A pair of blood-red eyes, like flickering flames, ignited in the darkness. Soon, drooling beasts began to emerge from the shadows—wolves, tigers, and leopards, all far larger than any normal predator.
The crew tensed. Wald shouted for Byojack to hold on tight as he, Sebastian, Nacho, and Gairam formed a defensive circle, standing back-to-back. With ferocious roars, the beasts charged, their claws glinting like cold steel.
Wald sneered. His fists moved in a blur, smashing the approaching predators with such violence that several were torn apart, splattering blood and organs across the dark soil. Beside him, Nacho fought with a skilled medicinal boxing style; each strike released fumes that caused the beasts to stumble in a dazed hallucination, turning them against one another.
Gairam swung his massive hammer, flattening anything in his path into meat paste, while Sebastian brought his twin hammers down with bone-crushing force, sending sprays of blood and grey matter flying.
Minutes later, the clearing fell silent. Most of the beasts lay dead or dying; the survivors whined in terror and retreated into the dark mountains.
Wald laughed, wiping blood from his brow. "These brutes only know how to bully the weak. One show of strength and they run!"
Nacho adjusted her glasses, looking around. "We took down about forty of them, Captain. Do you really think there's treasure on a hellhole like this?"
Byojack, the crew's strategist, stroked his chin from his perch on Wald's shoulder. "A place this hostile is perfect for hiding something valuable. Most people would give up the moment they saw the coastline." While his body was frail, his talent for gathering information was unmatched.
The King of the Skies
As they approached the dark mountain, the sky suddenly changed. Leaden clouds rolled in, and a terrifying mass of black smoke surged overhead. Lightning snaked through the air, and as a pale flash pierced the gloom, they saw it—a massive, snake-like shadow swimming through the clouds, covering half the island.
"What is that?!" Wald's pupils contracted in shock. The crew stood frozen, staring at the sky in speechless awe.
"Something's falling!" Nacho cried out.
A dark object plummeted vertically from the heavens, shrouded in thick black smoke. It slammed into the earth just yards in front of them with a deafening thud, sending a massive shockwave of dust and debris through the forest. When the dust settled, a blackened crater sat in the center of the path.
A muffled, beast-like grunt echoed from the pit. Then, a massive hand gripped the edge of the crater. A grim-faced monster with ox horns and green attire climbed out.
Wald's eyes widened. "It can't be..."
"You've got to be kidding," Byojack stammered, his throat dry. "How is a former member of the Rocks Pirates here? That's... Kaido! He has a bounty of 711,000,000 Berries!"
Kaido stood tall, his voice rumbling like thunder. "So, is this where Rocks hid his treasure when he was young?"
Four months ago, before the fall of God Valley, Kaido had snatched the half-dead Rocks from the battlefield. Perhaps knowing his end was near, Rocks told Kaido the secret of this island—a place where he had hidden treasure and two Devil Fruits decades ago. Because of the Grand Line's chaotic weather, the journey that should have taken a month had taken Kaido nearly four.
"Hm? Byrnndi Wald?" Kaido finally noticed the group. He remembered the name from his previous life—the man known as the World Destroyer, a pirate who would eventually command a 500,000,000 Berry bounty before being betrayed and frozen in Impel Down.
In the future, Wald would use the More-More Fruit to amplify his speed and power to terrifying levels. But looking at him now, Kaido realized something.
Wald stood his ground, appearing fearless despite the massive gap in their bounties. "I don't care who you are! I'm not handing over the treasure!"
Kaido snorted. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing."
"Wald, maybe we should back off," Byojack whispered urgently. "He's a monster with a 700 million bounty!"
"No, Brother," Wald growled. "I'm chasing freedom now! I won't run!"
Kaido grinned, showing his teeth. "Tell you what, Wald. If you lose, you become my subordinate."
"Keep dreaming! You have to beat me first!" Wald lunged forward.
The Might of a Conqueror
Wald was fast, his sturdy frame disappearing as he threw a flurry of punches at Kaido's face. Behind him, Nacho, Sebastian, and Gairam joined the assault, their combined attacks hitting Kaido like a sudden storm.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sounds of metal on metal echoed through the woods. Their fists hit Kaido's skin, but he didn't move an inch. Instead, the attackers' hands went numb. It was like punching a wall of solid diamond.
Wald was shocked but refused to back down, increasing the speed and power of his strikes.
"Aren't you going to use your Multiply ability?" Kaido sneered, completely unfazed. "Is this really all you've got?"
Wald grew furious. "What 'Multiply' ability?! I didn't get this far using some fruit power!"
Kaido's expression shifted. He hasn't eaten it yet? He looked toward the mountain. So the two fruits Rocks hid here... one of them must be the More-More Fruit.
"The More-More Fruit... how interesting," Kaido smiled meaningfully. "Wald, if this is all your strength, then it's over."
Kaido's eyes snapped open. A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, turning the air thick and coating the ground in a blood-red light.
Instantly, Nacho, Sebastian, and the others stiffened. Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Even Wald was forced to his knees, sweat pouring down his face as if ten thousand pounds of weight had been dropped on his shoulders.
He gritted his teeth, blood seeping from his lips as he struggled to look up. "This... what is this power?"
"Haki," Kaido said calmly. "Conqueror's Haki."
Under the oppressive red pressure, Wald could only see the towering man above him, his eyes dancing with dark flames.
"Good willpower," Kaido noted. "You're qualified to serve me."
Wald gave Kaido one last look of pure defiance—and then his eyes went blank as he lost consciousness.
Kaido blinked, looking down at the fainted pirate. "...Huh?"