-Broadcast-
As Who's-Who's footage faded to black, the Sky Screen's omniscient gaze shifted to yet another confrontation that would define the balance of power in the New World.
Under the Sky Screen's inexorable guidance, the scene transitioned to show Kozuki Momonosuke once again standing before the King of Beasts, ready to stake everything on a challenge for the title of strongest creature in the seas.
Storm clouds churned overhead as the camera panned across the familiar skull-shaped fortress of Onigashima. Lightning split the darkened sky, casting stark shadows across the rocky terrain where two figures faced each other in what could only be described as a clash between David and Goliath. This was to be a pure contest of strength—one-on-one combat between true warriors.
The difference in scale was immediately apparent and psychologically crushing. Most of the world had only glimpsed Kaido through his bounty poster, but seeing his full seven-meter frame revealed under the Sky Screen's pitiless illumination was like staring up at a living mountain. His massive shoulders and barrel chest spoke of raw power that transcended human limitations, while his horns and wild mane gave him the appearance of some primordial demon.
In stark contrast, Kozuki Momonosuke stood barely two meters tall—impressive by normal standards, but utterly dwarfed by his opponent. Yet there was something in the young man's posture, in the way he held his ground without flinching, that spoke to a different kind of strength. Where others would have been paralyzed by fear in Kaido's presence, Momonosuke's eyes burned with unwavering determination.
Kaido studied his challenger with the casual interest of a predator examining potential prey. A slow smile spread across his scarred features as he recognized the courage it took to stand before him. "My offer still stands, Momonosuke," he rumbled, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority. "Join the Beast Pirates. I'll create a new All-Star position just for you—the fourth Disaster. You've proven yourself worthy of the title."
The recruitment offer hung in the air like a poisonous cloud. To anyone else, the chance to join one of the Yonko's crew would represent the opportunity of a lifetime—power, protection, and status beyond most pirates' wildest dreams. But Momonosuke's expression didn't waver for even an instant.
The blood of Wano ran through his veins, carrying with it the burden of honor and the weight of ancestral duty. His parents' deaths were a wound that had never healed, festering in his heart for five long years. There were lines that could never be crossed, principles that transcended even survival itself.
"Kaido," Momonosuke's voice was steady as steel, each word deliberate and final. "I will never forgive you for murdering my parents, for the blood of the Wano people on your hand. The only thing I want from you is your life."
The transformation began immediately. Momonosuke's skin flushed red as scales erupted across his arms and face. His human frame expanded explosively, gaining two full meters in height as he entered his hybrid form. The half-dragon that emerged was a creature of terrible beauty—humanoid enough to move with familiar grace, but draconic enough to radiate primal power.
Abandoning the traditional weapons of his lineage, Momonosuke raised his clawed hands. He had learned through bitter experience that even Ame no Habakiri, his father's legendary blade, couldn't penetrate Kaido's hide. The recoil from those failed strikes had nearly shattered his grip each time. If steel couldn't reach the monster's heart, then flesh and bone would have to suffice.
"Sekiryu Ken!" (Red Dragon Fist)
Both fists erupted with the deep black of Armament Haki, threads of red and ebony lightning crackling around them as Conqueror's Haki joined the mix. Enhanced by Ryuo's flowing technique, Momonosuke launched himself forward with desperate fury, his strikes aimed directly at Kaido's face.
The Yonko made no attempt to dodge or defend. He stood like an immovable mountain as Momonosuke's fists rained down upon him, each impact accompanied by sonic booms that shattered nearby rocks. The young dragon put every ounce of his hatred into those strikes, 5 years of training and anguish channeled into a relentless barrage that would have pulverized steel.
The results were utterly demoralizing.
Kaido didn't retreat so much as a centimeter. The devastating combination of Armament and Conqueror's Haki that should have been capable of leveling buildings barely registered on his scarred hide. Not a single mark appeared on his face. He didn't even have the courtesy to look inconvenienced.
"You've had your turn," Kaido said with the patience of a parent dealing with a tantruming child. "Now it's mine. Gokujitsu Raimei Hakke!" (Polar Day Thunder Bagua)
The kanabo in Kaido's massive grip became a weapon of absolute destruction. White Armament Haki—that solar-powered technique that transcended normal limits—wrapped around the spiked club while red and black lightning danced along its length. This was merely one of Kaido's most basic attacks, yet the air itself seemed to scream as he brought it down.
The impact was devastating and immediate. Even with Armament Haki coating his skull, Momonosuke was driven face-first into the stone floor of Onigashima with bone-rattling force. Blood exploded from his mouth as his consciousness wavered, the world spinning in nauseating circles. His ears rang with a high-pitched whine that spoke of serious head trauma.
But this time was different. Unlike their previous encounters, Momonosuke managed to avoid being completely obliterated by the single blow. His enhanced durability—earned through countless beatings and desperate training—allowed him to slowly push himself upright. He spat out a mouthful of blood and broken teeth, fixing Kaido with a defiant glare.
