Boom!
Kaido and Whitebeard clashed head-on.
It was like a second sun had erupted on the battlefield.
Blinding light exploded outward, and the shockwaves shattered the ground in rippling layers.
"Move out!"
Marco, the First Division Commander and ship doctor of the Whitebeard Pirates, gave the order.
"Marco? You..."
"We wait for Pops in the open sea. This fight… isn't one we can interfere with."
Persuaded, the other commanders quickly led their crews back toward the ships, pulling away from the main battlefield.
"Oi oi oi! Don't go thinking you can just ignore me!!!"
The Beasts Pirates' fleet, freshly reorganized and repaired, was closing in fast.
Queen, now transformed into his mechanized form, a freshly lit cigar clenched between his teeth, roared from the bow of his ship.
He'd just downed two barrels of red bean soup to calm his nerves — now his strength was overflowing to the point of bursting!
A laser beam fired straight from Queen's head!
Marco spread his wings wide, launching a sphere of blue fire to intercept the blast.
Meanwhile, King was closing in fast, the flames burning behind his head now licking along the blade of his Ame no Habakiri.
A dragon-shaped surge of magma-hot fire streaked toward the Moby Dick.
As if to say — leaving now? That's treating the Beasts Pirates like they're nothing!
Silent as ever, Jozu—the immovable shield of the Whitebeard Pirates—stepped forward.
His diamond body now gleamed with Haki, and he charged head-on toward the flaming dragon.
...
Up in the sky, aboard the Numancia Flamingo—
Vergo shifted back into his human form and sat down with a casual nod.
"Fufufufufu… This is great fun."
Doflamingo grinned as he munched on fruit Smoothing fed him.
The bloodier the battlefield below became, the more satisfied he seemed.
What's piracy without a little death?
Though he couldn't help but wonder—how long would this clash between Kaido and the still-youthful Whitebeard drag on?
"Mamamama! My dear son-in-law, long time no see!"
The ship suddenly dipped under a massive weight.
Charlotte Linlin, BIG MOM herself, now stood fat and towering on the deck.
Zeus and Prometheus—one a smiling sun, the other a drifting white cloud—hovered at her sides, making her look every bit the fairy tale queen...
If you ignored the face, that is.
Smoothie, watching her mother's swirling, hypnotic eyes, couldn't help but shiver just a little.
Doflamingo stood up, stepping between them with practiced ease.
"It's been too long, Lady Linlin. Please, have a seat."
With a wave of his hand, he conjured up a plush throne stitched with doll patterns.
Turning slightly, Doflamingo glanced at Smoothie and added,
"Smoothie, fetch some of Dressrosa's finest sweets for Lady Linlin."
"Mamamama! You're getting more charming every time I see you, Doffy!"
Linlin chuckled as she patted the goofy, oversized crown atop the chair.
With a hefty thump, she plopped down, eyeing her 'son-in-law,' now nearly matching her massive frame. She looked satisfied.
Clearly, Doflamingo had done his homework when it came to his biggest client's tastes.
"Fufufufufu, it's the least I can do."
His eyes shifted toward the island of Jainan below, where explosions still roared without pause.
And then he changed the subject.
"So, Lady Linlin… between your old friends down there—who do you think will win?"
"Mm…"
Just as she opened her mouth to answer, Linlin's eyes lit up, catching sight of the cabin door.
From within, floating delicately at Smoothie's command, a custom cake made in Dressrosa drifted toward her.
It came to rest all around her like offerings at a banquet, ready for her to grab at will.
"Here you go, Mama!" Smoothie appeared from behind the cake display.
As someone who'd once sailed with the Golden Lion, Linlin instantly recognized the scene for what it was.
She casually grabbed a piece of cake and took a bite.
The sweetness melted on her tongue, and her massive face softened in delight.
With a nostalgic sigh, she said, "Mamamama! Such an impressive ability, Doffy. You really treasure my Smoothie, don't you?"
