Open seas, New World
"Kaido-sama... do we need to alter our course?" King's voice cut through the sound of the storm, calm yet cautious, as he approached the hulking figure seated at the center of the flagship's deck.
Kaido sat cross-legged on the deck of the massive flagship of the Beast Pirates, the turbulent waves of the New World rocking the ship as if the sea itself feared the beast aboard it. He gripped an enormous gourd of sake, a vessel so oversized that it looked comical in anyone's hands but his. The storm howled around them, its fury dwarfed by the presence of the creature known as the Strongest Creature in the World.
"Aaaaah...!" Kaido let out a satisfied sigh, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he savored the rich taste of the Wano-brewed sake. It was the only thing that calmed his eternal restlessness—or perhaps stoked it further. His thunderous voice broke the tension on deck, drowning out the roar of the storm.
"Wororororo...!" His laughter was a low rumble, carrying an edge of madness and menace. He turned his piercing gaze toward King, who approached cautiously, his dark wings catching stray droplets of rain.
"Alber," Kaido growled, using King's true name, "since when did you lose your spine? Did the mere mention of Whitebeard make you tremble? Let that old fool come! I'll show him who the strongest of the seas truly is!" He laughed again, the sound reverberating through the fleet and shaking even the most seasoned pirates to their cores.
King's jaw tightened, but he remained composed. "Kaido-sama, my concern isn't fear—it's strategy. This isn't just a clash of brute strength. Whitebeard isn't someone who acts on whims. If he's coming for us, it means he's ready to fight, and that's a battle we can't underestimate."
Kaido snorted, his massive form leaning forward as he jabbed a clawed finger in King's direction.
"You've spent too much time thinking and not enough time fighting! Strategy or not, I've waited too long to show the world what happens when you challenge me. Whitebeard's strength is wasted on his pathetic little kingdom. I'll crush him, take his territory, and prove once and for all that I am the strongest!"
The deck was momentarily silent, save for the lashing rain and the crash of waves against the hull. Finally, Queen, perched lazily on a crate with a cigar clenched between his teeth, broke the tension.
"Oi, oi, King, don't get your feathers ruffled," Queen drawled, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. "When has that old geezer Whitebeard ever left his precious territories? He's been sitting on his throne, letting his strength rot away for years. What's he gonna do, throw his back out swinging that big ol' bisento of his?" He chuckled, but the laughter lacked conviction.
King shot him a sharp look, but it was Ryuji, the enigmatic Beast Pirate, who finally spoke from the shadows. Seated away from the others, his hands worked methodically on a piece of wood, carving it into an intricate shape despite the storm.
"You're all underestimating him," Ryuji murmured, his voice as quiet as the rain on the deck, yet cutting through the tension like a blade. "We'd be fools to discredit this threat. Maybe Kaido-sama can handle Whitebeard—maybe. But the rest of us? We're just targets on the battlefield. Facing him in the open seas is asking for death. And unlike you lot, I can simply fly away if it all goes to hell."
Kaido's eyes narrowed at the words, his grip tightening around the gourd until it cracked slightly.
"Ryuji... are you questioning me?"
Ryuji's golden eyes flicked up from his carving, unbothered by the looming presence of Kaido.
"Not questioning, Kaidou-sama. Just stating facts. If you want a fight with Whitebeard, you'll get one. But don't pretend it'll be easy. He's not coming for us out of boredom. This is personal. And we all know what Whitebeard's like when he's angry."
The crew fell into an uneasy silence, Kaido's expression unreadable as he processed the words. Then, a wicked grin spread across his face.
"Wororororo...! Let him come, then. If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get. I'll shatter his resolve, break his spirit, and prove once and for all that no one can stand in my way—not Whitebeard, not anyone!"
The storm raged on, but it was nothing compared to the storm brewing in the hearts of the Beast Pirates as they sailed toward their destiny. For better or worse, the New World was about to witness a clash of titans that would reshape its very foundations.
The storm howled with unrelenting fury, the rain driving in sheets that stung like needles against the skin. The flagship of the Beast Pirates creaked and groaned as waves battered its sides, the massive ship struggling to maintain its course in the chaotic seas.
High above the deck, perched precariously in the crow's nest, a beast pirate squinted through the spyglass, his trembling hands barely holding steady against the biting wind.
