Chapter 133: The Bewildered Dragon!
Kaido, floating outside the crumbling wall in his colossal Azure Dragon form, blinked his reptilian eyes. His mind was still churning through a haze of high-grade sake and the fragments of the past, processing the words "Life Debt" and "God Valley." He had expected a negotiation, perhaps a screaming match, or even a shared drink over old memories.
He did not expect Big Mom to flip the switch from nostalgia to apocalyptic rage in a fraction of a heartbeat.
"You dare to ruin my Tea Party! You damage my Cake Castle!"
Charlotte Linlin's voice was no longer human. It was a screech of pure, unadulterated hysteria that scraped against the eardrums of everyone present. The sheer volume caused the crystal chandeliers to explode into raining glass dust.
"And you still have the audacity to ask me for someone?! You ungrateful bastard, die for Mom!!"
Before the last syllable had even finished echoing through the hall, the massive, mountainous body of Big Mom displayed a horrifying agility that defied the laws of physics. She didn't move like a giant; she moved like a phantom of death.
"Zeus!"
With a command that sounded like a thunderclap, she leaped onto the thundercloud homie. The dark cloud surged beneath her boots, propelling her into the sky instantly to meet the dragon at eye level.
The bicorne hat on her head, Napoleon, awoke from its slumber. The homie's eyes snapped open, gleaming with malice.
"Blade Mode!"
The hat elongated, transforming into a gigantic broadsword that seemed to drink the light around it. Simultaneously, the sun homie, Prometheus, roared to life. He dissolved into a torrent of liquid fire, engulfing the blade in roaring, apocalyptic flames that turned the air into a shimmering heat haze.
Kaido's massive dragon body hovered in the sky, his long whiskers twitching in the wind. His drunken mind couldn't process the sudden shift. He had come here to question her, to demand answers about the brat who killed Jack. He thought they were... well, if not friends, at least peers with a shared history.
He didn't expect total, immediate war.
"Emperor Sword... Napoleon!"
Big Mom roared, swinging the massive blade with both hands. Her arms, thick with muscle and layered with fat, bulged as she channeled her monstrous strength. The air around the blade distorted, screaming as it was torn apart by pure kinetic force mixed with Haki.
"IKOKU SOVEREIGNTY!!!"
Without the slightest hesitation, without holding back a single ounce of strength, she unleashed her signature technique.
A cylinder of destructive energy, wrapped in the purple-black arcs of Conqueror's Haki and the searing heat of Prometheus, blasted forward. It wasn't just a slash; it was a beam of annihilation. It tore through the castle walls as if they were made of wet tissue paper, vaporizing the candy architecture instantly.
It struck Kaido's dragon head like a fiery heavenly judgment.
BOOM—!!!
The sound was deafening. It wasn't just an explosion; it was the sound of the world breaking. A shockwave rippled out in a perfect circle, flattening the clouds for miles around.
Kaido, who had been hovering with his mouth open to speak, took the full force of the blow directly to the face. He hadn't even raised a defense.
"GAAAAH?!"
His massive serpentine body, usually an unstoppable force of nature, was swatted away like a fly hit by a cannonball. The force was kinetic and absolute. The Azure Dragon was sent flying backward, spinning uncontrollably through the air, his blue scales flashing in the sunlight as he crashed back through the very hole he had created moments ago.
He plummeted toward the Sweet City below like a falling star.
The shockwave from the impact didn't stop there.
The roof of the banquet hall, already compromised by Kaido's initial entry, groaned under the secondary pressure of the Ikoku Sovereignty. With a thunderous crack that sounded like a spinal column snapping, more than half of the ceiling gave way.
Debris—giant chunks of biscuit-stone, frosting-cement, and reinforced steel beams—rained down like meteors.
"Mom!!!"
Charlotte Smoothie gripped her sword hilt, her face pale. Charlotte Katakuri, his trident Mogura already in hand, shouted orders to his siblings. They didn't panic; they acted with the discipline of a veteran pirate crew. They immediately leaped into action, following Linlin out of the huge hole to support their mother, leaving the guests to fend for themselves.
Dust billowed. Screams erupted.
