Chapter 69: The Strongest Creature
Against a thousand pirates, the samurai numbered only eleven.
Naturally, the pirates assumed this battle would be a swift and easy victory.
But the samurais' strength far exceeded the pirates' expectations, turning the fight into an unexpectedly prolonged struggle.
Yet the samurai, too, had miscalculated.
Though their foes were a thousand pirates, they had entered the battle believing they wouldâcouldâwin without fail.
Now, they were forced to confront their own naivety.
They had anticipated a harsh fight, yesâbut never had they imagined their enemies would be this strong.
The pirates' overwhelming power, surpassing all expectations, steadily cornered the samurai.
"Hah⊠HahâŠ!!"
"TchâŠ!!"
"Oh my, already out of breath? Samurai and ninja alikeâyou really need better training."
"âŠ! Donât you dare underestimate samuraiâthe warriors of this land!!"
"We can still fightâŠ!!"
In a corner of the forest, Shinobu and KikunojĆ clashed fiercely against their opponent: one of the Beast Pirates' top executives, "Calamity Joker."
But since the battle began, the samurai and ninja had started gasping for air, their bodies littered with painful wounds. Though none were fatal, the fight was taking its toll.
Shinobu and KikunojĆ, provoked by Jokerâs taunts, hurled kunai and swung their blades, leveraging their two-on-one advantage. The surrounding small fry no longer matteredâsuch was the samurais' strength.
Yet Joker was no ordinary foe. A veteran pirate with a bounty exceeding 500 million in the outside seas, her power was anything but mediocre. With terrifying force, she pressed the two. Her leg flashedâ
"âTempest KickâŠCrimson Lotus!!"
"TchâŠ! Another blade of wind from her kicksâŠ!?"
"Damn it, more sorceryâŠ!!"
A crimson slash tore through the air. KikunojĆ and Shinobu blocked with their swords, but the sheer force sent them skidding back. Joker pursued midair.
"Calling everything you donât understand âsorceryâ⊠How amateurish for intelligence officers."
"! Lady Shinobuâbehind you!!"
"âŠ!!"
"âVampireâs Hook Claw!!!"
"GhâAhâŠ!?"
KikunojĆâs warning came too late. Jokerâs claw-like hand tore into Shinobuâs back, sending her crashing to the ground. KikunojĆ stepped forward, sword raised protectively.
"Are you alright!?"
"Ngh⊠Iâm fine⊠I can still⊠fightâŠ!!"
"Fufufu, can you really? Iâve barely used half of my âvampireâ power, yet youâre already on deathâs door~âĄ"
"Hah⊠Vampire�"
"Some kind of demonâŠ!?"
The two, natives of Wano with no knowledge of the outside world, had no concept of vampires. Joker smirked at their ignorance.
"If youâre curious, look it up yourselvesâFlying Finger GunâŠHornet Sting."
"Guh!!?"
"!!? What theâ Some kind of hidden weaponâŠ!?"
The moment Joker pointed, KikunojĆâs shoulder was pierced by an invisible force. The attack continued past him, obliterating trees and even a distant building.
Shinobu tensed at yet another inexplicable technique, but before she could strike, Joker movedâfaster than the ninja.
"Hidden weapons? Please. My whole body is the weapon. Think of that as a sniperâs shot."
"!!? Behindâ!"
Shinobu hurled a kunai coated in Ryuo at Joker, who had vanished and reappeared behind herâbut it never connected.
"The intel about samurai being âtoo strong to challengeâ seems outdated."
"Underestimate us, and youâll regret itâŠ!!"
KikunojĆ unleashed a flurry of slashes, but Joker dodged effortlessly before catching his Ryuo-wrapped bladeâwith her claws.
"!!?"
"Youâre outmatched in speed and power. At best, youâre just âsuperhumans.â And superhumansâmere humansâcanât defeat an empire.âFinger GunâŠScarlet Pin!!!"
