A swirling blue vortex tore open the empty air near the massive outer gates of Onigashima.
Stepping out of the magical gateway, the giant woman landed heavily on the rocky ground. The moment her boots touched the dirt, the portal snapped shut, vanishing without a single trace.
Standing alone in front of the towering Torii gates, O-Lin blinked. The sky above hung dark and thick with gray clouds. Jagged rocks surrounded the pathway leading up to the massive skull dome in the distance.
Rubbing her stomach, a loud, echoing rumble vibrated through her immense frame.
"Oshiruko," O-Lin muttered, her eyes locking onto the distant fortress. "The hat-man said the greedy people here have all the sweet soup."
Guarding the front entrance, two Beast Pirates sat near a small campfire. Holding wooden mugs of cheap ale, they complained bitterly about the freezing coastal winds. Hearing the heavy thud of footsteps, both guards turned their heads toward the gate.
The mugs slipped from their hands, shattering on the stones.
"Is that... Big Mom?" the first guard whispered, all color draining from his face.
"Impossible," the second guard stammered, scrambling backward into the dirt. "King knocked her ship off the waterfall yesterday! How did she get past the perimeter without a boat?"
Ignoring their panic, the giant woman stomped toward the campfire. Leaning down, she cast a massive shadow over the trembling guards. A wide, childish smile stretched across her face, contrasting with her terrifying size.
"Do you have the oshiruko?" O-Lin asked brightly, clapping her hands together.
Staring up at the Emperor, the guards could only shake their heads in silent terror.
The innocent smile vanished instantly. A dark, petulant scowl replaced it.
"You are hoarding it!" O-Lin yelled, her voice booming across the rocky landscape.
Raising her massive fist, she brought it down squarely on the iron Torii gate. Thick metal buckled and snapped under the force. Ripping the broken gate from its stone foundations, the amnesiac Emperor tossed the hundreds of tons of iron aside like a discarded toy.
"Hey! We just painted that gate last week!" a guard screamed, dodging the falling debris.
Marching forward, O-Lin did not bother chasing the fleeing sentries. She simply walked in a straight line toward the fortress, letting nothing stand in her way.
Approaching the first line of defense, a large squad of armed Beast Pirates rushed out from a wooden barracks. Drawing swords and raising flintlock rifles, the men formed a ragged, terrified defensive line across the road.
"Fire!" a squad leader commanded, his voice cracking loudly.
Dozens of bullets struck the giant woman. The lead projectiles flattened harmlessly against her impenetrable skin, falling to the dirt like pebbles.
Noticing the annoyance, O-Lin didn't even break her stride. She casually swatted her hand through the air, acting as if she were brushing away a swarm of gnats.
The backhand strike generated a massive gust of wind. Sending twenty men flying through the air, they crashed violently into a nearby watchtower.
"Where is the sweet soup?!" she demanded.
Grabbing the barrel of a defensive cannon, she lifted the heavy artillery piece with one hand. Peering down the dark iron barrel, she checked for hidden bowls of soup. Finding only gunpowder, she groaned in disappointment and tossed the cannon over her shoulder. It crashed through the roof of the armory.
"My weapons!" a quartermaster wailed, pulling at his hair. "Who is going to explain this to Queen?!"
"Forget the cannons! I'm going home!" another pirate yelled, dropping his sword and sprinting toward the coast.
Leaving a trail of destruction, the hungry Emperor carved a path straight through the outer courtyard. Stone walls crumbled under her casual footsteps.
Deep inside the central cavern of the skull dome, the King of the Beasts sat cross-legged on the floor.
Holding a giant gourd of sake, Kaido drank deeply. Alcohol spilled down his chin, splashing onto his massive chest. The Emperor remained in a foul mood, still brooding over the the loss of his artificial Devil Fruits.
Standing near the open balcony, King the Wildfire maintained a silent vigil. The All-Star wore his standard black leather uniform, his face hidden behind a spiked mask. Flames licked quietly at his back, casting dancing shadows against the cavern walls.
The stone floor beneath Kaido's boots trembled slightly.
Lowering the sake gourd, the Yonko narrowed his eyes. A faint, rhythmic booming sound echoed from the front of the island, carrying through the thick stone of the dome.
"What is that noise?" Kaido grumbled, setting the heavy gourd down. "Are the Numbers throwing a tantrum again?"
