Chapter 135

"Shadow's Asgard!" Moria bellowed, his face drenched in blood. He no longer harbored thoughts of besting Kaido; survival was now his only goal. As the minutes passed, his chances of escape seemed increasingly bleak. Desperation led him to use his strongest technique.

His remaining zombies, which he had stealthily sent to scavenge, had retreated, with only a hundred odd surviving. Among their spoils, they had found the corpse of some legendary figure and his sword. If he could turn this corpse into a zombie, he would have an unparalleled subordinate by his side.

Moria's body swelled as he absorbed the shadows, growing into a behemoth over thirty meters tall. Yet, even in this colossal form, he seemed like an ant before Kaido's dragon form.

"Wororororo! Is that supposed to be your Trump card? Come on then, show me what you've got!" Kaido bellowed from the air. The Beast Pirates were toying with Moria's crew, torturing them, and the women suffered the worst of their morbid savagery.

"Kaido! I will kill you! I will kill you for what you did to my crew!" Moria screamed, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

"Kaen Daiko!!!" Kaido's entire dragon form turned into a fiery inferno, burning everything in its path. With unmatched strength and speed, he lunged at Moria's shadow form.

"Boom!!!" The shockwaves reverberated throughout Ringo, shaking the ground. The massive downpour only added to the chaos. Despite his bravado, Moria was no match for Kaido. Like a broken string, Moria was launched into the air, his form shrinking as he passed out.

Just as Kaido was about to deliver the killing blow, a loud voice bellowed from one of the Tobiroppo, who looked battered and bruised, indicating a major battle. He had been left in charge of the Beast Pirates in the Flower Capital.

"Kaido-sama, Orochi has been captured! The entirety of Wano has risen against us. Every beast pirate they see is being slaughtered," he reported before collapsing from blood loss.

King and Queen, who were torturing captives from Moria's crew, widened their eyes in shock. They hadn't been informed of such a critical situation. King immediately moved to the fallen man and slapped him awake.

"Why did you not inform us earlier that there is a war going on?" He demanded angrily, nearly ready to rip the subordinate's head off. Many of the top cadres had their own transponder snails.

"King-sama, none of the transponder snails are working. The Flower Capital is under Oden's control. Orochi and his men have been captured. With each passing minute, more people join the fight. There are already more than a hundred thousand samurai gathered. We stood no chance against them," the Tobiroppo answered, mustering his remaining energy.

Suddenly, a powerful breath attack was aimed at him. King, with his observation Haki, dodged it, but the exhausted Tobiroppo was burned to cinders. The attacker was none other than Kaido himself, his face twisted in fury and his entire form radiating anger.

The surroundings fell silent, save for the heavy rain. A dragon's roar reverberated through the skies as thunder rumbled. Without saying a word, Kaido took to the skies, determined to bring Wano back under his control.

King understood Kaido's intent and immediately rallied the troops. However, he was cunning. If all of Wano had risen against them, there was a chance they might lose. He turned to Queen.

"Have our ships ready, just in case. I have a bad feeling about this," he said, morphing into his Zoan form and taking to the skies. The rest of the Beast Pirates, except for a few under Queen's orders, rushed towards the Flower Capital. Moria, defeated and forgotten, lay in the rain as the storm of battle moved on without him.

Just as Kaido, in his dragon form, was flying through the skies, Oden sprinted towards him with relentless determination. Their paths converged at Udon, where Kaido's massive form was impossible to miss. Oden, seething with rage at the man who had tormented Wano for years, had no intention of dialogue. The moment he detected Kaido, he roared like a primal beast, bellowing the enemy's name.

"Kaidoooouuuu!!!" A massive flying slash cut through the air as Kaido soared overhead.

Kaido swung his massive claws, and the two attacks collided with ferocious intensity, sending sparks flying. The storm in the night sky intensified, its fury unknowingly manipulated by a lightning Logia user. Ross, hidden from sight, was stacking thunderclouds to amplify the brewing storm, preparing to unleash a super-powerful lightning attack even grander than the one he used on Fishman Island.

"Oden! Have you finally found your spine to challenge me?" Kaido bellowed from the skies, shifting into his hybrid form. He dropped from the sky like a meteor, and his club aimed to pummel Oden with a single, devastating attack. Kaido infused his strike with both Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, creating a burst of Haoshoku that formed an ethereal Azure Dragon surrounding him, crackling with purple lightning as he descended.

