"Ugh, giggle… did we reach that crazy Linlin's territory already?" Kaido slurred, flying unsteadily in his dragon form high above the sea.
Beneath the drifting clouds, Totto Land sat in unnatural silence.
A rare calmness lingered over the archipelago—too quiet, like the hush before a typhoon.
Kaido, in his full Azure Dragon form, soared directly over Whole Cake Island, the capital of Totto Land.
Below, the island buzzed with sudden confusion.
"That's… Kaido?!"
Onlookers gaped skyward in disbelief.
Another Yonko had come to their doorstep? And at this critical moment?!
"Don't tell me… he wants to take advantage of Mama's memory loss?" said Charlotte Cracker, sweat trailing down his face beneath his biscuit armor.
If that was really the case, this situation could spiral into global chaos.
"Not likely," muttered Perospero, licking a candy cane warily while staring at the dragon spiraling overhead. "Even Kaido wouldn't be that reckless…"
"Hey! Linlin!!" Kaido's booming voice echoed across the sea and through the sugar-sweet air.
"Huh? Who's shouting at me?" A massive figure ambled from the palace at the island's center.
Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, emerged with an absentminded smile.
Looking up at the dragon, her eyes sparkled with childlike curiosity. "What's that shiny blue thing in the sky?"
"???" Literal question marks might as well have floated over Kaido's head.
Even in his drunken haze, Kaido knew something was wrong. He'd sailed with this woman in the Rocks Pirates over two decades ago—he knew her like the back of his hand.
With a thundering impact, Kaido landed hard on the ground, shifting from his dragon form into his massive human shape. He stared down at Linlin, frowning.
"Did you just… call me Linlin?" she asked, tilting her head. "Why are you so big?"
Kaido's eyes sharpened. The haze faded from his face as he realized this wasn't a joke.
"You… don't recognize me?" he asked.
Perospero stepped forward carefully, his face etched with fear. "Mama lost her memory… a while back. After a battle with a Marine named Solomon Carl."
Kaido's brow twitched. "Amnesia?!"
How could a top-tier Yonko like Linlin lose her memory?
Perospero's expression darkened. "That man… Carl… showed up here alone. He fought Mama and forced her into a frenzy. After that, she forgot everything."
The name hung heavy in the air.
Solomon Carl.
Among the Big Mom Pirates, that name had become taboo—an unspoken symbol of fear.
Even Big Mom had lost to that monster.
"I see…" Kaido muttered. "Solomon Carl… a Marine?"
Then he grinned, slow and wide. "Ugh… giggle… sounds interesting!"
Suddenly, his Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) erupted.
"What are you doing?!" Big Mom shouted, instinctively unleashing her own Conqueror's Haki.
Black lightning streaked across the sky.
The force of their clashing wills blasted apart the clouds. Nearby buildings cracked, and the ground trembled.
Cracker, Perospero, and several homies dropped to their knees, overwhelmed by the spiritual pressure.
Kaido squinted at Linlin. "Looks like your strength's still there."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" she growled. "But if you keep acting crazy, I'll punch you!"
Kaido stared silently for a moment. Then he sighed.
"No use fighting like this. You're not yourself."
He turned, back facing her now. "Either way, I came here to return a favor."
Years ago, he owed Linlin a massive debt from God Valley.
Now, he could repay it—while she didn't even remember.
"But this Marine—Solomon Carl… I wonder if he can actually kill me."
Kaido's body stretched again, blue scales covering his skin. The clouds churned as he lifted off in dragon form.
A serpentine shadow glided over Totto Land as he soared toward Wano.
"I'm looking forward to it…"
As he disappeared into the horizon, all of Whole Cake Island seemed to exhale in relief.
Disaster averted—for now.
If Big Mom and Kaido had actually fought, Totto Land might've been annihilated.
—
Meanwhile, in the Flower Capital of Wano…
Kurozumi Orochi was dead. The Beasts Pirates were in retreat.
But the atmosphere hadn't stabilized—far from it.
The mines of Udon erupted in riots daily. In the factories, enslaved workers rebelled against their oppressors. The entirety of Wano smoldered with the fire of change.
Yet as long as Kaido lived, the balance could not truly be overturned.
Inside a teahouse in the capital…
Carl and Issho (Fujitora) sat calmly over cups of steaming tea.
Onstage, the emerald-haired Komurasaki—secretly Hiyori, daughter of Kozuki Oden—played her shamisen in a graceful rhythm.
"After this… will you join the Marines?" Carl asked quietly.
Issho sipped his tea slowly. "That is my intention."
He paused, listening to the music.
"I hesitated for years… but now, I want to follow the justice I believe in."
Every Admiral had their own interpretation of justice.
Kizaru, with his ambiguous justice.
Akainu, with his absolute justice.