"Tch, dodge it!!"
Instinct screamed at Shinobu to evade rather than blockâa split-second decision that saved her.
"That boulderâŠ!!"
"Even with Ryuo, this is too muchâŠ! HahâŠ!"
The massive rock shattered into dust from Jokerâs finger strike. As KikunojĆ said, even infused with Haki, the attackâs power was monstrous.
"That wouldâve killed you~⥠Fufu, do you finally grasp the gap between us?"
"Hah⊠Hah⊠So whatâŠ!? Youâre still human!! That means the fightâs not over!!"
"Using that much Ryuo must drain youâŠ! If we drag this out, we still have a chance!!"
Though battered, Shinobu and KikunojĆ refused to yield.
But banking on Haki exhaustion was a mistakeâJokerâs strength wasnât limited to it.
Her body, honed to superhuman mastery, augmented further by Haki, had transcended into monstrosity.
And now, empowered by her vampiric might, she had surpassed even that.
Noâshe was no longer human.
She wasâ
"Fufu, where do you see any âhumansâ here?"
"What!? Are you saying youâve abandoned humanity!?"
"Oh, you do understandâ"
"!! Damn itâsheâs coming!!"
Joker vanished into crimson mist midairâthen struck in an instant.
"âBad Lady Scramble!!!"
"!!!?"
Faster than her earlier movement, stronger than the boulder-shattering blow, the attack smashed into KikunojĆâs ribs.
Had his Ryuo defense barely held? Even so, the force split the earth and sent him flying.
"Sorry, but Iâve left humanity behind. What stands before you now isâ"
"âŠ!!"
A Calamity.
No longer bound by human limits, Joker smirked as Shinobu paled. Even if KikunojĆ survived, he couldnât fight anymore.
She was alone against this monster.
"Fufufu⊠Shall we continue our fun?"
"TchâŠ! Of courseâŠ!! I will defeat youâeven if I die trying, Iâll drag you down with meâŠ!!"
"Such recklessness is almost refreshing. But as long as it amuses me~"
With a grin, Joker unleashed more of her vampiric power. Crimson wings unfurled against the blood-red crescent moon peeking through the clouds, her fangs glinting as she sneered.
"âThis nightâs just getting started."
"KikunojĆ!!?"
âIdiot, KanjĆ«rĆ!! Donât take your eyes off him!!â
âMuhahahaha!! Thatâs right!! No room to worry about your friends now, is there!?â
âKhâ!!!â
Elsewhere on the battlefield, KanjĆ«rĆ and DenjirĆ were locked in combat. Facing them stood one of the All-StarsâQueen the Plague.
When KanjĆ«rĆ turned his head toward Kikunojo, whoâd just been sent flying, DenjirĆ snapped at him. And in that instant of distraction, Queen seized the opening and slammed his club down on DenjirĆ.
The blow was so heavy it left a crater in the ground. DenjirĆ barely managed to block it, but his arms groaned under the strain, his face twisting in pain. On top of that, his body still burned from the earlier attackâit felt like his flesh was melting away. Breathing was a struggle. His lungs and throat throbbed with pain.
âHaa⊠haaâŠ!!â
âMuhaha, howâs that? Hurts, doesnât it!? This oneâs a real masterpieceââZombieâ! A disease that eats you alive from the inside out!! Got the idea from that idiot who attacked the other day!! And this babyâs loaded with it!!â
âDenjirĆ!! Forgive me!! You took that blow for meâŠ!!â
âKh⊠this much⊠is nothingâŠ!! More importantlyâweâve gotta take him downâŠ!!â
Queen, clearly pleased with his own creation, grinned as Denjirà writhed in pain. He and his subordinates laughed together, while Kanjërà clenched his teeth in shame at his own failure.
But DenjirĆ wasnât about to let that show. He dismissed the injury and called KanjĆ«rĆ to action. After all, even he couldnât deny being worried about Kikunojo. Heâd allowed himself a moment of distraction as wellâand now they were paying for it.
