Just as Jinbe was hesitating, Chu Yang mentioned another name.
"Jinbe, do you know Hack?"
Jinbe didn't understand why Chu Yang suddenly brought him up, but he still nodded. "He's a friend of mine."
"As far as I know," Chu Yang continued, "Hack has already joined the Revolutionary Army and is responsible for teaching Fish-Man Karate to their soldiers."
The intelligence made both of them visibly startled.
"If Hack is there, that means the Revolutionary Army doesn't reject fish-men. In that case, there's a very high chance we can cooperate."
Tiger burst out laughing.
"Then I'll set out tomorrow."
Jinbe relaxed considerably, though he was still a little worried. "Brother Tiger, should we tell everyone about this first?"
Tiger nodded. Forming an alliance with the Revolutionary Army was no small matter. Even though he had already made his decision, he still wanted to hear the crew's opinions.
"Yang, you come too. Even if you're on a Yonko's ship now, you're still one of us!"
Tiger stood up and walked toward the crowd, patting Chu Yang on the shoulder as he passed.
Chu Yang nodded.
Jinbe followed behind them with a smile.
"Everyone! Let's pause the celebration for a moment—I have something important to announce!"
Tiger stepped into the center of the crowd. The bonfire light flickered across his face, and the atmosphere suddenly turned solemn.
The laughter gradually faded as the crew sensed the seriousness radiating from Tiger.
Once all eyes were on him, Tiger slowly spoke, announcing his decision to form an alliance with the Revolutionary Army.
An uproar erupted.
Since the Sun Pirates were founded, they had never cooperated with any human power. Being able to restrain their hostility toward humans at all was already the result of years of effort.
If they knew that Tiger had just been betrayed by Koala's hometown, some of them might have outright opposed his decision!
"We can't save all slaves by ourselves!"
"As long as the Celestial Dragons exist, the crime of racial enslavement will never stop!"
"All the so-called justice in this world exists to serve the Celestial Dragons! Their thoughts, every word they speak—that is law and justice!"
"As long as they need fish-men and other races to be slaves, then being trafficked like commodities is considered perfectly normal!"
Listening to Tiger's impassioned speech, the crew fell silent. Because what he said was the undeniable truth.
But hating the Celestial Dragons and standing up against them were two entirely different things.
Tiger saw the hesitation on his comrades' faces. He had said all he needed to say—how many would choose to stand with him was no longer something he could control.
Unexpectedly, the first fish-man to step forward in support was Arlong.
As a representative of the radicals, he only cared about hatred toward humans. Whether the enemy was the Celestial Dragons or anyone else made no difference to him.
"This should've been done long ago! What we need is war—peaceful coexistence with humans is bullshit!"
A ferocious grin spread across Arlong's face as he thought this to himself.
After that, more and more fish-men voiced their agreement.
Tiger then decided to have Jinbe represent the Sun Pirates and head to the Island of White Earth—Baltigo.
Baltigo lay in the first half of the Grand Line. Its environment was extremely harsh, the land heavily desertified—nothing but yellow sand and white stone, utterly barren.
The name "White Earth" referred precisely to Baltigo's desolation.
For fish-men, such a climate was nothing short of hell.
Half a month later, Chu Yang and Jinbe set foot on this land.
After witnessing the desolation firsthand, Jinbe couldn't help asking, "How has Hack endured living in a place like this for so long?"
Chu Yang smiled. "Faith. Or willpower."
Jinbe sighed. "That guy really is a warrior with an unyielding will. He used to be the most famous Fish-Man Karate master in Fish-Man Street."
Chu Yang looked at him curiously. "If we're only comparing Fish-Man Karate, who's stronger—you or him?"
Jinbe coughed lightly and answered with a proud tone, "Hack is impressive, but compared to me, there's still a gap."
Hearing Jinbe praise him as "impressive" at all, Chu Yang figured Hack truly had some skill as the Revolutionary Army's karate instructor.
"Yang, this island is huge. How are we supposed to find the Revolutionary Army's base?" Jinbe asked.
Baltigo's environment was brutal. Yellow sand filled the air, forcing them to cover their mouths and noses when breathing. Even in broad daylight, visibility was poor.