Aokiji, who had once followed ideals, only to fall into 'lazy justice'.
But Issho—his philosophy was already formed.
He didn't want power. He wanted change.
Carl nodded solemnly. "With your strength, you'll be Admiral the moment you step through Marineford's gates."
After the Paramount War, the Marines had lost many high-ranking officers.
Exceptional appointments during the World Military Draft weren't rare anymore.
"Admiral or soldier, it's the same to me," Fujitora said with a soft smile.
Above them, Kyoshiro—still using his cover as the yakuza boss Kyoshiro of the Flower—watched from the balcony, beads of sweat on his forehead.
He'd seen these two monsters take down Orochi and Jack the Drought with ease.
To provoke them now would be suicidal.
BOOM.
A distant rumble rolled across the sky like thunder.
Everyone in the Flower Capital froze mid-breath.
Carl stood slowly, his eyes flashing a deep red as Advanced Observation Haki activated.
"…It's back," he said under his breath.
He turned toward the source of the pressure—toward the approaching storm.
Kaido had returned.
And this time, Carl was ready to cut through the last shadow of Wano.
A massive presence burst into Wanokuni's skies.
The street trembled faintly. A pressure—not from Conqueror's Haki, but sheer mass and authority—rolled across the capital like an avalanche.
Beside Carl, Fujitora's expression remained as calm as ever. With a light movement, he stood and turned in the direction of the approaching force.
"Oi, bro, where do you think you're going?" Carl reached out, gripping his shoulder.
Fujitora paused. "The next step… is to cleave through the final darkness remaining in this land," he said gently.
As if it were a casual matter—like discussing the weather. As if he hadn't just declared war on one of the Four Emperors.
Carl's eye twitched uncontrollably. "Wait… So you're saying you plan to kill Kaido now?"
"That's right." Fujitora nodded without hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Carl stared at him blankly for a long second, speechless. "Bro, you do realize that Kaido isn't just some thug on the street, right? The Beasts Pirates aren't a one-man show."
Each of the Four Emperors commanded monstrous pirate crews—Kaido perhaps more than most. The Red-Haired Pirates, considered the most balanced crew, didn't even number many, but each one was a powerhouse. Benn Beckman, the right-hand man of Shanks, was rumored to be on par with an Emperor himself in combat ability.
If Marine Headquarters feared anything, it wasn't just the Yonko—it was the entire power structure behind each of them.
Fujitora gave Carl a side-glance filled with simple conviction. "Isn't that why you're here, Lord Carl?"
"Huh?"
"I believe, if we join forces, even the entirety of the Beasts Pirates wouldn't stand a chance."
His words were resolute. Unshaken.
Carl inhaled deeply, exasperated. "I've told you again and again, I didn't come here for Kaido, dammit!!"
Veins bulged across his forehead. He didn't know how many times he'd tried to convince Fujitora of his real mission. And yet the man always seemed convinced there was some deeper purpose Carl was hiding.
Overhead, the sky rumbled ominously.
A massive, coiling azure dragon swept across the clouds, its sheer presence darkening the capital. Wind tore through the streets as citizens looked up in fear. The Seiryu, the embodiment of overwhelming might, circled the skies like a deity returning to his dominion.
Kaido had returned.
With a deep roar, he shot through the clouds, streaking south—toward Onigashima, the fortified stronghold of the Beasts Pirates.
There, just outside the great gates of the Oni fortress, King the Wildfire and Queen the Plague were already kneeling. Kaido's draconic form crashed down onto the island before transforming into his humanoid state, muscular and towering, dragging a kanabo behind him.
"Boss! Finally—you're back!" Queen called out, his cybernetic body creaking as he straightened up.
Kaido's sharp gaze swept the island. "What happened while I was gone?"
The moment he returned, he had felt it. Something was wrong. The very air in Wanokuni had changed.
If the land used to be cloaked in a thick black fog of despair, now it was as though shafts of light were piercing through, one after another.
King lowered his head. "Boss… it's Jack."
"Dead."
Kaido's eyes narrowed.
Queen added gravely, "From the Flying Six… Ulti, Page One, and Fuga… all three were eliminated."
Silence.
The Oni fortress, usually filled with the booming sounds of laughter and training, fell into an unnatural stillness. No one dared to speak. Even the ever-chatty Queen kept his mouth shut.
Kaido stood still for a moment. Then, slowly, he lifted his kanabo and rested it across his shoulders.
"…Tch. Seems they were too weak."
Then his tone shifted.
"Tell me… who did it?"
Boom!
In the skies above, thunder rolled, coiling like a dragon of its own. Clouds twisted into storms.
The sky over Wanokuni began to darken. The weather—like the Yonko's mood—was about to break. A storm was coming.
And the whole country would feel its wrath.
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