High above in the sky.
At this moment, a massive floating island, large enough to blot out the sky, suddenly appeared, descending from the heavens and pressing down toward Whole Cake Castle!
The size of this island was nearly comparable to Whole Cake Island itself. Coupled with its plummet from an immeasurable height, the combined impact would lead to only one outcome…
The complete annihilation of Whole Cake Island!
"Hey, what the hell is going on?!"
"Th-that island… it's crashing right toward us!"
"Has the apocalypse… come?!"
The members of the Charlotte Family still remaining on the open-air plaza, along with several of the underground emperors, couldn't help but show expressions of shock and panic.
Stussy's body trembled slightly, her eyes reflecting disbelief.
PLAN A had already failed completely. The only reason she had stayed until now was to witness the outcome of the battle between Kaido and Xiano with her own eyes.
The World Government would be more than happy to see either of them fall in battle.
But instead…
A scene from her memories rapidly aligned with what was unfolding before her.
Instinctively, she turned her gaze toward the two Sea Emperors beside her—both former crewmates of Rocks alongside her clone's original self.
"Hey, Linlin… the only one who could pull off something like this…" Kaido forced himself to stand upright, narrowing his eyes with a grave expression.
"Is that old bastard." BIGMOM took a deep breath, finishing his sentence.
"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
At that moment, a wild, arrogant laugh—eerily similar to Blackbeard's—echoed from the sky above.
A figure with golden hair, draped in a yellow admiral's coat, stood at the edge of the floating island, arms crossed, a cigar clenched between his teeth as he grinned madly.
"Linlin! Kaido! It's been so, so many years! Bet you never expected this—Golden Lion Shiki is back!"
He spread his arms wide, as if the entire world were already within his grasp.
"And that dazzling new brat, Xiano! ZEHAHA! What a rare gathering we have today! I'll use your lives to announce my grand return! Let this sea remember once more who the true ruler of the New World is!"
Seventeen years.
A full seventeen years!
Seventeen years ago, he had severed his own legs and escaped from Impel Down.
For revenge against the World Government, for his ambition to reclaim dominance over the seas, he had lain low, silently building his strength in the shadows.
Originally, according to his plans, he had intended to wait another two or three years.
Only when his "IQ" Beast Project reached full completion would he officially announce his return to the world.
But then…
The seas in recent years had become a storm of rising stars—first that Red Hair brat, followed by the even more terrifyingly rapid rise of Xiano!
Hey!
You damn rookies!
Are you carrying on Roger's will or something? Each of you is absurdly strong beyond reason! This situation… it's just too damn tempting to ignore any longer!
And as luck would have it…
News of the prolonged battle between Kaido and Xiano, still unresolved after days of fighting, had spread across the entire sea.
Shiki, with his keen instincts, realized that if he wanted this era—which had gradually forgotten his fearsome name—to immediately recall the terror of his vast armada once more…
There could be no better opportunity than this!
Linlin alone couldn't perfectly resolve her own island-dropping offensive. Taking advantage of the other two being exhausted and weakened, she aimed to crush them!
One was a Four Emperor hailed as the world's strongest creature, and the other was the strongest rookie in history, nearly on par with the Sea Emperors.
They were worthy stepping stones for his grand return!
Enough to make the name of Golden Lion tremble across the seas once more—even surpassing that still-living old bastard!
"Zehahaha..."
Golden Lion grinned, his outstretched right hand palm-down as he suddenly swung it downward.
"Faster... damn it!"
BOOM!!!
The Floating Giant Island abruptly accelerated its descent, its terrifying shadow nearly swallowing the entire sky.
The air compressed with an ear-piercing shriek, violent winds raged, and even the peak of Whole Cake Castle began to tremble violently, cracking and shaking!
"Shiki! You crazy old bastard... Hey, Zeus!!"
BIGMOM roared in fury as the white cloud hurriedly flew over in a panic. She leaped onto it, charging toward the sky.
Xiano's expression also shifted slightly as he flipped his right hand, a Mystical Bean now clenched in his palm.