Jinbe was worried that if they couldn't find the Revolutionary Army quickly, they might be in danger.
"We search like this."
Several dozen clones instantly appeared around Chu Yang. At his signal, they scattered and vanished into the sandstorm.
Jinbe stared, dumbfounded.
"Was that… my imagination?"
"Just a small, special ability," Chu Yang replied calmly. "No need to be so surprised, Jinbe."
Using clones for a carpet search was crude, but perfectly suited to the situation.
On islands with clear visibility, Chu Yang could simply fly high and scan the terrain to locate the Revolutionary Army.
"You're the strangest ability user I've ever met," Jinbe said in amazement.
A short while later, guided by the feedback from his clones, Chu Yang led Jinbe straight to the Revolutionary Army's location.
And the Revolutionary Army noticed them as well.
A large number of armed personnel assembled, black gun barrels aimed squarely at Chu Yang and Jinbe.
Jinbe shouted loudly, "I am Jinbe of the fish-men! On behalf of the Sun Pirates' captain, Fisher Tiger, I have come to discuss cooperation with the Revolutionary Army!"
Jinbe himself wasn't widely known among the Revolutionary Army yet, but Tiger was a different story.
The burning of the Holy Land had shocked the entire world.
Even though Tiger had been made a scapegoat, his fame was in no way inferior to that of the Yonko.
Hearing that they were emissaries sent by Tiger, the guards' hostility eased. After asking Jinbe a few questions, they turned and entered the base to inform the higher-ups.
Not long after, a fish-man man walked out of the base. Upon seeing Jinbe, his face lit up with delight.
"Hack!"
"Jinbe!"
Hack laughed heartily, clapping Jinbe on the shoulder. "They said someone sent by Mr. Tiger had arrived—I didn't quite believe it. I never thought it'd be you!"
Jinbe smiled back. "Long time no see, Hack. Since I left the royal guard, this is our first meeting."
Hack nodded, then asked, "Why did Mr. Tiger send you to the Revolutionary Army?"
Jinbe answered solemnly, "Big Brother wants to cooperate with the Revolutionary Army—to jointly oppose the Celestial Dragons!"
Hack was shocked.
Such an openly confrontational stance toward the Celestial Dragons hardly matched the image he had of Mr. Tiger.
In Hack's impression, Tiger had always tried to avoid the World Government. Even when saving slaves, he went to great lengths to avoid direct conflict.
"What about Fish-Man Island's position?" Hack asked worriedly. "Caught between us and the World Government, won't it be in an extremely difficult situation?"
"I've heard Queen Otohime is gathering signatures, hoping for peaceful coexistence between Fish-Man Island and humans…"
Hack frowned. The more fish-men openly resisted the Celestial Dragons, the more dangerous Fish-Man Island would become.
One person joining the Revolutionary Army was very different from an entire group doing so.
"At this point, fish-men have no way out!" Jinbe clenched his fist, emotions surging. "Even if we do nothing, Fish-Man Island has no standing before the World Government!"
"Our people will still be trampled and enslaved!"
"If Mr. Tiger has made his decision, then I'll support you," Hack said at last. "Come with me—I'll take you to meet the leader of the Revolutionary Army."
Hack signaled to the soldiers on both sides, who quickly dispersed, clearing a path for Chu Yang and Jinbe to enter the base.
Beyond the visible guards, Chu Yang's Observation Haki detected many more hidden soldiers throughout the base, all still on high alert—some even keeping their guns trained.
He had no doubt that the slightest suspicious move would result in immediate gunfire.
Years of struggle against the World Government had forged the Revolutionary Army's soldiers into highly disciplined fighters.
Following Hack up to the second floor, they entered a small operations room and finally met the leader of the Revolutionary Army—Monkey D. Dragon.
Also present were the "Queen of the Okama," Emporio Ivankov, and his assistant, Inazuma.
In the corner of the room, a hospital bed held an unconscious young boy.
Chu Yang couldn't help but wonder—
Why was there a child in the Revolutionary Army's base?
After meeting Dragon, Jinbe took the initiative to explain their purpose.
