Wano Country, Onigashima.
Thousands of laborers were carrying massive stones, toiling frantically under the whips of overseers to reinforce the menacing, skull-shaped fortress.
Inside the fortress, however, the luxurious banquet hall was filled with the aroma of fine liquor.
"Hahahaha! That fool Oden is still dancing in the mud right now!"
Orochi, his bloated upper body bare, held two trembling geishas in his arms, laughing so hard that his rolls of fat shook uncontrollably.
"The Kozuki Clan's bloodline has been severed. Now, no one in all of Wano Country can threaten my position as Shogun."
At the head of the hall, Kaido sat cross-legged, holding a massive gourd of liquor. He tilted his head back and took a huge gulp, the alcohol dripping from his beard onto his solid pectoral muscles.
"Hmph, Orochi, don't get too smug. Wano Country's current labor force is still far from enough! The foundation for the arsenal in Udon is progressing too slowly! Go capture more people!"
Kaido set down the gourd, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with a beast-like ferocity.
"Once all these factories are completed, the weapons produced in Wano Country will be sold across the entire world. By then, I'll assemble an army composed entirely of Devil Fruit users and completely overturn this boring world!"
Kaido's words ignited a frenzy among all the Pirates present.
Underlings raised their weapons and roared, the sound waves nearly lifting the roof.
"Boss Kaido is right! We'll become the rulers of the seas!"
Queen, his round belly protruding, puffed on a thick cigar as he wildly gyrated his hips in the crowd: "Leave capturing people to me! The newly developed Plague Bullets need live testing on those samurai anyway. Poison the disobedient ones, then bring in a new batch!"
In a corner, King, wearing a black mask, silently polished his long sword, the flames on his back burning quietly in the dim light. He had no interest in such vulgar revelry; his mind was solely occupied with calculating troop deployments for the fortifications.
The banquet was in full swing.
Then, an abrupt, strange sound erupted from directly above.
BOOM—!
A bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel pierced the clouds, striking the highest point of Onigashima with pinpoint accuracy.
The great hall shook violently, dust and debris raining down.
"What's going on? What happened?!"
Pirates inside the hall scrambled in chaos, drawing swords, grabbing guns, looking up in alarm and confusion.
Kaido slowly raised his head.
His bushy eyebrows furrowed slightly as a sense of suppressed danger instantly spread throughout his body.
It was a feeling he hadn't experienced since the end of the Rocks era.
CRACK—!
The sound of shattering glass exploded directly above the hall.
The supposedly impregnable dome of Onigashima was torn apart right down the middle.
A violent blast of wind pressure slammed into the banquet hall, abruptly silencing the previously raucous and decadent music.
Hundreds of tables instantly shattered, sending liquor and wood splinters flying everywhere.
Dozens of pirates near the central area didn't even have time to scream before being blasted into the ground by the shockwave descending from the sky, their fates unknown!
Dust billowed, and cold winds swept inward.
At the center of the dissipating dust, a tall, upright figure emerged slowly from the ruins, one hand casually tucked in his pocket.
When that handsome yet icy face was fully revealed under the firelight, the atmosphere in the banquet hall shifted from shock to utter terror!
"Th-that's…"
A Shinuchi's teeth chattered, his wine glass shattering with a sharp crack as it hit the floor.
"Impossible… absolutely impossible…"
"That's… the man who personally shackled the Pirate King Roger!!"
Those words instantly ignited the entire hall.
"A Navy Admiral?! The monster codenamed 'Calamity'?!"
"You've got to be kidding! This is Wano Country! How could a Navy Admiral appear here?!"
"We're done… we're finished! Even the Pirate King fell to him—what chance do we stand?!"
The pirates, usually ruthless killers, now retreated like frightened quails. Some even collapsed, their legs giving way, soaking their pants in fear.
It wasn't just the underlings.
At the seats of the Calamities.
"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"
Queen's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, his entire body trembling violently. "Hey, hey, hey! Seriously?! How could a monster of that level charge in here alone? That's just unfair!"
Even the usually calm and ruthless "Fire Calamity" King narrowed his eyes to pinpricks beneath his mask.
Clang!
He instinctively drew the longsword at his waist, the flames on his back blazing to their peak. A primal survival instinct—if he didn't go all out, he might be obliterated in an instant!
As for Orochi, the nominal ruler of Wano Country, his reaction was even more pitiful.
