High above the clouds, Kaido soared in his majestic azure dragon form, his serpentine body winding effortlessly through the sky. Unaware, or perhaps unconcerned, that the Straw Hat crew had just defeated Crocodile and saved the kingdom of Alabasta after a grueling journey, he had crossed the Red Line into the first half of the Grand Line, leaving behind a burning Marine base and a broken Admiral. Even if he had known of the Straw Hats' triumph, it would have meant nothing to him.
His mind was focused on the brief but revealing clash with Borsalino.
And he was deeply satisfied.
What he had long suspected was now confirmed. Through relentless training, his Haki had advanced to a level where it could not only suppress but completely negate Devil Fruit abilities. This went beyond the traditional interaction where Haki bypasses Logia intangibility. His power now functioned on a fundamentally higher plane, surpassing the very framework of Devil Fruits.
This evolution made perfect sense.
The cultivation technique he had begun practicing was not merely martial training. It promised transcendence, a transformation that pushed its user beyond the constraints of mortal existence. It allowed Kaido, who had already reached the peak of Observation Haki, to break past his limits. Not only could he now shut out the perception of others entirely, but he had also begun developing the ability to neutralize Devil Fruit powers at their core. This development was crucial.
Why had he lost to Luffy?
The absurd resilience of the Nika Fruit played a role. Once the Gum-Gum Fruit awakened and became the Nika Fruit, it transformed into something completely unreasonable. It could turn Kaido's lightning into rubber, dull the melting properties of his flame dragon, and bend reality through a bizarre freedom of movement. Worst of all, Luffy's so-called freedom allowed him to ignore attacks imbued with both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, making Kaido's overwhelming force meaningless.
But that was the past. His Haki had started to evolve.
The technique he now called Divine Descent had been created precisely to overcome those limitations.
And with only three months of cultivation producing such powerful results, he was eager to see what two years could bring. The thought of facing the Nika Fruit's power again stirred his blood. He wanted to confront it, not with brute strength alone, but with authority that transcended the fruit's absurdity.
"Worororo!"
His laughter rolled through the sky, low and thunderous.
As for sparing Kizaru, that had not been an act of mercy.
Kaido needed Kizaru alive for the coming battle at Marineford. People often criticized Kizaru's aloof demeanor during battle, particularly during his encounters with Luffy, but against the Whitebeard Pirates, he had shown no hesitation.
Kaido wanted the Marines and Whitebeard to clash with full intensity. The more brutal the conflict, the better for him. Only in the aftermath of such carnage would the time be right to strike.
Because if a future war centered on the Beasts Pirates truly erupted, Kaido knew he would have no true allies. Big Mom could not be trusted. She was unpredictable, self-centered, and unstable. That left only himself and his crew. With his current strength, he was not yet ready to declare war on the entire world. Strengthening the Beasts Pirates remained his highest priority.
With that thought, the dragon's speed increased, slicing through the air as he followed the Log Pose toward Water 7.
===
The news of Kaido's sudden appearance at the Marine G1 Branch, followed by his passage across the Red Line into the first half of the Grand Line, quickly spread around the world through News Coo.
However, in order to protect the reputation of the Marines and the World Government, the fact that Kaido had defeated Kizaru in a single strike was left out of the papers. Even so, what was reported was enough to shake the balance of power across the seas. Kings, warlords, and pirates all felt the shift. The winds were stirring, and clouds were gathering, signaling a new storm that was about to break.
===
Aboard the Moby Dick, flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates.
A heavy gloom had settled over the crew in recent days. Even their usual lively banquets had come to a halt, the atmosphere weighed down by unspoken tension. On the deck, Whitebeard sat in his captain's chair, IV tubes dangling from his body, a newspaper gripped in his large hand. Delivered by the News Coo, it bore the latest headlines that had stirred the world. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a deep voice.
"Any news from Ace?"
Marco, standing nearby, nodded and responded without delay.
"Yes. He said he's found Blackbeard's trail. And... he ran into his little brother in Alabasta."
"Oh..."
Whitebeard let out a soft grunt, his eyes drifting away, as if pulled back into distant memories.
"Was it that Straw Hat kid?"
"Yeah."
Though the meeting had happened only recently, it already felt like a memory long faded. There was something distant, something unsettling about it, as if a vital thread was slipping through his fingers. That quiet unease had been hanging over Whitebeard for some time now.
Marco, noticing the clouded expression on his father's face, cautiously asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Could what happened with Teach be connected to Kaido?"
Even now, he couldn't understand Teach's betrayal. A man who had been part of their crew for over twenty years, who had always seemed like family, and never once showed ambition, suddenly murdered Thatch and disappeared.
The idea still didn't sit right. But when Kaido descended from the New World to the first half of the Grand Line, combined with the recent intelligence that the Beasts Pirates were preparing for war, Marco couldn't help but feel the events were linked.
To his surprise, Whitebeard shook his head without hesitation.
"Don't underestimate that brat Kaido. He's too proud to play games like that."
"I see..."
Even so, Marco didn't set the thought aside completely. He followed up with another question.
"What about Shanks?"
Whitebeard's expression shifted. After a moment of contemplation, he grinned, his old spirit shining through.
"If that red-haired brat wants to meet, then let's meet."
"Understood, Pops..."
Just then, the Den Den Mushi in Marco's coat buzzed to life. He answered, but what he heard on the other end left him frozen with disbelief.
"What is it, Marco?"
Whitebeard looked at him curiously, noticing the strange look on his son's face.
Marco scratched his head, as if trying to make sense of it all.
"Pops, just now... a Beasts Pirates ship entered our territory."
"Hmm?"
Whitebeard's brow tightened.
''Even though Kaido isn't present in the New World, his men still have the audacity to appear here?''
"No, no..."
Marco quickly shook his head.
"That's not it, Pops. The message said the ship isn't here to provoke us. They claim Kaido sent them... to deliver someone. And apparently, this person knows Ace."
At the mention of Ace, Whitebeard's expression softened.
"A friend of Ace's? Who is it?"
Marco gave an awkward smile and exhaled slowly.
"According to Kaido's crew, the one they're delivering... is Kaido's daughter."
"...What?"
Even Whitebeard was visibly shaken by the revelation.
===
Meanwhile, in Wano Country.
Under Orochi's deliberate manipulation, a flood of rumors began to circulate. Word spread that the famed oiran Komurasaki was actually Kozuki Hiyori, daughter of the so-called Fool Lord, Kozuki Oden. And that the man once known as Kyoshiro the Mad Sleeper was in fact Denjiro, one of the Nine Red Scabbards.
It was declared that both of them would be executed publicly on Onigashima in one month's time.
The Land of Wano was thrown into complete upheaval.