Looking over the balcony toward the front gates, King noticed a thick cloud of dust rising into the air. The faint sound of panicked screaming carried on the wind.
"It appears to be a disturbance in the outer courtyard," King reported, turning back to his captain. "It is causing significant damage."
Waving a massive, dismissive hand, Kaido picked up his drink again. "Go see what the commotion is about. Beat whoever is responsible into submission and tell them to be quiet."
Nodding once in acknowledgment, King stepped onto the balcony ledge.
Igniting the flames on his back, the All-Star leaped into the air. Transforming his arms into massive, leathery pteranodon wings, he glided smoothly away from the skull dome, heading directly toward the rising dust cloud.
Soaring over the compound, King surveyed the damage.
The level of destruction immediately ruled out a simple brawl among the crew. The defensive wall possessed a gaping hole. The ground was littered with broken cannons and unconscious Beast Pirates.
Following the trail of ruin, the All-Star found the source.
Hovering in the air, King stared in disbelief.
Walking through the wreckage of the courtyard, Big Mom picked up an entire wooden watchtower. Shaking it vigorously to see if snacks would fall out, she tossed the empty structure into the sea. She wore a torn pink dress, her hair wildly unkempt, muttering continuously about red bean soup.
Charlotte Linlin, King thought, his sharp mind racing to process the impossibility. How did she get past the whirlpools? And why is she acting like a toddler?
Spotting a terrified Beast Pirate grunt hiding behind a broken pillar, King folded his wings. Diving toward the ground, he landed lightly on his boots, drawing the large katana from his waist.
Grabbing the trembling grunt by the collar, King hauled the man to his feet.
"Go inside the dome immediately," King ordered, his voice cold, calm, and authoritative. "Tell Kaido-san that Big Mom is here. Tell him she survived the fall."
Nodding frantically, the grunt scrambled away, sprinting toward the central cavern as fast as his legs could carry him.
Turning his attention back to the giant woman, King stepped into her path.
"Charlotte Linlin," King called out, gripping his sword tightly. "You have trespassed on Onigashima. State your business."
Stopping her search, O-Lin looked at the masked man standing in the rubble. Her eyes drifted past his sword, locking entirely onto the flames burning steadily on his back.
A wide, excited smile broke across her face.
"Fire!" O-Lin cheered, pointing a massive finger. "You have a fire! You can cook the oshiruko for me!"
Frowning beneath his mask, King recognized the vacant, unhinged look in her eyes. She lacked the sharp, calculating malice of a Yonko. The terrifying woman acted like a starving, oversized child.
"There is no food here for you," King stated bluntly. "Leave this island immediately."
The excitement vanished, replaced by an expression of childish betrayal.
"No food?" O-Lin repeated, her voice dropping into a dangerous growl. "You are lying! The hat-man said you were hoarding it! Give it to me!"
Charging forward, the ground shook under her heavy boots. She swung a massive fist at the All-Star.
King did not attempt to block.
Tapping into his incredible speed, the Lunarian vanished from her path. The punch struck empty air, the force generating a small windstorm that blew the roofs off several nearby buildings.
Appearing high above her, King swung his katana.
Andon.
Coating the blade in intense, burning flames, he slashed downward, aiming for her exposed shoulder.
The flaming sword struck the giant woman's skin. A loud metallic clang echoed through the courtyard. The blade failed to pierce her natural durability, leaving only a faint scorch mark on her dress.
Her physical toughness remains absolute, even without Haki, King analyzed calmly, pushing off her shoulder to flip backward into the air. Engaging in a direct brawl is a waste of stamina. I need to keep her off balance.
Noticing the heat on her shoulder, O-Lin swatted her hand blindly at the sky, annoyed by the pesky flying man.
Transforming fully into a Pteranodon, King utilized the open sky. He soared out of reach, flying in rapid, unpredictable circles above the courtyard.
"Come back down and make the soup!" O-Lin yelled, stomping her foot in frustration.
Grabbing the remains of a stone pillar, she ripped the heavy column out of the ground. Spinning her body, she hurled the massive projectile into the sky with the speed of a cannonball.
Banking sharply to the left, King dodged the incoming debris. The stone whistled past his wing, crashing harmlessly into the distant cliffs.
She lacks coordination, King noted, watching her tear another boulder from the earth. Her movements are emotional.