"A-A-A Navy Admiral?!"
Orochi snot and tears streamed down his face as he scrambled behind Kaido's massive frame, his trembling finger pointing frantically at Kane.
"K-Kaido! You said the outer defenses wouldn't let even a bird through! Why is the Navy's top combatant dropping right on top of you?!"
Reputation precedes a person, just as a tree's shadow follows its form.
At this point in time, Kane, who had just ended the Great Pirate Era, held even more intimidating power in the eyes of pirates than Garp or Sengoku—a true "living Yama"!
Amidst the collective trembling.
Kane merely flicked the dust off his collar with indifference, his deep eyes not even glancing at the terrified underlings around him.
He pulled a cigar from his breast pocket, unhurriedly placing it between his lips.
"Quiet down, trash."
Kane spoke calmly, his voice laced with Conqueror's Haki, instantly overwhelming the clamor in the hall.
Click.
A lighter sparked, igniting the cigar.
He exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, his gaze finally settling through the haze on the demon-like figure seated at the head of the hall.
Kaido slowly rose to his feet, his colossal form casting a shadow that engulfed the entire hall.
He stared fixedly at the fluttering [Justice] cloak amidst the dust, his eyes locked onto Kane's young yet overwhelmingly oppressive face.
A brief, dead silence followed.
Kane's broad shoulders suddenly began to tremble violently.
"Ughohohoho! Ughohohohoho—!!!"
Deafening, maniacal laughter echoed wildly through the ruined hall.
"Calamity Admiral... Kane!!!"
Kaido grabbed the kanabo [Eight Prohibitions] beside him and smashed the wine table in front of him to pieces. Black and red Conqueror's Haki lightning erupted from his body like a swarm of frenzied serpents, tearing through the surrounding air!
His ferocious face, veins bulging, revealed undisguised brutality and a chilling, eager hunger.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time! Ever since that useless Shiki fell and Roger was captured, I've dreamed of testing myself against the storm that can overturn the seas!"
Kaido's massive body took a heavy step forward, his overwhelming pressure forcing even King and Queen to retreat several steps.
He spread his arms, bared his teeth, and roared a death-seeking cry like a beast from the abyss:
"Come on! Don't you dare disappoint me! I hope today... you can finally kill me here!!! Ughohohohoho!!!"
Just as Kaido's fighting spirit peaked, ready for an all-out battle.
Kane pulled out a small blue booklet from his pocket.
He flipped to a page, his tone becoming thoroughly bureaucratic.
"Kaido of the Beasts, leader of the illegal armed forces in Wano Country."
Kaido's laughter froze abruptly on his face.
Kane continued reading: "According to the World Government's 'Non-Affiliated Country Resource Protection Law,' you have illegally mined minerals, expanded heavy industrial facilities without authorization, and caused severe environmental pollution."
"Furthermore, this Onigashima of yours is an illegal structure. It lacks a construction permit, and you have not paid the annual 300 million Berry environmental protection deposit."
Kane looked up, his eyes filled with the cold indifference of routine procedure.
"Based on the Navy's latest amendment, I now represent Marine Headquarters in imposing a fine of 50 billion Berries on you."
"Additionally, in light of your murder of my dear, never-met son Momonosuke."
Kane closed the booklet, his tone matter-of-fact.
"An extra 200 billion Berries in compensation will be added."
"Will you pay this sum now, or shall I take it from your armories myself after I kill you?"
All the pirates present felt their brains short-circuit.
The Calamities were stunned.
"You're saying... you want to fine me?"
Kaido's eyes bulged, his voice filled with absurdity: "And since when was Momonosuke your son?"
Kane took a deep drag of his cigarette, his expression turning extremely serious.
"My lady's son is my son."
"Although Lady Toki and I only met last night, our feelings deepened extremely quickly. We are already the closest of confidants."
"As an upright Navy man, collecting debts for family is perfectly logical, don't you think?"
The fingers gripping Kaido's kanabo creaked, the fury in his chest almost materializing.
"You bastard... you laid hands on that woman?"
Kane spread his hands, looking innocent.
"Don't put it that way. You were the one who acted inhuman first. As an upright Navy man, I merely offered a lost widow some warmth and support in the night."
"Now, let's talk business."
The wind pressure around Kane surged instantly, Zangetsu emitting a clear, dragon-like hum.
"Pay up, or pay with your life?"