"Damn this weather... I can barely see a hundred meters ahead of us, even with this spyglass," he muttered, his voice lost in the storm's roar. Rain dripped from his soaked hair, and his body shivered despite the thick coat wrapped around him. This storm wasn't natural—its ferocity was enough to unsettle even the hardiest sailors among the Beast Pirates.
"Here, take a swig." His partner on duty offered a half-empty bottle of rum, his voice gruff but sympathetic. "It'll keep you warm."
The lookout didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the horizon—or what little he could see of it. The faint silhouette of a massive shadow loomed in the distance, shifting ominously within the storm. He adjusted the spyglass, straining his senses to make out the shape. Then, for a fleeting moment, the storm's veil thinned just enough for him to catch sight of a colossal, ghostly-white figure.
A ship, a massive ship.
Its distinctive, whale-like design curved upward, the haunting visage of a Moby Dick emblazoned on its face. Plastered on its sails, the unmistakable sigil of the Whitebeard Pirates—a skull crossed by a pair of stylized, curved mustaches—seemed to glare back at him, illuminated by a brief flash of lightning.
The bottle of rum slipped from his partner's hand, forgotten as the lookout's voice broke through the storm in a desperate roar.
"WHITEBEARD!"
The warning barely escaped his lips before the world above them exploded.
A deafening crack split the air as an invisible force obliterated the crow's nest and a massive section of the mast in an instant. Wood splintered into deadly shards, the wreckage raining down on the deck below as the ship rocked violently, nearly capsizing under the sheer force of the assault.
The Beast Pirates scrambled in chaos, their shouts of alarm barely audible over the roaring storm and the ominous creak of the ship fighting against the waves.
And then it came—a sound that silenced the storm itself.
"KAAAAIDOOOOOO!"
The roar tore through the heavens, a deep, thunderous bellow that carried the weight of oceans and skies alike. It reverberated through the churning seas, a primal fury that seemed to chill even the Beast Pirates to their core.
High above the Moby Dick's prow, the figure of Edward Newgate—Whitebeard—stood like a titan, his enormous frame framed by the storm. His cape billowed wildly in the gale, the iconic crescent-shaped blade of his naginata gleaming ominously in the lightning's glow.
Whitebeard's face was a mask of wrath, his signature mustache trembling with the force of his battle cry. The fury in his eyes burned brighter than the storm's flashes, his body radiating an aura so overwhelming that even the sea itself seemed to part in his presence.
Without hesitation, Whitebeard planted one foot on the figurehead of the Moby Dick, his massive naginata raised high. A low rumble began to grow, the very air around him distorting as if reality itself struggled to contain his power.
With a single, thunderous swing, he unleashed a shockwave-infused slash, a crescent of raw energy that tore through the storm with devastating force. The air screamed in protest as the attack hurtled toward Kaido's flagship, the sea beneath it erupting in geysers as the shockwave passed.
The Beast Pirates barely had time to react before the attack struck. The shockwave collided with the flagship's bow, obliterating everything in its path. Wood splintered, iron twisted, and the ship groaned as it was pushed back, the sheer force nearly capsizing it in one blow.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard stood tall, his presence alone enough to shake the morale of the Beast Pirates.
"Kaido!" he roared again, his voice cutting through the storm like a blade. "You think you can roam this sea after killing my brother while I'm still breathing? Come, you treacherous bastard, I'll show you what it means to face the true wrath of the king of the seas!"
The air on the Beast Pirates' flagship grew heavy, oppressive, as Kaido rose to his feet. His massive frame loomed over his crew, his crimson eyes gleaming with anticipation.
In his grasp, the spiked kanabo he wielded seemed to radiate menace, each deadly stud glinting in the storm's erratic light. The ship creaked beneath the weight of his rising fury, and the air itself seemed to vibrate with the raw intensity of his presence.
Kaido's lips curled into a toothy grin, his voice booming across the battlefield. "Worororororo! So you've come, Whitebeard! To die by my hands? Fine by me! I'll bury you here, in the depths of the sea you think you rule!"
His laughter rang out, loud and menacing, carrying a challenge that cut through the cacophony of the storm. Kaido slammed the base of his kanabo onto the deck with a resounding crash, unleashing a torrent of Conqueror's Haki so potent that it ripped through the storm, parting the roiling clouds above and creating a momentary, eerie calm around his fleet.
Lightning crackled through the rift, framing Kaido in a near-divine glow as his haki surged forward like an unstoppable wave, forcing his weaker crew members to their knees.
