Year 1514.The Grand Route.An unnamed deserted island.
"This isn't a Devil Fruit… this isn't a Devil Fruit… this is just an Australian lobster… right?"
A young man with short black hair and sharp features muttered to himself as he turned over a strange green fruit. Its surface shimmered with an ominous "∞" pattern, and the longer he stared, the more it seemed alive.
Taking a deep breath, Kane braced himself and bit down.
"Delicious!—Ugh!"
He doubled over, gagging. The taste was something between dragon fruit stuffed with canned herring and pickled puffin—pure rejection from the soul. But despite his disgust, Kane forced himself to swallow bite after bite.
This was his only chance.
No one understood the horror of the pirate world better than him. Here, mountains cracked under a single punch, seas split from the swing of a blade, and even the aftermath of a battle could flatten an island. The Four Seas were no safer—vicious pirates without, corrupt kings within, and the "wrath of heaven" that could strike at any time.
He clenched his fists. "Fortunately… fate hasn't abandoned me."
The power inside his body surged, unmistakable and overwhelming.
Animal-type · Mythical Beast · Dragon-Dragon Fruit · Model: Rayquaza.
Kane almost laughed with relief. "Good thing I caught Rayquaza before I came here. If it had been Caterpie or Magikarp instead… gods forbid."
He shuddered, imagining himself spinning silk or splashing water while monsters ruled the seas. Shaking off the thought, he turned to head into the forest for food—
BOOM!
A thunderous crash shook the island, raising a cloud of dust. Kane spun around, eyes wide. A crater dozens of meters long had appeared where the ground had caved in. And at its center… a human-shaped pit.
Hissss. Such a familiar sight.
A massive hand gripped the earth and pulled upward. A shadow shot into the sky before landing in front of him with a quake.
Kane's heart stopped.
The man was a giant, nearly eight meters tall, built like an iron tower. His black mane whipped in the wind, horns jutted from his head, and his cloak barely covered the muscles marked by a sprawling dragon tattoo. He radiated violence like a demon from hell.
"Ugh… ugh… I didn't die again. Damn it!"
Kane's blood froze.
—Kaido of the Beasts. The world's strongest creature. Wano's drunken guardian. The madman who treated suicide like a hobby.
Kaido's gaze shifted toward him, and Kane's whole body stiffened. Just being looked at was like being swallowed by a beast.
Damn it… paralyzed just by his eyes? What's the point of living in this world if I can't even move?
But Kane ground his teeth and forced his muscles to respond, glaring back without lowering his eyes.
"Oh?" Kaido's lips curled. "Interesting."
A crushing aura exploded outward. Kane's knees buckled. His mind screamed at him to collapse, to give up. It's Kaido! Losing here isn't shameful…
But why was he so unwilling?
"Stop looking down on me!" Kane roared. "It's just a mere Conqueror's Haki!"
BOOM!
A green light burst from his body, colliding with Kaido's will. His vision blurred, his skin burned, and then his body shifted—limbs stretching, claws sprouting, wings unfurling.
When the light cleared, Kane no longer looked human.
A dragon-man stood in his place: slender and emerald, claws glinting, infinity-marked scales glowing faintly, rudder-like wings unfurled, and long flat horns jutting from his head.
Kaido's eyes widened. "Mythical beast… and a king's aura."
He rested his mace on his shoulder, grinning. "Boy, do you want to join my crew?"
Kane's chest heaved. "And if I refuse?"
"Then I'll send you to hell so that fruit of yours can reincarnate."
"…Straightforward bastard." Kane gave a bitter smile. Then his eyes hardened. "But if you want me to join… prove you're worth my loyalty!"
"Dragon Wave!"
Energy gathered in his jaws, condensed into a glowing beam, and tore toward Kaido.
Smoke and thunder roared across the island. But Kane wasn't fooled—this wasn't Pokémon. Type advantage didn't matter here.
"Air Blade!"
He slashed, and compressed air scythes rained through the haze.
From within the smoke, Kaido's laughter rang. "Hahahaha! That's it! Even if you're afraid—move forward!"
A black mace swept casually, shattering every blade of wind. Kaido emerged, chest smoking but nearly unscathed, only faint scratches marking his skin.
He leaned forward, eyes blazing with battle-lust. "Is that all, brat? Don't tell me you're done already."