"My lord! Thank you for saving this country!" Kyros was the first to recover from his shock. He bowed deeply toward Kaito, his voice filled with solemn gratitude.
"Thank you for freeing Dressrosa and liberating my people!" King Riku added, his tone emotional, his eyes moist with relief.
Kaito shook his head calmly. "No need to thank me. I had my own score to settle with Doflamingo. Besides, his crimes have already been exposed to Marine Headquarters. A Vice Admiral has been dispatched here. Even if I hadn't intervened, Dressrosa would've soon been reclaimed by the Marines."
He turned his gaze slightly toward the shadows nearby, where Vice Admiral Maynard hid.
"I've already killed Doflamingo and Jack the Drought. You're the rightful ruler of this kingdom. I'm only here to inform you — what happens next is up to you."
Finishing his words, Kaito grasped Jack's massive corpse, soared high above the ocean, and — with a swift motion — decapitated him. The headless body splashed into the sea below, sinking into oblivion. Without another word, Kaito turned toward the horizon and flew toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
Dark clouds gathered over the sea, their shadows casting a grim tone across a skull-shaped island — Onigashima, stronghold of the Beasts Pirates, ruled by Kaido of the Beasts.
Deep within the cavernous throne hall, Kaido sat on his stone throne, gulping down sake from a massive gourd. Flames flickered along the walls, their glow reflecting off the anxious faces of his subordinates. The air was suffocating — Kaido's raw presence alone made even veteran pirates tremble.
Suddenly, a subordinate rushed in, pale and panicked. "Kaido-sama! It's bad news! Jack-sama's life paper — it just shattered!"
Kaido froze mid-drink. Slowly, he turned his head, his expression unreadable. "What… did you say?"
The pirate dropped to his knees, trembling as though lightning had struck him. "B-Boss Jack's life paper just broke apart!"
The meaning was unmistakable — a life paper, created with a person's own essence, only tears apart when that person's life is extinguished.
Kaido's heavy silence filled the chamber. He knew exactly what that meant. Jack was one of his Three Calamities, feared across the seas. No Emperor or Marine would dare kill him without sparking an all-out war.
And yet… someone had.
Kaido's knuckles whitened as his sake gourd cracked in his grip. His voice, calm and low, was far more terrifying than a roar. "Who did this?"
The air trembled as his killing intent exploded outward. The sheer pressure crushed several weaker pirates to the ground. Others fainted on the spot, foam spilling from their mouths.
"Kaido-sama, please! Calm down!" one of the All-Stars, Kaido's top lieutenants, stepped forward. "Before you rage, remember — Jack left to meet Doflamingo. Maybe we can ask the Joker about this!"
Kaido gritted his teeth and snatched up a Den-Den Mushi from beside his throne. "Fine. I'll ask that clown myself!"
But just as he was about to dial, another subordinate stumbled in, terrified. "Kaido-sama! Wait! Doflamingo's life paper… it shattered before Jack's did!"
The words froze the entire hall.
Kaido's expression darkened — his eyes burning like molten iron. "The clown is dead too?" His tone dropped to a dangerous whisper before erupting into a monstrous roar that shook the cave. "Good! Very good! Not only did he kill my partner, he killed my right-hand man too! FIND OUT WHO DID THIS! Tear the seas apart if you have to! I'll crush them — no matter who they are!"
The thunder of his rage echoed through the island, leaving even the bravest Beasts Pirates trembling in fear.
---
Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office
Inside the grand office, Sengoku, Tsuru, and Kizaru sat around a long table.
Tsuru folded her hands, her expression grave. "Kizaru, you've been called back because of something serious."
Kizaru tilted his head lazily, though his tone was far more serious than his words. "What a surprise~ Losing Sakazuki? That's quite terrifying."
Despite his usual drawl, his eyes were sharp. Among the Admirals, he knew how powerful Akainu was. If even he had been subdued, then their opponent was no ordinary pirate.
"This man, Kaito… he's strong and dangerous," Tsuru said softly.
Sengoku nodded, his voice firm. "I've delayed the confrontation for a week under the pretense of negotiations. Once Aokiji arrives and we rescue Sakazuki, we'll strike together. If we don't stop him now, he'll become another Emperor of the Sea."
Before they could continue, a Den-Den Mushi rang.
"Bleu Bleu"
Sengoku frowned and answered. "This is Sengoku. Maynard, report."
"Marshal Sengoku! It's urgent!" Maynard's voice whispered from the other side. Hidden deep in Dressrosa, he explained everything — Doflamingo's fall, Jack's death, and the attacker's terrifying power.
When he finished, the room fell into stunned silence. Even Sengoku, a veteran of countless battles, struggled to believe what he'd heard.
"Just days ago I sent Maynard undercover to gather evidence against Doflamingo… and now both Doflamingo and one of Kaido's Calamities was dead?" Sengoku muttered in disbelief.
Tsuru's calm voice broke the silence. "Do we know who this man is?"
"Yes," Maynard replied. "I checked Marine records. I've seen his bounty."
Sengoku sighed quietly. "A bounty hunter, then? Or another pirate?"
"No, sir. He's a pirate… from East Blue. Name's Kaito. Current bounty: 100 million Berries."
As those words left the Den-Den Mushi, silence returned to the room.
Kizaru leaned back, glancing sidelong at Sengoku with a half-smirk. "Didn't you say he'd just arrived at Sabaody Archipelago yesterday?"
Sengoku's expression hardened. "He was. And now he's in Dressrosa…?"
The implication was chilling.
Someone this fast, this powerful — could no longer be treated like an ordinary pirate.
______
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