Kouzuki Hiyori couldn't believe what she saw.
In one instant, 'The Traveler' was sitting next to her; in the next instant, he appeared in the middle of the room, and the two men — especially Orochi, who had made her life a living hell — were on their knees, eyes rolled back, heads tilted up, mouths open, foaming at the mouth.
On top of that, each of them was missing one arm.
What she didn't see was Zaydas teleporting in front of Orochi first, striking his head with moderate force, intending to keep him alive, but surrounding his hand with accelerated thoughts.
When this ability is used as an attack, depending on how accelerated the thoughts were, the pain of the strike is relived that many times.
In other words, the moment Zaydas struck Orochi's head, in a fraction of a second, Orochi experienced the same pain hundreds of thousands of times, and with Zaydas grabbing his arm, using 'Fenrir', devouring his arm, devouring his powers.
The pain was so intense that he couldn't even scream, groaning in pain as he foamed at the mouth, until his eyes rolled back and turned white.
The same happened to Fukurokuju.
...
[+19,480 AP!]
Stealing their powers, especially Orochi's devil fruit, turning him into a complete useless man, earned him a few points.
Turning to look at the girl on the couch, still in shock, Zaydas smiled gently: "Hiyori-chan, let's go."
Snapping out of her stupor, she swallowed hard, then asked, visibly nervous: "To where?"
"To the Flower Capital castle." Zaydas made Orochi and Fukurokuju float upside down in the air.
Turning his back to Hiyori, he started walking toward the exit.
Still processing everything that was happening, Hiyori managed to gather the strength to closely follow the man she believed had done something unbelievable, even insane.
But who was this man?
He was the same man who dared to go to Mary Geoise and did something unimaginable to mankind.
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Flower Capital, Orochi's Castle, located in a giant plant at the center of the capital.
Right in front of the castle, there were two wooden execution platforms.
At the top of each platform, there were two men identical to Orochi and Fukurokuju, set up in the guillotine.
"Let me go! Let me go!!"
With tears and snot, Orochi, who had woken up, panicked.
He didn't want to die, nor did he want his death to become entertainment for the people he once considered beneath him and had under his command.
"Kaido-sama won't let you go unpunished!!"
He began to beg, trying in some way to stop what was about to happen from really happening.
However, he was ignored, as the man who kept him trapped in the guillotine spoke loudly: "Attention, people of the Flower Capital. I am The Traveler, and I will now begin the public execution of Kurozumi Orochi and Fukurokuju in one hour in front of Orochi's castle!"
When his voice faded, the people of the Flower Capital were in shock.
Those who were allies of Orochi trembled.
The name "The Traveler" was something recently heard, but his feats were far too great to be ignored.
The fact that Orochi and Fukurokuju were captured right under their noses without anyone even noticing proves how powerful he must be to deserve a bounty of 6 billion. Even knowing his whereabouts can earn you 100 million!
"We need to warn Kaido-sama!"
They didn't dare act alone and try to rescue Orochi.
...
Meanwhile, a white wolf with seafoam green in the shape of a thick ring around its neck and the tip of its tail, with a pair of horns and a large purple and white nio-dasuki on its back.
This she-wolf was about to leave the capital when she heard the announcement. Turning back, the wolf ran in the direction of the voice.
...
At the same time, in Onigashima, Kaido received several calls on his den-den mushi.
A bit drunk, Kaido answered one of the den‑den mushi.
"Speak quickly—if it isn't anything important, hic, be prepared!" he warned.
The sound of swallowing was heard on the other end of the line, and a terrified voice followed: "Kaido‑sama, big trouble! Th‑The Traveler who attacked Mary Geoise has appeared here in the Flower Capital, and after capturing Orochi‑sama and Fukurokuju‑sama without anyone noticing… he intends to execute them publicly in one hour!"
Sobered by this, Kaido took a moment that seemed to be him digesting all the information, until he burst out laughing explosively: "Worororororo!!!"
"This is great, this is great! Wororo." Kaido slapped his large hand on his knee and stood up. "That man appeared out of nowhere and earned an unbelievable bounty. And, in such a short time since he hit the news, he dares to come challenge me… Worororo! I like it!"
After laughing for quite a while, Kaido shouted: "Guys, get ready to head to the Flower Capital!"
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Back in the Flower Capital, 11 minutes before the execution of Orochi and Fukurokuju.
The area near Orochi's castle was packed with people.
Until then the day had been clear, but suddenly the sky darkened as heavy clouds rolled in.
In the distance, something snaked through the sky, racing toward them.
"It's Kaido!!"
Someone managed to identify him.
When that name was spoken, many visibly trembled with fear.
Most retreated a considerable distance from Orochi's castle, afraid of being caught in whatever was coming.
…
Atop the pink‑petaled tree, Zaydas smiled when he saw the dragon approaching.
'He finally arrived.'
The black coat draped over his shoulders fluttered in the wind while both his hands rested in his trouser pockets. Behind him, the straw hat he had stolen from Mary Geoise gave him a strangely cool look. At this moment, he stood the height of a man two and a half meters tall.
Not far away, in the white castle, Hiyori bit her lower lip at the sight of the blue dragon.
'Kaido…!' If there was anyone she hated most in this life, it was Kaido.
Because of this man, her family's happy life had been turned into a living hell.
In the tree, Zaydas took one step—and that simple step placed him several meters away in the air.
When he took the second step, he was already halfway to Kaido.
The third step left him only a thousand meters from Kaido.
Kaido, flying toward him, halted five hundred meters away.
In his Blue Dragon form, Kaido spoke in a deep voice while laughing: "Worororo! Boy, you are bold and very foolish for attacking my subordinate right after attacking Mary Geoise. Are you prepared to suffer the consequences of your actions?"
"Bold and foolish, huh." Zaydas smiled even wider.
Even before he began traveling between worlds, someone with Kaido's strength would not have intimidated him.
Yet looking at him now, the gap in their power was enormous.
Although physically strong, being in Kaido's presence gave him no sense of alarm—no different from Kokabiel.
"In fact." Zaydas appeared in front of Kaido, saying this before punching him on the head and sending him hurtling toward a distant mountain: "You're pretty mediocre."
"BANG!"
"WHOOOSH!"
Kaido's huge dragon body snaked through the sky but, like a comet this time, slammed into the mountain.
"Boooom!"
The collision of Kaido's body with the mountain made it crumble, and the loud crash shook the ground all around.
"HE SENT KAIDO FLYING WITH ONE PUNCH!"
Everyone who witnessed it wore an expression of pure shock!
Orochi, who had been full of hope, screaming "Kaido!", froze in place while he struggled even more desperately, crying like a child.
In the white castle, Hiyori placed her hands over her mouth as she drew a deep breath, tears spilling from her eyes.
If she'd had doubts before, she now firmly believed Kaido could be defeated!
"BRAT!!!!"
Suddenly, an enraged roar from Kaido thundered.
From the rubble of the collapsed mountain, Kaido snaked back into the sky, triggering a climatic reaction as storm sounds and lightning crackled around him.
Amid the lightning, Kaido began to transform.
****
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