All of Marineford was eerily silent, until the sound of a heartbeat came from within the cocoon.
Thump… thump…
The heartbeat was like a war drum. Ice cracked apart, the sea surged in time with it, and the sky darkened completely.
Those standing on the ice instinctively swallowed hard. All eyes turned once again toward the cocoon.
It floated quietly on the sea, untouched by the chaos around it.
The strange phenomenon lasted for a while, until suddenly the dark clouds above split open. A single shaft of golden light pierced through and shone down on the cocoon. Fine cracks began to appear on its surface.
Crack—
The next second, the shell shattered, revealing Kaito inside.
Everyone froze at the sight of him.
Kaito's hair and skin had turned pure white. From the left side of his forehead, a horn had grown to match the one on the right. He wore a long white robe, with twelve magatama patterns decorating his back and the cuffs of his sleeves.
Twelve pitch-black Truth-Seeking Orbs floated silently behind him. In his hand, he held a black staff, his body hovering in midair.
The feeling he gave off now was that of a god—just looking at him stirred an instinctive reverence deep within the heart.
There was no doubt—Kaito had completed his final evolution. Without becoming the Ten Tails' jinchūriki, he had used his ocular power alone to fully transform into an Ōtsutsuki.
He descended slowly from the air to the surface of the sea, walking toward Marineford under the stunned gazes of all present.
Even some pirates who had once burned with hatred for Kaito found they could no longer summon the will to oppose him. This was the suppression of life itself—a pressure from a higher plane of existence.
Gion hurried to his side. Looking at him with uncertainty, she asked hesitantly,
"You… you're Kaito?"
Kaito paused, turned his head, and flashed her a familiar smile.
"Of course I am. The one and only."
As he spoke, he took Gion's hand, and in the next instant they appeared atop the original platform.
After becoming an Ōtsutsuki, the twelve Devil Fruit abilities stored in his Rinnegan had been greatly amplified. He no longer needed to open a "Room" beforehand to use the Op-Op Fruit's power.
And with his current ocular strength, no one's Haki was strong enough to resist a Room's swap.
Tapping the ground lightly with his staff, ripples of transparent energy spread outward. Before everyone's eyes, the scars and devastation Marineford had suffered during the battle began to reverse, until the place looked almost exactly as it had before the war.
This was his Rinnegan technique—Gyakunen. The moment the twelve-magatama Rinnegan was opened, it gained the ability to rewind time within a designated area. The time reversal was limited, however—no more than one hour.
Kaito could also choose which people or objects within the area were affected. For example, the fallen marines from moments earlier now stood up again, perfectly restored—while the pirates remained dead.
The resurrected marines looked down at their unharmed bodies in disbelief, as if they had awoken from a long dream.
The sight left everyone shaken once more. After some time, the revived marines learned—thanks to those around them—that it was Kaito who had brought them back. Without hesitation, they dropped to their knees and bowed their heads deeply toward him.
With a casual wave of his hand, an unseen force lifted them back up.
Surveying the battlefield below, Kaito said calmly,
"This war ends here."
Some members of the Whitebeard Pirates and Big Mom Pirates were still unwilling. They shouted,
"You've gotta be kidding! We'll never stop fighting the navy until one side is dead!"
The moment the words left their mouths, their bodies exploded without warning, bursting into clouds of blood mist that drifted away on the wind.
The thick stench of blood filled the air in front of Marineford. The remaining pirates froze in terror, not daring to make another sound.
The purple light in Kaito's eyes slowly faded. With a mere thought, members of the Red-Haired Pirates and Big Mom Pirates were lifted into the air. No matter how they struggled, it was useless.
Under their horrified gazes, Kaito clenched one hand. A massive black cube formed around them, enclosing every single one. It hung suspended in the sky.
This was his Dark Prison—a perfected form of the Black Coffin. Anyone trapped inside would never escape.
Kaito didn't kill them, but neither did he let them go. Whether they would ever be released would depend entirely on his mood.
From the ice, Shanks' eyes went bloodshot at the sight. But right now, he could barely protect himself, let alone save his crew.
With a small lift of Kaito's hand, the Dark Prison rose higher and higher, until it vanished into the clouds.
Kaido swallowed hard as it disappeared from view. Before he could speak, Yamato rushed up to him and shouted,
"Kaido! You'd better surrender now! You don't want Master locking you inside that black cube, do you?!"
Her tone was firm, but her face betrayed genuine concern for him.
Both father and daughter were incredibly stubborn. Even when they cared, their words came out in ways that made the other seethe.
Kaido smacked Yamato on the head with a palm and barked,
"Brat! Is that how you talk to your old man?!"
The blow made Yamato's temper flare instantly. She clutched her head and snapped,
"You hit me?! My master won't let you get away with this!"
"Your master? Your master's just—"
Kaido had been ready to mock his foolish daughter, but suddenly realized the master she spoke of was that "Shikiryū."
The rest of his words died in his throat. His face darkened, and he fell silent.
Seeing this, Yamato's smugness returned. Hands clasped behind her back, she began circling him, taunting,
"What's wrong? Lost your fire? Who would've thought the mighty Kaido of the Beasts could be such a coward? Truly an eye-opener!"
From the side, King quickly stepped in to grab her.
"My lady, please—don't say another word! Captain is really going to get angry!"
Yamato glanced at Kaido's face, which was now so dark it was nearly purple, gave a sharp huff, and finally quieted down.
From atop the platform, Kaito had heard their entire exchange. His face showed a trace of helplessness as he sent Yamato a telepathic message.
"That's enough. The Beasts Pirates have behaved themselves well enough this time. Let Kaido leave—and tell him to keep his men in line."
Yamato's face lit up at once. Overjoyed, she kicked Kaido in the leg and, tilting her chin up, looked down her nose at him.
"My master says you can go! And that you'd better keep your men under control!"
The next moment, Yamato's body shot away like a cannonball. Kaido blew on his still-smoking fist, then turned to his crew and gave the order—
"Let's go!"