"It's only right. After all, she's your daughter, Lady Linlin."
Doflamingo replied smoothly, lips curling into a smile.
Flattering words came easily to him.
Though in truth, if Smoothie weren't worth the investment, he wouldn't care if she was Imu's own daughter—she wouldn't even get a bite.
Oblivious to this, Linlin roared with laughter again.
"Mamamama! Well said!"
Her gaze drifted back to the battlefield below, as if remembering the question.
"But who'll survive? Who knows! You only find out when the fight's over!"
"Only the last one standing gets to call themselves king!!!"
Her words echoed with powerful conviction—like BIG MOM wasn't just talking about them, but about herself too.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged out with her confidence, thunderous and wild.
It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, but still…
Down on Jainan Island, both Kaido and Whitebeard glanced skyward at the same time.
"Linlin's here too."
The next instant, they slammed into each other even harder.
...
Doflamingo pushed his sunglasses up with a faint chuckle.
"Fufufufufu… Indeed. In the end, who will be the true king?"
He shifted the mood again, this time sharing his personal prediction.
"But… I'd say Kaido has the better odds of victory."
"Oh?" Linlin raised a brow, intrigued by his certainty.
She waited, curious to hear his reasoning.
"At your level, the difference between you and Whitebeard is razor thin. Kaido's an Oni—Whitebeard's part giant. Strength, endurance, Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki… they're all evenly matched."
"But the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, for all its overwhelming power… puts a huge strain on Whitebeard's body. Meanwhile, Kaido ate a Mythical Zoan—the Azure Dragon Fruit."
"That incredible vitality… that's what makes him the favorite in this fight."
"Mamamama! Well said. Could be you're right, Doffy."
Linlin nodded, half in agreement—though more because she wanted that outcome.
After all, her ties with Kaido ran much deeper than anything she had with Whitebeard.
...
Down below, Whitebeard's expression tightened.
A flicker of unease crept into his heart.
His left shoulder coated itself in Armament Haki as he suddenly let go of his naginata, Murakumogiri.
"You've grown old!"
Though he knew this was bait, meant to draw Kaido in, Whitebeard charged in anyway.
Kaido, grinning madly, swung downward with full force.
Whitebeard caught the spiked club with his Haki-clad shoulder, braced his left hand against it—and drew back his right fist.
White energy crackled around it, pulsing dangerously.
Boom!
He punched the air itself, shattering it with a deep roar. Cracks spiderwebbed outward, space itself rupturing.
The shockwave engulfed everything—including Kaido, who was so close there was no escape.
But Kaido didn't even try to dodge. His eyes flashed with savage glee.
Lifting his kanabo, Hassaikai, he brought it crashing down on Whitebeard's shoulder again.
BOOM!
"Agh, that hurts!!"
Kaido howled, sent tumbling through the air, his chest torn open and bleeding heavily.
"But that's not enough!"
He steadied himself midair as flame clouds swirled beneath his feet, regaining balance in the sky.
"This fruit's power… the life force it gives… it's incredible!"
Whitebeard frowned, watching as his own wounded shoulder began to knit itself back together through sheer force of will.
Ordinarily, a direct blast from the Tremor-Tremor Fruit at that range would've ended any fight.
But against Kaido… it was like swatting a mosquito.
Hovering above, Kaido grinned wide, his sharp eyes catching the blood still trickling from Whitebeard's shoulder.
"Worororororo! Whitebeard! You're just a mere mortal!"
His massive body twisted as he shifted forms—shedding his human-dragon hybrid state to become a full-blown Azure Dragon, vast enough to blot out the sky.
"What's he cooking up now…?"
Whitebeard's instincts flared as he readied himself. In these brief seconds, he already knew.
Lightning, storms, flames—Kaido had weaponized them all before. But this time…
Red light gathered in the dragon's maw.
"Blast Breath!"
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg