Kaido was finally hauled up by Xiano after much effort.
The battle in the skies above thus came to an end.
For Golden Lion and BIGMOM, such a short time was far from enough to determine a victor.
Realizing the situation was turning unfavorable and sensing that Xiano's stamina was gradually recovering—meaning he could join the fray at any moment—Golden Lion decisively abandoned his entanglement with BIGMOM. Leveraging the power of the Float-Float Fruit, he swiftly created distance.
Standing high in the sky, he looked down at Whole Cake Island below and snorted coldly.
"Linlin, Kaido, and that brat Xiano!"
Golden Lion exhaled a smoke ring, baring his teeth. "You got lucky this time! But don't think this is over!"
If this had been during his prime years, he would never have retreated today—even if Kaido and Xiano had fully recovered their stamina.
What was taking on three opponents at once to him?
But alas...
Age had weakened him, and with his surprise island attack failing to achieve its goal, he had no choice but to retreat for now.
With a fierce wave of his hand, the remaining scattered fragments of the floating islands, under his control, transformed into countless sharp stone spears that shot toward Whole Cake Island.
Though their destructive power paled in comparison to an entire island's impact, they were still enough to cause significant damage.
"Hey, Shiki! What the hell are you trying to do now?" BIGMOM roared, swinging Napoleon's massive sword to shatter and intercept the incoming rocks.
But Golden Lion had already seized the opportunity to completely shake off BIGMOM, ascending into the higher clouds. His figure quickly blurred, soon becoming nothing more than a tiny black dot on the horizon. Only his unrestrained laughter remained:
"Zehahaha! I'll be back! Today was just the overture of my grand return! Once my great plan is complete and I make my official comeback, you'll all come to understand—after Roger's era, this age shall bear the name of Golden Lion!!!"
A great plan?
Did he mean that nearly completed IQ Beast Project?
Standing by the shore, Xiano stroked his wet dog's head, narrowing his eyes as he watched Golden Lion vanish into the distance.
This old man...
As a contemporary rival of Roger and Whitebeard, his strength was undoubtedly formidable.
His feats were legendary.
He once single-handedly stormed Marine Headquarters, battling Sengoku and Garp for an extended period while destroying half of Marineford.
But ever since the Battle of Edd War, when a ship's rudder got lodged in his skull...
The old man's mind hadn't seemed quite right.
Logically speaking, the mobility granted by the Float-Float Fruit was on par with Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit. If he truly wanted to escape, even opponents of the same caliber would struggle to stop him.
Yet back then, he'd rather let himself be captured and imprisoned in Impel Down, even cutting off his own legs, than flee on the spot.
That could still be somewhat understood—a proud, top-tier warrior in his prime would cling to his grudges and pride.
But after vanishing for twenty years and preparing for two decades...
The opponent's method of retaliating against the world was actually to conduct some kind of IQ beast research and release these beasts into the seas to give the World Government a headache?
It made no sense.
At least, Xiano couldn't understand it.
"East Blue…"
Xiano's eyes flickered.
From what he remembered, Golden Lion's retaliation began with the towns of East Blue.
But if the original timeline continued, there would be no need to worry about this before Luffy set sail.
However, the butterfly effect caused by his transmigration had been far too significant.
Golden Lion had resurfaced three years early—who knew if he might start his plans ahead of schedule? And among the East Blue towns that would suffer, would there be any familiar islands?
His hometown, Cocoyasi Village, the Goa Kingdom, Shimotsuki Village…
He absolutely would not allow Golden Lion to lay a hand on these places.
"I'll have to make a trip back to East Blue soon."
Xiano patted Agin. "There's no point in always being on the defensive. We need to find Golden Lion's base and wipe out that old bastard, along with his entire Flying Pirates crew."
He couldn't help but sigh, looking up at Agin's panting face with a smile.
"It's already been a whole year since we left East Blue. Hey, Agin, do you want to go back with me?"
Achoo!
Agin sneezed loudly.
It glared resentfully at Xiano. Whether or not they returned to East Blue didn't matter—right now, all it wanted was a hot bath, to curl up in its warm nest, and drink a big bucket of strawberry milk.
Hauling that massive chunk of muscle up from the seabed had been exhausting!
