"You actually think ruling the world is boring?" Kaido's pupils narrowed as he stared at Shirogai Yamikuro in disbelief, his voice deep and rough. "If you don't want to rule the world, then why have you formed powerful forces like the Sky Alliance and the Air Force?"
Shirogai gave a slight grin, eyes steady as he met Kaido's gaze. "You've already forgotten what I explained earlier. The world was always vast. The World Nobles walled it off into distant islands for easier control. If the world returned to its original scale, no single power — not even two — could dominate everything. It would be big enough for everyone."
"Wow! So Shirogai is… benevolent!" Yamato leaned on her club, admiration shining in her eyes as she excitedly watched this imposing figure, whose thirst for conquest was nothing like her father's cruelty.
"Yes," Shirogai continued, "there are strong people who never seek to take what isn't theirs."
"Let the world return to its true state…" Kaido's eyes flickered with suspicion as he studied Shirogai. "But what you've shown us doesn't seem that simple."
Shirogai's reputation and strategic genius already inspired fear among many in power. He had created alliances, amassed forces, and influenced powerful warriors seemingly out of nowhere. Few could make moves on the scale he did.
"You really think we're just weak?" Shirogai said with a slight smirk — a remark that made Kaido's expression tighten and flare with restrained fury.
"You Emperors are disappointing! Your scope is no broader than that of the World Government, controlled by the World Nobles — neither is superior."
"Wow!! So cool!!" Yamato's eyes widened in awe, staring at Shirogai with pure admiration. Her father — feared as the strongest — was being criticized so bluntly, yet she found it inspiring instead of offensive.
"God‑King is amazing! With a 10 billion Berries bounty from the World Government, labeled a warmonger for challenging world peace!" Yamato exclaimed, eyes shining.
"If I became someone like him…" she whispered, "I could defeat Kaido and save Wano!"
"…Are you saying you intend to declare war on the World Government?" Kaido ground out, his jaw tightening as he looked at Yamato's naive excitement.
Shirogai shook his head, smiling calmly. "It's not that complicated. Marines still serve a purpose. Remove the corrupt World Nobles from power and eradicate the cancer in this world — that's all that's needed."
"I look forward to hearing about the fall of the World Nobles," Kaido said, surprising even himself with the warmth in his voice. He had long resented the privileges of the World Nobles — a group that lived in luxury and ruling without consequence. In his view, forcing them into true battle was the only path to equality and freedom.
Those who survived earned the right to live.
"You make it sound so easy," Kaido growled. "Do you think I'm some world savior?"
Shirogai chuckled, looking directly into Kaido's eyes. "Hey Kaido — don't overestimate me. I'm no saint who vows to save everyone. Don't hold me to that, I'm not worthy."
"As expected of God‑King!" Yamato cheered with unrestrained enthusiasm, tail wagging and admiration overflowing. She dropped all loyalty to her father in that moment.
Kaido stared at Shirogai with dangerous intensity. Respect and amusement did not mean tolerance of endless mockery. Shirogai's taunts stoked a fire in him that could no longer be ignored.
"Don't glare at me!" Shirogai said with a shrug. "If those with the greatest strength in the world exist, shouldn't it be you — the greatest pirates across the seas? What makes you different from the World Nobles if you, too, seek comfort while others suffer?"
"Hmph! Comparing me to those trash makes this an insult!!" Kaido roared as Conqueror's Haki surged around him. He swung his spiked club with brutal force.
Shirogai let out a calm grin and activated his own Conqueror's Haki, a silver energy tinted with blue, meeting Kaido's power head‑on.
CRACK!
Their auras exploded outward, pressure warping the air and launching even Luffy and Yamato off their feet.
"Conqueror's Thunder: Silver Snake!" Shirogai called as arcs of lethal lightning danced along the spear in his hand, purple aura crackling with intensity.
"Finally showing your strength!" Shirogai laughed amid the tumult as Kaido's expression twisted into a feral grin.
Kaido leapt into the sky, club crackling with red lightning, and brought it down with bone‑shaking force: "Descent of the Three Worlds: Ragnaraku!!!"
Shirogai's spear solidified, shifting into a dark, eerie glow as he whispered, "Dark Thunder: Prison Fall…"
The two forces met midair — lightning, Haki, and raw power clashing violently. The island shook as impossible energies battled.
"What?!" Kaido bellowed as Shirogai's mysterious aura pierced his Haki seal for the first time.
Kaido unleashed overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, shredding the intrusive force.
Shirogai's clone faltered under the pressure, but he merely smiled and dissolved into radiant light.
"This clone still has the power of the Chop‑Chop Fruit's Hand Speed. So I won't lose yet," Shirogai said as fresh lightning and Haki intertwined around him.
The energy in the air built rapidly — explosive currents of power smashing against each other until a massive, dark sphere formed over the island.
"It's going to explode!" Luffy shouted, grabbing Yamato and fleeing as the storm raged.
Luffy's hair turned white as the drums of Sun God resonance echoed through the air. "Now!" he shouted and Gum‑Gum Balloon lifted them skyward.
Boom!
The energy sphere collapsed with cataclysmic force. Haki shockwaves and lightning hammered the land long after.
Yet even after the storm's end, thick black clouds of energy and unpredictable lightning continued to strike the shattered ground.
This island was forever changed — a place where raw Haki and thunder fused.
Pirates who later ventured here found themselves tested relentlessly, yet some gained deeper mastery over Haki after enduring its trials.
In time, the island earned a new name among seafarers:
Thunderous Haki Awakening Island.
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Powerstones?? (´ε｀ )
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Patreon = _Zeph