However, Oden was no slacker. The right-hand man of Whitebeard himself, Oden, turned his entire form pitch black with Armament Haki. His legendary blades, Enma and Ame no Habakiri, also turned pitch black, charged with his haki. With a powerful surge, Oden's own Haoshoku Haki burst out, coating his blades. Behind him, an ethereal form of a mythical white tiger emerged, poised to strike at the descending dragon.

The intangible force of their conqueror's haki gave form to these mythical beasts, their wills clashing even before their weapons did. Invisible ripples of power radiated from their confrontation, making it almost impossible for others to intrude on a battle of this scale. The very air around them crackled with the pressure of their haki, creating a sphere of intense energy that separated them from the rest of the battlefield.

Kaido's club, wrapped in the fierce aura of the Azure Dragon, met Oden's dual blades, each strike reverberating with the power of a titan. The ground beneath them trembled as they clashed, each impact sending shockwaves through the earth. The storm above mirrored their battle, with thunder roaring and lightning flashing, adding to the chaotic symphony of their duel.

Kaido's dragon roared, its voice echoing through the night, while Oden's tiger growled in response, each representing the indomitable spirit of their wielder. The heavens themselves seemed to split as their Haoshoku Haki collided, creating a rift of pure energy that illuminated the battlefield. The ferocity of their confrontation was unmatched, a true clash of titans that would be remembered throughout history.

"Daiitoku Raimei Hakke!!!" Kaido roared, gripping his mace with both hands and infusing every ounce of his immense strength and Haki into the attack. The air around him crackled with power as he descended like an unstoppable force.

Simultaneously, Oden bellowed, "Hirudora!!!" He swung both of his legendary swords, Enma and Ame no Habakiri, with all his might. His blades gleamed with a dark aura, resonating with his Armament and Conqueror's Haki.

The two titanic forces collided with unmatched ferocity. A massive crater formed at the point of impact, the sheer force of their Conqueror's Haki creating an invisible barrier between their weapons. The ground quaked, and the air itself seemed to explode outward from the epicenter of their clash.

Kaido's attack, infused with the devastating power of his Daiitoku Raimei Hakke, surged forward like a dragon's roar, creating a vortex of destructive energy. His mace, surrounded by an ethereal dragon, struck with a force that could shatter mountains.

Oden's Hirudora, named after the mythical white tiger, unleashed a torrent of cutting energy from his dual swords. The ethereal form of the tiger roared back at the dragon, creating a counterforce of unparalleled might. The blades seemed to sing with Oden's indomitable will, cutting through the very fabric of reality.

As their Haki-infused attacks clashed, a blinding light erupted from the point of impact, illuminating the battlefield. The shockwave from their collision sent debris flying in all directions, uprooting trees and sending rocks hurtling through the air. The force of their wills, embodied in their Conqueror's Haki, created a rift that seemed to momentarily split the heavens.

The crater beneath them deepened, the ground unable to withstand the monumental forces at play. Around the rim of the crater, fissures spread out like spiderwebs, the earth itself groaning under the strain. Thunder roared in the sky, responding to the sheer power of the clash below.

Kaido's eyes burned with an intense, savage joy. "Wororororo! This is the strength of a true warrior!" he bellowed, pushing his mace against Oden's swords with even greater force. The azure dragon around him seemed to come alive, its roar blending with Kaido's own.

Oden gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he pushed back with all his might. "For Wano! For its people!" he shouted, his voice filled with unwavering resolve. The ethereal white tiger roared in unison, its fierce eyes locked onto the dragon.

The battlefield was enveloped in the epic struggle, a clash of titans that seemed to defy the very laws of nature. Onlookers from both sides could only watch in awe and terror, witnessing the raw power and determination of these legendary figures. The intensity of their confrontation left an indelible mark on the land, a testament to the strength and spirit of the warriors of Wano.

Kaido twisted his body, swinging his mace in a wide arc aimed at Oden's side. Oden reacted with lightning speed, parrying the blow with Enma and countering with a swift strike from Ame no Habakiri aimed at Kaido's neck. Kaido deflected the attack with his armored scales, retaliating with a fierce headbutt that sent shockwaves through the air.

Oden staggered back, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead, but his eyes burned with undiminished determination. He lunged forward, his swords a blur of motion as he unleashed a flurry of slashes. Kaido met each strike with his mace, the clashing of their weapons creating sparks that lit up the battlefield.

Their battle raged on, neither warrior willing to give an inch. Kaido transformed back into his full dragon form, breathing torrents of fire that scorched the earth. Oden dodged with agility, his swords carving through the flames as he closed the distance. He leaped onto Kaido's back, driving Enma into the dragon's scales and drawing a roar of pain from the beast.

Kaido bucked wildly, trying to shake Oden off, but Oden held on, using Ame no Habakiri to carve a path along Kaido's spine. The dragon thrashed, smashing into the ground and creating a series of craters as it tried to dislodge the relentless samurai. With a final, mighty effort, Kaido swung his tail, sending Oden hurtling through the air.

Oden landed hard but rolled to his feet, charging back at Kaido without hesitation. He swung both swords in a powerful X-shaped slash, aiming for Kaido's heart. Kaido met the attack head-on, his mace crashing down with all his might. The impact created a shockwave that flattened the surrounding area, the force of their haki tearing the very air apart.

As the clash between Oden and Kaido intensified, the rest of the battlefield was equally chaotic. The remaining Beast Pirates, led by King, engaged fiercely with the samurai forces led by Oden's retainers. Despite the Beast Pirates' strength, the sheer number of samurai proved overwhelming. The tide of battle quickly turned in favor of the samurai, with the majority of the Beast Pirates being driven back and overwhelmed. Only the highest-ranking cadres, like King, were able to hold their ground, keeping Oden's main retainers in check.

Meanwhile, a few miles off the coast of Wano, a small ship sailed stealthily under the cover of the night sky. The heavy downpour provided an additional layer of concealment. The ship was eerily manned entirely by zombies. Gecko Moria, battered and bruised, barely clung to life. He took a labored breath and glared back towards Wano, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Someday, I will have your head, Kaido," Moria fumed. "Mark my words! I will turn your corpse into the most majestic zombie soldier and make you serve me even after death."

A voice suddenly echoed from above, startling Moria. "That's quite the grand ambition you have there. Are you sure you can achieve that?"

Moria's heart skipped a beat as he turned towards the source of the voice. On top of the ship's mast sat a blonde teenager holding a katana.

"You... who the hell are you? Do you know who I am? I am a Shichibukai!" Moria tried to muster a semblance of bravado.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his pathetic state. From the canon, I knew that despite his grand declarations, Moria never dared to face Kaido again. If he had, I might have shown him a basic level of respect.

"I know exactly who you are, Gecko. You're a defeated dog running away with its tail between its legs. But I'm not here to rub your loss in your face. You have something I need, and I will be taking it." My gaze shifted towards the corpse of Ryuma and the dusty katana placed next to it. I could recognize Shusui anywhere.

Moria attempted to manipulate his shadow to attack me, but a powerful burst of Haoshoku Haki tore his weakened shadow to pieces. The zombies on the ship lunged at me, but with a simple gesture, hundreds of lightning bolts rained down from the sky, striking each zombie with precision and turning them to ashes.

Before Moria could react, I flickered behind him and delivered a powerful cross chop, knocking him out cold. I still had a use for Moria, or at least the title of Shichibukai, which I could leverage to attract the Marines' attention.

With Moria subdued, I approached the corpse of the Sword God of Wano, Shimotsuki Ryuma. Even in death, his husk emitted a powerful surge of sword energy, detectable only to those with abilities akin to the Voice of All Things.

I bowed in respect to the greatest warrior Wano had ever known and then moved to pick up Shusui. The entire sheath was covered in dirt, indicating that the sword had been buried alongside Ryuma's corpse.

As I unsheathed the blade, its magnificence was immediately apparent. Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, was a masterpiece. The blade was pitch black due to its permanent infusion with Busoshoku Haki, giving it a fearsome and imposing appearance. The intricate edge pattern gleamed under the faint light, reflecting a perfect wave-like pattern. The guard was circular, decorated with a flower-like motif, adding an elegant contrast to the blade's dark visage. The tsuka handle was wrapped in a traditional black braid, providing a firm grip.

Shusui's reputation as a sword of unparalleled strength was well-earned. It was said to be indestructible, capable of slicing through the toughest of materials with ease, this was probably the sword Ryuma used to slay a dragon. The sword felt almost alive in my hand, resonating with a history of countless battles and a legacy of unparalleled swordsmanship. As I held it, I could feel the spirit of Ryuma himself, a silent guardian watching over Wano.

I sheathed the blade reverently, feeling its weight and power. This sword, forged through countless battles and honed by a legendary swordsman, would now be an integral part of my journey.

With a final glance at the unconscious Moria, I turned towards the horizon. Wano awaited, and I had to make sure there were no surprises like in the canon, and it seemed like the battle was reaching its apex as the clash between the two titans has been going on for more than an hour now.

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