Ivankov, meanwhile, was studying Chu Yang. He found the young man strangely familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
After listening for a while, Dragon nodded slightly. "I greatly admire Mr. Tiger's deeds, and I'm very pleased that you're willing to join the revolutionary cause. It's just a pity that I couldn't meet Mr. Tiger in person this time."
The two sides quickly reached a mutual understanding, and the talks went smoothly. Chu Yang could tell that the Revolutionary Army badly needed allies. They hadn't been established for long, and their foundations were still unstable.
Tiger's influence was extraordinary. That fire didn't just burn the Holy Land—it also freed many slaves, including figures like the "Pirate Empress," Hancock.
Hack played a crucial role in all this. Without him, Dragon wouldn't have trusted Jinbe's words so easily. He might even have detained Jinbe immediately and launched a covert investigation.
After the verbal agreement was reached, the meeting room was filled with a warm atmosphere. Ivankov, however, kept staring at Chu Yang. Dragon noticed something was off and followed his gaze.
Dragon fixed his eyes on Chu Yang, his expression suddenly turning sharp."Why is a Yonko's crewmate here as well? Could it be that Red-Hair is also interested in forming an alliance?"
At the mention of Shanks, Ivankov finally reacted. The young man in front of him was the one who had shone brilliantly not long ago during the Navy's clash with the Red-Haired Pirates.
With his own strength alone, he had fought against several veteran Marine vice admirals, his power approaching that of Captain Shanks himself, standing shoulder to shoulder with First Mate Benn Beckman as Shanks's left and right hand.
"Yang…"Ivankov murmured the name softly.
Chu Yang said calmly, "I'm here only on my own behalf. This has nothing to do with Shanks. The reason I want to work with the Revolutionary Army is because I have personal grudges against the Celestial Dragons."
Dragon asked in surprise, "Personal grudges?"
Jinbe suddenly spoke up to explain, "Yang and Brother Tiger met because of the incident where the Holy Land was set ablaze."
Dragon and the others immediately understood what Jinbe meant.
Judging by his age back then, he must have been very young.
Ivankov looked at Chu Yang with sympathy. "To suffer such horrific torment at that age… and yet you survived…"
Chu Yang laughed lightly. "Thanks to the Celestial Dragons, I had the motivation to grow this fast."
Ivankov exclaimed in amazement, "What terrifying willpower. Most people wouldn't even be able to face those memories, yet you can still smile."
Jinbe nodded. "When it comes to sheer willpower, Yang is the strongest person I've ever met."
After learning about Chu Yang's past, Dragon welcomed his participation. For the Revolutionary Army, this was an unprecedented boost to their combat strength.
The Revolutionary Army's top brass, led by Dragon, grew visibly excited.
Seizing the moment, Chu Yang put forward his own suggestion."On our way here, I observed the surroundings. To be honest, Baltigo isn't a good choice for a base."
"Using the naturally harsh environment as concealment can help avoid Marine searches, but once it's discovered, the base is extremely difficult to defend."
"The Island of White Earth is far too barren. There are no natural strongholds that can be used for defense. It's a textbook example of an easy-to-attack, hard-to-hold location."
"That means everyone has to act with extreme caution at all times to keep it hidden, which greatly increases the difficulty of Revolutionary Army operations."
Dragon didn't refute Chu Yang's point. In fact, he shared the same view. The problem was that, realistically, the Revolutionary Army couldn't find a better location than Baltigo.
"We understand all of this. When the Revolutionary Army was first founded, some members raised similar objections. But the World Government's intelligence network is extremely powerful. We had no choice but to settle here."
Ivankov added gravely, "The World Government has two secret intelligence agencies, CP9 and CP0. We've clashed with them during wars to liberate nations. They're very dangerous, especially when it comes to intelligence gathering and assassination."
Chu Yang tapped the table with his finger and emphasized again, "That's exactly why I say this place isn't suitable as a headquarters. Having such a vulnerability will only restrain our actions."
Dragon seemed to catch on, the corners of his mouth lifting."From the way you're speaking, it sounds like you've already found a new base for the Revolutionary Army?"
Everyone present looked at Chu Yang in shock.
Talking to smart people really was comfortable—they immediately grasped his meaning. Chu Yang nodded decisively and spoke a single name.
"Wano Country."