"I can see the longing for home in your eyes."
Xiano nodded, deeply moved. "You really do understand me best. Alright, it's decided then."
Back to East Blue!
Once the remaining loose ends from this Whole Cake Island trip were settled, they'd set off immediately!
After dealing with Golden Lion's mess, he could finally bring Bellemere over too.
That stubborn foster mother of his had never once left East Blue in her entire life.
He remembered during his childhood, when he, along with the two tagalongs Nojiko and Nami, had enthusiastically worked on cultivating the tangerine groves…
That woman would often smile and say that once she saved up enough money and became rich, she'd take her children beyond East Blue—especially to the Grand Line—to travel and broaden their horizons.
And now…
He had made a name for himself, no longer the rookie who had to flee at the sight of a Marine Admiral. He even had his own territory in the New World.
He had the ability now—and it was time—to fulfill her wish.
...
Nightfall.
As dusk settled, the lingering shock from the morning's apocalyptic scene—an island crashing from the sky—gradually faded.
The residents were still shaken, but they slowly resumed their daily routines. Whole Cake Island gradually returned to its usual tranquility.
On the fully restored rooftop plaza, BIGMOM personally hosted another banquet.
It was both a celebration of the Tea Party's successful conclusion—despite the close call—and a farewell for the Curtain Closer and his group, who would soon depart the island.
But neither Xiano nor Kaido attended.
Several kilometers away…
Under the crescent moon's faint glow, the two figures stood by the shore.
"Hey, Xiano!"
Kaido sat cross-legged on a reef, untied the gourd flask at his waist, and instinctively wanted to toss it over. But then, as if remembering something, he withdrew his hand resentfully.
He tilted his head back and took a swig himself, staring at the dark horizon in the distance. Twin plumes of white smoke snorted from his nostrils as he muttered gruffly:
"So, what are your plans now?"
Xiano leaned against a nearby tree trunk, arms crossed. At the question, he scoffed. "What? Still not giving up on recruiting me as your right-hand man?"
"Wororororo!"
Kaido threw his arms wide and laughed heartily. "If that were possible, I'd do anything you asked! But I'm no fool either. This battle made one thing clear—someone like you would never bow to anyone else!"
"Glad you understand."
Xiano's gaze also turned toward the distant horizon. "We're not cut from the same cloth. As for my plans? Simple—keep sailing, grow stronger, expand my influence, and then..."
"Do what you dreamed of in your youth but no longer dare attempt."
Kaido's pupils contracted slightly.
"Oh? You even know about that? Seems you understand me better than I thought!"
Affecting nonchalance, he snorted coldly. "How arrogant! Hey! Who do you think you are? The second coming of Joy Boy?!"
"Joy Boy? That's what you liked calling yourself in your youth, wasn't it? Doesn't interest me. But I'm still young—younger than your daughter. Don't lump me in with you."
Xiano grinned, shooting him a sidelong glance before tapping his own chest. "When ambition stirs in a man's heart, he's got to give it a shot."
"..."
Kaido fell silent for a long moment before exhaling deeply.
"I really want to knock you down a peg, but you're right. Just thinking about your age makes me feel unqualified. When I was in my teens, I could barely fill my belly—always sneaking into Marine prisons to scrounge meals!"
Casually securing his gourd flask, he stood up with booming laughter:
"This time, I helped you out, and you saved me once. We're even. Next time we meet, it'll likely be all-out war between the Beasts and the Curtain Closer. On the battlefield, I won't hold back!"
"Likewise."
Xiano's response was calm.
As a battle junkie, Kaido's bone-crushing, exhilarating fighting style suited him just fine.
But as Kurozumi Orochi's backer and the shadow ruler of Wano Country...
This guy was textbook villain material that needed toppling.
That Oden oden might have been garbage at governance, but Kaido outdid him—he couldn't even manage sustainable exploitation.
Forget comparing to BIGMOM's meticulously managed Totto Land.
Scanning the entire New World, among the other Sea Emperors and major Pirates carving out their territories, none were less reliable than him.
Once his crew's overall strength grew sufficiently, the inevitable clash between his Curtain Closer and Kaido's Beasts Pirates...
Would come sooner or later!
