The dragon soared through the sky as thunder rumbled and dark clouds gathered, weaving together a suffocating scene.
The Azure Dragon — a being that should have existed only in myth — exhaled flames and gale winds. A creature that should have embodied despair and awe, its presence alone enough to make the world tremble.
And yet…
At this very moment, it was a seemingly small figure who stood at the center of the battlefield, as if the entire world itself were shaking in his grasp.
"Hey… Cute One,"
Orin slowly exhaled a breath of steam. The terrifying energy swirling around his body converted into pure heat, scorching the very air around him.
He grinned wickedly as he raised his gaze toward the enormous dragon in the sky — completely ignoring the two major figures standing nearby.
"You're not telling me that's all you've got, are you? If you don't go all out soon, you'll die~"
"Uororororo…"
Kaido's wounds were slowly closing, the blood trying to clot, but it would take time. Yet as long as the damage wasn't fatal, Kaido could rise again as if nothing had happened.
"What a refreshing fight. It's about time we settled this once and for all."
The flames at the corners of Kaido's mouth roared wildly as his aura surged to terrifying heights. His size expanded from hundreds of meters… to thousands… to tens of thousands...
His entire body was enveloped by blazing flames, growing and growing until he became a massive—
Fire Dragon!!!
Fsssshhhhh…
The air itself burned and twisted. The Seagull King's pupils trembled as he watched.
As another Mythical Zoan user, he could feel the fearsome power emanating from Kaido — this was an even greater mythical beast!
There was no need to question it: even if he unleashed the strongest hurricane he could summon, it wouldn't harm this colossal fire dragon. He couldn't even blow away a small portion of the flames — he'd only feed the inferno.
Even among Mythical Zoans… there were levels of power!!!
King stared blankly at Kaido-sama's overwhelming form, especially the terrifying flames engulfing him.
When the dragon's tail brushed against a mountain peak, it instantly melted through the rock. That heat went far beyond ordinary fire.
Even as a Lunarian, a race born with control over flame, King knew he could never achieve such terrifying temperature.
"That body… even more exaggerated than a Sea King's… this is…
The World's Strongest Creature!!!"
As for Queen — the oppressive aura from Orin had been suffocating him all this time. Now, seeing Kaido in his invincible form, a strange sense of relief filled his chest.
His round body went soft, collapsing onto the ground, and after wiping away his sweat, he suddenly leapt up into a strange, ecstatic dance.
"If I survive this, I am gonna eat three buckets of red bean mochi soup… no!! TEN buckets!!!"
...
The air burned. Conqueror's Haki Infusion poured out in full force, merging with Kaido's gigantic body.
Because most of the buildings in the Flower Capital were made of wood, half the city around the battlefield was already engulfed in flames. Countless citizens of Wano either fled far away or perished in the blaze.
But Kaido clearly paid no attention to such insignificant lives.
And Orin — in his drunken state — cared even less.
The firelight illuminated Orin's face, casting it in a crimson glow. But that handsome face showed no trace of fear.
The alcohol in his system had faded somewhat — he was half-drunk, half-sober — and his earlier manic grin was gone, replaced with an exhilarated calm.
He faced the blazing spectacle as though basking in sunlight. His shirt and cloak disintegrated, leaving him standing bare beneath the radiance.
If not counting Rocks, this was already the strongest attack he had ever witnessed. Even when he'd fought Whitebeard, they'd merely exchanged measured blows — never to the death like this.
His hair stood on end. Though not afraid of dying, Orin could tell this strike would be hard to stomach.
He extended both hands — the black spear and Ace appeared simultaneously in his grasp. Blade and spear, both pitch black, gleamed ominously as his lone figure stood before the sun-like giant dragon.
"Good!! Keep dancing!!!"
Orin burst out laughing, exhilarated. The drunken thrill of battle made him feel freer than ever before — his spirit itself seemed to rise higher.
"Such power and scale… Kaido, I acknowledge you!!!"
"Of all the creatures I've fought in this world, none have shown greater endurance and vitality than you."
"I, Orin, recognize you as the strongest creature alive!!!"
The colossal dragon wrapped in flames heard Orin's declaration and let out a booming, gleeful laugh.
"Uorororororo! To fight a monster like you — that's what makes my blood boil!!!"
"Let me feel once more… the thrill of the strongest, most exhilarating war in the world!!!"
The World's Strongest Creature vs. The Next Generation's King!!!
As Orin's figure split into two, sword and spear intersected — an overwhelming sense of death swept over Kaido, chilling him to the bone even through his raging flames.
But Kaido didn't retreat. His eyes gleamed with even fiercer battlelust, spewing fire while shouting down at Orin, drunk courage amplifying his roar.
Words he had always wanted to say burst forth —
"Celestial Dragons? Emperor? Stop playing your childish games, Orin!!!"
"The strong are born to rule all — that is the eternal truth!!"
"Wealth, fame, power? Roger's so-called One Piece was meant to be claimed by the victors of the great war that would follow!!!"
"But this sea is full of fools — dreaming of eternal thrones or challenging opponents they could never defeat! Pathetic!!!"
The flames around Kaido twisted and compressed, spinning tighter and tighter. They coiled around his body, clashing with the black-and-red aura from Orin's blade and spear — before Kaido dove down in a blazing assault!
"Only beings like us can decide the fate of this world — only we can create a war that engulfs everything!!!"
"This sea will have only one king in the end!!!"
Orin stared up at the diving dragon, a savage grin spreading across his face.
Conqueror's Haki Infusion enveloped his blade, while a black orb of warped space formed at the base of his spear.
"Well… you're not wrong about that…"
"A world-shaking, all-consuming war… sounds like a hell of a show. I'm looking forward to it!!!"
There are two kinds of villains in this world.
The first are those like Kaido — with their own warped ideals, pursuing strength to fulfill their ultimate purpose. To others, they seem evil and cruel, but their hearts are steadfast, their convictions strong.
The second… are those like Orin.
No grand purpose.
Just boredom — and the belief that chaos would be fun.
Utterly despicable.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!