But Kaido's display was met by a force even greater.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard gripped his massive bisento with both hands, the veins in his arms bulging as raw power coursed through his body. His eyes burned with unrelenting fury, the storm in his heart far greater than the one raging around them.
Flashes of memories ignited his rage—Oden's laughter, the faces of his children, the innocence of the little ones he had sworn to protect—all stolen, desecrated by Kaido's betrayal and tyranny.
"KAIDOOOOOO!" Whitebeard's voice erupted with the force of an earthquake, shaking the very seas.
His Conqueror's Haki burst forth like an inferno, colliding with Kaido's in a cataclysmic clash of wills. The storm surged anew, lightning streaking through the skies as if the heavens themselves responded to the battle of titans. The air between the two fleets warped and cracked, space itself seeming to buckle under the pressure.
Without a second thought, Whitebeard launched himself from the Moby Dick. The force of his leap sent the colossal ship skidding backward, its bow carving through the waves as if pushed by a hurricane. Whitebeard's massive frame cut through the air like a meteor, his bisento raised high. His haki flared even brighter, roaring like a wildfire fueled by pure, unfiltered emotion.
Kaido braced himself, planting his feet firmly on the deck of his flagship as the ship groaned beneath him. His grin widened, the thrill of battle overtaking his senses. He swung his kanabo upward, ready to meet Whitebeard's strike head-on.
Whitebeard came crashing down with the force of an earthquake. His bisento, wreathed in haki, aimed directly at the heart of Kaido's flagship, threatening to cleave it in two with a single, devastating blow. The storm seemed to converge at the point of impact, the raw energy of their impending clash consuming the surrounding seas in chaos.
As Whitebeard descended, his voice thundered once more, filled with grief, rage, and unyielding determination.
"Today, Kaido, I will show you the wrath of a brother! The wrath of a man who protects his family! Prepare yourself—you won't leave these waters alive!"
BOOOOM!
The air erupted in a deafening explosion as the clash of Whitebeard's bisento and Kaido's kanabo sent shockwaves rippling across the ocean. The Beast Pirates' flagship groaned under the strain, its reinforced hull splintering and cracking as the sheer force of the impact proved too much to bear. Chunks of the deck flew into the storm, and the ship buckled beneath Kaido's feet, struggling to remain afloat amidst the chaos.
Kaido, his eyes wild with bloodlust, grinned through the smoke and debris. "Worororo! Is that all you—"
Before he could finish his taunt, Whitebeard's fist came crashing down, faster than Kaido's enhanced senses could process. Coated in a thick, suffocating aura of Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Whitebeard's punch smashed into Kaido's jaw with the force of a tidal wave. The blow distorted the air around it, cracking reality itself as Kaido's massive body was hurled backward like a cannonball.
Kaido's colossal frame tore through the main mast of his flagship, splintering it into countless shards that rained down on the stunned Beast Pirates below. The ship reeled violently, its balance disrupted as its crew scrambled to avoid the falling debris.
BOOM... BOOM... BOOM!
The cannons roared as Whitebeard's fleet unleashed a relentless barrage of fire and steel upon the Beast Pirates' armada. Explosions erupted across the enemy ships, splintering masts and tearing through hulls with devastating precision. The cacophony of battle—the crash of cannonballs, the clash of steel, and the cries of the wounded—drowned out even the raging storm that churned the seas around them.
Whitebeard's voice bellowed across the battlefield, his rage an unrelenting tempest. "Kill them! Kill them all! Paint these seas red with the blood of the Beast Pirates! Tonight, I write a requiem for my brother!"
With his command, a chorus of battle cries erupted from the Moby Dick and its accompanying ships. Close to a hundred of Whitebeard's elite warriors leapt into action, their weapons gleaming in the flashes of lightning that illuminated the storm. At the forefront was Marco, the First Division Commander, his phoenix flames casting an ethereal glow as he led the charge.
"Move, men! We take the fight to them!" Marco yelled, his wings spreading wide before he dove toward the Beast Pirates' fleet. His flames tore through the rain, leaving a trail of fiery devastation in his wake as he collided with a cluster of enemy ships.
The Beast Pirates, though hardened and vicious, faltered under the ferocity of Whitebeard's onslaught. The impact of Marco's flames set one of their frigates ablaze, and the screams of the burning crew filled the air.
From above, Jozu, the Diamond Man, landed with the force of an avalanche, his crystalline form smashing through another ship's deck, reducing it to rubble.