He had absolute confidence in his physical resilience—even in his exhausted state, he didn't believe this island could kill him.
But what about his comrades?
What about the countless innocent civilians living on Whole Cake Island?
The casualties would be catastrophic!
He refused to let that happen. Even if it meant using his last Mystical Bean, he had to—
"Jack! Lord Xiano hasn't recovered his strength yet—you stay there and protect him! Everyone else, follow me and help Charlotte Linlin stop this island!"
A girl's sharp command suddenly rang out.
SHING!
Kuina's black ponytail whipped wildly in the wind as she unsheathed her sword with a low shout, ready to slash at the massive island.
Behind her, Kuma, Nojiko, Smoker, and others, along with the Sweet Commanders led by Katakuri, all leaped into the sky.
"Don't worry, Boss!"
Jack bellowed in response, transforming into a colossal mammoth in the blink of an eye. He crouched down, leaving just enough space to cover Xiano beneath him.
This way...
Even if the island still crashed down, it would kill him before it could harm Boss Xiano!
Jack's eyes burned with determination.
However, he didn't notice that the moment he transformed, Xiano had just barely managed to raise his right hand toward his mouth.
Only for his entire arm to be pinned under a massive mammoth butt, completely immobilized.
"You—"
Xiano nearly fainted from sheer frustration.
Normally, he could easily lift and toss aside a mammoth with minimal effort.
But right now, he was truly drained—otherwise, he wouldn't have struggled so hard just to stand up earlier.
"Jack!"
He growled, about to order Jack to move his enormous rear, when a familiar, maniacal laugh erupted beside him:
"Urororo... You old bastard, acting so arrogant—did you really think that brat could drain me dry?"
Kaido panted heavily, his eyes flashing with ferocity as he looked up.
Though exhausted, in this life-or-death moment, he forcibly summoned his last reserves of strength. With a thunderous stomp, he launched himself skyward like a Cannonball, roaring—
"Don't underestimate me, Shiki!!!"
Boom!
Thunder suddenly roared as Kaido's muscles bulged and twisted, transforming him in an instant into a colossal azure dragon that blotted out the sky!
"Get the hell out of my way, all of you! None of you have what it takes to stop this entire island!"
With a swing of its tail, the azure dragon sent everyone—whether it was Katakuri or Kuina, who had ascended using Moon Walk—flying backward, crashing violently into the ground.
"Kaido…"
BIGMOM also froze momentarily, turning her head in shock to stare at the azure dragon.
At that moment, an astonishing number of violet-black Flame Clouds erupted from the dragon's body, surging like a torrent as they rapidly spread in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, they coiled around and enveloped the entire lower half of the floating island.
Hum!
The rapidly descending island suddenly jerked to a halt, forcibly suspended by the overlapping layers of Flame Clouds, stopping just a few hundred meters above Whole Cake Island!
"Huh?"
Golden Lion's pupils constricted sharply, his expression shifting dramatically.
He hadn't expected Kaido—who had been so exhausted moments ago—to still have the strength to act.
Even more surprising was the extent to which the man had developed his Devil Fruit abilities!
No one had ever been able to completely halt a falling island from his control before!
Even if Whitebeard or that old bastard Garp had been here, they could only have shattered it into countless fragments. Whole Cake Island would still have faced utter destruction.
"Mamamamama, well done, Kaido!"
BIGMOM burst into laughter, her killing intent surging:
"Do me one more favor and toss this island into the sea nearby. Leave the rest to me! Hey, Zeus, take me up there!"
"Yes, Mama!"
Zeus grinned ferociously as it accelerated, swerving around the floating island held aloft by the violet Flame Clouds, darting straight toward Golden Lion high above!
BIGMOM's eyes burned with fury as she tightened her grip on Napoleon, now transformed into a massive sword. Conqueror's Haki coiled around the blade, crackling with black-red lightning.
"Shiki! You bastard!"
She roared, "You relic of a bygone era should have stayed buried! How dare you wreak havoc in my territory?! Today, I'll teach you the meaning of regret!"
"I don't fucking know how to read!"
