Drunken Dragon Bagua wasn't a technique Kaido used—it was a special state. When Kaido entered a drunken condition, his speed and strength surged across the board.
In simple terms, it was like injecting himself with adrenaline.
Drunken Dragon Bagua could be called Kaido's strongest state, and it also meant that the opponent he was facing stood on the same level as him.
"In my fight with Kozuki Oden, I never got the chance to use this," Kaido said, standing right in front of Chu Yang. He looked gravely injured, yet his eyes burned with excitement. "It's been a lingering regret all these years."
Hearing Kaido mention Kozuki Oden, Chu Yang—for once—didn't mock him. Instead, he asked calmly, "Is that your final words? Shorter than I expected."
Kaido froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Your final words aren't very long either."
The moment his words fell, both figures vanished at the same time, transforming into two black bolts of lightning that slammed into each other. The entire Flower Capital shook violently, as if the land itself were about to sink.
Though Kaido and Chu Yang were vastly different in size, their fighting styles were remarkably similar—both favored overwhelming force and straightforward domination.
Kaido swung Hassaikai wildly, and with every strike, Conqueror's Haki erupted as black lightning tearing through the air.
All kinds of lethal attacks were unleashed in the most brutal way possible.
Chu Yang responded without yielding, countering with his wooden blades.
The clash between slender wooden swords and a massive kanabo made onlookers instinctively worry that the blades would snap in the next instant.
Yet the more nerve-wracking it became, the harder it was to look away.
In just a few breaths, everything in their path was reduced to ruin. The shockwaves of their battle pulverized all that remained.
The wounds on Kaido's body multiplied visibly.
With their Conqueror's Haki evenly matched, Kaido realized—his greatest pride, his invincible body, was actually inferior to Chu Yang's.
That human, far smaller than himself, had tanked Hassaikai head-on multiple times with nothing but his flesh!
Meanwhile, after Kaido was pierced by the wooden blades, his wounds failed to heal in time. The mysterious powers within each blade rampaged through his body, tearing it apart from the inside.
As one rose and the other fell, Kaido—still in Drunken Dragon Bagua—gradually slipped into a disadvantage. Yet his fighting spirit only burned brighter.
Like a candle at the end of its life, he was burning himself away with reckless abandon.
Since the God Valley Incident decades ago, Kaido had never encountered an enemy as overwhelmingly powerful as Chu Yang—one who drove him to despair!
They continued exchanging blows, the constant collision of Conqueror's Haki dragging dark clouds across the sky, creating a suffocating pressure that stole everyone's breath.
Then, torrential rain began to pour over the Flower Capital.
Dragon had acted.
Queen had already been forced into a corner, and the outcome of that battle was imminent.
Kaido glanced toward the banquet hall. He knew that if he lost, the Beasts Pirates would be finished.
If King were here, the situation wouldn't be so dire.
At the very least, he wouldn't need to worry about the battle inside the hall.
The enemy had calculated everything from the start—including the timing of King's departure from Wano.
"Where did you get your intelligence?" Kaido demanded. "Even the World Government doesn't know what happens in Wano…"
That question had haunted him since Chu Yang appeared. If he was going to die, he wanted the answer.
Chu Yang smiled. "We don't know what happens in Wano—and we don't care. We just want to trade this place to the Revolutionary Army for a base. It's an excellent location—good geography, rich resources."
Kaido hadn't expected such a simple reason for the attack. He had even thought they were here to save the country.
After all, Dragon had openly declared he was here to liberate it.
"You're different from them," Kaido said suddenly. "They fight for ideals. You fight for ambition."
Only then did Kaido realize that Chu Yang's motivation was fundamentally different from Tiger's and the others'.
Chu Yang didn't deny it. He nodded. "That's right. Strictly speaking, I'm the only 'bad guy' among them."
Kaido took a deep breath. "Then we can cooperate. Whatever you want, I can give it to you!"
Chu Yang studied Kaido for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "Ambition and ideals can support each other and go far. But ambition clashing with ambition only leads to conflict and destruction."
Seeing persuasion fail, Kaido's expression darkened. He was already prepared to stake everything on a final blow.
"Then let it all end here, Kaido!"
"Great Vajra—Thunder Bagua!"
As Chu Yang's words fell, Kaido unleashed his strongest attack, detonating the last of his Conqueror's Haki.
The sunlight and moonlight on the two wooden blades no longer alternated—they erupted together, forming a massive grinding disk that swallowed Kaido whole.
Breath of Origin — Second Form: Sun and Moon as One.
The disk rolled forward slowly, annihilating everything within its radiant domain. Blood mist rose from Kaido's body, evaporating into the air.
Before Hassaikai could even land, it disintegrated mid-swing, turning to ash.
The blue scales of Kaido's hybrid form were crushed to pieces. In moments, his entire body was torn into a bloody mess.
He collapsed to his knees, trembling violently, unable to rise.
Kaido lifted his head one last time to look at Chu Yang.
Unwillingness—
And… relief.
When the sunlight and moonlight reached their ultimate culmination, even the shattered ruins of the street were erased completely.
All that remained was a hollow abyss.
"Kaido-sama?!" Queen cried out.
With Kaido gone from sight, Queen—already pushed to his limit—collapsed like a deflated balloon.
Dragon didn't strike again. Instead, he ordered his men to bind Queen with prepared seastone restraints.
Stepping out of the banquet hall, Dragon stared at the vast crater left behind, his heart pounding.
What kind of destructive power was that?
Was there anyone in this world who could withstand such an attack?
With Kaido defeated, the remaining Beasts Pirates couldn't hold out much longer, even with desperate resistance.
Next came dealing with Kurozumi Orochi and taking true control of Wano.
Kozuki Momonosuke wouldn't appear for another decade, and the daimyō capable of inheriting authority had mostly been exterminated by Kaido. As long as the Revolutionary Army didn't oppress the civilians, no one would rise up against them in the short term.
The Revolutionary Army wasn't here to rule—they needed a base and weapon factories, nothing more.
As saviors of the nation, that request was hardly excessive.
If the samurai refused to cooperate peacefully, Chu Yang would help them "accept it with dignity"—the process would just be a little violent.
While suppressing the Beasts Pirates, Dragon discovered that they had already contacted King in Dressrosa, informing him of everything that had happened.
King would return soon.
But it was already too late.
The call revealed more than King's return—it hinted at reinforcements. Chu Yang guessed it was most likely Doflamingo and the Donquixote Family.
In less than half a day, Orochi's meticulously prepared banquet hall had become Chu Yang's temporary meeting room.
The tables were cleared away, leaving only two maps—one of the world, rough and broad, and another detailed map of Wano.
"After actually taking Wano, I realized its location is even better than I expected," Dragon said, pointing to an empty region on the world map. "This is where Wano is—no surrounding nations, even the World Government knows almost nothing about it, and it's extremely far away…"
Tiger nodded in understanding. "Longer battle lines mean longer supply lines. If war breaks out, it'll consume enormous resources. The World Government will have a hard time committing to annihilation—they'd need a massive force."
Dragon smiled. "After all, eliminating a power that defeated a Yonko isn't something a Buster Call can solve."
Ivankov suddenly appeared, dragging a low-ranking Beasts Pirate and tossing him onto the floor. "This is the one who tipped King off—but he doesn't seem to know who we are."
The banquet hall had been chaotic, and few had heard Kaido's words. This lookout had been knocked out before the fight began and only woke up after Kaido's defeat, hastily contacting King through a Den Den Mushi.
"Good that he doesn't know," Chu Yang said with a smile. "That way we can reel in a few more big fish."
With Kaido dealt with, eliminating Doflamingo as well would wipe out two major black-market empires in one sweep.
Chu Yang already possessed complete lineage factor technology. With Doflamingo's factories, he could attempt to improve SMILE production, removing its flaws and equipping Revolutionary soldiers.
