Perhaps because this world was far more complex than the previous one.
So this was the limit of Mondor's Book-Book Fruit simulation?
"Wororororo! You noticed it too, didn't you? These ridiculously fake illusions, countless beyond measure, are downright irritating to look at!"
Kaido's voice rang out.
Xiano looked up just in time to see the other's body suddenly expand, blue-green scales emerging across his skin as dragon horns sprouted from his forehead...
In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a massive azure dragon that blotted out the sky!
An azure dragon, set against this modern urban backdrop...
"Feels like we've crossed over into Dragon Ball or something!"
Xiano couldn't help but throw his head back with laughter, "Hey Kaido, when I collect all seven dragon balls, can I come make a wish to you?"
Dragon balls?
What the hell was that?
Kaido frowned but couldn't be bothered to inquire further. Coiling through the city skyline, his body began spinning rapidly like a top.
"Enough of your nonsense! Brat, witness the might of this technique along with this fake world!!"
As his rotation accelerated, terrifying tornadoes began converging before erupting outward in all directions with Kaido's furious roar!
"Winds soaring to the heavens, annihilating all in an instant... Tornado Demonic Wind!!!"
BOOM!
True to its name—in just an instant.
Surrounding skyscrapers were severed at their waists like paper, glass curtain walls shattering and cascading downward before vanishing in flashes of white light without ever hitting the ground.
Wherever the tornadoes passed, over half the city was erased as if by an enormous eraser—buildings, roads, pedestrians, vehicles...
Everything disappeared rapidly.
Facing the frontal assault, Xiano naturally bore the brunt of the terrifying wind pressure, immediately crossing his arms before his face in defense.
The sensation of having all surrounding oxygen vacuumed away was far from pleasant, compounded by Kaido's multiplying tornadoes growing increasingly violent...
"Endless and annoying as hell!"
His fury surged abruptly. Throwing his arms wide, every muscle in his body tensed as Conqueror's Haki erupted outward like a tidal wave!
In that instant, every last gust was swept away.
CRACK.
Xiano clenched his fists with a vicious grin toward the colossal dragon.
This level... these laughable child's play attacks might work on those three-billion-Berry rookies, but there was no way they could touch him!
And another thing...
"Hey, melee combat's way more satisfying, Kaido! How dare you suddenly switch from berserker to mage, you bastard!"
Amid his indignant roar, Xiano vanished from sight.
BOOM!
The air was violently torn open as his figure shot skyward like an arrow, fist wreathed in black-red lightning mercilessly aimed at the Azure Dragon's head!
"First things first—I'll beat this so-called divine dragon back into human form!"
...
Outside, atop Whole Cake Castle.
Time flew—before anyone realized, a full day and night had passed.
Every so often, dozens of pages would burn to ashes, and Mondor—who was straining with all his might to maintain the Story World—would grow paler and weaker.
"Mom, I can't hold on much longer..." He pleaded as he looked at BIGMOM.
"You will hold on!"
BIGMOM glared at him fiercely, clutching a massive cake in each hand. She tossed the one in her left into her own mouth and roughly shoved the one in her right into Mondor's. "It's just hunger! Eat up and you'll get your strength back!"
"Ugh—"
Mondor's mouth was stuffed full of cream, nearly choking him to the point of passing out. But under BIGMOM's overwhelming pressure, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep his ability active.
And so, another full night passed.
By the morning of the third day—the originally scheduled end of the Tea Party—the ordinary guests, those with only superficial connections and status, politely took their leave after breakfast.
Most of them had spent the past two days in constant fear, worried that the battle between the Sea Emperors might spill over and harm them. Yet, they hadn't dared to leave early, afraid of offending BIGMOM.
Now that the Tea Party was officially over, they couldn't wait to escape.
Meanwhile, the children of the Charlotte Family busied themselves with various tasks—some seeing off guests, others departing on missions, and a few returning to their own territories to maintain order. One by one, they left Whole Cake Island.
By the time the third day was nearing its end, atop the Whole Cake Castle, only a few remained—the crew of the Curtain Closer, several underworld emperors, and a handful of Sweet Commanders—patiently waiting alongside BIGMOM for the outcome of this battle...
———
The fourth day.
No one could count how many simulated worlds created by the Book-Book Fruit had been destroyed by now.
