"Uh... ugh..."
"What is that? A dragon?!"
"A-are you kidding me? A creature like that... how could it even exist?!"
"Why? Why did this monster have to show up here?"
"..."
Countless people stared at the massive beast coiling through the dark clouds, their faces pale with shock. The terrifying pressure radiating from it made sweat pour down their foreheads and spines; the timid among them couldn't stop trembling.
As one of the most famous legendary creatures, whether called a Mythical Dragon or a Divine Dragon, its reputation was known to all. Tales of its ability to soar through the skies and dive into the depths, to churn the seas, to appear and vanish, to shrink or grow at will… it was said to ascend on the Spring Equinox and submerge on the Autumn Equinox, calling the wind and summoning the rain. The list of adjectives to describe such a beast was endless.
Yet, no one had ever actually seen one. Today, a legendary Divine Dragon appeared before their very eyes, witnessed by thousands.
However, some recognized exactly who this dragon was.
"Hey, hey, hey... you've got to be kidding me. Why did this monster show up?"
The moment Donquixote Doflamingo spotted the dragon in the sky, cold sweat drenched him instantly. His face contorted in panic, and he subconsciously stepped back, nearly slipping off the strings he was suspended on.
Of all the people in this world, the one he feared most was not a Marine Admiral, nor a member of the CP0. It was the man before him: Kaido of the Beasts!!!
Alongside Big Mom, Shanks, and Blackbeard, he was one of the Yonko. Renowned for his impenetrable body and an immortal constitution, he was hailed as the "Strongest Creature in the World" among all living things on land, sea, and air.
"Ahhh—we're done for! Another Yonko has shown up!" Buggy the Clown shrieked, snot and tears streaming down his face, his expression one of absolute, soul-crushing terror.
"Shut up!"
Tesoro, unable to stand the sound of Buggy's wailing, snapped impatiently. "So what if Kaido of the Beasts is here? He came alone, what are you afraid of?"
"Shhh! Don't go saying things like that! That monster will hear you! He's a Yonko!" Buggy gestured frantically for him to keep it down.
Tesoro's eyelid twitched. He wanted to retort with something threatening, but the words died in his throat. In the end, he could only grumble "idiot" under his breath.
"Why did Kaido come here?"
Oliver stared at the Divine Dragon in the sky with a look of deep bewilderment, then turned to Reiju on the deck, demanding sternly, "Reiju, did your Big Mom Pirates make some kind of deal with Kaido?"
"I… I don't know!" Reiju looked startled, then shook her head, genuinely lost.
She had no idea what was happening. If she had known Kaido was here because of an alliance agreement with Big Mom, she never would have stepped onto the enemy's ship.
Hummmm—
Suddenly, a powerful aura surged into the sky, erupting from Oliver. As if in response to the terrifying pressure emanating from the beast, the two formidable auras collided. The air shuddered, and the shockwaves were strong enough to nearly disperse the dark clouds above.
"So strong!"
"The clouds were almost blown away!"
"It's Oliver-sama!"
The spectators were stunned, deeply shaken by the incredible scene unfolding before them.
"Kaido! What are you doing here?"
Oliver stood firmly on the ship's railing, his face tight with grim focus. Behind him, Abel, Nando, and Ward felt their hearts grow heavy, while Doflamingo and Buggy were gripped by fear, already contemplating an escape. As for the ordinary pirates, it went without saying, the fainthearted were already collapsed on the deck, their legs turned to jelly.
After all, this was a Yonko, a monster whose individual strength was entirely on par with their own captain!
"So it's Oliver... you actually possess Conqueror's Haki!"
Kaido lowered his massive head, his eyes, larger than a human, fixed intently on Oliver below. He rumbled in a booming voice, "Where are Aeridar and Linlin?"
Hearing Kaido ask for the whereabouts of his captain and Big Mom, Oliver's face darkened. "Kaido, do you intend to interfere in the war between the Chris Pirates and Big Mom? I never expected that old hag Big Mom to have formed an alliance with you!"
"However, the Big Mom Pirates are finished. Kaido, do you really think you can take on the entire Chris Pirates fleet by yourself?"
Thinking of their current strength and the reports coming from Unzan Port, Oliver felt the weight of the situation, but he held no fear. The Big Mom Pirates' main fleet was all but destroyed; Abel, Ward, and the others were more than enough to mop up the remnants. With himself, Doflamingo, and Tesoro, holding off Kaido was feasible.
At Unzan Port, the main forces of the Big Mom Pirates had suffered heavy losses. Arlan and his officers were more than capable of suppressing the rest, at the very least, Zephyr could move to provide support.
With a newly ascended Great Swordsman, a former Marine Admiral, a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and a pirate captain on the level of a Sweet Commander or a Calamity, the four of them combined wouldn't lose to Kaido. Even if they couldn't win, the battle would likely rage for days and nights before a victor could be decided.
"Stop yapping! I asked where they are!"
Kaido shook his head impatiently, his whiskers whipping through the air. He let out a roar like thunder; he was already past the point of wanting to talk and was eager to join the fray.
"Tch. I won't let you disturb the Captain!"
Oliver curled his lip, reaching out to draw his other famous blade, Mikazuki Munechika, from his waist. The friction between the blade and the scabbard rang out with a sharp clink.
"Bastard!"
Enraged, Kaido let out an ear-splitting roar.
"Bolo Breath!!!"
Kaido opened his dragon jaws, a blinding light coalescing within. Suddenly, he unleashed a searing torrent of flames that erupted downward in an instant.
"This kind of attack..."
Oliver's eyes widened. The intense, scorching heat hit him head-on, and he could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the massive column of fire.
"Two-Sword Style: Garuda Slash!!!"
In a flash, Oliver swung his blades in a horizontal cross-cut. A dozen-meter-high, bird-like slash erupted outward, seemingly slicing the very air in two, accompanied by the piercing screech of a phantom bird.
BOOM—
A massive roar echoed out. A blinding light rendered the entire world white for a split second, and a terrifying explosion detonated hundreds of meters in the air. It sent wild ripples through the atmosphere, kicking up gale-force shockwaves that blasted outward.
The dark clouds in the sky were swept away, and the sea was churned into waves dozens, even hundreds of meters high. The force of the blast even displaced the seawater, creating a massive, terrifying crater in the ocean over a kilometer in diameter. A dozen nearby pirate ships were caught in the void, unable to escape.
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