On the flagship, Kaido shook off the blow, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he stood, towering amidst the wreckage. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and exhilaration. He wiped his jaw and laughed, his guttural chuckle echoing through the storm.
"Worororo! Now that's more like it, Whitebeard! Let's see who truly rules these seas! Kill them... kill every last one of them..."
Kaido vaulted into the air, transforming into his hybrid form, his kanabo raised high as his Dragon Scales coated with advanced armament Haki surged around him, making his body nearly impenetrable. He swung his weapon downward, aiming to meet Whitebeard's bisento in midair.
Their weapons collided once again, the resulting shockwave sending nearby ships veering off course, waves towering as if the sea itself quaked in fear, but even with all his might, Kaido seemed unmatched for Whitebeard's fury as he was sent flying once more.
The storm intensified, the heavens seemingly enraged by the clash of these titans. The battlefield became a maelstrom of chaos, fire, and fury. Whitebeard and Kaido, embodiments of raw power and indomitable will, clashed repeatedly, each strike sending ripples through the New World.
Their battle was a spectacle of sheer devastation, a reminder to all present why these men were feared as monsters among gods.
"Kaido!" Whitebeard roared, his voice shaking the very storm. "Tonight, you'll pay for Oden and every life in Wano you've trampled beneath your feet!"
Kaido grinned, his laughter booming like thunder. "Come then, old bastard! Show me what's left of that legendary might!"
The storm raged on, an unrelenting tempest that seemed to mirror the ferocity of the battle unfolding within its grasp. Rain lashed against the deck of the shattered flagship, mingling with the blood of fallen Beast Pirates. The seas churned violently as if recoiling from the sheer magnitude of the two titans colliding in its midst.
Kaido rose slowly from the wreckage, his towering frame battered and bruised. Blood dripped from a split in his forehead, running down his snarling face, yet his eyes burned with defiance. His kanabo was shattered, reduced to a useless stump of iron.
The weapon's fragments lay scattered across the deck, a testament to the overwhelming force of Whitebeard's assault.
Kaido didn't have time to steady himself. Whitebeard was already upon him, a juggernaut of unstoppable rage and raw power.
BOOM!
Whitebeard's bisento came down with earth-shattering force, coated in a dense layer of Conqueror's Haki and imbued with the cataclysmic power of his Gura Gura no Mi. Kaido crossed his massive forearms, hardened with Armament Haki, to block the strike. The impact drove him to his knees, splintering the deck beneath him.
The shockwave exploded outward, tearing apart the remains of the flagship and sending nearby ships careening into one another. Beast Pirates screamed as they were thrown into the raging sea or crushed beneath collapsing masts. The force rippled into the ocean, creating massive waves that swallowed smaller vessels whole.
Kaido roared, his voice booming like thunder as he retaliated. His massive hand, clawed and brimming with Haki, lashed out to grab Whitebeard's bisento mid-swing. The force of his grip stopped the blade for only a moment before Whitebeard twisted it free with a grunt of sheer power, sending Kaido staggering backward.
Kaido didn't retreat far. With a guttural snarl, he launched himself forward, his massive fist swinging upward in an arc aimed at Whitebeard's chest.
CRACK!
Whitebeard didn't dodge. Instead, he took the hit head-on, letting Kaido's Haki-coated punch crash against his ribcage. The impact rang out like a cannon blast, but Whitebeard barely flinched. His own fist shot forward, faster than Kaido could react.
BOOOOOOM!
The punch struck Kaido's stomach, amplified by Whitebeard's quake powers. The shockwave tore through Kaido's body, bypassing his legendary dragon durability and rattling his insides.
Blood erupted from Kaido's mouth as he was launched into the air, his colossal frame slamming into the mast of a nearby ship, reducing it to kindling.
Whitebeard didn't let up. He leapt after Kaido, his speed defying his massive size. The air around his bisento shimmered as he swung it down in a devastating arc. Kaido barely managed to roll aside as the blade crashed into the ship's deck, splitting it clean in half and sending the wreckage spiraling into the depths.
Kaido transformed mid-air, his azure dragon form unfurling against the backdrop of the storm. Lightning crackled along his serpentine body as he ascended into the heavens, the force of his ascent creating a vortex in the water below. His draconic roar echoed across the battlefield as he unleashed a torrent of blue flames from his gaping maw.