The current one was a peaceful rural village, filled with elegant traditional architecture, its entrance marked by a wooden plaque reading "Iga."
It seemed to be based on a folk tale from Wano Country.
Xiano didn't know the specifics—nor did he care.
Because shortly after their battle began in this world, the entire village was reduced to ruins, replaced by a barren wasteland of scorched earth.
"Hah… hah…"
Kneeling on the cracked ground, his chest heaved violently. Sweat and blood dripped from his chin in thick droplets.
His knuckles, arms, elbows—almost every part of his body, from head to toe—were twisted and deformed from the prolonged, brutal combat, still not fully healed.
But… his eyes still burned with fierce, unyielding fighting spirit!
Not far away,
Kaido, in his Half-Beast Transformation, was equally battered. His Spiked Club was planted into the ground beside him, his body a mess of torn flesh, the once-blue scales on his torso now stained a dark crimson with blood.
"Worororo… Brat, can you still stand?" Kaido rumbled, his voice laced with exhaustion—but more than that…
Excitement.
An excitement that only grew harder to contain!
This disrespectful, arrogant brat… was strong. Unbelievably strong!
A hundred times stronger than he had been at Enies Lobby!!!
"Tch."
Xiano staggered to his feet, grinning. His teeth, smeared with blood, glinted in the dim light. "See that? Not only can I stand—I can beat you so hard even your own mother wouldn't recognize you."
"Save the bragging. I don't even know who my mother is!"
Kaido flew into a rage, letting out a furious roar as he charged forward. His right hand, transformed into a dragon's claw wreathed in black-red lightning, slashed viciously toward Xiano!
Xiano didn't dodge. Instead, his right fist clenched abruptly, muscles tensing once more as he threw a devastating punch straight at the attack.
"Bring it on!!!"
BOOM!
The moment fist and claw collided, a terrifying shockwave swept across the battlefield. The already shattered earth fractured further, countless rocks blasted skyward only to be pulverized into dust by the raging aftershocks.
Both men were sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the ruins.
"Cough…"
Xiano spat out a mouthful of blood, struggling to push himself up again.
His vision was blurring, but the grin on his face only grew more ferocious.
"Enjoying this, Kaido?"
He laughed hoarsely between ragged breaths, "Ever since I knocked you out of your dragon form the other night, I've been having the time of my life!"
His fighting style had long caught Kaido's interest, but hadn't Kaido been just as perfect for him?
Fist against flesh, direct and brutal—endless collisions, crushing blows, and life-or-death struggle!
It set his blood boiling near evaporation, to the point where even the phrase "exhilarating" fell short.
But…
As thrilling as it was, it was also fucking exhausting.
Without food, water, or rest—without any replenishment—his stamina had already been drained by 70-80%, nearing its limit.
Kaido, with his Mythical Zoan's regenerative boost, might be slightly better off, but surely not by much…
Wait. Replenishment?
Xiano suddenly realized something. With a flick of his right hand, a red bean bun materialized out of thin air.
He stared at the bread for a moment, then glanced up at Kaido before sighing softly and crushing it to dust in his grip.
Pathetic, really. Both of them…
By comparison.
Akainu and Aokiji fought for ten days and nights on Punk Hazard?
Damn those Logia bastards…
When it came to clashes of ideals and the Fleet Admiral's seat, claiming they held back would be bullshit. But there must've been long stretches where they just traded ranged attacks—lobbing magma or shooting ice arrows from afar.
Nothing as exhausting as the way he and Kaido were going at it!
"Urorororo…"
At that moment, Kaido finally hauled himself out of the wreckage. His massive, over-ten-meter-tall hybrid form was faltering, gradually shrinking back to his seven-meter-seven human shape.
"Brat… You're tougher than I thought. Just a little stronger, and you might've actually beaten me—become the strongest in single combat on these seas!"
Kaido bared his bloodstained teeth in a savage grin. "But at this level… Not enough! Far from enough! I am… Kaido of the Beasts!!!"
He stomped the ground to pieces, charging at Xiano once more!
Xiano roared back, dragging his battered body forward to meet him.
"Kaido!"
"Xiano!"
Their fists collided again. Left fists locked, unsatisfied, they gripped each other's right fists next.
Still not enough, they leaned back and—THUD—smashed their foreheads together!
"Damn you, Kaido!"
