"Looks like Kaido isn't stupid after all."
As Onigashima soared into the sky, the three CP0 agents casually entered spectator mode, chatting as they watched.
"Anyone who reaches the level of the Four Emperors can't be an idiot. Those rumors about him being a 'reckless brute' or a 'suicidal maniac' were just smoke screens spread by the Beasts Pirates to mislead others."
No matter which world you're in, ruling with brute strength alone is impossible. New challengers constantly try to overthrow the old guard, using schemes, alliances, poison, and assassinations. Strength without intelligence isn't enough to become a Four Emperor.
"The situation is settled. Looks like Roman Saint is really going to pull this off in Wano."
Even though the three CP0 agents were masked, their voices carried a tone of admiration. What they thought would be a prolonged negotiation turned out to be a complete takeover—Roman Saint didn't bother negotiating at all; he simply planned to eliminate the opposition! This was beyond flipping the table—it was the thinking of a true powerhouse.
"Who do you think will take over Wano after this?"
With the combined forces of the Straw Hat Crew, Whitebeard Pirates, the secret group of outlaws, the samurai seeking revenge, and a few Supernovas, the Beasts Pirates were finished once Big Mom withdrew. Even if Kaido was the world's strongest creature, there was no way he could win against so many top fighters at once.
Feeling relieved, the three CP0 agents started discussing Wano's future. "If we had known things would go this smoothly, we should've brought more people. We might've been able to claim Wano for ourselves!"
Unfortunately, no one expected Roman Saint's plan to work this quickly and efficiently. A Four Emperor was about to fall, and it was too late to send reinforcements from the Holy Land now. Besides—
"Wano will most likely be jointly controlled by the Kozuki Clan and the Whitebeard Pirates."
The CP0 leader, wearing a black-and-white mask, analyzed the situation calmly. "The local samurai are strong, and to avoid too much resistance, an existing power needs to be propped up as a puppet ruler—just like Kurozumi Orochi was before."
"Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates have lost much of their old territory to Blackbeard, so Wano would be a perfect stronghold for them to rebuild. The land is easy to defend, the weapons factories are already in place, and they can use those to arm a fleet while also exporting weapons to fund themselves."
If fighters like the Straw Hats and Trafalgar Law were here purely for personal reasons, a major force like the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't get involved unless it benefited them.
—Just like when Ace first joined the Whitebeard Pirates, he had asked Whitebeard to attack Wano, but Whitebeard refused.
At that level, a leader can't afford to fight based on emotion. Starting a war without thinking about the consequences would escalate into a full-scale Emperor battle. While fighting for justice or revenge might feel satisfying, no good captain would risk thousands of their crew members' lives just to satisfy their own anger.
Even the Straw Hat Grand Fleet captains would fight for Luffy without hesitation, but for their regular crew members? Most of them had barely even met the Straw Hats before, and expecting them to risk their lives for someone else's cause—with no personal gain—was unrealistic.
Everyone sailing the seas needs to make a living, after all.
This attack on Wano was partly to fulfill Ace's promise to Tama but also to secure a new home for the Whitebeard Pirates. In short, the Kozuki Clan would get their revenge and eliminate Orochi, while the Whitebeard Pirates would take over as Wano's new protectors.
A win-win situation.
Of course—
All of this depended on whether they could actually take down Kaido.
Meanwhile, on the now-floating Onigashima, the battle raged on!
Mastering Observation Haki to the point of seeing the future might sound unbeatable, but in reality, even if you see the future, it doesn't help if you can't dodge in time—just like when Luffy got hit by "Thunder Bagua." And if too many enemies are attacking at once, predicting every move becomes impossible—like right now.
Boom!!
"Again with this?! Damn turtle shell!"
Kaido was getting frustrated with Roman's "barrier shield." The shield was tougher than any known material in the world, rivaled only by Seastone. While Kaido could break through it, he had to use a big move each time. And right now? There was no way they were giving him that chance!
With the arrival of Roman and Nami's combined form, the "Omni Knight," they joined Luffy in keeping Kaido busy.
Luffy didn't have fancy tricks, but his insane willpower and rubber body made him one of the toughest tanks around—he had worn down countless bosses just by enduring their attacks. At the same time, he could hit like a truck.
Roman, on the other hand, used to be more of a "charge-up for days, attack for a few seconds" type of fighter. But with the Omni Knight armor and his barrier shield, he now had the defense to stand toe-to-toe with Emperor-level fighters.
With Luffy and Roman tanking Kaido's attacks, the others could go all out.
Taking advantage of their cover, Yamato was charging up an attack. Her long kanabo was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, pulling at the very clouds in the sky! Black lightning crackled violently around her, and the air itself seemed to tremble. With a deafening roar, she swung her club at Kaido at an incredible speed.
"Is that... Thunder Bagua?!"
Kaido's expression changed instantly. He knew this attack well—it was his own signature move. He also knew exactly how powerful it was, and if he took it head-on, even he wouldn't walk away unscathed.
With a mighty sweep of his tail, Kaido knocked the other fighters aside and immediately turned to counterattack—striking back in the blink of an eye.
"Thunder Bagua!!"
Their identical attacks collided head-on, Haki clashing violently! Black lightning burst in all directions. But something felt off—Yamato's attack seemed defensive rather than all-out.