Still, the fight wasnât over. With determination, he gripped his sword tightly and glared at Queen. Queen sneered back.
âSure~~~ that guy wonât die just yet~~~âȘ But you really think you lot are getting out of this alive? Donât make me laugh!! You samurai are so stupid, it actually makes my job easier!!â
âGyaaha! Couldnâtâve said it better, Queen-sama!!â
âToo many idiots to count!! This countryâs crawling with morons!!â
âIs this place only populated by dumbasses and blockheads!? Gyaahahaha!!â
âShut your damn mouthsâŠ!!â
DenjirĆ lashed out with a furious swing of his sword. That anger became fuel for his RyĆ«Ć, and the bladeâs cutting edge was sharp enough to slice through a wave of lesser enemies in an instant.
But that was just against small fry. It wasnât enough to bring down this âcalamity.â
âKhâŠ! Damn it, I canât break throughâŠ!!â
âMuhaha!! And weak, too!! Just two samurai⊠just eleven of you losers think you can beat us!? Know your damn place!!â
âGhhâŠ!!?â
Queen easily deflected DenjirĆâs attack, then swatted aside KanjĆ«rĆâs follow-up strike with a mere flick of his arm. They hadnât expected him to be this powerful. His massive, rotund frame was deceptiveâbeneath the bulk was nothing but pure muscle. He was fast, powerful, and unbelievably heavy.
He was like a mountain. No matter how many attacks they threw at him, he wouldnât budge. Even their most forceful blows bounced right off.
And if that wasnât enough, he also had his bizarre inventions and weaponized plagues to keep them off-balance.
Yet DenjirĆ and KanjĆ«rĆ refused to give in. Even when told to âknow their place,â they kept fighting.
âHaa⊠haa⊠Trust me, we do know our placeâŠ!!â
âThatâs rightâŠ!! Weâve never been fit to be true samuraiâŠ!!â
âYeah⊠weâre nothing but thugs, street rats, common crooks⊠Thatâs who we really areâŠâ
âMuhahaha!! Now this is rich!! So you know youâre trash and still come swinging!? You guys are beyond saving!! Kozuki Oden mustâve been the biggest idiot of all, having losers like you as his retainers!!â
Queen mocked Oden, lumping him in with the samurai he led. If they were all fools, their leader mustâve been the king of fools.
But DenjirĆ and KanjĆ«rĆ wouldnât let that go. They could take being ridiculed themselvesâbut not their lord.
âShut your mouthâŠ!!â
ââHuh!? Whatâd you say?â
âI said shut up, you walking pile of meatâŠ!! Mock us all you want⊠Weâd never have become samurai if not for him⊠So we deserve to be laughed atâŠ!! Butââ
âWeâll never forgive anyone who mocks the man who raised us up⊠Lord OdenâŠ!!â
âDamn right⊠Weâll beat you down right here, and take that insult with us tooâŠ!! We wonât let Lord Oden go down as some âfool of a lordâ...!! If we fight like cowards, thatâs when peopleâll laugh at him!!â
âWe wonât let you disgrace him!! Because we are⊠samurai!!!â
ââŠâŠâ
Denjirà and Kanjërà stood tall and defiant, facing down an enemy far above them in strength without an ounce of fear.
To live and fight as true samuraiâthat was their way of repaying the great debt they owed to Oden. No matter how strong the enemy, no matter how far the disease ate into their flesh, they would not back down.
Their loyalty and resolve were admirable. Against any ordinary opponent, that alone mightâve been enough to win.
Butâ
ââWho the hell do you think youâre talking to?â
â!!â
They had challenged none other than Queen of the Beasts Piratesâone of the three âDisasters.â
âDonât get cocky, samuraiâŠâ
Queenâs voice dropped to a menacing growl, heavy with killing intent.
