Without warning, the sky ignited at a point beyond the horizon. Clusters of flaming clouds—white, black, red, and cyan—encircled the Sun Tree Eve, drifting high above the sea. A colossal, crushing pressure descended from the heavens. These clouds seemed to solidify, transforming from ethereal wisps into a heavy canopy that blanketed the world and left everyone beneath it struggling for air.
"What... what is happening?" someone whispered.
The phenomenon was not contained to the Red Port; the Holy Land Mary Geoise and Marineford were equally transfixed. Warriors across the battlefield ceased their fighting to stare upward in disbelief. Even those on the distant Sabaody Archipelago watched the strange spectacle. Just as the confusion peaked, the clouds began to move. They swirled and tumbled like giant dragons, forming massive, outward-surging vortices that raced across the ocean. In an instant, an area spanning nearly a hundred nautical miles around the Holy Land was swallowed by the rolling inferno.
As the clouds converged, the radiant light of the Sun Tree Eve dimmed. The sky darkened as if night had fallen, leaving only the eerie glow of the flaming clouds to illuminate the firmament. The people trapped beneath this artificial roof felt as though they were locked in a box, with the flickering light of the clouds serving as their only point of reference.
Then, a deep, resonant rumbling echoed through the air. A blinding golden light erupted, weaving itself into golden threads that began to bind the swirling clouds. As these threads appeared, everyone's pupils constricted. While the earlier suffocation had been psychological, this was tangible. Observation Haki users and Devil Fruit eaters, in particular, felt their powers being drained and suppressed by a mysterious force.
"What kind of power is this?" someone choked out.
Under the restraint of the golden threads, the clouds stopped their expansion. Pulled by an unseen force, they began to contract back toward the Sun Tree Eve, growing denser and brighter with every second. The golden threads merged into the clouds, the intensity of the light growing until, to everyone's absolute shock, a golden dragon emerged. Its scales radiated a blinding brilliance, and its massive, serpentine body coiled tightly around the trunk of the Sun Tree Eve. Its mountain-sized eyes scanned the battlefield, the sheer weight of its presence pinning everyone below into silence.
"Roar!!!"
The golden dragon raised its head toward the heavens and let out a deafening cry. Its body undulated against the tree before it launched itself into the sky, breaking through the clouds with an aura that made the earth tremble. It vanished into the horizon, leaving only silence in its wake.
"Rumble..."
Above the canopy, the golden dragon soared in a circle before bursting into a storm of golden starlight. This light descended in a massive vortex, streaming directly into the central palace. Inside, the light converged upon Kaido, enveloping him until he was encased in a radiant golden egg.
In the distance, a massive black lava python—a creature capable of blotting out the sun—hovered in the air. Its yellow, snake-like pupils, which usually held nothing but malice, were now wide with terror.
"What kind of power is this?" the entity hissed.
It had existed for over a millennium and ruled from the shadows for eight hundred years, yet it had never witnessed such a force. The golden light merely brushed against its form, yet it burned with unbearable pain. An immense pressure, like iron shackles, bound the creature. For the first time in centuries, the self-proclaimed King of the World felt true fear. Without hesitation, the entity smashed through the palace walls, desperate to flee. But as it burst into the open air, its body locked up completely.
"What is going on?"
The creature looked back and saw a giant hand emerging from the golden light, clamping firmly around its tail.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" a voice boomed. "Our battle has only just begun!"
A golden flame erupted, instantly engulfing the dark lava snake and consuming the World King.
In the New World, Wano Country—the true stronghold of the Beasts Pirates—was a scene of organized chaos. Ships were packed with citizens, their families, and livestock, all departing from the island to sail toward a new destination. At the edge of the port, Kurozumi Otama, the current Shogun of Wano, watched the evacuation. She glanced back at the island, then looked up at Queen, who stood beside her with a troubled expression.
"Teacher Queen, will we ever be able to come back?" she asked softly.
Queen puffed on his cigar, his face stern. "I do not know, Otama. But you have seen the truth of Wano now, haven't you?"
Otama nodded. Not long ago, guided by Kaido and King, she had descended into the underworld beneath the Flower Capital. She had seen the ancient, beautiful Wano hidden underwater and finally understood the secret history of her land.
"The opening of Wano is inevitable for the final battle," Queen explained. "While my calculations suggest the country will not be destroyed, the impact of opening the borders means we cannot guarantee the safety of ordinary people. Moving everyone to the Wokah Kingdom is the best choice. Even those Fish-Men from Fish-Man Island have been relocated there by Big Brother Kaido."
Though Otama had grown much in the last two years, she was still only eight years old. She felt a lingering sadness at leaving her home, but she understood that Kaido's orders were absolute and necessary for the survival of her people.
Just then, Baby-5 and Monet approached with members of the Donquixote Family. "Lady Otama, Lord Queen," they reported respectfully, "everyone has been arranged properly."
"Good," Queen nodded, turning to the Shogun. "You have done well, Otama. You may board the ship now. The duty of protecting the citizens of Wano is entrusted to you."
"Yes, I understand, Teacher Queen!"
Under the guard of the Donquixote members, Otama boarded the final vessel. Queen watched them depart, took one last long, deep pull from his cigar, and turned to walk toward Onigashima, where a group of his comrades waited for him.
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