Zoan fruits carried consciousness and affected the user's personality—he wouldn't consider them. Logia fruits were the hardest to replicate and required extreme caution.
So he would start with Paramecia fruits.
"Brother Tiger, I found this guy in the warehouse!"
Jinbe entered, dragging someone behind him—the same way Ivan had earlier.
The man was Kurozumi Orochi.
Orochi's face was ashen.
He was a Mythical Zoan—Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi—with eight heads, each representing a life.
Orochi had tried to fake his death to deceive Jinbe, but Jinbe already knew his ability. He beat him half to death and dragged him back.
Jinbe tossed Orochi at Chu Yang's feet, laughing. "If you hadn't reminded me, he might've fooled me. Weak strength, but plenty of tricks."
Orochi suddenly looked up at Chu Yang and understood—this man was the one sending him to hell.
"Spare me!"
"I'll hand over all of Wano to you—please, just let me live!"
Kurozumi Orochi looked around and realized that most of the people present were focusing their attention on Chu Yang. Panic seized him. He immediately threw himself to the ground and crawled forward on his stomach, scrambling toward Chu Yang's feet.
He didn't even make it close.
Chu Yang kicked him away with a single step.
"Take him to the outer grand plaza," Chu Yang said coldly. "That's where Kozuki Oden was executed back then. Hang him up and hand him over to the people of Wano. I hear quite a few of them want to drink his blood and eat his flesh."
Orochi's body jerked violently.
He knew it was true. Outside those doors, countless people were waiting—waiting to vent the hatred they had bottled up for years upon his body.
As a Mythical Zoan user of the Yamata no Orochi, with eight lives, if he were really torn apart and eaten alive, the process would be unimaginably long.
And unimaginably painful.
"Please—don't do this! I'm begging you!" Orochi wailed hysterically. "You can have anything you want! I'll apologize to the commoners—I'll kneel and apologize properly!"
"Then just kill me!" he screamed. "Please, just kill me outright!"
His shrill cries echoed through the hall as he struggled toward Chu Yang again, only to be seized by soldiers and dragged up.
Dragon gave a slight nod.
The order was carried out.
Orochi was shackled with seastone cuffs and escorted to the Flower Capital's plaza, where a punishment beyond human imagination awaited him.
Dragon, too, wanted to see just how deep the rage and resentment of this land truly ran.
A public execution of Kurozumi Orochi was the most direct way for the Revolutionary Army to win the hearts of the people.
Once Orochi had been dealt with, everyone returned to the table.
Chu Yang pointed to the edge of the Wano map—the waterfall region where they had landed.
"Everyone came in through this area," he said calmly. "You all know how important it is. I want this place to be defended by the Sun Pirates."
Fish-men, with their ability to communicate with and command sea creatures, were perfectly suited to guarding the front waterfall. As long as enemies couldn't land in large numbers, Wano would be nearly impregnable.
As for elite intrusions—
One came, Chu Yang killed one.
Tiger immediately agreed. During their landing, he had already considered this exact point. The Fish-men were ideal for the role.
There was another concern as well.
Most of Wano's civilians were still extremely wary of them—especially the Fish-men, whose appearances were so visibly different from humans.
The people of Wano had never seen Fish-men before. There was no ingrained prejudice—but survival instinct alone would make them hostile and defensive. That was simple reality.
If the two sides stayed together in the short term, conflict was almost guaranteed—especially with radicals like Arlong among the Fish-men, who would only escalate tensions.
Keeping the Sun Pirates stationed along the waterfalls and coastline would help ease emotions on both sides.
Before long, once people realized the Fish-men were here to help, Tiger and the others would likely experience something they had never known before—true, equal treatment from humans.
"What about the weapon factories inside Wano?" Tiger asked, raising the most sensitive issue."If this isn't handled properly, it could become the source of conflict between us and the people."
Those factories had been a core reason Chu Yang used to persuade the Revolutionary Army to come to Wano in the first place.
"Most of them must be dismantled," Dragon answered decisively."If that can't be done, then 'liberating' this country would be nothing but empty words. That would betray the very purpose of the Revolutionary Army."