âWhat makes you think youâve got the right to hope? You really think you can walk out of this alive? You think you can win against us?â
They were nothing more than samurai. He was a pirate of the New Worldâone whoâd survived countless deadly waters, built up his infamy, and crushed ships, enemies, and entire islands underfoot.
To think such fools could take him lightlyâthat was the true insult. Pirates, more than anything, valued pride.
âLet me teach you dumbass samurai somethingâŠ!! Every last one of youâyour lord Oden, his family, and anyone else who dares oppose us⊠youâre all headed to the same damn placeâŠ!!â
Fools being foolish could be laughed off.
But if they dared to fight seriouslyâthen they had to be eliminated.
âYouâre gonna die!! Every last one of you, one by one!!!â
âKhâŠ!!â
DenjirĆ and KanjĆ«rĆ flinchedânot from fear, but from the overwhelming bloodlust that came from someone far above them in strength.
âIâll start with you, you mouthy bastardâŠ!!!â
â!! DenjirĆ!!â
âYeahâŠ!! Stay sharpâŠ!!â
An assault was coming. They both felt it and exchanged a quick warning.
But they couldnât have predicted the scale of what came next.
â!!â
âHe⊠he jammed his hands into the ground!?â
âWhat the hell is he doingâŠ!?â
Queen plunged both hands into the earth. Seeing the opening, DenjirĆ and KanjĆ«rĆ moved to attackâbut the ground began to tremble, stopping them cold.
It wasnât an earthquake. They realized that quickly. So did Queenâs men.
âCrap, run!! Queen-samaâs going wild!!â
âEveryone fall back, now!!â
âNo way⊠he canât beâ!!â
Queenâs men scattered in panic. DenjirĆ hesitated for just a second, realizing what was about to happen.
âUOOOOHHHHH!!!â
â!!!â
With a monstrous roar, Queen lifted it.
Like flipping a table, he tore it from the earth and hurled it skyward.
What he had lifted and thrownâwas the ground itself beneath DenjirĆ and KanjĆ«rĆ.
âUWAAAHH!! Run for it!!â
âUghâŠ!! You okay, DenjirĆ!?â
âDamn it, what strengthâŠ!! But Iâm fineâŠ!!â
They barely managed to stay balanced atop the giant chunk of stone that had once been solid ground.
But there was no time to rest. Queen came flying at them right after.
âYouâre firstâŠ!!â
âWhaâ!? DenjirĆ!!â
âKhâŠ!!â
No time to dodge. DenjirĆ moved to block with RyĆ«Ć.
But it wasnât enough. Queen grabbed his leg midairâand slammed him straight down into the earth.
âGahâŠ!!â
âDIE!!! Brutebrachioâ!!â
Then Queen kicked off the ground, launching himself at DenjirĆ with all his might. With Haki surging through his massive fist, he brought it down.
ââCastlebreaker Hammer!!!â
CRACK!!
The ground split. Bones shattered. Blood sprayed.
And someone screamed DenjirĆâs name into the air.
ElsewhereâFlames of Desperation
The shockwave rippled across Udon, trembling the groundâ
âwhere a wildfire raged, unquenched.
If anything, it roared higher, fed by the towering pirate who stood unmoved against the flames.
Facing him: Ashura Douji, Odenâs mightiest retainer, and Raizou, the ninja captain whose skill rivaled Fukurokujuâs.
Their combined assaultâenough to topple armiesâclashed against the black-winged titan before them.
"OOOOOHâ!!"
"HAAHâ!!"
"âŠHmph."
King, the "Wildfire" of the Beast Pirates, didnât even flinch. His colossal blade swatted their strikes aside like gnats.
He didnât bother hiding his boredomâglancing toward the distant tremor.
"That idiotâs making a mess⊠Sounds like he took out one of yours. Guess I shouldnât drag this out either."
"Shut your damn mouthâ!! They ainât dead⊠and WE ainât losing to YOUâ!!"
"IndeedâŠ! Hah⊠We will cut you downâŠ!!"
