The golden lightning around Sugisawa Yuuto darkened—dyed in hues of black and red.
It was as if a dragon's roar echoed through the heavens.
Thunder Dragon King Mode—Activate!
Thunder Dragon King's Collapsing Fist!
Yuuto drove his fist forward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thunder roared across the sky, endless waves of black and red lightning crashing down like a raging sea.
The destructive aura rolling off that power made even Kaido, in his dragon form, narrow his eyes in shock.
A surge of panic flashed across his face as he hastily raised his kanabo, Hachinosu, to block.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact erupted—like the toll of a divine bell shaking the heavens and earth.
The shockwave that followed rippled outward, distorting the air itself.
The ground split beneath their feet as the atmosphere quivered like water disturbed by a stone.
For a moment, they were deadlocked.
Then—
BANG!
A figure the size of a giant was sent hurtling backward like a meteor.
Everywhere Kaido passed, rock crumbled and the skeletal fortress behind him collapsed, burying him in rubble.
"Mr. Kaido!!!"
The Beast Pirates shouted in horror, voices cracking.
"A monster! He's a monster stronger than Kaido—the strongest creature alive!"
All eyes turned to the figure wreathed in black-red lightning, standing like a god of destruction.
Terror and disbelief warped the faces of every pirate still alive on Onigashima.
Not long ago, they'd seen their captain completely suppress Yuuto.
Under Kaido's relentless assault—his 'Supreme Mace'—Yuuto's weapon had shattered.
They'd laughed, thinking the boy's fists would be crushed next.
But imagination is a sweet lie.
Reality, cruel as ever, shattered their hopes.
Instead of Kaido's victory, they saw their captain blasted through the sky by a single punch.
"Wait, don't tell me Mr. Kaido's dead!?"
Queen screamed, staring at the motionless rubble.
"Idiot!"
Flame Calamity King barked, his tone sharp as a blade.
"Do you think that's enough to kill Kaido!?"
"Where are you looking, King?"
Erza shouted, her figure flashing forward.
Her twin blades gleamed as she slashed across his body—only to see the blows leave no mark.
"Still unscathed…" she muttered, frowning.
BOOM!
The rubble exploded outward.
Kaido, in his towering dragon form, rose once again from the ruins.
"Ooooooohhhhh!"
Cheers erupted from the Beast Pirates.
"He's alive! Mr. Kaido's fine!"
"I told you—Kaido-sama doesn't die that easily!"
Kaido's massive form straightened as his laughter rumbled like thunder.
"Hmph. So it's not Conqueror's black lightning after all… Is this your strongest move? Impressive—but not enough. Let me show you something truly terrifying."
With that, Kaido unfastened the gourd at his waist, tilting his head back to drink deeply.
Confusion spread among the onlookers.
"What the hell is Kaido doing? Who drinks in the middle of a battle!?"
One of the Fairy Tail girls muttered, brows knitted.
"Oooooooohhhh!!!"
"He's coming!"
"Mr. Kaido's strongest form—get ready!"
The Beast Pirates were trembling with excitement.
Under the influence of the sake, Kaido staggered slightly—but his aura only grew more violent.
Yuuto's eyes narrowed.
He knew exactly what this was.
"Wine Dragon: Eight Trigrams."
A hidden technique known only to Kaido.
"Bring it on!"
Kaido growled, eyes bloodshot, and swung his mace.
Lightning flashed.
Sugisawa Yuuto, now the Thunder Dragon King, met the attack head-on.
He raised his hands, and a pitch-black halberd—forged entirely from thunder—materialized in his grasp.
At the same moment, the drunken dragon roared.
Drunken Thunder—Yin Naraku!!!
BOOM!
The clash between the two emperors shook the entire world.
The very air screamed.
All of Onigashima quaked and trembled beneath their might, as if the island itself might flip over.
The broken land peeled apart like layers of skin, chunks of earth lifting into the sky.
A violent power storm erupted, centered around the two titans.
Boulders weighing hundreds of tons were hurled into the air, then shattered into dust under the raw force of their battle.
At that moment, Onigashima became the most dangerous place in the world.
"Aaaaahhh!!"
"Run! Get out of here!"
"Just staying here will kill us!"
"This is a battlefield of monsters—ordinary people can't survive this!"
Panicked screams echoed as the surviving Beast Pirates rushed toward the shore, desperate to flee.
But then—
"Hydrologic Shock!!!"
From the ocean's edge, Shirahoshi raised the vase in her hands.
A mighty torrent of seawater surged forth, sweeping back toward the island and driving the fleeing pirates to their knees.
"Sabo, Ace, Yamato—let's get back to the ship! Everyone's regrouping!"
Koala shouted.
"Go ahead. I can't leave yet!"
Yamato shook her head.
"Why not?" Koala frowned.
"It's these cuffs," Ace explained. "If Yamato leaves Onigashima, they'll explode."
"What!? That's just like the slave collars the Celestial Dragons use!"
Koala's voice trembled, dark memories flashing through her mind.
"Putting that on your own daughter… what kind of father does that?"
Sabo clenched his fists tightly, fury burning in his eyes.
He couldn't help but think of his own childhood—when he too had been bound.
Not by steel, but by expectation and bloodline.
"It's okay," Yamato said softly, smiling despite it all. "As long as I stay on this island, they won't explode. Honestly, I'm not even sure if it's real… but it's fine. I can protect myself."
Sabo took a breath, calming himself. "If Armament Haki can flow inward, it should be able to destroy the mechanism from within. I've seen it done before."
"Oh? You have a way to remove it?" Ace asked, hopeful.
"I've seen it done—but my Armament Haki isn't strong enough yet to pull it off before the cuffs detonate. I only watched Mr. Dragon do it once. Sorry."
Sabo looked frustrated.
"No problem, don't worry about it." Yamato waved her hands, smiling again.
"Then, Miss Yamato," Koala said, her eyes brightening, "why not ask the Fairy Tail mages later? Maybe they can help."
"Oh? You really think they can?"
Yamato's expression lit up.
"Of course," Koala said firmly.
"If it's Fairy Tail—there's always a way!"