Both Chu Yang and Tiger were surprised.
They had expected hesitation—after all, weapons meant power for the revolution.
Instead, Dragon showed unwavering resolve.
A true revolutionary.
Tiger visibly relaxed. Chu Yang smiled as well. Neither wanted this issue to fracture the alliance.
"Everything that needs discussing is basically settled," Chu Yang said.
Just as everyone thought the meeting was about to end, he spoke again.
"We now have an almost perfect stronghold. It's time to resist the World Government in a more… proactive way."
Proactive?
Dragon and Tiger exchanged glances.
One liberated nations. The other disrupted slave trafficking and fought the Celestial Dragons head-on.
What could possibly be more aggressive than that?
Chu Yang's eyes burned with intensity.
"From today onward, we place bounties on the Marines and the World Government—just like they've always done to others."
Bounties… on the World Government?
A sharp intake of breath rippled through the room.
For centuries, the World Government had been the ones issuing bounties.
Now the tables were turning?
Silence fell.
Then Tiger burst out laughing, his chest finally feeling unburdened."As expected of you. Only you would think of something like this."
Excitement flickered in Dragon's eyes. He found the idea genuinely fascinating.
"If those lofty Celestial Dragons wake up one day and discover they have bounties on their heads," Ivankov said with a grin, "their expressions would be priceless."
"Just imagining it makes me laugh," Ivankov added.
Jinbe doubled over in laughter.
Even Arlong—who always looked like the world owed him berries—slowly curled his lips upward.
"Then it's decided," Dragon said, slamming the table."Once King is dealt with, we issue the bounty notices immediately. Let the Celestial Dragons become the laughingstock of the world."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Chu Yang knew that once those bounties were announced, the arrogant Celestial Dragons would send wave after wave of people to their deaths.
Whether CP0 or the Marines, all would be swallowed by the invisible maw of Wano.
In an era where the Navy was already stretched thin, this would further distract them from land-based revolutionary operations.
A slow poison—accelerating the collapse of the Celestial Dragons.
At sunset, Orochi had already been hanging in the plaza for quite some time.
The square was packed with people.
Yet not a single person stepped forward.
Hatred and rage pressed down on them—but above it all loomed fear.
For years, Orochi's brutality had instilled terror deep into their bones.
So they stared.
They neither advanced nor left.
Orochi, his sanity nearly shattered, glared back with bulging eyes, desperately trying to frighten the crowd.
A grotesque stalemate.
Until—
After the meeting ended, Chu Yang and the others exited Orochi Castle and witnessed the scene.
Chu Yang shook his head in disappointment and walked toward Orochi.
The moment Orochi saw him, the courage he had maintained against the crowd finally collapsed.
He cursed, then begged, then sobbed uncontrollably as Chu Yang drew closer—where was the dignity of a tyrant now?
The civilians felt a chill run through them.
Anyone who terrified Orochi like this… must be as frightening as Kaido.
What Chu Yang did next confirmed it.
Using his palm like a blade, he chopped off one of Orochi's arms and casually tossed it toward the crowd.
The people recoiled three steps back.
Even their allies felt their scalps go numb.
Chu Yang said nothing.
He cast a cold glance at the civilians and walked away amid Orochi's shrill screams.
Moments later, a woman emerged from the crowd.
Her eyes were dull, her face withered—like a corpse walking.
But the instant she saw Orochi's severed flesh, a terrifying light burst from her eyes.
Like a feral beast, she pounced and tore into it with her teeth.
Everyone recognized her.
All her children had died of hunger and cold under Orochi's oppression.
Her actions ignited the crowd.
More and more people joined in—some driven by hatred, others simply by hunger.
Soon, the arm was gone.
Naturally, their gazes shifted to Orochi himself.
He was petrified, unable even to scream.
They advanced slowly, expressionless, eyes glowing red—
Like a horde of the undead at the end of the world.
Screams. Curses. Wails.
Until Orochi's cries were completely drowned out by the sound of gnawing flesh.
