"Me?"
The World King looked directly at Kaido without any hesitation. "If Nika is the freest person in this world, then I am the least free person in existence."
Kaido raised an eyebrow. "The least free person?"
"That is correct," the World King replied. "A thousand years ago, my creator, Joy Boy, arrived here and encountered Nika. With Nika's permission, he gained access to the tools used by the creators of this world—the instruments used to forge living beings."
Kaido narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking about Uranus?"
"That is merely a name used to deceive those in the lower world, much like the legend of the Devil Fruits. Everything you see before you was crafted by our creators. Joy Boy discovered these technologies and used them to engineer a new group of living beings."
Kaido scoffed, his voice rumbling. "So, my suspicions were correct. You are the first Devil Fruit he ever created?"
"Indeed. He attempted to harness the power of the Sun God Nika to create me, but he failed. I became this… twisted vessel. However, because of that failure, I gained the power of darkness, allowing me to consume all light."
As the words left his mouth, dark, arrow-like lines shot from the World King's body, instantly connecting to a collection of small robots nearby. The machines shifted and contorted, transforming into various biological molds—Giants, Fishmen, members of the Mink Tribe, and humans. The World King stood tall, his voice booming with divine authority. "I am everything."
"So, you truly do not care if this world is destroyed?" Kaido asked.
"Ever since Vegapunk invented the Mother Flame and allowed me to regain control over these technologies, nothing else matters to me. Not even the Celestial Dragons. Even if every living thing in this world is annihilated, I have the power to recreate it all."
Kaido's grin widened, his eyes flashing with a predatory intensity. "Unless someone stops you."
"So, Kaido of the Beasts, I sense it within you. You have awakened the bloodline of the ancient Giant race. That kind of raw power is something I have never possessed. Do you intend to use it to stop me from ending this world?"
Kaido let out a thunderous laugh that echoed through the palace, catching the World King off guard. "Do you think I came here to play the hero? Don't be ridiculous. That is what a savior does. I am here for one purpose only: to dethrone you and become the World King."
"What an arrogant ambition," the World King stated, his eyes remaining eerily calm. "But do you truly believe you can defeat me?"
"Who knows?" Kaido replied, showing no fear as he stared down the monster. "Do you want to know why my first stop was Mary Geoise to see you, the World King? It is simple. Two years ago, I witnessed my own destiny."
For the first time, a ripple of genuine emotion appeared in the World King's eyes.
"I saw that no matter how powerful I become, no matter how omnipotent my abilities or how destructive my Haki, I cannot defeat the Sun God Nika," Kaido continued. "It is not because Nika is stronger than me. It is simply because he is destined to win, and I am destined to lose."
The World King looked puzzled.
"You don't get it, do you? Destiny demands his victory. The world itself wants him to win. Anyone who dares to stand in the path of the Sun God will fail, just like every opponent he has ever faced. Just like how you, after eight hundred years of controlling the seas, have never been able to control that one specific Devil Fruit."
"Monkey D. Luffy," Imu said slowly. "Garp's grandson and Dragon's son."
"Exactly. It seems you are well aware. Are you ready to face your defeat?"
The World King scoffed. "I will not fail. In these eight hundred years, countless people—including your former captain, Rocks—have sought this position, and every one of them has failed."
Kaido answered only with a deep, booming laugh. "Worororo, worororo!"
"What is so funny?" the World King demanded.
Kaido's voice dropped, becoming deathly cold. "Deep down, you are terrified, aren't you?"
Imu's gaze sharpened.
"For eight centuries, you have lived in fear of the inheritor of Nika's power and the one who carries Joy Boy's will. You know better than anyone that this is the only power capable of ending you."
The air in the palace grew heavy and freezing.
"You are just like the old me," Kaido said, scanning the world below. "A pathetic wretch clinging to power, destined to fall against the weight of fate. But don't worry. Starting today, only one of us will walk out of here. If it is me, I will shatter this wretched destiny once and for all. If it is you… well, that simply means you are doomed to suffer this fate forever."
In the New World, on the shores of Totto Land, a furious roar tore through the air. Perospero, the eldest son of Big Mom, glared at his younger siblings.
"I explicitly told you that the Straw Hats would infiltrate Whole Cake Island! I even explained their method of entry, yet you allowed those rats to kidnap Brulee and rescue Straw Hat!"
The Big Mom pirates stood trembling, their faces pale. Mondor, who had witnessed the event, shouted back in frustration, "Brother, it was Chiffon! She betrayed Mother. She and her husband, Capone Bege, drugged me and freed Straw Hat Luffy and that long-nosed sniper!"
Perospero clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "Chiffon... why would she betray Mother?" He shook the thought away. It no longer mattered. Straw Hat was loose. If Big Mom found out, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Listen up!" Perospero ordered, his voice cold. "Move out now! They have rescued Straw Hat, but do not let a single one of them leave Totto Land alive!"
"Yes, Brother!" the crew shouted in unison.
Inside the mirror world, the atmosphere was grim. The Straw Hat pirates were horrified to find Usopp, whose body had been withered into that of an elderly man. Chopper wailed in terror, doing everything in his power to treat his friend, while Luffy gripped Usopp's hand, his eyes burning with a rage never seen before.
"Usopp," Luffy whispered, his voice trembling with anger, "what happened to you?"
Nami looked on, her eyes unfocused and brimming with tears. A plump woman stood nearby, offering a grim explanation. "It is Big Mom's Devil Fruit ability. She has the power to extract lifespan. Mr. Usopp does not have much time left."
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