"Is that all you've got, old man?" Momonosuke gasped, trying to inject mockery into his voice despite the red staining his chin. "That barely tickled."
The lie was obvious to everyone watching—his trembling limbs and glazed eyes told the real story—but his refusal to submit was undeniable.
Kaido's expression softened slightly, a hint of genuine respect entering his gaze. "I can arrange for Kurozumi Orochi's death if that would satisfy your need for vengeance," he offered. "As for your father... I was merely the executioner. The real responsibility lies elsewhere. Join my crew, and I'll make you the new Shogun of Wano Country. This is my most generous offer."
"Shut up!" Momonosuke snarled, dragging himself upright despite his body's protests. "The Kozuki clan bows to no one! We never have, and we never will!"
He threw himself forward again, desperation and fury driving him past his physical limits. Kaido merely sighed and raised his kanabo once more.
"Gokujitsu Raimei Hakke!" (Polar Day Thunder Bagua)
This time, the impact sent Momonosuke flying like a cannonball. His body carved a devastating path through Onigashima's architecture, demolishing over a dozen buildings before finally coming to rest in a crater of his own making. Dust and debris settled around his broken form as silence fell over the battlefield.
From within the rubble, movement stirred. Incredibly, impossibly, Momonosuke began to crawl toward his feet. His left horn had been snapped clean off, and his scales were cracked like broken pottery, but his eyes still burned with unquenchable determination.
"Kozuki Momonosuke," Kaido called across the devastated landscape, his voice carrying a note of genuine admiration. "Show me your strongest technique. Attack me with everything you have. Let me demonstrate the gulf that separates the weak from the strong in these waters."
The taunt struck home like a physical blow. Momonosuke's broken form trembled with more than just pain—it shook with the fury of a man who had nothing left to lose. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear," he whispered through bloodied lips. "5 years of training... it all comes down to this moment. Bullet-sensei, watch over me."
The transformation was spectacular and terrifying. Momonosuke's hybrid form dissolved as he shifted into his full dragon state, his body expanding exponentially until he dominated the battlefield. A hundred-meter serpentine form of red scales and flowing mane rose from the devastation, flame clouds materializing around him to grant the gift of flight.
Ascending high above Kaido's position, the massive dragon's voice boomed across Onigashima with the weight of final judgment. "Kaido! Let's settle this with one strike. Even if this technique costs me my life, I'll do it for the memory of my parents!"
Bright blue flames began to dance along Momonosuke's draconic form, starting as mere wisps before exploding into an inferno that engulfed his entire body. The transformation was breathtaking—what had been a red dragon became a creature of living blue fire, stretching nearly a kilometer from nose to tail. His massive form writhed through the storm clouds, and for a moment, he truly appeared capable of covering the sky and blotting out the sun.
Kaido's seven-meter frame looked almost comically small in comparison. From within the churning clouds, Momonosuke's enormous head emerged—large enough that it could have swallowed a significant portion of Onigashima itself. His draconic maw opened wide, revealing the blue inferno building in his throat.
"Sekiryu Taimatsu: Ryushin no Kirameku Honoo!" (Red Dragon Torch: Brilliant Flame of the Dragon God)
The final roar of a desperate dragon unleashed hell itself. Blue fire poured from Momonosuke's jaws in a torrent that threatened to consume the entire island, painting the storm clouds in shades of azure destruction. The heat was so intense that the very air began to distort, and the ocean around Onigashima started to steam. This was Momonosuke's ultimate technique, refined through years of solitary training—his attempt to erase both Kaido and his fortress from existence.
Far below, Kaido gazed up at the approaching apocalypse with something approaching aesthetic appreciation. The blue flames reflected in his eyes as he smiled with genuine pleasure. "What beautiful scenery," he murmured. "Momonosuke, join my Beast Pirates. Together, we could conquer the world."
Then, almost casually, he raised his kanabo toward the heavens.
"Gokujitsu: Sangai Tsuba Naraku!" (Polar day: The Three Realms' Descent into Hell!)
The weapon began to spin in his grip, both types of Haki flowing into it like rivers feeding an ocean. When he finally swung it skyward, the result was beyond comprehension. White light erupted from the kanabo's tip, expanding into a pillar of radiance that made the sun seem dim by comparison.
Momonosuke's expression of fierce determination crumbled into disbelief as the white light engulfed his kilometer-long form. The blue flames that should have been capable of melting stone were snuffed out like candle flames in a hurricane. There was no struggle, no gradual overpowering—just the absolute negation of his ultimate technique.
When the light faded, the sky was clear. Momonosuke's dragon form had vanished entirely, leaving only empty air where his desperate final gambit had been. The contrast was staggering—where moments before a creature of mythic proportions had dominated the battlefield, now there was nothing but the gentle patter of rain on stone.
The Sky Screen's verdict appeared with clinical finality, the words hanging in the air like an executioner's sentence. Today's victor: Kaido the Beast.
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