Ashura and Raizou spat defiance, sweat boiling off their skin in the inferno.
From beyond the flames, Kingâs crew howled laughter.
"WAHAHA!! Hear that, boys!? Theyâre gonna âbeatâ King-samaâ!!"
"Ohhh, big talk for corpses!! Know your damn placeâ!!"
"King-samaâs the STRONGEST Calamity!! You think trash like you can take on a 1.3 billion bounty!?"
Kingâs voice cut through the jeers like a blade.
"âŠNot my crew, but lessonâs the same: Stupid bravado gets you killed at sea. Youâre all bark. No bite."
"The hellâ!! Acting like youâve already wonâŠ!?"
"Hah⊠âIf the mind is clear, even fire feels coolââŠ!!"
"Hmph. Heard that crap before. Every last one of âem begged for mercy when the flames ate their flesh." Kingâs wings flared, the firestorm intensifying. "Only two people ever faced my blade and didnât scream."*
"HehâŠ! Two, huh? Sounds like youâre the one whoâs weakâ!!"
Ashuraâs taunt hid the truth: Those "two" were legends even King acknowledged as stronger than himself.
But King didnât correct him. Insteadâ
"Then prove it⊠Iâll show you hell. Just like I did to that âHyougorouâ or whatever he called himselfâ"
"âYOU MOTHERFUCKERâ!!"
Ashuraâs face twisted. Hyougorouâthe yakuza boss heâd called friendâhad been butchered alongside his men, his family.
Odenâs mercy had turned Ashura from demon to samurai.
This wasnât about justice.
This was vengeance.
"RRRAAAGHâ!!!"
His Ryuo-wreathed blade clashed with Kingâs, the force making even the Calamity grunt.
Butâ
"âŠIâll cull the weakling first."
"Whaâ!? GUHâ!!?"
WHOOSHâ!!!
King blitzed past Ashuraâhis flaming slash shearing toward Raizou.
The ninja dodgedâ
âonly for King to appear behind him, sword raised for the killing stroke.
"âŠ!!!"
"RAIZOUâ!!"
"Now there are only eight left...!!"
Kingâs sword struck Raizouâs body, and Raizou collapsed, his eyes rolling back. In that instant, Ashura unleashed even greater fury than before, slashing at King.
"You bastard... How dare you lay a hand on Raizou...!!!"
"Whining after a loss is another hallmark of weaklings... In the end, all you people do is talk big without backing it up. Showing anger like this just ruins the fun of the fight..."
"You damn bastard...!!"
The clashing blades of King and Ashura rang out in rapid succession, with Kingâs flames occasionally scorching the surroundings.
By now, the forest was nearly engulfed in a wildfire, making it dangerous to remain. The Beast Piratesâ crew wisely kept their distance, targeting other enemies to avoid getting caught in the battle.
Amidst the chaos, Kingâs gaze flickered elsewhere for just a moment before he addressed Ashura.
"...Soon, itâll be down to four."
"Quit lookinâ away, you bastard!!"
Ashuraâs enraged slash was effortlessly deflected, but Kingâs words had reached him. Gritting his teeth, Ashura could only prayâPlease, let them be safe.
The battle had turned into a prolonged war, and the fierce clash between Oden and Kaido only grew more intense.
"RAAAAAHâŠ!!!"
"WORORORO!!!"
"GUO!!!"
Oden slashed forward, Kaido parried with brute force, hurling flames, lightning, and iceâor simply smashing Oden into the ground with his massive frame. Though Odenâs body was littered with wounds, none were fatal. Kaido, meanwhile, remained unscathed, his stamina seemingly endless.
Yeah, no contestâheâs got this in endurance and stamina, I thought, grinning as I watched.
"Ahaha~ Tough fight, but Odenâs holding his own! Who else could push Kaido this hard?"
"Hah⊠Ugh⊠HahâŠ!!"