The firestorm engulfed the remnants of Whitebeard's flagship, incinerating wood and steel alike. But through the inferno, Whitebeard emerged unscathed, his body wreathed in a haze of Haki so dense it deflected the flames.
Whitebeard raised his fist high, his entire arm trembling with the overwhelming power of his Devil Fruit. He slammed it into the air, and the world itself seemed to shatter.
CRACK-BOOM!
The force of the shockwave raced upward, tearing through the storm clouds and colliding with Kaido's dragon form. The impact struck Kaido's chest, sending a visible ripple through his scaly body. He roared in pain, his flight faltering as the shockwave forced him back down to the battlefield.
Kaido crashed into the sea, creating a massive crater in the water. The waves surged outward, nearly capsizing the remaining Beast Pirate ships. Yet even as he sank beneath the surface, Kaido's wrath refused to be extinguished. He burst from the water moments later, his dragon form shrinking as he reverted to his humanoid shape, landing heavily on what remained of his fleet's largest ship.
Whitebeard was already there, his bisento swinging with relentless precision. Kaido raised his arms to block, but the strike cleaved through his defense, carving a deep gash across his chest. Blood sprayed into the air as Kaido staggered backward, his vision blurring from the pain.
Whitebeard pressed his advantage, each swing of his bisento a deadly combination of Haki and quake-infused destruction. Kaido's movements grew sluggish, his legendary endurance pushed to its limits by the unrelenting onslaught.
BOOOM!
Another quake-enhanced punch struck Kaido's jaw, snapping his head back and sending him crashing to the deck once more. Whitebeard loomed over him, his chest heaving with rage but his resolve unwavering.
Kaido's hand shot out, claws extended, aiming for Whitebeard's heart in a desperate counterattack. But Whitebeard caught the arm mid-swing, twisting it with enough force to dislocate the shoulder. Kaido howled in agony as Whitebeard's bisento came down in a brutal, devastating arc.
CRACK!
The blade slammed into Kaido's shoulders, the force of the attack driving him through the deck and into the hull of the ship. The vessel groaned under the strain, splitting apart as Kaido's massive body crashed through its core and into the broken ship below.
"I will kill you, Kaido…" Whitebeard growled, his voice deep and resonant, like the rumble of an impending earthquake. His words were venomous, each syllable steeped in raw, uncontainable fury. "I will kill you the same way you killed my brother. I will tear you limb from limb, just like you did to Oden. But unlike him—unlike my brother—you will scream. You will scream and beg me to end your miserable life."
Whitebeard stepped forward, his massive frame towering over the ruined battlefield. The rain hissed as it struck his searing Haki-coated skin, the storm itself recoiling from his presence. His grip tightened on his bisento, the polished steel trembling under the weight of his titanic power. The veins on his arms bulged as he pointed the weapon at Kaido, his voice growing darker, more menacing.
"No… death would be a mercy for you. I will make you suffer," Whitebeard snarled, his words carrying the promise of unrelenting torment. "You will suffer until your screams pierce the heavens. Until your pleas for mercy reach my brother's soul… and even then, I will not stop."
As Whitebeard spoke, his Conqueror's Haki erupted, a tidal wave of overwhelming willpower that surged across the battlefield. The air grew heavy, suffocating, as if the world itself trembled under the weight of his wrath. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and the remnants of the shattered flagship groaned as if trying to flee his fury.
Kaido stood, his immense body battered and bloodied, his own Conqueror's Haki surging in defiance. The clash of their wills manifested in the air between them, a violent maelstrom of black and crimson lightning.
The storm that had raged moments before seemed insignificant compared to the tempest born from their collision of spirits. Beast Pirates and Whitebeard's men alike were forced to their knees, their senses overwhelmed by the sheer pressure radiating from the two titans.
"Whitebeard!" Kaido roared, his voice a primal bellow as he steadied himself, blood dripping from his massive gash on his shoulder. "You think your rage can break me? I am Kaido! The King of Beasts! The world's strongest—"
BOOOOM!
Kaido's proclamation was cut short as Whitebeard lunged forward with a speed that belied his colossal size. His bisento swung in a brutal arc, tearing through the air like a scythe of destruction.
Kaido raised his arms, Haki hardening them to block the blow, but it was futile. The blade connected with his defense, the shockwave-infused strike blasting him off his feet and sending him hurtling through the air.
Kaido's massive frame crashed into the jagged remains of his flagship, or what was left of it, splinters and steel flying in every direction. Before he could recover, Whitebeard was on him again.