A tragedy spanning more than a decade finally came to an end.
From that day on, Chu Yang gained a private nickname:
"Yama."
The cathartic public execution instantly solidified the Revolutionary Army's image, greatly accelerating mutual trust.
As news of Kaido and Orochi's deaths spread, people flooded into the Flower Capital within days.
Some came to see Orochi's shattered remains.
Others went to the quarries to watch the Beasts Pirates labor.
Each confirmed the truth in their own way, then spread the good news further.
Most weapon factories were destroyed. The few that remained were stripped of their polluting capacity.
Chu Yang used Wood Release to rapidly restore the surrounding natural environment.
Before long, flowers bloomed in the Flower Capital once more.
Orochi Castle became the Revolutionary Army's temporary headquarters.
The Shogun's Palace was returned to the people of Wano.
How it would be used—that was for them to decide.
Everyone silently chose to guard the land, waiting for a new shogun to emerge.
In the meantime, they gradually accepted the Revolutionary Army's control.
With the Army's help, the Flower Capital's livelihood steadily recovered.
Postwar reconstruction—
It had always been their specialty.
A fortress-like town was quietly taking shape at the mouth of the waterfall. This would become the first line of defense, and Chu Yang, along with the Sun Pirates, would be stationed here long-term.
Because the impression he had left on the civilians earlier was far too intense, Chu Yang felt it best to keep his distance from them for a while.
More importantly, he couldn't stand those numb, lifeless gazes.
Seeing them made it hard for him to suppress his anger.
At least until that land truly recovered its vitality, he had no intention of appearing before them again.
One week into postwar reconstruction, figures of samurai began appearing near the Flower Capital. They deliberately—or perhaps tentatively—made contact with the Revolutionary Army, trying to gauge their intentions.
With half suspicion and half hope, the samurai finally sat down at the negotiating table with the revolutionaries.
At the head was the young Kozuki Hiyori. Beside her stood Denjiro—one of the former Nine Red Scabbards, now using the alias Kyoshiro—and the long-hidden daimyo of Hakumai, Shimotsuki Yasuie.
Neither Denjiro nor Shimotsuki Yasuie believed negotiations alone could reclaim control of Wano. They were not naïve enough for that.
Their only hope was for Kozuki Hiyori to regain her legitimate status, return to the shogun's palace, and—over time—earn the people's recognition through her own efforts.
Judging from the Revolutionary Army's conduct during this period, they were worthy of trust. Even if talks failed, no one's life would be in danger.
What neither of them expected was how readily the Revolutionary Army agreed to their request—and even offered to assist in rebuilding Wano alongside Kozuki Hiyori.
All the schemes and power plays they had anticipated never materialized, leaving Denjiro feeling deeply ashamed of his own suspicions.
Shimotsuki Yasuie took the initiative to make concessions. Representing Kozuki Hiyori as an ally, he granted the Revolutionary Army many conveniences, making it easier for them to operate within Wano.
The agreement was swift and smooth.
News of Kozuki Hiyori's return to the shogun's palace spread quickly. Samurai scattered across the land began to regroup, forming a formidable force.
And this force, in turn, would help Chu Yang and the others stand against the World Government.
After the Beasts Pirates were attacked, King did not immediately rush back. Instead, he relied on Donquixote Doflamingo's connections to gather information.
As a broker of the underground world, the Donquixote Family possessed exceptional intelligence capabilities when it came to warfare, constantly monitoring the movements of major powers.
King's first suspect was Whitebeard.
After all, Kozuki Oden had once served as the Whitebeard Pirates' second division commander. If Whitebeard knew what had happened in Wano, an attack on the Beasts Pirates was not impossible.
The Whitebeard Pirates also had the strength to defeat the Beasts Pirates head-on.
But as more intelligence reached King, he realized the entire incident had nothing to do with Whitebeard—he hadn't even left his territory.
If Whitebeard hadn't gone, then his commanders certainly wouldn't have gone to Wano either. And even if they had, they wouldn't have stood a chance.