Diving back toward the courtyard, the Pteranodon picked up speed. Instead of attacking her directly, King aimed his sharp beak at the boulder in her hands. Shattering the stone into dust before she could throw it, he immediately pulled up, flying back into the safety of the gray clouds.
Furious at the loss of her projectile, O-Lin roared.
Shifting back into his human form mid-air, King ignited his flames higher. Tapping into his Lunarian heritage, the fire spread from his back, coating his sword in a blinding, superheated inferno.
Tempura Udon!
Thrusting the blade forward, King unleashed a concentrated beam of fire shaped like a dragon. The intense heat warped the air, illuminating the dark courtyard as the attack shot directly toward the amnesiac Emperor.
Seeing the massive column of fire approaching, O-Lin did not dodge.
She simply walked forward.
The inferno washed over her massive frame. Flames engulfed her, burning the cobblestones beneath her boots to ash.
King watched closely, waiting for the smoke to clear.
Stepping out of the blazing inferno, O-Lin appeared unharmed.
"Too hot!" she complained loudly, waving a hand in front of her face to clear the smoke. Swatting a lingering patch of fire off her sleeve, she blinked as if the devastating attack had been nothing more than a warm summer breeze. "It's burning my dress! Stop playing games and give me the soup!"
She walked right through Lunarian fire, King thought, maintaining his calm exterior despite the absurd display of durability. Standard attacks will not stop her. I must lead her away from the armory and stall until Kaido-san arrives.
Flapping his leathery wings, King flew toward the coastline, hoping to draw the hungry monster toward the sea.
"Come back here!" O-Lin demanded, ignoring the tactical retreat.
Instead of chasing the flying dinosaur, the giant woman turned her attention back to the massive skull dome. If the flying man wouldn't give her the soup, she would just tear the big house apart until she found it herself.
Marching toward the central fortress, O-Lin pulled her right arm back. Muscles bulged in her shoulder. She prepared to deliver a punch carrying every single ounce of her monstrous, natural strength directly into the main support pillars of the dome.
A massive shadow suddenly eclipsed the courtyard.
Dropping from the high balconies of the skull dome, a towering figure plummeted toward the ground. Moving with blinding speed, the King of the Beasts landed directly in front of the amnesiac Emperor.
Grasping a massive, spiked kanabo with both hands, Kaido swung the heavy weapon horizontally.
Thunder Bagua.
Black lightning trailed behind the iron club. The strike moved faster than the eye could track, carrying the will of a Yonko.
The kanabo connected squarely with the crown of O-Lin's head.
A shockwave of energy and Conqueror's Haki exploded outward. The sheer force flattened the remaining ruins in the courtyard and blew the heavy storm clouds entirely away from the island.
The blow halted O-Lin's forward momentum instantly.
Stumbling backward, the giant woman dropped her raised fist. Her eyes widened in sudden, jarring shock. The trauma of the Haki-infused strike rattled her brain against her skull.
Her eyes rolled backward. The strength left her legs entirely.
Crashing face-first into the dirt, the giant woman hit the ground with a heavy, deafening thud.
Standing over the fallen body of his former crewmate, Kaido breathed heavily, resting the iron club over his broad shoulder.
"Crazy old hag," Kaido muttered, rubbing his own muscular arm. The recoil from striking her absurdly tough body sent a dull ache through his bones.
Shifting back into his human form, King landed lightly next to his captain. The All-Star sheathed his sword, looking at the massive crater caused by the single strike.
"She caused significant damage to the outer defenses," King reported, adjusting his spiked mask. "It appears she lost her memory after falling from the waterfall. She was asking for sweet soup."
"I don't care what she wants," Kaido grunted, staring down at the unconscious woman.
Looking at a group of terrified Beast Pirates slowly creeping out from behind the rubble, the Emperor barked his orders.
"Get the heavy chains!" Kaido commanded, his voice echoing across the ruined courtyard. "Wrap her in one hundred percent sea-prism stone while she is vulnerable. Bind her hands, her feet, and her torso. I want her locked in the deepest cell in the dome."
The grunts scrambled to obey, running to fetch the specialized restraints required to hold a monster of her caliber before she could wake up.
Turning back toward the central cavern, Kaido took a drink from the small flask tied to his belt.
"Tell me the moment she wakes up," the Yonko ordered over his shoulder.