Darkness, silence.
Kaido opened his eyes on a cold stone slab, the familiar heaviness in his limbs… Seastone manacles.
"Tch, here we go again..." He tried to move his wrists. The sturdy chains immediately rattled with dull clanks.
This scene wasn't unfamiliar. Over decades, he had been captured by the Marines seven times.
But each time, he managed to escape relying on his resilient physique and rescue from his powerful crew.
This time was different.
The image of that golden figure flashed in Kaido's mind… the seemingly casual punch, the utter hopelessness of being completely powerless afterward...
"Damn it!" He thrashed violently, chains clanging noisily.
This wasn't a Marine siege, not exhaustion from a battle of attrition. This was a complete, indisputable defeat in a one-on-one fight!
Just then, soft footsteps approached from outside the cell.
"Who is it?" Kaido asked in a low voice.
A slender figure emerged from the shadows… white hair, red horns.
"Father," Her voice was quiet. In her hand was a key.
Kaido's pupils contracted slightly. "What are you doing here?"
Yamato didn't answer, quickly unlocking Kaido's manacles instead. "Let's go. During the guard change."
Kaido flexed his wrists, narrowing his eyes. "Why save me? Didn't you always want to kill me?"
"That's right. The only ones who can kill you are me, and Momonosuke!" Yamato said with utmost seriousness.
Kaido was momentarily speechless, but then laughed heartily. "Wororororo! No one in this world can truly kill me!"
He stood up, his large frame almost filling the entire cell. "Even if that brat captured me, he can't—"
"Can't what?" A calm voice came from the doorway.
Kaido's laughter died abruptly.
Setsuna and Zephyr stood at the cell entrance, shadows covering their faces.
Yamato immediately assumed a fighting stance, but Zephyr flashed forward, seizing her wrist in an instant.
She instinctively tried to resist, only to find her ability had failed.
"Let her go!" Kaido roared in fury. His muscles bulged instantly. Conqueror's Haki swept through the cell like a hurricane.
Setsuna erupted into his full power state, instantly forcing Kaido back to the ground, his knee slamming heavily onto the stone.
Kaido looked up, disbelief in his eyes. "You weren't even using your full strength before? No... you haven't used your full strength at all these past two and a half years?"
Yamato was equally shocked. She hadn't witnessed the battle firsthand. She never imagined her father, strong as a demon, couldn't even withstand a single move from his opponent.
Setsuna's tone was casual. "Not entirely. It was only a year ago that I completely surpassed you."
Kaido fell silent. He was called a monster by the world, but in his eyes, the man before him was the true monster.
In the cell next to Kaido's, Orochi pressed himself against the bars, forcing a fawning smile. "Setsuna-sama is truly powerful! You are the savior of Wano! Your might eclipses the sun and moon! Your benevolence covers all living beings..."
He rattled on with nauseating flattery, spittle flying, as if trying to use every praise he'd ever learned in his life.
Setsuna locked Kaido back in Seastone manacles, then smiled at Zephyr. "Clear out Kurozumi Orochi's cell. It's for this 'filial daughter' now."
Zephyr nodded. He unlocked Orochi's Seastone manacles and instead locked up Yamato.
The sudden turn of events made Orochi ecstatic. "Thank you, Setsuna-sama! Thank you! From this day forward, I am your most loyal dog!"
However, Setsuna simply smiled. "I'm letting you out because the prison is getting a bit crowded."
Orochi's grin froze on his face. "I... I don't need a specific cell. You can just put me on a dog leash..."
Setsuna's gaze turned cold. "Do it."
The next second, Zephyr's left hand transformed into a pitch-black vortex, piercing directly through Orochi's chest.
Orochi didn't even have time to scream before his body twisted and shriveled.
Simultaneously, the fruit in Zephyr's right prosthetic began to transform, finally becoming a dark red Devil Fruit.
"The Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi. Acquired." Setsuna took the fruit, turning it in his hand.
Kaido's breathing grew heavy. "What do you plan to do?"
Setsuna turned and walked toward the door, leaving only one sentence. "I hope you can become much stronger in a short time. Otherwise, you and your daughter will become my collection pieces."
…
The news that Kaido had been defeated and captured by Setsuna spread across the seas like a thunderclap.
The New World, Moby Dick.
The newspaper in Marco's hands rustled in the sea breeze, his eyes full of shock. "Kaido wasn't just defeated, it was a one-sided defeat!"
Recalling two and a half years ago, they had also been shocked by Setsuna's victory over Kaido. But anyone could see it involved some luck back then.
Yet, in just two and a half years, Setsuna could now defeat Kaido with absolute dominance.
People on the deck passed the newspaper around, a commotion breaking out.
"He can actually overpower Kaido!"
"This newspaper even says Chiaki Setsuna is now the world's strongest man! How dare they! Where does that leave Oyaji?!"
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard's hearty laugh silenced the discontented voices for a moment. "It's the era of the young now. Based solely on the feat of capturing Kaido alive, he is indeed stronger than me. There's nothing to be upset about."
Thatch hesitated, then stepped forward. "Oyaji, there's something else... The Gourmet Navigation Group is hunting Teach. Should we intervene?"
"Of course we intervene!" Whitebeard's gaze sharpened. "That bastard Teach actually killed Squard! Does he think leaving the ship means he can break the iron rule of not killing a comrade?!"
"Once you're on my ship, no matter how foolish, you're my child. Where do the souls of murdered children go? A debt of loyalty… this is a line that cannot be crossed. Teaching that bastard Teach this lesson... isn't that my responsibility?!"
He slammed his sake jug heavily on the deck. "Pass the order! All divisions, search for Teach with full effort!"
...
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Kaido was captured alive... Just how powerful has Chiaki Setsuna become?" Sengoku's eyes were filled with apprehension.
Vice Admiral Tsuru adjusted her glasses. "No one has ever been able to face two Admirals simultaneously before. But if it's him... it's hard to say. Perhaps it would require three Admirals to move together..."
Kizaru immediately raised his hand. "Spare me. I don't want to fight a monster like him. Besides, isn't he our ally? There's no need for such unnecessary worry, right?"
"It's not just him. His subordinates, Ace, Enel, Cavendish, Hancock are all growing into fearsome forces. It's reminiscent of Whitebeard, Shiki, Kaido, and Big Mom under Rocks's command back in the day."
Sengoku took a deep breath. "I hope he doesn't become a more terrible dragon than Kaido. Otherwise... the era of Rocks will return."