"The World Government has trade deals with us—there's no reason for them to suddenly turn hostile. The Navy's been quiet too…"
King thought for a moment, then shifted his attention to "Big Mom," Charlotte Linlin. The conclusion was the same.
So who was it?
King had no answer, but he could no longer afford to sit idle.
If Big Mom wasn't the mastermind, then they could join forces.
With that thought, King took the initiative to contact Charlotte Linlin on Totto Land. After paying a sufficiently steep price, he secured a powerful ally.
If Kaido was gone, everything the Beasts Pirates possessed would vanish with him. Only if Kaido lived could they rise again.
The price was temporary.
"Something this important—how about bringing me along as well?"
Just as King was preparing to leave Dressrosa, Doflamingo approached him, requesting to go to Wano together.
"What are you plotting?" King asked coldly.
"We're partners, aren't we?" Doflamingo replied with a grin. "If Kaido's in trouble, of course I should show some concern."
King frowned.
Staring at Doflamingo, he didn't believe for a second that the man was acting out of goodwill.
And indeed, he wasn't.
Doflamingo simply wanted to confirm the outcome of the war.
If the Beasts Pirates had won, business would continue as usual—and he'd even earn some goodwill.
But if Wano had changed hands, then it was time to negotiate a new deal and find new partners.
Either way, the loser would never be him.
With Big Mom's full support secured, King didn't care about Doflamingo's true motives. Extra strength was still strength, so he nodded and agreed.
Back at the palace in Dressrosa, the Donquixote Family's officers gathered.
"I—I mean, Doffy… do we really have to get involved in this?" Trebol said nervously, his appearance as sloppy as ever, constantly sniffling like a lecherous uncle. "It feels really dangerous…"
"Idiot," Diamante snapped, sitting on the sofa with his hands clasped under his chin, face dark. "How could we not go take a look? Our weapon factories are still there! If something goes wrong, who's taking responsibility?!"
The underground arms market had already been suffering shortages for a while. If deals were delayed any longer, things would spiral out of control.
Hearing this, Doflamingo calmly took a bottle of red wine from the counter and popped the cork.
Glug—glug—
He downed the entire bottle in one go, wiped his mouth, and revealed a chilling smile—like the Joker card in a deck.
"I don't care who wins this war," he said softly. "But if the weapon factories are damaged… then just wait for my revenge."
Wano Country.
With vast manpower and resources poured into it, the Waterfall Fortress was completed at astonishing speed. As the gateway tied directly to Wano's safety, everyone treated it with utmost importance.
Though called a fortress, its architectural style matched that of the Flower Capital—a magnificent nine-story tower.
Chu Yang named it Flying Falls Pavilion.
Most of the Sun Pirates lived on the lower three floors, close to the harbor and their ships, ready to enter combat at the first sign of trouble.
Tiger, Jinbe, Arlong, and the others stayed on the middle levels. Chu Yang noticed that Fish-men didn't seem to like high places very much.
The top floor belonged solely to Chu Yang.
Leaning against the railing and gazing at the distant sea of clouds always gave him the feeling of "seeing a thousand miles at a glance." He liked it there and often stood at that spot.
Another benefit was that with his eyesight and Haki, standing at such a height allowed him to detect enemies faster than any surveillance system.
The rear mountain passage had already been destroyed by Chu Yang. Anyone coming from outside now had no choice but to take this route.
"Looks like we have guests…"
Chu Yang was still wondering how long it would take for King to return when a shadow suddenly appeared on the horizon—a massive pterosaur wrapped in black leather.
At first glance, it looked almost comical.
Chu Yang's lips curled upward.
King circled Wano once, seeing the towering pavilion at the waterfall's summit—and the weapon factories that should have been standing in dense rows, now completely gone.
Mountains, rivers, and forests had regained their vitality. The sky and waterways were crystal clear.
Everything pointed to one conclusion:
The Beasts Pirates had become history.
King couldn't accept it.
Nor was he willing to believe it.