Because of its unique terrain, Wano Country was extremely difficult for outsiders to enter, let alone mount a large-scale invasion. It was a classic stronghold—easy to defend and hard to attack—making it an ideal headquarters.
The only problem was that they would have to defeat the one who currently occupied Wano Country: Kaido.
Dragon frowned. He clearly knew something about Wano Country and was calculating the risks and potential gains.
"There are weapons factories there. The buyers include the World Government, pirates, underground criminal organizations, and even some major nations."
"If we seize Wano Country, we can not only strengthen our forces but also deal a heavy blow to the World Government."
As soon as these words were spoken, Dragon's eyes lit up.
At this point in time, the Beasts Pirates were not yet the monstrous force they would become more than a decade later, and Kaido wasn't so overwhelming that Dragon would shrink back in fear.
The benefits represented by Wano's weapons factories was more than enough to justify Dragon risking the Revolutionary Army's future.
More importantly, this plan also had Chu Yang and the Sun Pirates involved!
If they could take Wano Country, the Revolutionary Army would gain a perfect base. From then on, their strength would surge dramatically.
Dragon saw no reason to refuse.
Before making a final decision, however, he needed to verify the intelligence. Even if he trusted Chu Yang, he couldn't act rashly.
"In the near future, I'll send people to Wano Country to gather detailed intelligence. Once we have clearer information, I'll decide whether to put this plan into action."
Dragon's words caused a stir in the room. Ivankov's expression turned serious. As Dragon's companion, he knew that this was practically a tacit agreement.
"In that case, we'll take our leave first. Mr. Tiger is waiting for the results. Once you've made a decision, you can have Hack come find us."
Jinbe handed his Vivre Card to Dragon.
Dragon accepted it and, to show sincerity, was about to offer his own Vivre Card in exchange when Ivankov suddenly spoke up."It would be better to use mine."
Dragon frowned. "That's unnecessary. I trust Jinbe and Mr. Tiger—and they're Hack's people as well!"
Ivankov unusually pushed back with a firm tone. "You're the leader of the Revolutionary Army—our hope. No amount of caution is excessive. I trust Jinbe too, but what if something unexpected happens?"
"If your Vivre Card were to fall into the World Government's hands for any reason, it would be a catastrophic blow to us!"
Seeing Dragon and Ivankov about to argue, Chu Yang interrupted."Let Hack and Jinbe exchange Vivre Cards instead. That would make more sense."
Hack smiled and nodded. "After so many years of friendship, not having Jinbe's Vivre Card was always a bit of a regret."
Jinbe burst into laughter.
Dragon also realized that handing over his Vivre Card so casually was indeed inappropriate. Seizing the chance, he agreed with Chu Yang's suggestion.
With their objective achieved, Chu Yang and Jinbe spent one night on Baltigo and departed the next morning.
As soon as they left, Dragon immediately dispatched people to Wano Country.
Chu Yang and Jinbe returned to the Sun Pirates and informed Tiger of how the alliance had gone.
When he heard that Chu Yang and Dragon had set their sights on Wano Country, Tiger was stunned. He didn't object, but he was very unfamiliar with that nation.
However, upon learning that it was territory controlled by the Yonko Kaido, Tiger's expression gradually grew solemn.
"Isn't this too risky?"
"Every decision carries its own risks."
"That's true, but our opponent is a Yonko. Launching an attack recklessly would put us at an absolute disadvantage."
"It's fine," Chu Yang said calmly. "I'll handle Kaido."
Seeing the confidence on Chu Yang's face, Tiger said no more.
He was simply curious—just how strong had Chu Yang become?
He knew Chu Yang wasn't arrogant. Without absolute confidence, he would never speak with such certainty.
Before the Revolutionary Army sent back definitive news, the plan to seize Wano Country remained confidential. The crew only knew that the alliance had been successfully established.
About a month and a half later, Hack used Jinbe's Vivre Card to locate the Sun Pirates.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Tiger brought Hack into the captain's cabin.
All eyes focused on Hack. He took a deep breath and said,"Our intelligence operatives have mostly figured out Wano Country's current situation. Dragon has agreed to move against Wano Country and liberate it."
"Dragon's proposal is to have our intelligence teams continue monitoring the Beasts Pirates' movements, and only strike when Kaido or other key officers leave the vicinity of Wano Country."
