Kaido flexed his massive muscles, taking the bow with his giant kanabo, his Conqueror's Haki so powerful it was visible as dark red lightning.
With a step, his sheer strength made the 300-meter flagship dip forward, the stern rising.
As the ship shot forward, Kaido's body transformed—blue dragon scales spread, a tail sprouting, giving him a majestic, terrifying aura.
Spinning his waist, Kaido swung the kanabo as thunder boomed, Conqueror's Haki and Ryuo coating the weapon, turning it black and red.
As he struck, he roared, "Thunder Bagua!"
Boom!
A deafening blast—the blow met the invisible sword slash head-on.
Instantly, the sea churned and the earth shook.
One side of the sea rose, the other, under the influence of the Gravity Fruit, sank—creating a scene like the world splitting.
Explorers on board were both terrified and awed.
Standing behind Kaido, Gusion realized the true gap between himself and the strong.
Kaido wasn't holding back as he did in training. Gusion even suspected that if this Kaido faced Gear 5 Luffy, Luffy wouldn't stand a chance.
Was Kaido really at full power in the original battle? What did he truly lose to?
The tides surged as the flagship rode the rising wave, flying atop the crest.
The other side, under the gravity slash, became a massive whirlpool, swallowing everything like a black hole.
"Hahaha, what a rare strong opponent!" Kaido laughed, landing steadily on the bow from the aftershock, while young crew members screamed in terror.
The ship seemed doomed to smash into the island at this rate, but Kaido was unfazed. "King!"
King soared into the air, transforming into his hybrid form for superior maneuverability.
He flew to the stern, unsheathing his sword as flames erupted from his body—a mighty fire dragon surged with his blade, crashing into the sea currents.
Guardian Fire Dragon Emperor!
King's attack vaporized massive amounts of seawater, and the ship landed by the island's port, the tsunami diverted away.
Boom!
The ship splashed down, waves cascading like waterfalls, blocking all view.
Kaido, soaked, laughed heartily. "Smooth landing."
The young crew was terrified, but the veterans were used to this violent docking.
Kaido jumped ashore first, eyeing the swordsman who'd attacked them.
"King, is that him?"
King landed. "Yes, sir. He's very strong."
The swordsman, Issho, was also sizing up Kaido. "Emperor Kaido," he said solemnly.
He didn't want these brutal pirates on peaceful Sky Island, but facing Kaido, he realized he was outmatched. He'd stopped many pirates, but not the unstoppable force of the Emperors.
"A strong one indeed. Looks like I can stretch my muscles," Kaido said, eager for battle.
"Mr. Kaido."
Gusion's voice interrupted.
He jumped down. "You haven't forgotten our purpose here, have you? Now's not the time for a fight."
Kaido grumbled but relented. "Fine—your turn. If you can't handle it, I'll step in."
Gusion approached Issho. "Mr. Issho, can we talk?"
"I have nothing to say to pirates who invade nations and torment the innocent," Issho replied, like a swordsman of old.
He was unmoved by Gusion's words, convinced the Beasts Pirates were evil.
"Mr. Issho, isn't it unfair to judge us by rumor alone, especially when you cannot see for yourself?" Gusion said, careful not to get too close in case Issho attacked before Kaido could save him.
"I may be blind, but my heart is clear. If the whole New World says you invaded Wano, can you call that justice?" Issho retorted.
"We did invade Wano, but let me ask—what is justice to you?" Gusion countered.
Issho replied without hesitation, "Pirates who invade, destroy peace—they are evil. True justice is ensuring the people live in happiness and security."
Gusion smiled. "So, do you believe pure justice exists in this world?"
Issho frowned, not realizing he was being led into Gusion's pace. After some thought, he said, "That's idealistic. Pure justice doesn't exist."
He spoke from experience—though his heart sought justice, he had a dark past and wasn't always in the light.
"But if the Beasts Pirates invade Wano, yet bring peace and prosperity, is that justice?" Gusion pressed.
Issho was stunned. "Nonsense! Pirates can't bring prosperity!"
Crew members gathered behind Kaido, enjoying Gusion's lectures.
"You didn't answer my question. Even hypothetically—would we be evil or just?" Gusion smiled.
Issho frowned, thinking long before answering, "Even if it were true, it'd still be evil—you took another's country. The people were already at peace."
"What if the country was poor, starving, suffering?" Gusion asked gently.
"What are you suggesting? That you made Wano better?" Issho scoffed.
"Wano suffered under the Kozuki clan's feudal rule—peaceful but poor. Later, under the Kurozumi Orochi, things worsened. But the Beasts Pirates corrected that."
Gusion continued, "Orochi's rule was as bad as you've heard, but we've fixed it."
"Convenient timing—you just waited to take over," Issho sneered, determined to stand against the Emperors.
"Call it a coup, call it invasion—both are true. But it's also true we improved the lives of Wano's people," Gusion said, playing a recording from a Skypiea Tone Dial.
It was Kaido distributing homes to workers—grateful voices, cheers of "Protector King Kaido!" even through the recording, the emotion was powerful.
Issho was wary, but as he listened, his expression changed.
"You think this recording will fool me? Pirates aren't so kind," he said, but didn't attack.
"That's your prejudice. Why can't pirates care for their people? Wano is ours now—we care for our own," Gusion said. "And as I said—seeing is believing. If you doubt, come see Wano for yourself."
Issho hesitated. He could sense Gusion wasn't lying. But how could such a notorious pirate crew be benevolent rulers?
Gusion boldly pressed the Tone Dial into Issho's hand.
Feeling it, Issho confirmed it was a genuine Skypiea product—impossible to fake. The voices were real.
Would Kaido really go to such lengths to trick him? Unlikely—Kaido could simply kill him if he wanted.