"Boom!!!"
The very heavens seemed to crack open as Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, two of the Four Emperors, descended from the clouds. Their arrival signaled the official start of the clash between the pirate alliance and the Navy.
"Hmm!"
Kaido's massive, lantern-like eyes shifted toward Fleet Admiral Akainu. A look of genuine interest crossed the dragon's face. "So that's it, Magma Brat. I was wondering where you got such a big mouth to tell me to 'get out.' It seems you've already awakened the power of the Magma-Magma Fruit, haven't you? You must have gained quite a bit from that little scrap you had with Kuzan."
"What!!!"
The revelation hit like a cannonball. It wasn't just the pirates who were startled; even the Marines turned to look at their Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, with eyes full of disbelief.
"A Logia Devil Fruit awakening?" one soldier whispered, his voice trembling.
"Is that even possible?" another asked.
A younger recruit looked around in confusion. "Wait, what exactly is an awakening?"
"Idiot," a veteran hissed, not taking his eyes off the Emperors. "All you need to know is that once a Devil Fruit awakens, the user gains power on an entirely different scale."
Beside Kaido, Big Mom looked at Akainu with newfound suspicion. "Hey, Kaido, is what you're saying true? Did this brat really reach that level?"
Charlotte Linlin understood better than anyone what an awakening represented. It was a tier reserved for world-class powers.
"That's right, I can't be mistaken. Hmm..." Kaido's voice rumbled. If this had been the old Kaido, he might have missed the subtle shift in the environment. But after gaining the power of the Forest God, his perception of Devil Fruits had reached a legendary level.
Kaido's gaze then drifted across the deck, settling on another figure. "And you, Borsalino... you've been hiding quite deeply. Judging by your aura, you must have awakened the power of the Light-Light Fruit a long time ago, haven't you?"
"!!!"
This time, the shock among the Marines was even greater. Even Sakazuki looked at his colleague with genuine astonishment. For the first time, the Fleet Admiral felt like he couldn't truly see through the man standing next to him.
Kizaru, seeing his secret laid bare, stepped forward a few paces. He tilted his head back, looking up at the two monsters in the sky. "There's nothing for it, I suppose. Since I've been found out, there's no point in hiding it anymore. However, Kaido, since you know that Sakazuki and I have both awakened our Logia powers, you should understand something. Even if you and Charlotte Linlin join forces, you still stand no chance against the might of the Navy."
Big Mom's face twisted in exasperation. "Kaido, is he telling the truth? This guy has also awakened a Logia power?"
Kaido burst into a fit of dark laughter. "Worororo! Linlin, I told you, raw strength is the only thing that matters. You didn't expect to be surpassed by two brats, did you?"
The mockery hit Big Mom like a slap. Her face contorted with rage. "Damn it, Kaido, don't you dare underestimate me! So what if they've awakened their powers? They're still green compared to me!"
As she spoke, thick coils of black and red lightning began to dance around her fist—the unmistakable sign of advanced Conqueror's Haki. The sheer pressure she emitted made it feel as though the world itself was beginning to fracture.
"It's like looking at an Oni Shura from the depths of hell," Trafalgar Law whispered from his hiding spot on the island. Cold sweat poured down his face, and his crew was visibly shaking beside him. Even though Big Mom was focusing her Haki inward, the aura was so terrifying that it felt like a physical weight on their chests.
"No, no, no... Don't be so hasty, Linlin," Kaido said, his voice strangely calm. "The battle can start at any time. But before we get to the main event, let's have a little appetizer first!"
Hearing Kaido's words, Big Mom's attitude shifted instantly. Initially, she had been furious about the idea of revealing the Road Poneglyph, but she was a survivor. Two Admirals with awakened Logia powers were already world-class threats. When you added Sengoku, Garp, the other two Admirals, and the hidden elites of the World Government into the mix, the odds were daunting.+1
Kaido's plan was the only way to tilt the scales.
"Mamamama... That's right, Kaido. Let's start with the appetizer!" Linlin relaxed her stance, her terrifying aura vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
The sudden change left everyone confused. On the Marine deck, a sense of deep unease began to spread. They had seen this before. Every time they thought they had the upper hand, Kaido managed to put them on the defensive.
"What are you planning, Kaido?" Akainu roared, his fists beginning to drip with molten magma.
"Worororo..." Kaido's laughter echoed across the sea. "Don't worry, Marine. You'll find out soon enough!"
As he spoke, four small figures flew up from the Wokaa Kingdom below, rising into the sky to join the Emperors. When the Marines saw these figures, their faces turned pale.
Kizaru's expression became unprecedentedly grim. "How is that even possible..."
"That appearance..." Tsuru said, her voice trembling with disbelief. "They look like Seraphim... no, they're slightly different. They have the Lunarian traits, but that face... it's Stussy..."
Down on the island, the members of the underworld were in an uproar. Hawkeye Mihawk and Crocodile turned their sharp gazes toward the real Stussy, who was standing nearby. Stussy's eyes were wide, her delicate face filled with shock as she stared at her own likenesses in the sky.
Only Doflamingo and the news mogul Morgans wore cunning smiles, though even they were wondering exactly what Kaido's endgame was.
In the sky, the four young girls hovered in front of Kaido and Big Mom. Unlike the previous encounters, there was a fourth member this time—a girl named Momo, a warrior-maiden who possessed the power of the Momo-Momo Fruit.
"Lord Kaido!" the girls chirped.
Big Mom looked at them with surprise. "What is this, Kaido? Why do these four children look exactly like that woman, Stussy?"
"Don't worry, Linlin, I'll explain everything later. But for now... girls, are you ready?"
"Ready, Lord Kaido!!!" they shouted in unison.
Simultaneously, the four girls reached up and pressed their ears. Momo stepped forward, placing her hands on her sisters' shoulders.
"Momo · 100x Magnification!!!"
Suddenly, strange sounds began to echo across the entire world. In bars, teahouses, busy restaurants, and the mansions of nobles—wherever people had purchased the new television and radio equipment from Buggy the Clown—the devices crackled to life.
Because of the previous broadcast involving Bullet, the world was already on high alert. People scrambled to turn on their screens. What they saw sent shockwaves through the four seas.
The images of the two great Emperors of the New World, Kaido of the Beasts and Charlotte Linlin, appeared on every screen from the East Blue to the Grand Line.
Kaido looked directly into the camera, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I'll make this short," Kaido's voice boomed through the speakers of a thousand islands. "To everyone watching this broadcast, you are very lucky. I suggest you start recording, because right now, I am going to give you the information from the Road Poneglyph... the map that leads to the final island: Laugh Tale."
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