"Facing a fully intact Yonko crew head-on is still far too risky."
After hearing this, Tiger felt Dragon's plan was extremely steady and aligned with his own thinking, so he readily agreed.
Chu Yang didn't really mind either way. With his current combat strength, taking on Kaido directly wouldn't be much of a problem.
The Kaido of ten years later would be a gold-medal 'teacher.' The current one was, at most, a rookie who had just graduated from teacher training.
Seeing that both Chu Yang and Tiger had no objections, Hack finally relaxed. He would remain with the Sun Pirates as a liaison between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Sun Pirates began slowly moving toward Wano Country, ensuring they could launch a surprise attack on the Beasts Pirates at any time.
Another half month passed.
"The time has come. One of Kaido's All-Stars, King the Wildfire, has left Wano Country. It seems to be related to an arms deal."
Hack relayed the message after receiving a call from the Revolutionary Army.
Hearing "arms deal," Chu Yang suddenly asked,"Is he heading in the direction of Dressrosa?"
Hack froze for a moment. The intelligence did indeed match what Chu Yang had said. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, "How did you know?"
Chu Yang just smiled without answering and turned to remind Tiger to set sail for Wano Country.
At this moment, the Sun Pirates were already in the same sea region as Wano. If they went at full speed, they could arrive by nightfall.
That timing would be perfect—under cover of the dead of night, they could slip into Wano's territory.
Wano looked like an island on the surface, but what was visible was only the tip of the iceberg. The true landmass of Wano lay hidden beneath the sea.
Because of this, Wano's terrain resembled a massive mountain rising straight out of the ocean.
There were only two ways to enter.
The first was through the rear mountain passage controlled by Kaido. But that route was guarded by the Beasts Pirates and could only be opened from the inside.
The second was to ascend the waterfall at the front of the island, fighting against the current—similar to entering the Grand Line via Reverse Mountain, only far more dangerous.
This was precisely why Wano was so easy to defend and so hard to attack.
Just that single route had repelled countless armies. As long as Wano guarded the waterfall entrance, it was nearly impossible for enemies to force their way in.
King kicking Big Mom's ship back into the sea was the perfect example.
The rear passage was obviously not an option, so the Revolutionary Army and the Sun Pirates could only choose the front waterfall.
At the top of the waterfall were guards left behind by Kaido. The moment Chu Yang and the others tried to climb up, they would inevitably come under attack.
To this, Hack explained that Dragon would personally deal with the enemies stationed above.
Chu Yang guessed that Dragon was most likely a Logia-type ability user, probably with powers related to storms and weather, capable of influencing the climate.
If Dragon handled the enemies at the top, then climbing the waterfall would pose no problem at all.
What were fish-men best at?
The answer was communicating with fish.
If koi could haul the Straw Hat crew into Wano, then they could just as easily pull the Sun Pirates and the Revolutionary Army up as well.
The fish-men leapt into the water one after another. Before long, vast numbers of fish gathered around the pirate ships.
Countless schools of fish dragged the ships upward along the waterfall. At the same time, the already harsh coastal weather around Wano suddenly became shrouded in thick, oppressive clouds.
Gale-force winds howled. Torrential rain poured down.
The curtain of rain obscured everyone's vision—even the surveillance Den Den Mushi on the waterfall couldn't see a thing. Inside the monitoring room, the guards had no idea anyone was entering from the front. They couldn't hear anything. They couldn't see anything.
The coastal sentries were silently eliminated by Dragon.
Under the cover of the storm, the Sun Pirates and the Revolutionary Army successfully entered Wano.
Compared to the brutal weather outside, the interior of Wano was bathed in clear skies. Even those accustomed to the Grand Line's bizarre climates couldn't help clicking their tongues in amazement.
Once they landed, Dragon immediately said, "Kaido and his officers are currently drinking and celebrating in the Flower Capital. This is the best opportunity to kill him."
It had been six or seven years since Kozuki Oden's death. Across the country, samurai were still resisting Orochi's rule.
Orochi himself lacked the ability to suppress the samurai, which forced Kaido to remain stationed in Wano for long periods of time.
