Chapter 9 – Yamato's Escape, Akira's Delaying Strategy!
12:35 p.m.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The battle raging across the skies of Onigashima had lasted for thirty-five relentless minutes.
Kaido's massive dragon claws clashed once more with Akira's colossal eight-meter fists, each impact shaking the heavens themselves.
Black and crimson lightning burst wildly across the clouds, crashing like storms that tore the very air apart.
Below them—the giant skull island that had once hosted endless feasts—was now nothing but a shattered battlefield.
"Wororororo!!"
Kaido's thunderous dragon roar rolled across the skies, brimming with exhilaration and bloodthirsty joy!
Whatever drunken haze he had left was long gone.
His enormous dragon eyes gleamed with sharp excitement as he looked upon the lone warrior below—
a man merely eight meters tall, yet unyielding before the might of a thousand-meter dragon!
"Good! Excellent!!"
"Akira!!"
Kaido roared in delight, his voice echoing through the clouds.
"You brat! You're even tougher than my Three Calamities!"
"From now on—let's make it four! The Four Calamities!"
Ding—!
A clear chime rang in Akira's head.
[Armor of Will fully charged!]
[Permanent Physical Power +1%!]
Akira felt a fresh surge of energy flood through his veins—
his endurance and strength rising yet again.
A sharp, almost feral grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
Layer after layer of Will Core stacked within his body, compounding endlessly—
his physique evolving even further mid-battle.
Kaido truly was the perfect sparring partner.
"Well then, Father-in-law!"
Akira's voice thundered as his massive fist slammed into Kaido's dragon jaw, forcing the massive beast's head back slightly.
"That all you've got?!"
"Come on! Use more power!!"
"You arrogant brat—you really are asking for death!!"
Kaido's enormous tail whipped through the air, striking Akira squarely in the chest and sending him crashing back through the clouds!
The battle had reached its blazing peak—
an all-out clash of will, strength, and unrelenting spirit!
— — —
Meanwhile—
Amid the shattered remains of Onigashima's great hall…
"Ugh… kuhh… gah…"
Several Gifters, the Beast Pirates' artificial Zoan soldiers assigned to keep daily watch over Yamato, crawled out from beneath piles of rubble—covered in dust and bruises.
They were supposed to be "elite soldiers" of the crew.
But in a battle between monsters like these, they were nothing more than insects.
All they could do was hide between boulders and pray to survive, trembling like frightened mice.
"Quick! Head to the medical wing!"
"Check if Young Master Yamato is still there!"
"If Yamato's missing…"
"The Boss will kill us all!!"
Without hesitation, they sprinted through the ruins toward the medical department—
a zone personally managed by Akira, and supposedly the safest area on the island.
But when they arrived—
The entire wing was empty.
"W-Where is… Young Master Yamato?!"
The leopard-type Gifter's voice shook as he stared into the vacant room.
"Hurry! Find her—find her now!"
"Search every corner of this island if you have to!"
"Dig up the ground if needed! Just find Young Master Yamato!!"
They scattered like madmen, tearing through rubble and shouting orders in all directions.
The leopard Gifter followed a trail of scent leading toward the harbor—but when he got there, not even a single piece of cloth or bandage remained.
"Could she have… jumped into the sea?!"
"Idiot!!"
"You think Young Master Yamato would do something that stupid?!"
"She must've used the chaos while the Boss was fighting Akira-sama to escape on a ship!!"
A snake-type Gifter collapsed onto the ground, his pale face drenched in sweat.
Their leader, the leopard-man, looked equally stricken.
"It's over!!"
He wailed in despair, his voice cracking like a pig being slaughtered.
"That insane woman!!"
"She's going to get us all killed!!"
"Hurry!!"
The leopard-man scrambled to his feet, half-running, half-crawling.
"Report to Kaido-sama—right now!!"
Without a second thought for the apocalyptic duel raging above, the terrified soldiers bolted toward the island's center, desperate to deliver the news.
— — —
Among the ruins—
King, the masked Calamity, stood silently atop a massive slab of stone.
His black wings spread partially behind him, shielding his body from the shockwaves descending from the sky.