The Underworld Emperors—Du Feld, Stussy, Drug Peclo—were scrambling under tables, their dignity forgotten in the face of death. This was a clash of gods, and they were merely ants caught in the crossfire.
Amidst this apocalypse, one table remained an island of calm.
"Oh my..."
Suzaku sat amidst the falling debris. A large chunk of ceiling, weighing at least a ton, smashed into the floor just a meter away from him. It pulverized the tiles, sending shards of stone flying like shrapnel.
Suzaku didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.
An invisible barrier, a layer of sheer pressure, seemed to exist around their table. The dust refused to settle on his food. He slowly, methodically, placed his silver fork and knife down on his plate with a soft clink.
He picked up a white napkin and gracefully wiped a smudge of cream from the corner of his mouth.
"This is truly... a fight that breaks out at the drop of a hat," Suzaku commented, his voice smooth and amused, cutting through the panic of the surrounding crowd.
He looked up. The ceiling was gone. The blue sky was visible, framed by jagged edges of broken candy architecture and the lingering smoke of the explosion.
"A perfect view for stargazing at night, though it's a bit drafty for a tea party," he quipped, a smile of someone enjoying a grand theater performance appearing on his face.
Around him, his crew was equally unbothered.
"Hmph."
Uchiha Madara sat with his arms crossed, his dark armor reflecting the chaotic light. He dusted a speck of plaster off his shoulder with a look of utter annoyance. His Rinnegan eyes glanced upward at the hole, filled with disdain.
"Is this the so-called power of this world's apex?" Madara muttered, his voice low and raspy. "Raw, unrefined brute force. No technique. No elegance. Just swinging a stick. How boring."
Beside him, Senju Hashirama was actually laughing. He held a piece of cake that had miraculously survived the tremor.
"Hahahaha! Madara, don't be so harsh! That was quite a lot of energy! Though, look at the architecture... destruction is easy, but rebuilding is hard!" Hashirama shook his head, looking at the ruined castle with the eyes of a wood-style builder. "What a waste of good timber... or, well, biscuits."
Albedo stood behind Suzaku, her golden eyes glowing with a dangerous light. Her black wings twitched slightly, ready to unfurl. She wasn't looking at the sky; she was glaring at the dust that dared to come near her Lord.
"Filthy," she hissed. "Lord Suzaku, shall I cleanse this area?"
"No need, Albedo. Let's go. We'll join the fun too."
Suzaku stood up and stretched his arms, hearing his joints pop satisfyingly.
"After all, Kaido came for us. It would be rude to keep the guest of honor waiting. And this trouble, in the end, still needs to be resolved by us, the ones he's looking for."
Saying that, he turned and began to walk. He didn't run. He didn't rush. He led his group leisurely, weaving through the chaos. They followed the stream of terrified guests who were scrambling to avoid the falling debris, exiting the unrecognizable banquet hall not as refugees, but as kings surveying a battlefield.
Outside, in the large square in front of the Whole Cake Chateau.
The scene was a disaster zone. The pristine plaza, usually filled with singing flowers and dancing desserts, now looked like it had been bombarded by a Marine Buster Call. A massive trench had been carved into the earth, ending in a human-shaped crater in the center of the destruction.
"Ugh..."
A groan echoed from the pit. A hand, large enough to crush a human skull, gripped the edge of the crater. The fingers dug into the biscuit pavement, crushing it into powder.
Beast Kaido climbed out.
He had returned to his human form. Standing over seven meters tall, his massive frame was a testament to raw power. His muscles bulged like cords of steel, his upper body bare, revealing the intricate dragon-scale tattoo that covered his left arm and chest. A thick white shimenawa rope was tied around his waist, and his iconic spiked club, Hassaikai, dragged behind him, carving a groove in the ground.
He stood up, dust and debris sliding off his bronzed skin like water off a duck's back.
He was currently shaking his head, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.
"Who am I?"
"Where am I?"
He blinked, the massive amount of alcohol in his system warring with the concussion he should have had. His vision swam slightly.
"Why... why did Linlin hit me?"
He looked at his large, calloused hands, then at the sky where the smoke trail of the attack still lingered.
"I just asked her people a question! I just asked where the brat was! That shouldn't be a reason for an Ikoku Sovereignty to the face!"