"Damn⊠Hah⊠This monsterâŠ!!"
"Thereâs only a handful of people alive who can fight Kaido toe-to-toe. Odenâs one of âem. This ainât over yet. Heh, gets me fired up!"
"Zeh⊠Hah⊠Can you⊠still stand⊠Nekomamushi�"
"Like hell⊠cough⊠Iâm done yetâŠ!"
I watched gleefully as Oden kept charging, Kaido soaring back into the skyâtheir duel was pure spectacle. Jack, Queen, and King had each taken down one opponent. I couldnât see it, but I knew. The loudest voices had gone quiet.
That said, Odenâs retainers were stubborn. Normal men wouldâve died from the beating they took, yet not a single one had fallen. Oh, rightâthem too.
"Ahahaha! Oden and his boys are no joke! Itâs been ages since anyone lasted this long!"
"Guh⊠Obviously⊠We wonât fall⊠so easilyâŠ!"
Their leader, Kinâemon, glared as he spat the words. Impressive spirit, Iâll give him that.
But his body was a mess of wounds, his comrades limping, coughing blood, barely propping each other up.
"But⊠timeâs almost up, yeah? Youâre all looking pretty groggy~ Ahaha âĄ"
"Hah⊠Hah⊠Not⊠cough⊠Not yetâŠ!"
He gripped his swordâor what was left of it. Iâd snapped the blade earlier with my naginata.
Honestly, these fourâKinâemon, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, Nekomamushiâwere already wrecked. Dozens of bones shattered, drenched in blood, barely holding together. Not that Iâd finish them now. Whereâs the fun in that? Iâll just lick the blood off my spear and wait.
Still, I was satisfied. Theyâd entertained me well. Put up a damn good fight!
"Wow, you four really gave it your all! If this were a game, Iâd call it my loss. Seriously!"
"The fight⊠ainât overâŠ!"
"Eh~ You sure? Fufufu, fine, letâs chat while we play. âOkay, aiming for your right leg now~ âĄ"
"TchâŠ!"
I maneuvered my UFO, pelting their legs with bullets. They dodgedâbarelyâso I followed up with a direct barrage.
"Ooh, nice moves! âToo bad! Eat this homing shot~!"
"Guh⊠GAAAAAH!!!"
"Inu!!"
"Damn brat⊠Aim at me first, why donâtcha?!"
"Oh, okay! Then you get the left paw~ ⥠Right at those cute toe beansâEYAH!!"
"GAHâAAAAHH!!"
My arrow-like projectiles skewered Nekomamushiâs hand. Oof, thatâs gotta hurt. Guess the tough actâs crumbling?
"Ufufu. Honestly, youâre not even fun opponents anymore~ ⥠This is just playtime now. I could wrap things up⊠but then Iâd just be stuck watching Kaido and Oden. Boooring~"
"We wonât⊠let you near⊠Lord OdenâŠ!"
"Pfft, youâre not even a roadblock. Kaido wants Oden one-on-one, so Iâm humoring him. Otherwise, Iâdâve left you to my UFO or clones and gone straight for the main event~"
Yeah, truth bomb. Kaidoâs hogging the best fight, so Iâve been killing time with these four. But câmon, how long did they really think theyâd last? Itâs like expecting a kid to waste hours at a playgroundâfun at first, but eventually, theyâre just broken toys.
Still, credit where itâs due. They did entertain me. Flawless victory on my end, but they held out longer than most. Not that I went all outâstill had tricks up my sleeveâbut hey, no holding back either. Solid effort. Worth thanking.
"Anyway, thanks!!"
"âŠ!! What⊠for?!"
"You dumb, just-strong-enough-to-be-fun weaklings challenged us, so I got to test my crewâs strength risk-free, take Wano without much fuss, and have a blast! Win-win-win! So yeah, gratitude~!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ!!"
"You⊠littleâŠ!"
"How dare youâ!"
