New World - Onigashima.
The gloomy yet grand Skull Dome hall's atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed capable of swallowing people whole.
Kaido of the Beasts lounged lazily on the throne symbolizing supreme power, tightly clutching a newspaper that had been crumpled beyond recognition under his powerful grip.
When he saw the front-page headline, his plate-sized eyes widened abruptly.
CLANG!
The massive gourd of sake slipped from his control, crashing heavily to the floor.
Fine Wano wine spilled everywhere, staining the ground dark red like blood.
"Akainu is dead? Killed by Whitebeard?!"
Kaido's voice exploded through the hall like muffled thunder, shaking the skull decorations hanging from the ceiling violently.
He abruptly rose from his throne, stirring a howling gust of wind.
The newspaper in his hand instantly disintegrated into confetti under the force of his Haki.
"What kind of joke is this! No matter how you look at it, Akainu is still an Admiral! To be taken down so easily..."
Kaido suddenly halted his steps, a flash of insight crossing his mind.
A mocking smirk filled with disdain appeared on his face.
"Hah! He must have used that half-baked serum concocted by Vegapunk. Nothing good ever comes from that guy's tinkering—he deserved to die for relying on toys!"
He then picked up another copy of the newspaper brought by a terrified waiter.
When his gaze fell upon the photograph of Whitebeard—standing tall with a radiant white Divine Halo glowing behind his head and white flames wreathing his body—Kaido's expression froze instantly.
It was as if time itself had come to a standstill.
His thick, pillar-like fingers pressed down hard on the newspaper, knuckles turning white from the strain.
"Damn it!"
CRASH!
He roared in a sudden fury, kicking the golden throne and sending it flying across the room.
"How did this old bastard awaken his Devil Fruit after dying once?!"
The Beasts Pirates' officers in the hall fell into a terrified silence, not daring to make a sound.
King the Conflagration silently retreated half a step, his figure appearing even more stern in the dim light, his eyes revealing a trace of concern.
Jack the Drought was so frightened he stiffened completely, holding his breath and lowering his head, afraid of drawing the Governor's attention.
Only Queen the Plague, who had always been somewhat reckless (and foolish), stepped forward at this moment, an unrealistic excitement on his round face.
"Boss! Boss! Look at that!" Queen waved his mechanical arm. "Should we... try awakening too? Think about it—if we can awaken our abilities through death like that old man, every one of us in the Beasts Pirates would have an immortal body! Who could stand against us then? We'd all be unkillable cockroaches! Muhahaha!"
"SHUT UP!"
Kaido's eyes blazed with dangerous fury.
"Thunder Bagua!"
BOOM!
The overwhelming force erupted instantly.
Before Queen could even finish his laugh, he was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through three stone walls in succession and stirring up a massive cloud of dust.
"What do you know! At our level, Awakening isn't something so simple—it requires the perfect opportunity!"
Kaido's eyes burned with envy, a deep, corrosive jealousy toward Whitebeard's breakthrough.
His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the past.
Countless times he had leaped from Sky Islands tens of thousands of meters high, feeling the wind roar past his ears, the shadow of death enveloping him... yet each time he stubbornly survived, his body too tough to break, never once touching the brink of Awakening.
Countless times he had drunk deadly poisons, enduring the agony of toxins ravaging his body, teetering on the edge of death... yet fate seemed to mock him, leaving Awakening forever out of reach.
And countless times he had recklessly challenged the Marines and the other Emperors, fighting through a storm of bullets and bloodshed... yet still failing to achieve the evolution he so desperately sought.
And Whitebeard—a half-dead old man on life support—had actually achieved it?
"If my Azure Dragon awakens..."
Kaido's fist clenched with a cracking sound, his knuckles emitting crisp pops.
He envisioned himself transforming into a colossal Divine Dragon that blotted out the sky, larger than islands, its scales shimmering with a metallic luster.
The mere thought of tearing the "New" Whitebeard apart with a single swipe sent shivers down his spine.
"Just Whitebeard? I'll take him down easily!" Kaido gritted his teeth, his voice brimming with manic confidence.
Suddenly, he snapped his head toward the dungeon entrance, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
"Hey! King! Bring that brat Ace up here!"
A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes as a new scheme took shape in his mind.
"Since Whitebeard didn't die... I'll make him watch his son die! That way, I can crush his morale and vent my fury at the same time. Prepare the execution platform!"
Queen struggled to his feet from the rubble, rubbing the massive lump forming on his head.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch... That hurt like hell..."
Upon hearing Kaido's command, his scalp prickled, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.
He wanted to urge Kaido to reconsider—after all, Ace's identity was special, and acting rashly might provoke an even more frenzied retaliation from the now-immortal Whitebeard.
But remembering the Thunder Bagua he just ate, he gingerly touched his head and swallowed his words.
He shot frantic glances at King, hoping the Lunarian would help talk Kaido down, but King ignored him completely, standing aloof and indifferent as ever as he went to fetch the prisoner.
'Damn it!'
Queen inwardly groaned, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
'I have a bad feeling... The Beasts Pirates are doomed! Kaido is losing it!'
In this unpredictable era of Great Pirates, a single misstep could lead to utter ruin.
Especially now that the Marines lost an Admiral and Whitebeard was stronger than ever.
'It seems it's time to start looking for an escape route.'
'Maybe I should pack up my viruses... Otherwise, all the scientific experiments I have painstakingly developed over the years will come to an abrupt end!'
'And my grand dream of proving I'm better than Judge and Vegapunk will be over!'
...
The Eternal Divine Kingdom.
The golden glow of the setting sun draped gently over the ruins of the battlefield like a shimmering veil.
Pirates sat scattered across the smoke-filled Seventh Layer in small groups.
Their bodies were covered in wounds, some still bleeding, staining the ground beneath them crimson.
After the fierce battle against the Buster Call fleet, they were utterly exhausted, as if even moving a finger required more strength than they possessed.
Yet, their faces glowed with exhilaration.
It was a mix of victory's joy and the intoxication of power.
They looked at their hands—hands that could now summon fire, transform into beasts, or control stone.
They had survived.
And they had won.
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