He flew to the rear mountain, trying to enter through the secret passage. When no one opened the mechanism for him, he attempted to force his way through.
Only to find the path completely sealed, utterly impassable.
Kaido would never have sealed this passage.
There was only one answer—
Kaido was not the victor.
Overwhelming grief and rage nearly drove King mad. Forcing himself not to dwell on the worst possibility, he immediately flew out of the rear mountain and returned to the front waterfall to rendezvous with the Big Mom Pirates.
"Well?" someone asked. "Can that secret passage still be used?"
Doflamingo walked over to King with a carefree expression. If possible, he wished his gaze could pierce through the mask and see the man's expression underneath.
King slowly shook his head. "The passage has been sealed. We can only go up from here."
Doflamingo raised his head, looking up at the waterfall. "It seems only we can climb this way. As for the others…"
Just as King was about to answer, a voice suddenly came from the side.
"Just use fish."
The newcomer was tall and slender, wearing a pale yellow long coat, a candy-shaped top hat on his head, and holding a candy cane.
This man was the eldest son of Emperor Charlotte Linlin, the Candy Minister of Totto Land—Perospero.
Perospero pointed toward their pirate ship. In front of the Queen Mama Chanter, several massive koi fish were already tied up.
Doflamingo, who had come alone to "help," was delighted to watch from the sidelines. He had no intention of putting in real effort anyway.
The fleet, dragged forward by the giant fish, began climbing the waterfall.
King once again transformed into his pterosaur form and flew toward the top of the waterfall, intending to clear the way for the others.
He knew very well what would happen if they were attacked during this process.
That pavilion standing proudly at the top of the waterfall looked unpleasant to him no matter how he saw it.
The Sun Pirates detected the intrusion through their monitors. All crew members immediately entered battle readiness.
Tiger stepped onto the deck and shouted, "The enemy is strong, but we cannot retreat! We must stop them from landing—reinforcements will arrive soon!"
Having just defeated the Beasts Pirates not long ago, and with the sea as their home turf, the crew was brimming with confidence.
"They chose the same method as us to land—this is an incredibly foolish decision! We'll show them why we're called Fish-Men!"
After delivering a few rousing words, Tiger ordered the ship forward, aiming the cannons at the waterfall.
Fish-Men combat was never limited to fighting from ships. As mentioned before, the sea was their true domain. Most of the Fish-Men leapt directly into the water.
"Remember—priority is to control the fish! Make their ships lose control. They'll fall on their own!"
Jinbe led his companions underwater, slowly approaching the waterfall cliffs.
"Tiger-brother, there's something in the sky…"
"A black bird?"
"No—it's a pterosaur! It's heading straight for Flying Falls Pavilion!"
"Don't worry—Yang is still up there!"
Tiger raised a telescope to his eyes and looked up. The pterosaur swept over their heads, wrapped in black leather—clearly a Devil Fruit user.
"It's King, the Wildfire, one of Kaido's men!"
Tiger took a deep breath and shook his head. "Ignore him. We just need to make sure every enemy climbing the waterfall is knocked down. Leave the rest to Yang!"
On the other side, when King reached the top floor of the pavilion, he suddenly discovered a figure standing there.
The man was smiling, looking as if he had been waiting for quite some time.
"You took long enough. I thought you'd already abandoned your captain. Or is the outside world too big, and you got lost?"
Chu Yang yawned lazily.
King stared at him, a powerful premonition rising in his heart—this man was definitely connected to Kaido's fate.
"Where is Kaido-sama?" King asked coldly, forcing down his anger.
"Dead," Chu Yang replied casually.
"Impossible! I'll ask you one more time—where is Kaido-sama?!"
King couldn't accept that answer. Rage pushed him to the brink of attack.
"Are you naïve, or just refusing to face reality?"
"If I'm standing here, then Kaido must be the one who died. Such a simple truth—how many times do you need to hear it?"
Chu Yang shook his head in disappointment.
With Kaido's fate uncertain and Chu Yang's attitude pushing him further, King's fury finally erupted. Like a fighter jet, he shot up into the clouds, rapidly gaining altitude before diving straight toward Chu Yang at the top of the pavilion.