Huh? Whyâre they turning pale? I praised them! Ah wellâtheir rage just makes it funnier.
"Câmon, itâs almost over! Letâs watch together, yeah?"
"! Lord OdenâŠ!"
At my cue, the half-dead samurai all turned their eyes to Odenâs battleâshame, desperation, loyalty twisting their faces. So touching~ Save the speeches for later, though.
âFinish this already, I mused, tormenting them as I awaited the inevitable.
The battle between Kaido and Odenâthe monster who would rule Wano and the samurai who would save itâraged on for hours.
"Die already, OdenâŠ!!!"
"You first⊠Guh!!?"
Oden, wielding his peerless swordsmanship and Ryou, launched himself at Kaido again and again with his Oden Two-Sword Styleâhoned through years as a pirateâonly to be swatted from the sky each time.
Kaido, tempered by countless near-death experiences and torture, hammered Oden into the ground over and over with his steel body and dragonâs might.
The clash of these two titans sent shockwaves of Conquerorâs Haki rippling through the air, a testament to their kingly wills.
"This is bad⊠Lord Kaido and Odenâs fightâŠ!!"
"No way Lord Kaido loses, but damn, this guy wonât quitâŠ!!"
"âŠGyahahaha⊠Well, worst caseâŠ"
The Beast Piratesâ crew could only watch from afar, awestruckâand terrifiedâby the sheer gap in power.
But none believed Kaido would lose.
Their captain was Kaido of the Beasts. A true monster whoâd taken on fleets and Marines single-handedly, whoâd destroyed islands on a whim.
Heâd lost before, but no one had ever killed him.
Captured by the Marines? Tortured? Sentenced to execution? Heâd sunk their warships and prison barges and come back anyway.
Kaido was invincible.
The ones who could rival him could be counted on one hand: Whitebeard, Roger (though he was dead now), Big Mom, Shiki. Maybe Noe from their own crew.
In this era, almost no one in the pirate world could stand against him. That was Kaido.
No one believed some backwater daimyo could defeat him.
âŠAlmost no one.
One among them was already preparing to intervene if Kaido faltered. Another, though idle, admitted the possibility of defeat.
And the latter judged the end was near.
Thenâit happened.
"Hah⊠Hah⊠Only one head I wanna cutâyours!!"
Oden, slammed into the ground, forced himself up using his swords as crutches and gripped them tight.
His blades brimmed with Haki. Heâd realized the longer this dragged on, the worse his odds were. Kaidoâs stamina seemed bottomless.
So heâd end it now.
With a leapâ
"âOden Two-Sword StyleâŠ"
Another clash. Everyone expected Kaido to smack Oden down again.
But thenâ
What no one (save Odenâs retainers and a select few) imagined possibleâfinally happened.
"âPeach Blossom Ten Fists!!!"
"!!!!"
Odenâs twin blades, sheathed in Haki, carved a cross into Kaidoâs stomachâleaving a scar that would never fade.
"Th-the invincibleâŠ!!"
"Lord Kaido was cut!?"
The Beast Pirates gaped, voices trembling at the impossible sight.
Kaidoâs body was imperviousâbullets, cannons, blades, spears, nothing had ever wounded him.
Only Noe could scar him in their spars. For years, no one else had drawn his blood.
And yetâ
"OooâŠ!!"
He was cut.
Eyes rolling back, Kaido plummeted, his massive form crushing the forest below.
His beastly transformation faded. Human again, he braced against the ground, blood trickling from his lips.
Oden lunged for the finishing blowâ
"Never set foot in Wano again!!!"
And in that momentâ
Just as a certain crone shifted into a childâs form to create an openingâ
"âInterfere, and Iâll kill you."
"Ghâ?! WhaâNueâŠ?!!"
The old womanâKurozumi Higurashiâwas just about to activate her ability when the tip of a spear⊠Nueâs spear, pressed against her throat.
A blatant act of interference. An outright refusal to help. Higurashi couldnât speak, but her eyes screamed the question: What are you doing?
