North Blue, evening.
Ten massive warships from headquarters had gathered around an island near the entrance to Reverse Mountain. The local branch ships from North Blue had already begun returning to base one by one.
At the port, Sakazuki looked up at the sky and said to Bullet and Enel beside him:
"Two days' rest."
"We've been on the move for months—let the soldiers relax for a bit."
Enel stretched lazily.
"Sounds good~"
"I just happen to have something I need to check on."
Bullet began instructing his men to pass down the order, and immediately, a thunderous cheer erupted across the port.
Amid the overwhelming cheers, Sakazuki raised an eyebrow, a bit curious.
"Oh?"
"Where to?"
Enel chuckled.
"Old man, do you remember the first time we met with Vegapunk-sensei?"
"Vegapunk-sensei mentioned that a few scientists had gotten away."
"So we didn't manage to capture them back then."
Sakazuki nodded knowingly.
"Vinsmoke Judge, right."
Enel nodded.
"Yeah, during the Cleansing Operation, I saw him."
"I went over and observed him in secret."
"He's working on cloning and modifying bloodline factors."
"Ninety-nine percent of the entire nation is male, and they're all cloned soldiers."
"The technology is already very advanced."
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow.
"You're thinking...?"
Enel replied,
"Exactly."
"Sensei's research has hit a bottleneck."
"If we can draw inspiration from foreign tech, that'd be ideal."
Sakazuki nodded.
"True."
"But after all this time, he's still researching bloodline factors?"
Enel sighed.
"Yeah."
"The government has done plenty of those kinds of experiments over the years..."
"But those idiots before were just wasting materials."
"Now that we finally have a real teacher."
"There's no way we'd let this opportunity slip by."
"All those collected materials from the so-called Oni, Giants, Lunarians, and other unnamed cell samples..."
"Have been delivered to sensei."
"He's been analyzing them, but for the past half year, he's been stuck—no progress at all."
"Just in time, I found Vinsmoke Judge's clone-modified soldiers."
"His approach to bloodline factors differs from sensei's—maybe there's something worth learning."
Sakazuki nodded.
"Alright, go."
"If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."
Enel grinned.
"Don't worry."
"I already prepared a wanted poster."
"That guy's committed plenty of crimes anyway."
"We have solid grounds to arrest him."
Sakazuki shook his head.
"I'm afraid that won't work."
"Vinsmoke Judge wiped out the Four Kingdoms of the North Blue with his cloned army in one battle."
"He's quite well-known."
"That whole 'Conquest of Four Nation' incident."
"Now his country is part of the World Government alliance. Even without territory, they're permitted to attend the Levely."
Enel froze.
"Huh?"
"Then what do we do?"
Sakazuki chuckled.
"Take it."
"Why do you think I said I'd take responsibility if something happened?"
Enel hesitated.
"That... might not be a good idea."
Even though he was fine with coercion, outright robbery... felt a bit too blatant.
Sakazuki said,
"This kind of technology is too dangerous."
"They can't handle it."
"The government should be the one to keep it safe."
"Understand?"
Playing the "righteous banner" card—but then he shook his head.
"Forget it. Bullet, go with him."
"Don't kill him."
"He's still a king, after all."
A wicked grin curled at the corner of Bullet's mouth.
"Understood."
All villains, through and through...
...
New World, Wano Country.
The sun had just set, leaving a faint glow on the horizon.
A group of nine, long swords at their waists, moved forward like a wave of fire toward the island of Onigashima.
"To take down Kaido..."
...
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Bright moonlight illuminated the land. The group, brimming with built-up momentum, arrived at Onigashima deep into the night.
The moment they set foot on the island—
Dark clouds gathered from nowhere, blanketing the skies above.
Boom—
Faint thunder rumbled. From within the mist, countless figures emerged, eyes glowing red.
On a towering mountain in the distance, a colossal beast coiled ominously.
Boom!
The mist and clouds scattered.
A massive dragon sprawled across the mountain, and pirates filled the land as far as the eye could see.
Behind Oden, the samurai looked on in shock at the sea of pirates.
"This is... unexpected."
"All these people—are they Kaido's subordinates...?"
Whoosh—
Two red beams of light shot over their heads, blowing away the lingering mist.
Kaido, in his Azure Dragon form, appeared before them.
"Ba ra ra ra."
Looking at Kaido's immense form and the hordes of pirates surrounding them, Oden said grimly:
"I didn't expect you still had troops to spare."
"Quite thorough, aren't you."
"How did you know we were coming?"
Kaido's thunderous voice echoed:
"Maybe there's a spy in your group."
"Wo ro ro ro."
"I just didn't want my newly built home to become a battlefield."
"So I came out to greet you, that's all."
Oden's face darkened, fists clenching.
"That day five years ago, the promise you made..."
"Was it all a lie, Kaido?!"
From atop the mountain, Kaido, still in his dragon form, replied:
"That's right, all of it was a lie."
"Wo ro ro ro."
"Back then, the situation didn't favor us. If you and Hyogoro had teamed up upon returning home—"
"We'd have faced all the samurai and warriors of Wano."
"We had very few subordinates back then."
"If you were truly the madman rumored to sacrifice anything without hesitation—"
"It might have been a brutal fight."
"But you actually believed Orochi's words."
"You chose the path that wouldn't hurt anyone."
"Unbelievably stupid."
"Wo ro ro ro."
"But I guess I can understand it. After all, Newgate and Roger were the same kind of men."
"Strong, but always a bit naïve."
"And you're the same kind of fool."
"Dancing naked, throwing away all your dignity."
Waves of laughter echoed, reaching Oden and his nine retainers.
Oden shut his eyes tight. After a moment, he suddenly opened them wide:
"My judgment that day is history."
"Let's talk about the future—Kaido!!!"
He raised his long blade.
Crimson Haki surged around him, enveloping his whole body.
His fiery form charged at Kaido.
Kaido let out a roar and rushed to meet Kozuki Oden, a flicker of excitement rising in his heart.
"Are you the one I've been waiting for...?"
"The one who can defeat me... Joy Boy?"
Roar—
...
Days later...
In the burning ruins of the tower where Oden had once lived—
Kaido held the sobbing Momonosuke by the neck and asked:
"What's your name?"
Momonosuke, trembling in terror:
"Mo... Mo..."
"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"
"Father! Save me!!!"
Looking at the weeping child, thinking about how the bold and heroic Oden had left behind such a pathetic heir—
Kaido suddenly lost all interest.
He turned, casually tossed Momonosuke into the fire,
Then leapt from the tower, transformed into a dragon, and soared into the sky, vanishing from sight...
"That was Oden's son...? Boring."
"Let the castle burn along with him."