The construction of the Onigashima base was still underway.
More than ten years ago, Gecko Moria had fought Kaido here. Moria was utterly defeated, all his comrades wiped out, though the Beasts Pirates also suffered losses.
With King away handling arms deals, the Beasts Pirates' local combat strength in Wano was further reduced.
At this point, there were no Tobiroppo, no Headliners, no Gifters. Kaido's artificial Devil Fruit army was still in its infancy.
King's trip to Dressrosa was precisely for that purpose.
"The key to this operation is that we must take Wano before King returns," Dragon said gravely.
"If he comes back with reinforcements before Kaido loses his ability to fight, then fighting on the enemy's home turf will put us at an absolute disadvantage."
"To be safe, I'll join you against Kaido. We must eliminate him as quickly as possible."
"No need," Chu Yang rejected the suggestion outright.
At this stage, the Beasts Pirates had no Tobiroppo, no Headliners, no Gifters. Likewise, the Revolutionary Army's regional commanders had not yet fully grown. The only real heavy hitters were Ivankov and Dragon.
Dragon didn't take Chu Yang's refusal to heart. He simply decided privately that after dealing with Queen, he would go help Chu Yang.
Having never personally witnessed Chu Yang fight, Dragon remained skeptical about whether Chu Yang could win on his own.
But based on existing intelligence, Chu Yang was certainly strong. And Dragon had full confidence in his own abilities. Together, the odds of taking down Kaido were high.
In the end, Dragon simply trusted himself more.
Everyone headed straight for the Flower Capital. In a surprise attack, every second counted—the later they were, the higher the chance of King returning.
At the same time, Kaido was enjoying Orochi's hospitality.
Inside Orochi Castle, music and dancing filled the halls. Outside, the people lived in utter misery—no one cared.
Kaido kept pouring alcohol down his throat, his face flushed, his eyes unfocused. He was at the peak of his satisfaction with life.
When he imagined the future completion of his artificial Devil Fruit army, his excitement was like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
He was going to launch an unprecedented, massive war that would sweep across the entire world!
In his haze, Kaido seemed to see the Holy Land Mary Geoise, to see the massive throne deep within Pangaea Castle.
Someone sat upon that throne.
Kaido leaned closer and saw a young man he had never met before.
The young man suddenly stood up and slowly walked toward him, greeting him warmly.
"Kaido, sobered up yet?"
Kaido: "???"
"Kaido-sama, wake up! Wake up!!!"
Orochi's frantic shouting echoed in Kaido's ears. Kaido jolted awake—only to see that the banquet hall was suddenly filled with a group of strangers.
The smiling young man stood just one step away from him.
"Who are you people?" Kaido asked coldly, scanning these uninvited guests.
When his gaze landed on Dragon, he froze.
"We're here to liberate this country," Dragon said politely with a smile.
"The Revolutionary Army!"
Kaido shot to his feet.
As if on cue, the Beasts Pirates in the hall quickly surrounded the Revolutionary Army.
Queen wore an annoyed expression.
The Revolutionary Army's actions clearly showed no regard for him.
"The Revolutionary Army, fine—but what are fish-men doing here? Since when did fish-men stoop so low as to mingle with humans?"
Kaido looked at Tiger among the crowd and mocked him. "The famous adventurer Fisher Tiger—have you learned to wag your tail at humans now?"
Jinbe roared, "Shut up, Kaido! You have no right to judge Brother Tiger, you thief who stole another nation!"
Kaido sneered. "Winners rule, losers drool. The world of pirates isn't as naive as you think. If you can't adapt, then next time, the ones having their country stolen might be you."
Jinbe was furious and wanted to retort, but Tiger stopped him. He calmly said to Kaido, "Winners rule, losers drool. Remember those words when you lose, Kaido."
Kaido burst into laughter, head thrown back. "Me? Lose? Another lunatic talking nonsense! Hahahaha!"
The other Beasts Pirates joined in the laughter.
Queen laughed as well, his booming voice echoing through the banquet hall.
He found these people amusing—strutting into a Yonko's territory and spouting nonsense.
Either they had absolute confidence, or—as Kaido said—they were insane.
Kaido's laughter was grating. Chu Yang picked at his ear and walked straight up to him.
