CHAPTER 86

The terrifying pressure filled the air, and Shutenmaru felt his body drenched in cold sweat, unable to control his growing fear.

"You bastard..." Shutenmaru gritted his teeth, utterly shocked.

He had already sensed that Alastor wasn't giving his all, but he never imagined the other man was hiding such overwhelming power!

The sky overhead had darkened, transforming into ominous thunderclouds. The crackling lightning around Alastor intensified, amplifying his intimidating presence.

Shutenmaru swallowed hard. "Are you... a Thunder Disaster?"

The Hundred Beasts Pirates were infamous for their Three Calamities: the Flame Calamity—King, the Plague—Queen, and the Drought—Jack. Shutenmaru now realized that perhaps a new Thunder Calamity was rising in their midst.

Alastor smirked, his gaze lifting to the sky as the thunderbolts seemed to respond to his power. His laughter, now imbued with a regal authority, echoed with the intensity of a storm.

"That title suits me quite well," Alastor said with a grin. "To thank you, I'll let you experience something special... Thunder Kick."

In the blink of an eye, Alastor vanished from his spot, moving so fast that even his shadow disappeared.

Shutenmaru's heart raced. He'd never encountered such incredible speed. He activated his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), pushing it to its limit, but it still wasn't enough to track his opponent.

"How can this be?!" Shutenmaru thought in disbelief. "Is there really a speed faster than my Haki?"

Indeed, there was—Alastor's speed surpassed the limits of perception, rivaling the speed of light. In One Piece, characters like Sanji, after awakening his Vinsmoke bloodline, reached such speeds that they were invisible to even seasoned fighters like Queen, who couldn't keep up with him.

Before Shutenmaru could react, a thunder-wrapped foot crashed into his side with explosive force.

The Thunder Kick wasn't just fast; it carried the force of a dragon. The blow sent Shutenmaru flying with no chance to defend himself.

His body crashed through walls, tumbling helplessly before smashing to the ground, unable to brace for impact.

He coughed up blood, sparks of electricity arcing through it. Alastor's Thunder Kick wasn't just a strike—it was imbued with lightning, heightening its destructive power.

"Get ready, because you're about to take off."

Before Shutenmaru could recover, he heard a voice behind him, and in the next instant, he was kicked into the air with unimaginable force.

Whoooosh!

The wind roared in his ears, the thunder crashing so loudly it nearly ruptured his eardrums. He desperately tried to regain control of his body, but every attempt was met with another kick, sending him flying once again.

First, he was kicked to the left. Then the right. Up, down, back and forth. Shutenmaru was tossed around like a ragdoll, unable to stop the relentless assault.

His consciousness began to fade as his body was battered and broken. Although his strength rivaled that of Jack, the Drought, his defensive abilities weren't on par with Jack's Fish-Man physiology and Ancient Zoan resilience. His best skills—his Kenbunshoku and his Ryou swordsmanship—were useless against Alastor's speed and precision.

Alastor appeared high above him, and with a powerful kick to Shutenmaru's abdomen, he sent him crashing to the ground with a force that caved in his stomach, creating a massive crater.

Shutenmaru lay at the bottom of the pit, blood pouring from his seven orifices, his limbs twisted unnaturally. He was alive, but barely, struggling to move.

Alastor descended slowly, his appearance returning to normal. The intensity of his Thor Mode had waned, as the 200 million volts he had unleashed were now spent. To recharge, he would need to seek out Enel, who had control over vast quantities of lightning.

Alastor approached the fallen Shutenmaru with measured steps. "Do you have any last words?"

Shutenmaru opened his bloodied mouth, but before he could utter a word, Alastor's sword swiftly severed his head.

"I'm just asking out of courtesy. I wasn't expecting you to say anything worth hearing."

Shutenmaru's head rolled away, his wide, unblinking eyes filled with rage and disbelief. If he could still speak, he would have surely cursed Alastor for mocking his dying words.

Alastor stretched his fingers, his thoughts turning to the next moves in his game. With Shutenmaru's death, he had now killed three of the Nine Red Scabbards—Denjiro, Kawamatsu, and Shutenmaru. Six remained.

Among them, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi were in Zou, where Alastor planned to head next, hoping to subdue the Furuta Tribe using Tama's Dumpling Fruit.

The others—Kin'emon, Kikunojo, Raizo, and Kanjuro—would have to wait two more years. And of course, Momonosuke would not be spared.

Turning his attention back to his system panel, Alastor pondered his next move:

[Host: Alastor]

[Age: 20]

[Defense Power: 8350]

His defense power was rising steadily, though the growth had slowed. Fewer enemies were able to harm him, which meant that Alastor would have to find increasingly powerful opponents to test his strength.

The upcoming War of the Best would present the perfect opportunity to push his limits further and continue his journey to truly understand the power of the greatest warriors in the world.

The celestial disturbance caused by Alastor's Thor Mode was felt far and wide. People in Kuri could only speculate as the thunder rumbled in the distance, thinking it was the precursor to a heavy storm.

However, those with knowledge of Haki and the world's power structures understood that this was no natural phenomenon.

"It must be Boss Kaido," one person remarked. "Only he has the power to change the sky like this."

"Who else could cause such a phenomenon?" another agreed. "Didn't you feel the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki radiating from the thunderclouds?"

"Maybe it's Yamato, inheritor of Kaido's bloodline," someone else suggested. "It's not impossible for someone of his caliber to cause such a storm."

The elite of the Beast Pirates had their suspicions—this sudden manifestation of power in the sky could only be the work of either Kaido, their captain, or Yamato, his child and trusted ally.

Inside the General's Mansion, Capital of Flowers.

Yamato, deeply engrossed in official documents, suddenly paused. She lifted her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her striking eyes. Her gaze locked on the sky, and a smile—soft, yet full of intrigue—curved her lips.

"Has he truly mastered the power of Thunder? He's only getting stronger."

Yamato shared a deep, unspoken bond with Alastor. Her keen senses immediately recognized the aura of Conqueror's Haki emanating from him. She wasn't shocked—this was the man she had fully accepted and respected. Of course, someone with his strength would wield such overwhelming presence.

On Onigashima, the same moment.

The phenomenon over Kuri did not go unnoticed. Despite the distance, the vision in the sky was impossible to ignore.

King's pupils constricted, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

Plague Queen, always dramatic, spat out his cigar with a wild gasp. "Thunder?!"

The image of Alastor appeared in Drought Jack's mind.

Who's-Who, Sasaki, and the other Flying Six tensed, clearly unsettled. The power of Thunder was undeniable, and it was strong enough to make even them uneasy.

"Who the hell is that?" Who's-Who asked, his voice full of both curiosity and caution.

King answered, his tone deliberate. "It's neither Kaido nor Yamato."

After considering the possibilities, everyone nodded in agreement. Kaido was on Onigashima, and it was impossible for any of them to mistake Yamato's signature presence.

This left only one conclusion.

Who's-Who and Sasaki exchanged looks, both of them stunned. As members of the Flying Six, they were no strangers to ambition. They always dreamed of surpassing the Three Calamities, but never did they expect that a newcomer—someone who had only just joined the crew—would eclipse them in strength in such a short time.

"With that level of power, it's no wonder he dared to kill a Celestial Dragon," Who's-Who muttered, exhaling a long puff of smoke, trying to suppress his shock.

Sasaki was doubtful. "Could that kid have eaten the Goro Goro no Mi?" he wondered aloud. (The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which grants the ability to control lightning.)

The conversation was unmistakably about Alastor, and even from afar, it was clear that his power was growing exponentially.

At that moment, a voice rang out: "It's that bastard again! I'm going to kill him this time!"

Who else but Ulti would say such a thing?

Page One, ever the voice of reason, sighed in exasperation. "Stop it, Ulti. You've seen for yourself how much stronger Brother Alastor has become."

Ulti's face flushed with anger, and she snapped back, "Pay Pay, whose side are you on? Do you have any idea what that bastard did to me?"

Page One simply shrugged, rolling his eyes. "It was just a little training, Ulti. Don't hold a grudge. You should be proud of the results."

"A little training?!" Ulti was on the verge of exploding. "That bastard humiliated me in front of everyone! And you're acting like it's nothing?!"

The tension between them was palpable. In Ulti's eyes, Alastor was no longer just a rival; he was a target.

Meanwhile, on Onigashima...

Kaido, who had been napping off a drunk stupor, was abruptly roused by the thunderous crack in the sky. His immense, imposing figure loomed as he stepped out onto the deck, sending waves of pressure through the air.

The Beast Pirates could feel the atmosphere shift as Kaido's mighty presence filled the air.

"Ahhhh!" Kaido looked up, his laughter booming like thunder. It reverberated across Onigashima, sending shockwaves through the sea around them. "I can't sense Shutenmaru's aura anymore... Was he killed? That's a shame. I didn't want him to be my subordinate for life anyway."

"But... it doesn't matter. I have a stronger subordinate now!"

Kaido then turned to Jack, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Hey, Jack, your subordinates want to be a big shot like you. Got any objections?"

Jack immediately responded, "Of course not!"

Kaido grinned even wider, pleased by Jack's loyalty and enthusiasm.

Then, with a roar that shook the island, Kaido spread his arms wide.

"Listen up, everyone! In addition to Flame Calamity, Plague, and Drought, we now have a new Calamity in our ranks!"

"Introducing—Thunder Calamity!"

Without hesitation, Kaido officially declared Alastor as the fourth Calamity of the Beast Pirates. The position bypassed the customary trials, a break from the crew's usual order. But Kaido didn't care about rules—strength was what mattered.

And Alastor had more than proven his worth.

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