Xiano's furious yell echoed across the wasteland. "Who the hell grows two horns on their head?! They're stabbing me!"
"Too bad for you—I'm an Oni!"
BOOM!
Black and red lightning continued to intertwine and spread, causing the surrounding space to once again collapse and disintegrate...
————
Another day and night passed.
The fifth day, outside.
The first rays of morning sunlight spilled down.
Mondor was completely exhausted, his face as pale as paper, with dark circles under his eyes so thick they resembled a panda's. The giant book before him, after days of burning and destruction, had only a few pages left.
"Mom... sob, I really can't do it anymore, I truly can't hold on..." he whimpered.
BIGMOM narrowed her eyes slightly as she stared at the nearly consumed book.
"Hold on a little longer, Mondor!" she said sternly. "The outcome is about to be decided!"
As soon as she finished speaking—
BOOM!!!
The book exploded violently, the remaining pages burning into ashes and scattering in all directions.
At the same moment, two figures were sent flying backward from the black hole, crashing heavily onto the top of the castle.
"Mom!"
Mondor trembled and screamed, his spirit seemingly shattered. His body stiffened before he collapsed backward, unconscious.
But BIGMOM paid him no mind. She abruptly rose from her seat and turned her gaze toward the two figures.
"Captain!"
"Brother!"
"Lord Xiano!"
The members of the Curtain Closers were also startled and instinctively moved to gather around.
However, the figure on the left raised a hand to stop them.
It was Xiano. At this moment, he had reverted to his Paper Drawing Martial Body form, drenched in blood, barely recognizable. He knelt weakly on one knee, panting heavily.
As for Kaido on the right...
He didn't even bother maintaining his dignity, sprawled out on the ground in a starfish-like position, his chest heaving violently.
"Urororo... exhilarating! Truly exhilarating! But my stamina is completely drained now!"
He turned his head and laboriously raised a hand, extending five fingers. "Five minutes! A five-minute truce, then we continue. What do you say, Xiano?"
"How shameless." Xiano rolled his eyes. "Spit out that Mythical Zoan fruit of yours, and that proposal might be fair!"
"Then no break, let's keep fighting!" Kaido swayed as he stood up. "But you brat, can you really still fight...?"
"Don't underestimate me!" Xiano said coldly.
Of course he could still fight!
So what if his physical limits were slightly inferior to Kaido's? So what if he was at a disadvantage in stamina recovery?
He might be out of strength for now, but he still had a secret trump card!
It was just that he didn't want to—or couldn't bear to—waste that one-time lifesaving opportunity on something like this...
"Enough!"
BIGMOM suddenly roared. "You two, without external interference, neither of you can overpower the other! This has gone far enough! It's not like this is a fight to the death, is it?!"
"None of your damn business, don't get in my way, you old hag!"
Kaido glared at her furiously. "Your son couldn't hold on, so you're worried about your Whole Cake Castle again? Such a pathetic excuse won't stop me—"
"Kaido!"
BIGMOM gritted her teeth. "Are you deaf?! Why must you be so stubborn? Don't forget, you owe me a massive debt!"
A massive debt?
The others were stunned, exchanging glances. These two had such a history?
"..."
Kaido fell silent for a moment.
He stared at BIGMOM, took a deep breath, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. His clenched fists slowly relaxed, and the fighting spirit around him gradually dissipated.
"Hmph, Linlin, you sure know how to pick your timing to bring this up."
Kaido snorted coldly, though the previous brutality in his tone was gone. "Fine, we'll end it here today. But not entirely out of respect for you—mostly because of this brat. An opponent of this level… If I were to kill him just like that… The days ahead would be far too boring!"
"You sure know how to brag."
Xiano, having caught his breath, finally had the strength to stand straight again. He scoffed, about to say something, when suddenly Katakuri's expression changed as he looked up at the sky.
This scene… why did it feel so familiar?
Another Kaido?
Xiano raised an eyebrow, and in the next instant, as if sensing something, he sharply looked up as well!
Everyone else reacted exactly the same way.
No, there wasn't even a need for Observation Haki to sense it…
Because at that moment, the clear sky abruptly darkened, and a massive shadow enveloped nearly all of Whole Cake Island!
"It's an island—an island!!"
Bonney was the first to exclaim in shock, her eyes wide. "How is there an island that huge… flying in the sky?!"
(End of Chapter)