"Gurarahaha…"
The distinct, earth-shaking laugh of Whitebeard echoed across the island contained within the Pluton. Edward Newgate looked at his restored, muscular hands with a hint of wonder. Memories of the past resurfaced in his mind.
"So, that's how it was," Whitebeard mused. "Back then, when Roger told me he wouldn't truly die even though his time was short, I thought he was just trying to lighten a grim situation. Now I understand. Roger, did you know about this all along?"
Kaido's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes flashing with interest. "It shouldn't be a surprise, Newgate. After all, Roger was the man who reached Laugh Tale. It's only natural he'd know the world's deepest secrets. But tell me, do you really think you can stop me alone? Why don't you call Roger back too? Perhaps if both of you fought together, you'd actually stand a chance against me now!"
Kaido's arrogance was met with a sharp narrowing of Whitebeard's eyes. The legendary pirate extended his right hand to the side. As if responding to his will, a thick vine erupted from the ground and twisted itself into the familiar shape of his favorite polearm: the Murakumogiri.
Black and red lightning began to arc around the blade as the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit surged to life. Whitebeard's eyes glowed with a predatory red light, making him look like a god of war.
"Kaido, I don't fully understand why I'm here," Whitebeard said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble. "But I know that my purpose is to drive you away. We were once comrades on the same ship, so I'll give you one chance. If you leave now, I'll pretend I never saw you. If you don't…"
Kaido didn't flinch. Instead, he channeled his massive Conqueror's Haki into his club, the Hassaikai. Crackling flames and bolts of lightning danced around the iron studs of the weapon.
"Worororo! Or what, Newgate? Do you think looking younger gives you the strength to defeat me? The world has moved on since you died. A ghost like you belongs in the underworld. Don't stay here just to humiliate yourself."
"You're right, Kaido," Whitebeard replied calmly. "A dead man should stay in the grave. But it's a lonely place to be. Why don't you come back to the underworld with me, you old brat?"
With those words, Whitebeard swung the Murakumogiri in a wide, devastating arc toward Kaido's waist.
"Don't worry, when I'm actually old, I'll join you," Kaido roared, swinging his club to meet the blade. "But until I rule these seas, you can stay down there by yourself! Thunder Bagua!"
BOOM!
The Hassaikai, dripping with Conqueror's Haki, collided with the Murakumogiri.
The impact was like two planets crashing into one another. For a split second, time itself seemed to freeze. The air went deathly silent until a massive shockwave exploded from the point of contact, visible to the naked eye. The reinforced plants of the Pluton were shredded into splinters as the shockwave expanded.
A blinding white light swallowed the battlefield. Even the creatures outside the giant ship seemed to sense the terror of the clash, as flocks of birds and wild beasts fled in a panic. The ancient trees of the forest groaned and swayed under the pressure.
BOOM!
BOOM!
High above on the surface of Wano, the citizens of the Flower Capital stopped in their tracks. A massive plume of black smoke suddenly billowed from the peak of Mount Fuji.
"What's happening? Is the volcano finally erupting?" the people whispered in fear. They watched the mountain for a long time, but when no lava followed the smoke, they eventually returned to their daily lives, unaware of the titanic struggle happening beneath their feet.
Back on the Pluton, the battle raged on.
"Hey, Newgate! It looks like having your youth back hasn't made you any stronger!" Kaido taunted, his voice full of adrenaline.
"Is that so, Kaido?" Whitebeard countered, his grin widening. "Talk is cheap. Why don't you try defeating this 'old man' before you start bragging?"
"As you wish!"
The two legends traded blows that tore the very air apart. Each collision of their Haki sent tremors through the entire hull of the Pluton. It was a pure, primal contest of strength—no tricks, no dodging, just the raw power of their physical bodies and Devil Fruits.
Kaido felt a surge of joy he hadn't felt in years. Whitebeard, enjoying the vigor of his younger body, was equally thrilled. Neither man held anything back.
"Yes! Just like this, Newgate!" Kaido shouted. "So far, not even Red-Haired Shanks or Garp have been able to make me enjoy myself this much!"
"I can do this for ten days and ten nights without breaking a sweat, brat!" Whitebeard roared back.
"Ten days? I won't give you that long," Kaido laughed. "I'll finish this in one hour. Watch me!"
"Finish me in an hour? When did you become such a comedian, Kaido?"
"Worororo! You'll see if I'm joking soon enough. I took down your Second Division Commander, Kozuki Oden, with a single strike. I wonder if he even has the strength left to be revived again!"
Despite his words, Kaido held back his ultimate techniques for a moment. He truly respected Whitebeard as a former crewmate on the Rocks Pirates and wanted to observe this "revived" version of the man. So far, the replica seemed perfect—the personality, the Haki, the memories, and the sheer power were all exactly as he remembered from Whitebeard's prime.
The implications were staggering. Was true resurrection or eternal life actually possible? It was a question that would normally seem foolish, especially given the existence of Brook's Yomi Yomi no Mi, but this was different. Both Oden and Whitebeard had returned with their physical bodies and their weapons intact.
After an hour of non-stop combat, both men were breathing heavily, thoroughly satisfied with the exchange. Kaido decided it was time to wrap things up.
"What's the matter, kid? Tired already?" Whitebeard teased as Kaido stepped back. Despite his mocking tone, Whitebeard's expression was solemn. He knew a Zoan user like Kaido wouldn't run out of stamina this quickly.
"No," Kaido said, his grip tightening on the Hassaikai. "But unlike you, Newgate, I have a world to conquer and things to do on the surface. It's time I sent you back to the underworld for good."
Kaido's aura began to swirl and condense. Under Whitebeard's watchful eye, the energy transformed into the shape of a massive dragon head, glowing with a mix of golden-red and black light.
Whitebeard recognized the move instantly. This was the same attack Kaido had used during the war at Marineford to withstand both Garp and Sengoku—the same move that had ended Fleet Admiral Sengoku's life.
Whitebeard's own aura flared to its peak, his Haki and the vibrations of his Devil Fruit concentrating into the very tip of his blade.
"Divine Dragon... Hassaikai!"
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