If this kept up, theyâd lose. That couldnât happen. If she didnât act now, itâd be too late.
ButâNue was smiling.
Not at Higurashi.
At Kaidou, who was moments from death.
Then, in a whisperânostalgic yet audaciousâshe spoke to the man on the brink.
"âOur fights always got good when we were half-dead, didnât they?"
And in the instant Oden swung his twin bladesâsteel clashed.
"Whaâ?! Youâre still moving?!!"
"Hah⊠Hah⊠WORORORORO!!! I just⊠wonât dieâŠ!!!"
Even Oden was stunned.
Kaidou, his gut slashed open, blood spilling from his mouth, blocked Odenâs dual strike with his club and grinned like a demon.
But to Kaidou and his sworn siblings, this was nothing new.
"Damn⊠hurts like hell⊠Canât even die right⊠Not even when a man like you cuts me downâŠ!!"
"âŠ!!"
Yesâheâd been searching for a place to die.
This man had suffered seven defeats as a pirate⊠captured by the Marines or rival crews 23 times.
"But⊠this near-death feeling ainât half bad⊠Takes me backâŠ!!"
Let me repeat: aloneâor with just one or twoâheâd challenged the Four Emperors and the Marines countless times. Captured 23 times. Over 1,000 tortures. 60 death sentences.
"Back then, I brushed with death every damn day⊠Monsters way stronger than me now⊠Every day was a war, a slaughter!!"
Hanged? The chains snapped. Guillotined? The blade shattered. Impaled? The spear broke. Thrown into the sea? He survived. Cut down by friend or foe? He slaughtered themâor outlived them.
Result? Eighteen massive prison ships sent to the bottomâŠ!! In other wordsâ
"WORORORO⊠Since you went through the trouble of cominâ at me like this⊠Guess Iâve got no choice but to go all outâŠ!!!"
âNo one could kill himâŠ!!!
Not even himself. Not even his sworn siblings.
His hobbies? Suicideâand bloodshed.
The manâs name? In recent years, among the sea of pirates as countless as the stars, he reigns as one of the four great pirates of the New World⊠And so, he is calledâ
"âFour EmperorsâââKaido of the Beastsâ."
"This boring-ass world can burn!! Itâd be way more fun that way!! Letâs startâthe greatest war the worldâs ever seen!!!"
"Ghâ! YouâŠ! Damn iâGUAAAHâŠ?!!"
Transforming into a colossal human-beast hybrid, he sent the samurai before him flying with a single club strike wreathed in lightning and Haki.
This monster, this calamity in human form, terrified not just enemiesâbut allies too.
"In a one-on-one, always bet on Kaido." Thatâs what people said.
On land, sea, or air⊠among all living things⊠the pirate hailed asâ
"The Strongest Creature AliveâŠ!!!"
"âWORORORORORORORORO!!!!"
"âŠ!!! H-Heâs still⊠this strongâŠ?!!"
"Lord Oden!!"
"Lord Oden!? âGhk!!!"
And so, the battle reached its endâthe samurai distracted by Kaidoâs onslaught, cut down one by one.
Sealed by the hand of the Four Emperorâs right-hand, the enigmatic girlâ
"Sealed Beast Nue."
"Ahahahaha!!! Hell yeah!! This rules!! But if weâre wrapping this upâgotta end it with a bang!!!"
Doubled over laughing, Nue summoned a bow into her hands.
She drew the string back, aiming at every surviving samurai.
"âGrudge Bowââ"
A weapon meant to slay her, yet her greatest technique.
"ââMinamoto no Yorimasaâs Bowâ!!!!"
"!!!!"
The arrow, concentrated with Haki and power, streaked across the sky like a shooting starâpiercing every remaining samurai but Oden, rendering them unable to fight.
And as Oden, the last one standing, clashed with Kaidou for the final timeâ
The battle to save this country came to a close.
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