"Hm?"
Kaido looked down at the young man. From the start, he had stood out.
Everyone's gaze in the banquet hall shifted to Chu Yang.
Chu Yang spoke softly, "A few years ago, in that decisive battle with Kozuki Oden… you lost, didn't you?"
The smile on Kaido's face vanished in an instant.
Chu Yang continued his mockery. "By your own words, the world of pirates really shouldn't be so naive. But if your victory relied on underhanded tricks, then at the very least, you shouldn't be strutting around like you're invincible."
Kaido's gaze grew colder and colder. "Do you want to die?"
Chu Yang grinned. "Haha—heard you like looking for death too?"
Hearing their exchange, Queen and the Beasts Pirates stared at Chu Yang in horror.
How could he dare provoke Kaido-sama like this?
"What nerve!"
Kaido let out a savage laugh, his face twisted with ferocity, and raised Hassaikai, smashing it down toward Chu Yang. Black lightning crackled around the kanabo.
Thunder Bagua!
An enraged Kaido opened with a killing blow!
At the same time, a tailed-beast cloak quietly manifested around Chu Yang. He raised his left hand and took Kaido's Thunder Bagua head-on.
Their Conqueror's Haki collided violently, the shockwaves sweeping through every corner of the banquet hall.
Revolutionaries, Sun Pirates, Beasts Pirates—people fell one after another.
"This guy's Conqueror's Haki is actually on par with mine?!"
Kaido's pupils shrank sharply. He stared at Chu Yang in disbelief, momentarily stunned.
That brief lapse was all Chu Yang needed.
He seized the opening and drove his right fist straight into Kaido's abdomen.
A full-power blow wrapped in Conqueror's Haki and Lightning Release armor sent Kaido flying, smashing him through the wall of the banquet hall and blasting a huge hole through it.
The hall fell into absolute silence.
The moment Kaido was sent flying, Queen rushed forward—but Dragon intercepted him, and the banquet hall instantly descended into chaos.
The Revolutionary Army and the Sun Pirates joined forces against the Beasts Pirates. Even so, they were still outnumbered—the Beasts Pirates had nearly twice their manpower.
Kurozumi Orochi fled the instant the fighting broke out, abandoning even his most loyal retainers.
Shouts and clashing steel echoed through Orochi Castle, drawing the attention of many residents of the Flower Capital.
Then they saw a massive dragon coiling in the sky above the castle.
"It's Kaido!"
"He's fighting someone!"
"Is it the samurai?!"
The crowd erupted in speculation.
Experienced elders were already dragging their families away. They had seen Kaido erase entire towns with his Boro Breath—its terrifying destructive power was a lifelong nightmare.
As the Flower Capital descended into panic and the residents scattered, Kaido, now in his dragon form, rode on flame clouds, ascending higher and higher as he looked down at Chu Yang from above.
"With power like that, you shouldn't be a nobody. Who are you?"
Faced with Kaido's question, Chu Yang didn't answer. Two wooden blades appeared in his hands as he stood atop a tall building, murderous intent radiating from his body.
Seeing himself ignored—and seeing Chu Yang pull out wooden swords as weapons—Kaido laughed in rage.
"You think toys like that can hurt me?!"
Chu Yang pointed one of the wooden blades at him. "That's right."
Kaido fixed Chu Yang with a murderous glare. Blazing light began to gather in his mouth—he intended to incinerate this insolent brat with Boro Breath.
Turn those toys into ashes!
As Kaido charged his breath attack, Chu Yang was already using the Rinnegan to analyze Kaido's weaknesses. His Rinnegan possessed all the abilities of both the Sharingan and the Byakugan—and more.
Whether by coincidence or fate, the weak point revealed by the Rinnegan lay just beside the scar left by Togen Totsuka.
After locking onto his target, Chu Yang lowered his stance slightly. The two wooden blades emitted completely different auras—sunlight and moonlight intertwining.
Breath of Origin — First Form: Sun–Moon Rotation.
Just as Kaido was about to unleash his breath, he noticed Chu Yang's change. The stance with twin blades made him momentarily dazed, unconsciously recalling a certain person. The crisscrossing scar on his body throbbed faintly with pain.
