killed Joker. I'll return for you."
Ignoring Kuzan, Kaido glared at Kaelen, growled his threat, and transformed into a dragon once again, flying off.
"Heh. I'll be waiting, Kaido!"
Below, Kaelen let out a carefree laugh.
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(A/N:This fanfiction was originally crafted by the author back in 2021. Not sure if the Wano arc had dropped yet when they wrote it, since I only watched the anime in 2022. So it's understandable the author wasn't aware of the whole "Conqueror's Haki infusion" thing at the time.)
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