The sheer absurdity of the situation baffled him. They were fellow Yonko. They had a pact from the old days in Rocks. Sure, they fought, and sure, they threatened to kill each other constantly, but a full-power kill-shot over a broken roof? Before they even exchanged a cup of sake?
And in front of him, floating in the air, was the answer.
Charlotte Linlin hovered on Zeus, looking down at him like an angry goddess descended to earth to punish a mortal. She held the flaming Napoleon in one hand, her pink hair wreathed in Prometheus's fire, making her look like a demon. Her eyes were cold, filled with the madness of a woman whose Tea Party—her most sacred event—had been desecrated.
Behind her, the Three Sweet Commanders—Katakuri with his trident, Smoothie with her sword, and Cracker tapping his armor—stood in a line. Behind them were dozens of ministers. The entire military might of the Big Mom Pirates was arrayed against one man.
In the square, there was a deathly silence.
The wind whistled through the ruins.
Everyone's gaze—the pirates, the soldiers, the hiding guests—was fixed on the burly figure of Kaido.
Debris continued to slide off his muscles.
On his steel-like skin... apart from some gray dust and soot... not a single trace of injury could be seen.
There was no blood. No bruising. No broken bones.
Charlotte Linlin's Ikoku Sovereignty, a technique powerful enough to split mountains, shatter islands, and pierce through the horizon, seemed to him like merely an itch. It was a terrifying display of the "Strongest Creature's" durability.
"What are you going crazy about, Linlin!"
Kaido roared, shaking his still somewhat dazed head. The confusion in his eyes was rapidly being replaced by a substantial, burning anger. The alcohol was burning off, replaced by the fury of the King of Beasts.
He lifted his giant spiked club from the ground with one hand.
BOOM.
He slammed it down casually onto the pavement. The hard biscuit ground cracked instantly, spiderweb fractures spreading out for dozens of meters centered on the impact point. The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
"I merely wanted to ask your people a few questions, and you dare to attack me?!"
His voice was filled with the shock of betrayal and the rage of provocation.
"RRRAAAGH!"
A terrifying aura—his Conqueror's Haki—soared into the sky. It wasn't visible, but the pressure was tangible. The air turned heavy, vibrating with black and red sparks. It clashed with Big Mom's own aura invisible in the air. Purple and black lightning began to crackle around them, distorting the light.
The surrounding air became thick and hot, making it hard to breathe.
The confrontation between the two Sea Emperors was not a joke. Merely the clash of their passive auras was enough to make the environment scream.
The underground magnates—Du Feld, Stussy, Morgans, and the others—who had fortunately escaped the collapsing banquet hall, felt their knees turn to jelly.
"Monsters..." Morgans whispered, hiding behind a pillar, his camera shaking in his hands. His feathers were ruffled in terror. "If they fight seriously... this island is gone. We are all dead. This is big news, but I don't want to die for it!"
The pressure was unbearable. Weaker souls among the chess soldiers began to foam at the mouth and faint, their eyes rolling back into their heads.
Just at this tense moment, with a war about to erupt that would shake the New World to its foundations, a small but exceptionally clear voice leisurely drifted from behind Charlotte Linlin.
"Kaido, no need to ask her. I am right here."
The voice was calm. It lacked the screaming intensity of the Yonko, but it possessed a strange, penetrating quality that cut right through the Haki clash.
Instantly, the focus of the entire scene shifted.
The two Yonko, the Sweet Commanders, the guests—everyone turned their eyes to the source of the voice.
Suzaku was seen leading his crew, slowly walking out of the ruined banquet hall entrance, step by step.
His pace was not fast. He walked with hands in his pockets, flanked by Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, Albedo, and the others. Yet, each step seemed to fall on the drumbeat of everyone's heart.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Those dark forces' bosses who had just been surrounding the entrance, trying to assess the situation, froze.
When they saw Kaido's beast-like gaze shift from Linlin to Suzaku—and by extension, towards them—they were scared out of their wits.
"Run!"
"He's looking this way!"
"Get out of the line of fire!"