Behind him, the rotund Queen hid behind the folds of his own body, shaking with every thunderous explosion.
"King! You saw that, didn't you?! Akira's gotten even stronger again!"
King didn't answer.
His gaze stayed fixed upward—on the colossal eight-meter figure trading blows with Kaido high above.
Akira.
The rate at which that man's power was growing was beyond reason.
Then, with his Observation Haki, King caught a flicker of movement below.
He turned his masked head sharply.
A group of Gifters was running frantically toward Kaido's direction, their faces pale with panic.
"Stop."
King vanished from sight—
and reappeared before them in the next instant.
His voice was cold, razor-sharp.
"The Boss is in a very good mood right now."
"So tell me—why are you making noise?"
The leopard Gifter dropped to his knees instantly under the suffocating pressure of King's presence.
His knees hit the ground with a loud thud.
"King-sama!!"
His voice quivered, on the verge of tears.
"This is bad—terribly bad!!"
"Young Master Yamato—!!"
"Young Master Yamato… she… seems to have left Wano!!!"
"…"
"What did you just say?"
King's pupils narrowed sharply behind his mask.
In a flash, he seized the leopard-man by the collar and lifted him high into the air.
"Yamato… escaped?!"
"Y-Yes!!"
The Gifter stammered, trembling.
"When we got to the medical ward, she was gone!"
"Useless!!!"
King's fury exploded!
BAM!
His Armament Haki–reinforced slap sent them flying like rag dolls!
Their bodies slammed into the rubble, blood spilling from their mouths before they lost consciousness.
"That damned girl!!"
King's entire frame trembled with rage.
He looked up toward the sky, eyes burning behind his mask.
He needed to report this.
He had to stop this insane "training session" immediately—
and propose that the Three Calamities set sail to hunt down and bring that reckless girl back to Onigashima!
— — —
High above the island—
Akira was still immersed in the ecstasy of battle.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
The chime of the Armor of Will rang in his mind like the sweetest symphony.
His body grew stronger with every passing second—his transformation now visible to the naked eye!
But amid the thunderous clash, the corner of his eye caught movement below: the Gifters running in panic… and King's furious slap that silenced them.
"So they finally noticed," Akira muttered, his expression calm.
"Took them a bit longer than I expected."
"From King's reaction… looks like he's heading to report to Kaido."
"That can't be allowed."
He looked up at the raging dragon overhead.
The time—12:40 p.m.
"Not even a full hour yet…"
"I can't let you speak now—not even for a second!"
BOOM!!!
Kaido's massive tail came sweeping down from the sky once again!
A sharp glint flashed in Akira's eyes.
He deliberately dropped his guard—letting the blow land head-on instead of dodging it!
THUD!!!
His body fell like a meteor, slamming into the island below!
BOOOOOOM!!!
The impact carved a massive crater into the ground, sending debris flying.
By sheer coincidence, he landed near the ruins of the grand throne—the very seat that once belonged to the "Fourth Commander."
"Hm?"
Kaido paused midair, momentarily surprised.
He slowly descended from the clouds, his enormous dragon body shrinking and coiling back into his towering humanoid form—over seven meters tall.
"Worororororo!"
Kaido stepped forward through the smoke, his massive frame casting a shadow over Akira.
"So, my dear son-in-law," he rumbled.
"Out of strength already?"
"What happened to that spirit that roared so proudly just minutes ago?"
"Boss Kaido!!"
King saw his chance. He dashed forward, landing beside his captain with urgency in his tone.
"There's something urgent I must report—"
"—Wait!!"
A louder roar cut him off—Akira's!
With visible effort, Akira rose from the rubble, reaching for something long that had been hidden there all along—
wrapped tightly in black cloth.
It was… Murakumogiri, a Great Grade Naginata of supreme class!
SHHHK—!!!
The black cloth tore away!
VMM—!!!
A blinding gleam burst forth as the legendary blade was revealed, radiating an aura so sharp it shook the air itself!
The surrounding ruins trembled beneath its killing intent.
King, ready to speak again, froze mid-step—
the sheer pressure of the sword's aura crushed his words in his throat.
Akira raised Murakumogiri high—then slammed its hilt into the ground!