The fury buried deep in his heart erupted at once!
Kaido opened his dragon jaws, and Boro Breath erupted alongside his rage.
A blood-red beam tore across the skies above the Flower Capital, shooting toward Chu Yang as terrified civilians looked on.
Lightning flared violently around Chu Yang. Wrapped in Lightning Release armor, he transformed into a streak of silver light and charged straight into the Boro Breath.
The collision was like a raging torrent slamming into a reef—the Boro Breath exploded violently!
Yet that "reef" surged upstream, pushing through the searing dragon breath and closing the distance to Kaido at incredible speed.
Seeing Chu Yang already upon him, Kaido was both shocked and furious. He poured all his strength into the Boro Breath, causing the crimson beam to swell tenfold in an instant.
The fierce battle inside the banquet hall briefly paused. Dragon and Queen both looked up toward the sky.
Even the fleeing civilians couldn't help stopping to look back.
The clash of silver light and red light seized everyone's attention.
That pinprick of silver gradually vanished within the crimson beam.
Queen froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. "That's what you get for provoking Kaido-sama, you damned bastards!"
The Beasts Pirates roared with laughter as well.
Dragon let out a sigh. He hadn't expected Chu Yang to lose so decisively. He shouldn't have worried about saving face—he should have surrounded Kaido from the start.
Now the situation couldn't be worse.
"Brother Tiger, what do we do? It looks like Yang has lost…" Jinbe and the others asked anxiously.
Tiger didn't respond. He stared intently at the beam of light overhead, and suddenly an image flashed through his mind—the first time he had ever seen Chu Yang, as if it were yesterday.
"Hahaha!"
Tiger burst into hearty laughter. The bold sound startled everyone as he blurted out a seemingly random line.
"Brat, you were the one who started that fire back then!"
Queen sneered at Tiger. "Has Fisher Tiger gone mad from the shock?"
Dragon glanced at Tiger, sensing something. He suddenly looked up.
Within the blazing crimson breath, an even more intense light erupted—like a rising sun.
The brilliant radiance nearly blinded Kaido. His Boro Breath cut off abruptly as he let out a miserable roar.
Kaido twisted his massive body, trying to retreat. But the sunlight suddenly shifted, turning deep and shadowy. A mysterious force seized him, rendering him unable to move.
Then, within the intertwining lights, Kaido saw Chu Yang.
Twin blades in hand, sunlight and moonlight spread behind him like wings.
In that moment—
Kaido saw Kozuki Oden again. Saw the earth-shattering slash of Togen Totsuka.
No!
This time, the stench of death was even stronger!
"No!!!"
Kaido screamed in terror, his body still unable to move. Part of the pull came from the moonlight, the other from one of the Rinnegan's special abilities—Universal Pull.
The two wooden blades struck Kaido precisely.
Sunlight and moonlight carved new scars across his chest.
A destructive power even more terrifying than Togen Totsuka flooded into Kaido's body, wreaking havoc from within.
The so-called "strongest body" became a joke in that instant.
Overwhelming pain robbed Kaido of his control over the flame clouds. He plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily into the streets of the Flower Capital.
Thankfully, the civilians had already fled—otherwise, the casualties would have been unimaginable.
As Kaido fell, the laughter inside the banquet hall died out. Every member of the Beasts Pirates stared up at Chu Yang in terror.
An unprecedented fear enveloped Queen.
Even though he knew that attack hadn't killed Kaido, he couldn't suppress his fear.
No one had ever suppressed Kaido so easily.
"His vitality really is ridiculous. If it were anyone else, they'd be dead after that," Chu Yang remarked as he watched Kaido slowly climb out of the crater.
"Disappointed? Then I suppose I'll have to get serious next."
Bathed in blood, Kaido advanced as his form continued to change. Dense blue scales spread across his skin, and his already massive body grew even more powerful.
By coincidence, Kaido had landed beside a tavern stacked with barrels of alcohol.
He grabbed one and drained it in a single gulp. His steps quickened, turning into a full sprint.
Black lightning coiled around Hassaikai, thunder crackling through the air with every swing.
"Drunken Dragon Bagua?"
Chu Yang's eyes lit up as he charged forward eagerly.
(End of Chapter)