As they passed each other, Yamato's body shimmered, and a layer of ice shattered around her—revealing that she had barely taken any damage.
"Mirror Mountain!"
Wait—?!
Swish! Swish!
"Rubber—Giant Lion Gun!"
"Skyquake—God's Retribution!!"
After Kaido unleashed his Thunder Bagua, a brief pause followed.
In that instant, Luffy, in his Gear Fourth form, and Ace, both channeling Conqueror's Haki, struck Kaido from both sides. Their Haki had reached an extreme level—so strong that it had returned to a pure, invisible force.
Their fists didn't even touch Kaido, yet an invisible shockwave rippled outward, distorting the space around him.
It wasn't just a trick of the eyes—it was real, as if everything beneath their fists became fragile, like mist that could scatter at any moment.
*Pfft—*
A mouthful of blood burst from Kaido's mouth, followed by his voice, filled with disbelief.
"You two... have reached this level?"
They had reached the power to disturb space itself.
Space is an elusive concept—intangible, more unpredictable than air. Yet, all things exist within it. Affecting space with sheer force is nearly impossible.
Under normal circumstances, only immense mass and energy can distort space, and only at the level of a black hole can it truly be torn apart. But the energy required for that is far beyond human limits—
Even in this world, no warrior should be able to do it so easily.
Yet Devil Fruits ignore such logic.
Fruits like the *Door-Door Fruit*, the *Pocket-Pocket Fruit*, and the *Castle-Castle Fruit* casually create extra dimensions and allow seamless travel through space.
But what about Haki?
Haki is the extension of one's willpower, naturally capable of defying space. Whether it's sensing things from afar or predicting the future, these abilities prove that Haki transcends time and space.
So... does Conqueror's Haki have such destructive power because it can *interfere* with space itself?
Roman, from within the Omni-Knight, couldn't help but be amazed.
No wonder the barriers had shattered.
"Fall, Kaido!!"
"Ooohhh!!!"
With the combined might of Luffy and Ace, Kaido's dragon scales finally cracked apart, and he coughed up blood.
The myth of his so-called invincibility seemed on the verge of collapse—
But then:
"You brats really think you can beat me?!"
"Get out of my way!!!"
With a furious roar, Kaido's scales stood on end like countless massive blades. A surge of visible Haki blasted Luffy and Ace away as he transformed into a massive, sky-piercing azure dragon.
Thunder, wind, rain, and fire swirled around him as he rose.
"Don't underestimate me, you little punks!"
Though his scales had shattered for a moment, his monstrous recovery as a Mythical Zoan took over, rapidly healing his injuries.
Now, covered in blood, Kaido looked even more dangerous—exuding a ruthless, dominant aura, his presence more terrifying than before.
"...The hell? Is Kaido seriously *powering up* in the middle of this fight?"
This doesn't make sense?!
Inside the Omni-Knight, Roman twitched in frustration.
*A boss is supposed to just stand there and get beaten, damn it!*
*Why is Kaido pulling off some last-minute power-up move?!*
*This kind of thing is supposed to happen to Luffy, not the enemy...*
But there was no time for complaints.
The Omni-Knight shot forward, sword and shield in hand, charging straight at Kaido.
Beside him, Yamato leaped into action as well.
Neither of them was the type to back down just because the enemy got stronger.
After all—
Life never goes as planned.
There's no rule saying *only* the Straw Hat Crew gets to power up mid-battle while everyone else stays the same.
Besides, it makes sense.
The *Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon* should have this level of recovery ability.
But—
"I am the *true* chosen one! I will take everything Joy Boy left behind—treasures, allies, ancient weapons, and even the whole world!!"
With a deafening dragon roar, Kaido surged through the sky, overflowing with confidence and unstoppable Haki.
"You pathetic brats... You don't understand the truth of this world!!"
"*Sanroku: Burial in the Yellow Izumi!!!*"
Kaido roared, and thousands of massive vacuum slashes rained down like a storm.
Each one carried the power of a master swordsman.
The attacks moved faster than the eye could see, swallowing up Roman and Yamato's charge before sweeping toward Luffy and Ace.
In the blink of an eye, the only thing anyone could see was a rain of deadly slashes, slicing through everything in their path.
At the same time, the attack struck the massive skull atop Onigashima—
And then—
A colossal explosion.
The impact was so overwhelming that it went beyond human hearing—
A force so strong it shattered the skull instantly, breaking it into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.
Mountains collapsed.
Boulders tumbled.
Cliffs crumbled into nothing.
The entire landscape of Onigashima was rapidly collapsing, the stone turning to dust under the sheer force of the attack.
Even the strongest fighters on the battlefield had to coat themselves in Armament Haki—
Otherwise—
"Princess, watch out!"
A group of wounded Red Scabbards rushed to shield Hiyori as the vice commander beside her let out a heavy sigh.
They had been "old neighbors" for hundreds of years—it was only right to lend them a hand.
A pale-faced young man, weakened from his injuries, stepped forward and slapped both hands on the ground. Instantly, a massive wave of mud rose up, forming a huge slope. Then—
"Frozen Fist!"
"Shadow Fusion!"
The others also activated their abilities to strengthen the defenses in front of them, preparing to face the impact—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
——————
PS: We've now gone past the original storyline. The rest is just my own imagination (just for fun), so no need to take it too seriously~~ (End of chapter)
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You can read 30 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu