Chapter 108: Whole Cake Island
[A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
[A/N] - Unlock the Next Level of this Story with your [Power Stones]!
...
Beckman's words hung heavy in the air, a palpable tension settling over the Red Hair Pirates. Even Shanks, typically jovial, wore a grim expression.
"Shanks, what do you make of this?" Benn Beckman, his first mate, asked, exhaling a plume of smoke, his brow furrowed in thought.
"What do I make of it? I see it with my eyes, Benn." Shanks replied dryly, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Beckman and the others exchanged glances, a silent acknowledgment of their captain's attempt at levity.
"Ahahahaha! Sorry, sorry! Just trying to lighten the mood." Shanks chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, his expression suddenly turning serious. "But things have been rather turbulent lately, wouldn't you say?"
"It seems this era is about to be thrown into chaos. Golden Lion Shiki, Silvers Rayleigh, Kaido… Even the Seven Warlords and that Dragon fellow from the Revolutionary Army. And all this seems to stem from the sudden appearance of one man."
"The Black-Winged Devil, Ian."
...
Onigashima of Wano Country
the skull-shaped island that served as the base of operations for the Beasts Pirates, loomed large in the churning sea. Thick, ominous clouds swirled overhead, punctuated by flashes of lightning that illuminated the night sky.
Within this fortress, considered one of the most dangerous places in the world, a tense silence had fallen. It had been weeks since their captain, the Emperor Kaido, had drunkenly stumbled out, and he was long overdue.
However, this absence felt different.
"Is there still no word from Kaido?" King, the Beasts Pirates' second-in-command, his body wreathed in flames and massive black wings spread behind him, demanded of the assembled crew.
"No, King-san. We still haven't been able to contact Kaido-sama. What should we do? Could the rumors be true? Is Kaido-san…?"
"Silence!" King roared, his voice laced with authority. His imposing figure and fiery aura quelled any further speculation.
"You imbeciles! That's Kaido we're talking about! Do you have any idea who our captain is?!" Jack, the Beasts Pirates' fourth-in-command, bellowed, his eyes bloodshot with frustration.
"Kaido is the strongest creature on land, sea, and air! No one can defeat him one-on-one! Only that old geezer Whitebeard could even scratch him, let alone defeat him!"
"How could he lose to some upstart? Even if he's taken down Warlords, he has no other significant victories. It's like he materialized from thin air. This has to be Marine propaganda, designed to keep us pirates in line."
"After all, the Marines rely on a handful of aging veterans. Their new generation is still wet behind the ears."
Queen, a massive, rotund figure, remained unconcerned, humming a tune and tapping his foot to an unheard rhythm.
"Or maybe they captured him and are keeping it under wraps. It wouldn't be the first time. They'll let him go eventually. What I didn't expect was Shiki, Rayleigh, and that new Warlord all appearing on the same day."
"And that Fujitora, just like this Black-Winged Devil… appearing out of thin air. Stopping Monkey D. Dragon?"
But reality often defied logic, the impossible becoming commonplace. No one, regardless of their power, could control fate or the currents of time.
"You're an idiot, Queen!" Ulti, a tall, slender woman with blue hair, wearing high heels and a plague doctor mask, strode into the room, her voice sharp and condescending.
"Regardless of the why, Kaido is missing, and that's a fact!" Ulti, the fiery and headstrong sister of Page One, added, glaring at Queen.
"You little Kid! You're asking for a beating!" Queen retorted, rolling up his sleeves, preparing to transform into his brachiosaurus form and flatten the impudent girl.
"You wanna go? Fine! Let's do it! Loser gives up their Calamity title!" Ulti challenged, her Devil Fruit powers crackling with anticipation.
"Oh, for the love of… Ulti, shut up!" Page One, sporting a trendy hairstyle, quickly intervened, grabbing his sister's arm as King's expression darkened ominously.
"Idiot Page One! I'm your older sister, not some ancient relic!" Ulti snapped.
Page One sighed, exasperated. "Is this really the time to argue about this?"
"Alright, alright, Ulti-chan. Let's not fight amongst ourselves." Black Maria, a towering woman with a spider-like appearance, thanks to her Ancient Zoan Rosamygale grauvogeli Devil Fruit, intervened, her voice a calming balm amidst the rising tension.
"Oi! I could hear you squabbling all the way from my quarters! What's the holdup? Still no word from Kaido? Don't tell me he actually got his ass kicked and is too ashamed to show his face." Sasaki, a large man with a triceratops-like appearance, thanks to his Ancient Zoan Triceratops Devil Fruit, entered the room.
"I joined this crew because Kaido was supposed to be the strongest. If he's really that pathetic…" Who's-Who, a man with a saber-toothed cat-like appearance, thanks to his Ancient Zoan Smilodon Devil Fruit, added with a sinister chuckle.
"That's enough! Silence!" King, losing his patience, roared, his voice echoing through the hall.
"I tolerate your usual nonsense, but this is not the time for games. If any of you are even thinking of betraying Kaido, I will personally end you."
King's gaze swept over Who's-Who and Sasaki, a clear warning in his eyes. Betrayal was unforgivable, even, especially, amongst the ranks of a Yonko crew.
"Just a joke, King," Who's-Who said with a forced grin. "We all have the same goal: to hold down the fort until Kaido gets back."
"Jack, return to Kuri and tighten security at the waterfall entrance. Don't let anyone through. Queen, get back to Udon and keep an eye on those prisoners. Ulti, Page One, Black Maria, Sasaki, Who's-Who… a few of you head to the Flower Capital. Orochi might be a fool, but he's still our ally. The rest of you remain on standby. Meeting adjourned. Dismissed."
King's orders were met with immediate obedience. The Beasts Pirates' core members filed out of the skull-shaped hall, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.
Whether or not they rescued Doflamingo was inconsequential to King. The pragmatic All-Star didn't particularly care. Doflamingo's SMILE fruits had, after all, significantly increased the number of Zoan users within their ranks.
But judging by the original terms of their agreement, Doflamingo had clearly been holding back, a sign of distrust. Keeping him around might prove to be more trouble than it was worth.
Such individuals were double-edged swords – valuable allies one moment, potential threats the next. Their loyalty was fickle, always subject to the winds of self-interest.
Clang! The sound of dragging chains echoed through the now empty hall.
"King."
A tall figure, clad in a male kimono and wearing an oni mask, appeared in the doorway.
"Yamato."
...
Whole Cake Island, Totto Land, New World
The cheerful melodies of Homies, brought to life by Big Mom's Soru Soru no Mi, filled the air of Whole Cake Island, the territory of Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors. The Big Mom Pirates, rulers of Totto Land, boasted an intelligence network that rivaled even the World Government's. The movements of Kaido and Shiki had not gone unnoticed. After all, they were once crewmates.
"Mama! Mama! Big news! We have an emergency!" Mont-d'Or, the nineteenth son of the Charlotte Family and Minister of Cheese, burst into the afternoon tea garden in the center of Whole Cake Chateau, his face pale with alarm.
"Mont-d'Or! Such a commotion is unbecoming!" Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders, a long-legged beauty, scolded him.
"It's Mama's afternoon tea time. Whatever it is can wait." Perospero, the eldest son and Minister of Candy, added sternly.
"Mamamama! I'm a bit bored, so let's hear this big news. Out with it, Mont-d'Or." Big Mom chuckled, her voice booming through the garden.
"Yes, Mama. Golden Lion Shiki attacked Marine Headquarters. Kaido also attacked Impel Down. But they were both defeated by the This Black-Winged Devil. Shiki is dead, and Kaido was driven back." Mont-d'Or relayed the shocking news.
A stunned silence followed, the assembled Big Mom Pirates struggling to process the information.
"What?!"
The tea garden erupted in a cacophony of shocked exclamations.
"Mamamamama! Shiki and that Kid Kaido? How amusing!" Big Mom roared with laughter. "That old fool escapes Impel Down, attacks Marine Headquarters, and ends up back in Impel Down, this time for good. Serves him right."
"He used to look after me back on Rocks' ship. And why would Kaido attack Impel Down? I doubt it was some misguided sense of pirate loyalty. That's nonsense."
A few days prior, news had reached them of an island falling from the sky, causing the deaths of twenty thousand people. Shiki's flag had been found at the scene, leading them to believe an imposter was at work. Now, the truth was far stranger.
"Wait a minute, Mont-d'Or. Are you certain about this? Defeating Mihawk, Crocodile, and Moria is one thing, they're has-beens. But Shiki and Kaido? I can understand Shiki being weaker than he used to be, but Kaido? That's impossible unless several Marine Admirals attacked him at once." Perospero exclaimed, nearly biting his long tongue in shock.
He didn't want Kaido to become stronger, but he certainly didn't want the Marines to gain such a powerful asset. Kaido, at least, was indebted to their Mama. How could this newcomer have become so powerful in months?
Would he come for the Yonko next? "The details are still coming in, but… but… he also fought Rayleigh to a standstill…"
"That old man? What's the big deal?" Big Mom scoffed. While Rayleigh had been a force to be reckoned with during Roger's era, he was past his prime.
...
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Suddenly, piercing alarms blared through the chateau. "Mama! It's a disaster!"
"A… a dragon fell from the sky!"
"No, no! It's not a dragon! It's Kaido!" someone shouted in a panic.
"That's…"
Jumping from Skypiea, ten thousand meters above, was something Kaido had done before. In the original story, when Kid, Apoo, and Hawkins had planned to challenge Shanks, Kaido had fallen from the sky and proceeded to thrash them.
The azure dragon plummeted towards the earth, crashing into Whole Cake Island with an earth-shattering boom.
The ground trembled violently around the impact site, a hundred meters from Big Mom and her crew. From the swirling dust cloud, a towering figure emerged, a giant of a man, over eight meters tall, a spiked club slung over his shoulder. It was Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, his very presence radiating an aura of terrifying power.
"What the....." Astonishment turned to horror as recognition dawned on those present. Kaido of the Beasts!
What was Kaido doing here? And in such a dramatic fashion, falling from the sky and leaving a massive crater in Whole Cake Island?
Beads of sweat trickled down the foreheads of many onlookers.
The pirates surrounding Kaido trembled, their hands gripping their weapons. Those unfamiliar with the Emperor couldn't help but ask, "Hey! Who are you?!"
"Hmm?"
Kaido, hearing the question, glanced at the speaker, his face contorting into a savage grin. "You dare ask… who I am?"
BOOM!
It wasn't a physical attack, but a wave of Conqueror's Haki, erupting from Kaido and radiating outwards with earth-shattering force. The pirates surrounding him collapsed, foaming at the mouth, their eyes rolled back in their heads.
"Well, well, Linlin. Long time no see." Kaido grinned, his eyes fixed on Big Mom.
"I think I heard you badmouthing me. Care to share what you were saying?"
"Speak of the devil… saves me the trouble of looking for you. But Kaido, attacking my crew and interrupting my afternoon tea on my territory... isn't that a bit over the line?"
BOOM!
Big Mom unleashed her own Conqueror's Haki, clashing with Kaido's, the resulting shockwave reverberating through the air.
Two titanic forces, the inherent might of kings, collided. With each punch and kick, their Haki surged outwards, creating a deafening roar that shook the very heavens.
This was no clash of Armament or Observation Haki. This was a clash of Conquerors, a spectacle rarely witnessed.
Crack!
The collision of their Haki created a terrifying spectacle. Black lightning crackled across the sky, and the once clear blue sky was now shrouded in dark, ominous clouds, the wind howling fiercely.
"Conqueror's… Haki…"
Crackle!
Their Haki, imbued with the overwhelming presence of kings, clashed and crackled, threatening to tear apart the very fabric of reality. The air crackled with raw power.
Those who remained standing watched in awe and terror, the scene before them like a glimpse into the apocalypse.
Rumble!
...
Support and Read 15 Advanced Chapters, Ahead of the Rest!!
https://p@treon.com/dragonnx
---
[Replace '@' with 'A']
There is 6 more exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon page!