Wild winds howled and tore across the battlefield, streaks of black-red lightning flashing without pause.
Golden Lion Shiki stood high in the sky over Marineford, laughing with the defiance of a demon god.
Below him, smoke blanketed the scorched earth. Fire and war raged in every direction. Piles of corpses formed mountains beneath his feet, mangled limbs half-buried in rubble.
The Marines—and even the civilians watching from the distant edges of the city—stood frozen in horror, their bodies trembling. An unspeakable despair slowly spread through their eyes.
That day, the world once again witnessed the terrifying might of the pirates who bore the title of legend.
...
Elsewhere on the battlefield.
"Mamamama!! Worried about your student, Zephyr?!"
Big Mom cackled, catching the fleeting moment Zephyr lost focus. Gripping her enormous, flame-wreathed blade, she brought it down with brutal force.
"Napoleon: Emperor's Blade!!"
A wave of blistering, scorching energy surged forward, twisting the very air with its heat.
Infused with the flames of Prometheus and shaped into twin horns, Napoleon had become a weapon of total destruction—every strike erupting in waves of fire.
"Damn it!"
Zephyr's pupils shrank. Cursing under his breath, he crossed his arms over his chest, encased in Armament Haki.
BOOM!!
A surge of searing flame exploded outward, transforming the surrounding dozens of meters into a blazing inferno.
Zephyr's figure shot backward from the sea of fire, his boots carving twin furrows into the charred earth.
But before he could even catch his breath, an explosive burst shattered the air above him—hurricane-force winds and roaring thunder cascaded down!
"Wororororo!! A weak spot!"
In full dragon form, Kaido's eyes glowed with bloodthirsty crimson. He descended with a savage grin.
Both hands gripped his massive black kanabo, spiked and menacing, streaks of black-red lightning trailing from each swing. His jet-black hair flailed like serpents in a storm.
"Die!! Washed-up old men like you should just lie in the dirt!!"
The blow came down like a falling meteor.
"Three Realms Descent: Summon to Naraka!!"
A flicker of fury surged through Zephyr's eyes.
Kaido's attack was as fierce as lightning—and laced with Conqueror's Haki. Formidable indeed.
Though his Haki lacked the sheer ferocity of Golden Lion Shiki's, a direct clash would still put Zephyr at a disadvantage.
His eyes suddenly gleamed red. Observation Haki flared to the limit—projecting the next second into his mind.
In that narrow window—
Zephyr stamped both feet hard against the ground, shifting his stance at the last possible instant.
The lightning-laced kanabo slammed down beside his flapping Justice coat.
The spiked Hassaikai struck deep into the earth.
RUMBLE!!
A quake rippled through the land.
Black-red lightning burst from the impact, sending a devastating shockwave radiating for over a kilometer.
At the point of impact, the terrain collapsed a full meter downward, dozens of jagged cracks spidering outward as rocks flew in every direction.
His sure-kill blow had missed. A flash of surprise crossed Kaido's eyes.
"Young brute... strength alone is never enough!"
A furious roar exploded from the cloud of dust.
In the next heartbeat, a thick, rough arm burst forth—racing toward Kaido, reflected in his wide, shrinking pupils.
Zephyr, fierce as a rampaging tiger, smashed through stone and smoke alike. His calloused hand opened wide and grabbed Kaido's head in a crushing grip.
"This guy...!"
Kaido's heart jolted.
It wasn't until he clashed in true hand-to-hand combat that he realized the overwhelming pressure this unassuming former Marine Admiral gave off.
Perfected technique, unshakable Armament Haki, and battle instincts honed over countless wars—tempered through fire and blood.
He stood like an immovable mountain.
No matter how powerful Kaido's strength or Haki were, he couldn't surpass it.
Zephyr gritted his teeth hard. Behind his sunglasses, blood welled in his eyes. With a guttural roar, he slammed his hand down.
BOOM!!
Kaido's skull met the ground with earth-shattering force. The fractured terrain caved completely beneath him, unleashing ripple after ripple of violent quakes.
Shards of stone exploded into the air.
Blood streamed from Kaido's nose and mouth. His dragon-pupiled eyes lost focus for a moment—stars danced before his vision.
"Mamamama!!"
A shrill laugh echoed from above.
"Mama Raid!!"
Big Mom's towering figure twisted midair with surprising grace, and in a flash she was upon Zephyr—both hands bringing her sword down with savage weight!
CLANG!!
Zephyr raised his arms to block. Sparks flew as he gritted his teeth and was forced back.
A numb, swelling ache spread through his arms. Zephyr swore under his breath.
Whether Big Mom or Kaido—both of them possessed inhuman physiques. They even surpassed full-grown giants in durability. Absolutely monstrous.
Luckily, while Kaido had reached Admiral-level in sheer power, his fighting skill and Haki control still lagged—especially compared to Big Mom.
Still, their monstrous stamina and recovery left Zephyr feeling increasingly constrained.
A thin trickle of blood slid down his lip. Zephyr glared darkly at Big Mom, who now stood confidently with her greatsword resting on her shoulder. Nearby, Kaido groaned, staggering to rise from the crater.
"Damn Marines... that really hurt."
Kaido muttered in his deep voice, wiping blood from his face. His eyes bore into Zephyr, full of vicious rage.
"Mamamama... Still breathing? Then get back up, Kaido."
Charlotte Linlin cackled, then cast a playful glance toward Zephyr, pointing into the distance.
"Zephyr, are you sure you want to waste your time with us here?"
"Your precious students... they won't last much longer."
"Let's make a deal. Hand over Darren, and I'll leave with him and Kaido."
Before Zephyr could reply, Kaido's head snapped toward her in disbelief. He growled in anger:
"You crazy hag, what the hell are you talking about?! I don't take orders from you!!"
"Kaido, don't forget—you still owe me a big favor."
Big Mom chuckled.
Kaido paused, teeth grinding. His expression twisted in hesitation—and then, unexpectedly, he said nothing more.
Only then did Big Mom turn back to Zephyr, smiling again.
"See that? All you have to do is hand over Darren, and Kaido and I will leave."
"That way, you'll be free to stop that lunatic Shiki. Otherwise... your students won't survive him."
She licked her crimson lips and let out a soft laugh.
"Don't worry, I won't kill Darren. I couldn't possibly. After all... what a perfect man he is."
---
To be continued…