Kai's declaration ignited the battlefield like a spark to gunpowder.
In an instant, countless lightning bolts crashed down from the storm clouds above. Simultaneously, what had appeared to be gentle breezes suddenly twisted and shrieked, transforming into dozens of tornadoes composed entirely of razor-sharp wind blades.
The two forces intertwined and merged into a catastrophic storm of death!
"AHHHHH!"
Screams so agonized they no longer sounded human flooded the entire battlefield in waves of pure terror.
The air filled with nauseating burnt flesh and the pungent metallic stench of blood that spread like a plague across the combat zone.
After the storm's merciless rampage, the entire field appeared as though it had been baptized by a natural disaster of biblical proportions.
Only now did King and Queen, observing from their elevated position, truly understand why Kaido had bestowed upon Kai the codename "Calamity"!
Of the originally dense crowd of hundreds of pirates, only a handful of figures could barely remain standing among the devastation.
Jack, Sasaki, Who's-Who, and several others appeared largely unharmed, though their irregular breathing patterns clearly indicated they had expended considerable stamina and effort resisting the elemental onslaught.
"The crowd-clearing effect is quite satisfactory," Kai observed his handiwork with evident satisfaction, the corners of his mouth curving upward in approval.
"Hmph, a bunch of worthless idiots," Who's-Who sneered disdainfully at the pirates sprawled unconscious across the ground.
He had deliberately held back earlier, allowing this cannon fodder to serve as unwitting test subjects for the newcomer's capabilities.
The experiment had succeeded, but the results were deeply alarming.
"Powerful defensive abilities, combined with the capacity to manipulate weather phenomena for devastating large-scale attacks..." Who's-Who's calculating gaze swept over the massive divine dragon hovering above, his expression mixing envy with genuine wariness.
Mythical Zoan users were indeed all monsters in human skin!
But still, there remained opportunities for victory.
However, he would let the others make the first moves.
Who's-Who's predatory gaze shifted like a venomous serpent toward Jack, Ulti, Sasaki, and the other survivors still standing nearby.
The pirates who had attacked initially were merely expendable extras. These remaining individuals represented his true competition for advancement.
Coincidentally, Sasaki and the others harbored identical calculations, their eyes flickering with the same tactical considerations.
Before fully understanding Kai's complete arsenal of abilities, none dared make the opening move, fearing they would simply be paving the way for someone else's victory.
For several tense moments, the scene remained frozen in cautious anticipation.
"Hmph, a bunch of cowards."
Jack, wielding two massive curved swords, became the first to shatter this suffocating silence.
He released a contemptuous sneer, his eyes blazing with pure fighting spirit as his already imposing frame swelled and transformed into his mammoth hybrid form.
His thick legs stomped the ground with tremendous force, shattering the surface beneath his feet as Jack launched himself upward like a living cannonball!
"Break apart for me!"
Midair, Jack's arms became a blur of motion.
Two giant curved blades wrapped in pitch-black Armament Haki, accompanied by the ear-splitting shriek of air being torn asunder, slashed frantically at the same point on Kai's serpentine body.
Pain! Such excruciating pain!
Kai's pupils contracted sharply as he felt his supposedly impenetrable scales being methodically chiseled through, layer by agonizing layer.
Truly worthy of being the Beast Pirates' prodigious young talent.
At just eighteen years old, Jack possessed fishman bloodline combined with his Ancient Zoan Mammoth Fruit powers. His overall combat strength likely ranked second only to King and Queen at this stage.
If not for Kai's sudden appearance, Jack would undoubtedly have claimed an All-Star position before much longer.
Can't keep absorbing punishment like this!
With lightning-fast tactical analysis, Kai's massive dragon form began contracting rapidly, instantly switching to his more agile hybrid form that was better suited for close-quarters combat.
Beast form excelled at crowd control, but in single combat it became a massive, vulnerable target.
"Perfect timing."
Seeing Kai actively reduce his size, Jack's eyes lit up with predatory satisfaction as he completed his transformation into a mammoth giant covered in coarse fur, sporting tusks like gleaming spears.
He charged directly toward Kai's position and raised his thick, muscular trunk high overhead.
"It's over!"
"Trunk Hammer!"
The pitch-black trunk, infused with concentrated Armament Haki, cut through the air and slammed down toward Kai with devastating intent.
This powerful strike compressed the surrounding atmosphere so violently it dragged a visible white shockwave in its wake.
BOOM!
That devastating blow, condensed with monstrous physical strength and advanced Haki, landed squarely on Kai just as he finished his transformation sequence.