They scattered in all directions, scrambling to escape like cockroaches exposed to light. They wished their parents had given them two more legs, just to get as far away as possible from this vortex of trouble. The dignity of the Underworld Emperors was nonexistent; survival was the only priority.
In the square, a large open space was instantly cleared.
Three factions remained.
Big Mom and her family.
Beast Kaido.
And the Suzaku Pirates.
They confronted each other from a distance, forming a deadly triangle of power.
Seeing Suzaku step forward, a subtle, cunning glint flashed in Charlotte Linlin's eyes.
She wasn't just a madwoman; she was a pirate queen who had ruled for decades. She immediately saw an opportunity.
She took advantage of the situation, stepping aside a few paces with Katakuri and the others. She cleared an unobstructed 'path of duel' between Suzaku and Kaido, subtly positioning herself as the observer rather than the combatant.
"Mamamama..."
Charlotte Linlin's characteristic laughter rang out again, echoing disturbingly across the silent square. She looked at Suzaku, feigning a look of extreme generosity and protective warmth.
"Suzaku Yareon! My dear guest! Although that bastard Kaido is here for you, this is still Mom's territory!"
She raised her voice so everyone could hear, posturing grandly.
"You are my honored guest! As long as you are on Whole Cake Island, you have absolutely nothing to worry about!"
She slung the flaming greatsword, Napoleon, onto her shoulder, the flames licking at her hair. Her gaze swept disdainfully over Kaido.
"Mom isn't so old that she can't move anymore! With me here, Kaido won't be able to touch a single hair on any of you! I will uphold the sanctity of my Tea Party!"
Her words were righteous and grand.
To an outsider, she sounded like a benevolent host protecting her invitees. But Suzaku knew better.
She was playing politics.
By "protecting" him, she was asserting her dominance over Kaido. She was saying, 'You cannot touch what is mine.' Simultaneously, she was placing Suzaku in a subordinate position—a weak guest who needed her protection. It was a power move to save face after her castle was damaged.
However, before Suzaku could reply to this theatrical display of "kindness," the short-tempered Kaido had already exploded.
"Hey! Linlin!"
Kaido stepped forward, the ground shaking under his boots. His eyes were bloodshot, veins throbbing on his forehead.
"Are you deliberately trying to oppose me?!"
He pointed his massive spiked club straight at Suzaku, but his roar was directed at Charlotte Linlin.
"Don't you know who this brat is? Don't you know what he did?!"
Kaido's voice dropped an octave, becoming a growl that sounded like tectonic plates grinding together.
"Jack... Jack the Drought! One of my 'Three Calamities'! My strongest subordinate!"
Kaido's grip on his club tightened until the metal groaned under the pressure.
"He was killed by this brat's subordinates! They slaughtered my crew! This kind of deep-seated vendetta... blood for blood... and you still want to shield him?"
The revelation shocked the bystanders. A collective gasp rippled through the hiding guests.
Jack the Drought was dead? That billion-berry monster? The man known for his destruction? Killed by this group?
"Oh? Is that so?"
Charlotte Linlin didn't seem shocked. Her smile became even more playful, bordering on mocking.
"I wasn't aware of that," she lied smoothly. "But what kind of talk is that, Kaido? A distinguished guest is a distinguished guest!"
She narrowed her eyes, her Conqueror's Haki flaring up again to meet his.
"Since I invited them, and they are standing on my territory, eating my cake, I have an obligation to protect their safety!"
Her voice was filled with undeniable dominance.
"Otherwise, if word gets out that I let you kill my guests, wouldn't people think that I, Charlotte Linlin, am afraid of you, Beast Kaido?! Do you think the Big Mom Pirates are a joke?!"
She immediately escalated the issue. It wasn't about Suzaku anymore. It wasn't about Jack. It was about Face.
Kaido's chest heaved violently. Steam shot out of his nose. He was clearly infuriated beyond measure. The logic of "face" meant nothing to a man who had lost a Calamity.
"You old hag..." Kaido growled, raising his club, ready to charge at both of them if necessary.
He was about to speak, to declare war right there and then.
But the man who had been the "center of attention" for them all along, the man they were arguing over like a piece of property, finally had enough.
"Alright, alright."
Suzaku's voice interrupted them impatiently, sounding bored with their bickering.
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]