Golden Lion snapped out of his daze and sneered, "But you, Linlin… after all these years, you're still as hot-tempered as ever!"
Though she's still as beautiful as she was back then.
How strange. Weren't there rumors that she'd grown fat and hideous beyond recognition?
Unfazed, he casually waved both hands.
The air around him distorted abruptly, and dozens of massive boulders tore free from the floating island, coated in dense Armament Haki, hurtling toward BIGMOM like cannonballs.
Did he really think such tricks could stop her?
BIGMOM snorted in disdain.
"Might Nation!"
With a single swing of her sword, the terrifying Sword Aura infused with Conqueror's Haki instantly pulverized every last boulder!
By then, Zeus had carried her close enough to Golden Lion.
Napoleon rose high before slashing down at him!
"Comparing swordsmanship? How laughable, Linlin. Unless you've gone senile, you should remember... that's clearly my specialty!"
Golden Lion roared with unrestrained laughter, showing no fear.
With a mere flick of his two legendary swords, Shigure and Kogarashi, which served as his prosthetic limbs, he unleashed a magnificent cross-shaped Sword Aura!
Before consuming the Float-Float Fruit, he had first made his name across the world as a Master Swordsman of the Two-Sword Style!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The two clashed fiercely at an altitude of over ten thousand meters, their blades constantly colliding amidst surges of black-red lightning. The battle carried them farther and higher until they became mere specks at the limit of vision...
"Being able to fly sure is convenient."
Jack tilted his elephant head upward with envy before suddenly addressing the figure beneath him:
"Hey, boss, speaking of which... could you fight those two at that altitude under normal circumstances?"
Xiano's voice drifted up faintly:
"With Moon Walk, reaching that height isn't difficult. But maintaining combat against flying opponents of that caliber in that environment would put me at a serious disadvantage. Of course, that's not the main issue here."
"Huh?"
Jack blinked. "Then what is?"
"It's your dumb ass still sitting on me, you idiot!"
A vein bulged on Xiano's forehead as he roared. "How long is this going to last? Kaido already moved the island, so why are you still pinning me down?!"
"Oh... oh, right!"
Jack snapped out of it, hurriedly reverting to human form. "Sorry, boss!"
Finally freeing his arm, Xiano stood up. He glanced at the uneaten Mystical Bean, shook his head, and stored it back in his pack.
Then he looked toward the distant Kaido.
The azure dragon was laboriously moving the floating island to the nearby sea at BIGMOM's request, though the task clearly strained his exhausted body. The Flame Cloud-supported island moved at a glacial pace, with more than half still hovering above Whole Cake Island.
"Hey, Kaido! Need some help?"
"Shut up! If you're out of strength then stay put and stop giving orders!"
The azure dragon bellowed, his body convulsing as if drawing upon his last reserves. The purple-black Flame Clouds suddenly expanded several times over!
With a thunderous crash, the massive floating island finally settled completely over the ocean before plunging in, sending up hundred-meter waves. Whole Cake Island, separated only by a few hundred meters of strait, trembled from the impact.
"Success! Totto Land's thirty-six islands shall now become thirty-seven!"
Kaido reverted to human form, spreading his arms midair as he laughed uproariously:
"Linlin, you owe me big for this one! If you know what's good for you, quit bringing up that old matter, uororororo..."
His laughter gradually faded, his pupils dilating as his arms went limp.
The next instant, the seven-meter-tall figure plummeted from the sky into the sea without a sound.
"..."
Xiano withdrew his gaze and shook his head.
What a show-off. The guy had to go and steal all the spotlight.
However, considering that it saved him a Mystical Bean and rescued all the citizens of Whole Cake Island, he decided to set aside their grudges for now and lend a hand to save the other party.
Casually taking out a few pieces of red bean bread, he tossed them into his mouth, chewing vigorously as he regained his stamina. After confirming that his comrades were all unharmed, he made his way to the shoreline.
He stretched his leg joints slightly, then—
With a swift kick, he sent Agin, who had been curiously looking around, tumbling into the water.
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