"Guess it's time I took off!"
Kaido stomped on the reef, his massive body swelling and transforming in an instant back into that sky-blotting azure dragon.
"As for you—keep getting stronger, Xiano!"
The fully dragonized Kaido coiled into the sky, looking down at Xiano on the shore with exhilarated battle intent gleaming in his draconic eyes:
"I'll be waiting for you on Oni Island! For now, you can't do much against me, but when the time comes, don't disappoint me!"
The sea winds suddenly roared as Kaido threw his head back and unleashed a deafening dragon's cry, the shockwave scattering clouds for miles around.
With one last deep glance at Xiano, his massive dragon body twisted violently, churning up a misty spray as he surged toward the horizon.
Under the moonlight, the silhouette of the azure dragon grew smaller and smaller, eventually shrinking into a distant green star in the sky, its maniacal laughter faintly carried by the wind.
"Urororororo…"
————
Atop Whole Cake Castle.
BIGMOM, who had been cheerfully clinking glasses with Bonney, suddenly sensed something and sharply turned her gaze toward the distant sky.
"So he's gone already, Kaido…"
She snorted coldly. "Rather than saying goodbye to me in person, he'd rather share a drink with that brat in private?"
Everyone's gone now.
Her eyes swept across the surroundings—aside from the few remaining members of the Curtain Closers, the long tables stood empty and desolate.
The guests of the Tea Party had long since dispersed, and even the children of the Charlotte Family had busily departed.
The vast open-air plaza now felt eerily hollow.
Isn't life just like this? Always gathering and parting, meeting and separating.
Just like how she still couldn't understand why Mother Carmel and her childhood companions had abandoned her so suddenly, just like her parents…
Now.
All those she could call comrades had left—Dofeld was gone, Stussy was gone, Umit was gone too…
Wait…
BIGMOM pinched her chin, deep in thought. Among all these people, why did she feel like she was forgetting someone?
Huh, who was it again?
————
Late January, Year 1517 of the Sea Calendar.
Two major events erupted in the New World, one right after the other.
First.
Xiano, Captain of the Curtain Closers Pirate Crew, clashed fiercely with the Beast Kaido at BIGMOM's Tea Party! The battle raged for five days and nights, ending only when both combatants were utterly exhausted—with no clear victor!
Second.
The legendary Pirate of the previous era, Golden Lion Shiki, re-emerged after seventeen years of absence—and with an audacious display of arrogance, immediately launched an assault on Whole Cake Island.
Due to the overlapping locations, timing, and the high-profile figures involved, these two events were naturally merged into a single sensational news story by the press.
Once the news broke…
Public outcry erupted, and the world trembled!
From the Four Seas to the Grand Line, discussions about the events spread like wildfire—some spoke with excitement, others with fear, unease, or even pride…
There was also a minor footnote.
For some unknown reason, the World Economic Journal, the monopolistic giant of the newspaper industry, reacted far more sluggishly than usual.
Smaller local presses had already whipped up the frenzy for days before the World Economic Journal, as if just waking up, hastily scrambled to catch up.
Still, good news is worth the wait, and a giant remains a giant.
No one knew where the World Economic Journal sourced its material, but soon, a flood of exclusive photographs and firsthand accounts flooded its pages.
Including the prelude to the Tea Party, the fierce battle between Xiano and Kaido, the visually striking close-up shots of the scene, and the intimate photos of the confrontation between the three Sea Emperors...
Everything was covered in exhaustive detail, instantly causing the sales of the World Economic Journal to skyrocket, setting the highest record since the beginning of the new year!
Yes, three Sea Emperors.
Aside from the veteran Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, Xiano was officially recognized for the first time as standing alongside the two Four Emperors, regarded as a new Sea Emperor!
Even this title received tacit approval from the World Government.
Not infinitely close, not almost equivalent, and certainly not hype or sensationalism—this was a genuine, undeniable equal standing, a true and universally acknowledged Sea Emperor!!!
Because of this, Xiano's bounty, which had been stuck at a major threshold, finally broke through to a new level.
The new bounty for the "World's Greatest Swordsman," Xiano...
Is 3,276,000,000 Berry!
Dead or alive!
(End of Chapter)