Unimaginable impact force erupted instantly. Kai felt as though he'd been struck head-on by a Marine battleship traveling at full speed.
His entire body flew backward like a kite with severed strings, becoming a blurred streak shooting through the air at frightening velocity!
CRASH!
A thunderous impact echoed across the battlefield as Kai's body slammed hard into a rocky cliff face.
Smoke and debris filled the air, completely obscuring his figure from view.
At the skull's observation point, Queen shook his head dismissively. "That kid's finished. Jack's signature strike isn't something ordinary fighters can survive."
King's voice carried cold amusement. "Idiot, use your Observation Haki and look properly before making such assumptions."
"Who are you calling an idiot, you torture-obsessed pervert?! Even if I subtracted a hundred points from my IQ, I'd still be considered a certified genius!"
Having his intellectual pride wounded, Queen launched into his familiar litany of self-proclaimed achievements and titles.
Phrases like "MADS' most brilliant scientist, second only to Vegapunk," "the absolute pinnacle of cybernetic enhancement," "the undisputed master of biochemical warfare," and dozens of similar boasts flowed freely.
Below the skull fortress, tensions continued escalating among the remaining combatants.
"Damn that bastard Jack for getting there first!" A petite girl with distinctive blue and pink streaked hair widened her eyes and cursed with genuine fury. "I haven't even settled the score with him for injuring my little brother yet!"
During the earlier Twister assault, Page One, being both the youngest and weakest of the group, had suffered serious injuries in the elemental barrage.
If he weren't an Ancient Zoan Spinosaurus form user with enhanced durability, he would likely be unconscious among the fallen pirates scattered across the battlefield.
The purple-haired youth wearing a distinctive black and white mask tugged gently at Ulti's sleeve. "Sister, please forget about it. Don't start unnecessary conflicts with Jack-aniki right now."
This wasn't motivated by fear of damaging relationships. Fighting among Beast Pirates members was extremely common, and as long as there were no cowardly sneak attacks involved, Kaido genuinely didn't care about internal disputes. Jack was particularly enthusiastic about such confrontations.
The real problem was simple: his sister wasn't Jack's equal in combat capability.
Even combining both siblings' strength, they would struggle significantly against the mammoth user.
Why actively seek out unnecessary suffering?
"Little Pay-Pay, your big sister will listen to your advice." Ulti wrapped her arms around Page One's neck, rubbing her cheek affectionately yet somewhat roughly against his face in a display of sibling bonding.
"Ow, ow! Please be gentler..." Page One was on the verge of tears from his sister's aggressive affection.
"Since that situation is settled, then our next opponents are each other, correct?" Who's-Who smiled with predatory anticipation. "Sasaki, how about we form a temporary alliance to eliminate them first?"
"Excellent strategy." Sasaki, slightly overweight with distinctive twin horns protruding from his head, voiced no objections to the proposal. He surveyed the area with obvious greed, viewing the sibling duo as prime targets for elimination.
"HAH?! You want to fight us?!" Ulti instantly switched from "devoted sister" mode to her characteristic explosive fury.
As an Ancient Zoan Pachycephalosaurus form user, she immediately transformed into her hybrid state and shouted her defiant challenge: "I'll use my headbutts to smash you worthless bastards straight into the ground!"
Page One followed his sister's example, entering his Spinosaurus hybrid form and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ulti, both siblings glaring with murderous intent at Sasaki and Who's-Who.
The brother and sister had survived and thrived in the Beast Pirates' brutal survival-of-the-fittest environment by relying on desperate determination and unbreakable unity.
However, the four combatants caught up in their escalating internal conflict failed to notice that Jack, despite having his back turned toward them, had remained in a state of high alert and readiness.
CRASH!
Rubble tumbled and scattered as a dragon claw suddenly shot out from the destruction, gripping the cliff face with crushing force.
"Cough... that was quite a substantial hit."
Kai's figure slowly emerged from the dust-filled ruins, shaking his somewhat dizzy head as pebbles and debris scattered down around him.
One hand pressed against the rock wall for support while the other covered his chest, where Jack's devastating trunk strike had left its mark alongside the earlier sword wounds that were still visible.
Most surprisingly, after only a few minutes had passed, those vicious blade wounds had already stopped bleeding entirely. The chest pain was receding rapidly like a tide pulling back from shore.
Kai looked up toward the distance where Jack waited and grinned with genuine excitement and anticipation.
"Jack... now it's my turn to show you what real power looks like!"