Chu Yang stepped onto the railing and launched himself skyward.
His entire body became a white streak, rushing toward King—ascending even faster than King was descending.
King's pupils shrank, but he had no intention of dodging. As a Zoan user, how could he lose in a contest of physical power?
King's body ignited, flames blazing forth—this was the Lunarian race's innate ability, unrelated to Devil Fruits.
"Imperial Flaming Wings!"
King spread his wings, smashing toward Chu Yang with flame-wreathed wings.
At the same time—
Lightning erupted across Chu Yang's body as he entered Lightning Release Armor.
He bent his arm at a right angle, shaping it like a scythe.
Black wings and arm collided, sparks exploding everywhere. Lightning suppressed the flames burning on King's body.
King could actually smell scorching flesh from his own wings.
Crack!
The sound of bones fracturing rang out.
King groaned in pain, disbelief filling his eyes.
How could a human body be this hard?!
Stronger than a Zoan user?!
Shock and fury surged through him.
Abandoning his pterosaur form, King shifted into his hybrid form.
In hybrid form, King's arms fused with his wings, transforming into massive black wings. With a single swing, dozens of devastating wind blades tore through the air.
Chu Yang didn't dodge at all. The wind blades struck him like rain hitting a roof—pitter-patter—with no damage whatsoever.
"Get down."
Chu Yang flashed above King and stomped hard onto his forehead.
The violent impact blacked out King's vision. He lost consciousness instantly and fell from the sky.
"Why did King just fall from the sky?" The people aboard the Queen Mama Chanter were stunned.
Charlotte Linlin—still not overly obese at this time—furrowed her brows. "Don't tell me… he was knocked down?"
Doflamingo, always eager for chaos, burst out laughing. "Getting beaten up on your own turf—now that's embarrassing, King."
Perospero hissed coldly, "Mocking an ally isn't a good habit, Doflamingo."
Doflamingo sneered. "Got a problem with that?"
The tension between the two spiked instantly.
"That's enough. Don't let the enemy laugh at us. I recall you're here to help, aren't you, Doflamingo?" Charlotte Linlin warned him darkly.
"Of course. The Beasts Pirates are my closest partners," Doflamingo replied smoothly, backing off at the right moment.
But he had already made a mental note to settle the score later.
While arguments broke out on deck, no one noticed the giant fish pulling the ships quietly changing direction.
The Fish-Men had already infiltrated beneath the fleet.
Using their innate ability to communicate with fish, they secretly disrupted the fleet's course. Before long, several pirate ships collided with one another.
Only when the Queen Mama Chanter began spinning wildly did Charlotte Linlin notice something was wrong!
"Everyone be careful! There's something strange under the ships!"
Charlotte Linlin summoned Zeus and lifted herself into the air.
As the user of the Soul-Soul Fruit, she could imbue anything with souls, creating special lifeforms she called "Homies."
Zeus was a thundercloud infused with a soul.
In addition, there was Prometheus—the living flame—and Napoleon—the living bicorne hat.
These special Homies possessed immense power, allowing Charlotte Linlin to dominate battles.
With Zeus carrying her skyward, the Queen Mama Chanter slammed violently into another pirate ship the next moment.
The collision sent countless crew members tumbling into the sea, while the ship itself suffered severe damage, seawater flooding in through shattered hull sections.
Doflamingo embedded thin strings into the cliffs on both sides of the waterfall, creating steps and walking through the air, avoiding the chaos entirely.
The sudden frenzy of the giant fish caused nearly half the fleet to plunge down the waterfall. The remaining ships struggled desperately to hold on.
Realizing that the entire fleet could be wiped out at this rate, Charlotte Linlin directly infused the waterfall itself with a soul.
A human face appeared in the cascading water.
"Send us up!" Charlotte Linlin commanded.
"Alright, Mama," the waterfall replied.
The water flow reversed, surging upward and carrying the pirate ships along with it.
(End of Chapter)