BOOM!
Stones shattered in all directions.
He glared up at Kaido, his voice ringing through the battlefield.
"Well then, Father-in-law!!"
"The warm-up is over!!"
"Let's fight with weapons now!!"
"Show me your true power!!!"
"…"
"Wororororo!!"
Kaido laughed thunderously, eyes glittering with madness.
"Not bad at all, boy!"
"That blade… looks familiar, doesn't it?"
His grin widened, battle fervor flaring once again.
To him, a true fight didn't begin until weapons were drawn!
"Good!!"
"Now you're speaking my language!!"
"Boss Kaido!!"
From afar, a booming voice echoed—Jack's!
Somehow, the mammoth pirate had climbed back up from the ocean.
His face was swollen like a pufferfish, one tusk broken in half, but his eyes burned with desperation to redeem himself!
Jack sprinted toward the weapon rack beside the ruins, grabbing Kaido's legendary spiked club—Hassaikai!
"Boss!!"
He hurled it upward with all his might!
"Catch this!!"
Kaido raised his massive hand and caught Hassaikai midair with perfect precision.
He rested it on his shoulder and, for the first time, praised Jack with a grin.
"Good work, Jack."
"Uwawawa!!"
Jack nearly cried on the spot—this was the first time the Boss had ever praised him!
"Boss Kaido!!"
Behind them, King's masked face darkened like thunderclouds.
Idiots… every last one of them!
He strode forward again, refusing to give up.
"Boss Kaido! It's about Young Master Yamato—she—"
"SHUT UP!!!"
Kaido roared furiously!
BOOOOOOOM!!!
He slammed Hassaikai into the ground, sending shockwaves through the island!
"Whatever it is—later!!"
"Can't you see I'm enjoying this fight with my son-in-law?!"
"Step aside!!"
"…"
King fell silent, crushed by the overwhelming weight of Kaido's Conqueror's Haki.
His jaw clenched in silent fury and despair—
but orders from the Boss were absolute.
He could do nothing but back down.
"Wororororo!!"
Now unimpeded, Kaido twirled Hassaikai on his shoulder, his laughter echoing through the ruins.
His battle spirit burned hotter than ever as he studied Akira's weapon.
But the more he looked—
the more his smile faded.
"Hm?"
"That naginata…"
"Why does it look more and more familiar the longer I stare at it?"
His dragon-like eyes narrowed—
and then, realization struck like lightning.
"Wait—no way…!!"
"That damn weapon—!!"
BOOOOOOOM!!!
Kaido's fury exploded!
"AKIRA!!!"
His roar shook the entire island!
Akira blinked, stunned.
"Huh? So he really recognized it?"
"You're my son-in-law, Akira!!!"
Kaido pointed at him furiously.
"How dare you wield—"
"—a naginata that looks exactly like that old bastard Whitebeard's?!"
"Are you mocking me?!"
"As my son-in-law, a man of the Beasts, Yamato's husband—!"
Kaido jabbed Hassaikai toward Akira in outrage.
"You should be fighting with a spiked club, not a naginata!!!"
"Tch…" Akira sighed.
"Fine then!"
Kaido spat to the side, sneering.
"If your taste is that awful—"
"Then today, I'll show you…"
"WHAT THE STRONGEST WEAPON IN THE WORLD REALLY IS!!!"
"Worororororo!!!"
Kaido's Hassaikai flared with black-and-red lightning as his overflowing Conqueror's Haki burst to life!
He lunged forward like a thunderstorm incarnate!
"Thunder Bagua!!!"
Akira: "..."
Well, anyone who glanced at the weapon would misunderstand.
"Alright then, Father-in-law…"
"Come at me!"
— — —
On the sidelines, King stood motionless, completely ignored.
He stared at the two of them—father-in-law and son-in-law—
clashing again with childlike glee, as if they'd found their favorite new toys.
King's entire body trembled with frustration.
Inside his head, he could only curse bitterly.
Why did I even panic earlier?
The one who ran away was the Boss's own daughter—this guy's wife.
When the truth comes out… the ones who'll regret it won't be me…
It'll be those two idiots!
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