The climate is chaotic, and the environment is harsh, with unexpected situations occurring at any time. This is the impression almost everyone at sea has of the Grand Line, especially the latter half known as the New World.
In the New World, every island has its unique climate.
The weather in Wano Country is particularly distinctive. Centered around the volcano in the Flower Capital, the surrounding regions of Kuri, Hakumai, Udon, Ringo, and Kibi each embody the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Initially, Nicholas had suspected that Wano's unique climate might hold some secret, similar to how Punk Hazard's climate was affected by the battle between Akainu and Aokiji. However, after research, it was determined that the reason these territories in Wano encompass the four seasons is entirely due to the influence of the volcano near the Flower Capital.
At this moment, in the Ringo region, which is perpetually in winter, a fierce battle was unfolding.
"Is that... a dragon!?" The members of the Thriller Bark Pirates were astonished as they watched the giant dragon appearing in the night sky. Gecko Moriah's eyes narrowed sharply, filled with dread. Earlier, Kaido, in his human form, had already wreaked havoc with just a club. Now, in his evidently stronger dragon form, his attacks would undoubtedly become even more terrifying.
In the air, the dragon's cold eyes swept over the ground, glaring at the insignificant ants below. Initially, the drunken Kaido fought with a playful attitude, but as time passed, his drunkenness had mostly worn off.
With his top subordinates' lives still uncertain and himself repeatedly frustrated, seeing the ground enemies persistently getting up unless smashed into pulp infuriated Kaido, driving him to madness.
Almost simultaneously as Kaido revealed his dragon form, what had been a clear night sky quickly gathered clusters of black clouds, bringing strong winds, flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder.
In an instant, the weather turned. Bolts of brilliant lightning encircled the dragon's massive body, snaking along its form and emitting dazzling light.
Boom! Without warning, countless thick bolts of lightning shot down from the clouds above Moriah and his crew, striking where they stood. The lightning splintered upon impact, scattering rays of light that enveloped Moriah and his crew.
In an instant, Moriah's Thriller Bark Pirates were swallowed by the dazzling lightning. Standing at the forefront, Moriah managed to switch places with his shadow to dodge the attack, but his crew was not so fortunate.
Moriah watched helplessly as his comrades were engulfed in the purple lightning, his expression turning grim and his pupils constricting sharply. Kaido's attack nearly obliterated the Thriller Bark Pirates.
"Kaido, you bastard!" Moriah of the Moonlight tightly gripped his long sword, glaring at Kaido with rage. Veins bulged on his forehead in fury.
"Shadow's Secret Art! Purgatory Ghost Slash!" Overwhelmed by anger, Moriah slashed with all his might at the shadow of the giant dragon on the ground, sending a massive shadow attack towards it.
In the air, Kaido, in dragon form, immediately sensed the unusual slash heading for his shadow. His cruel, savage dragon eyes gleamed. The massive shadow slash collided silently with the dragon's shadow on the ground, creating a deep, lengthy wound on its neck. Simultaneously, Kaido's dragon scales burst apart at the same spot on his neck, and hot dragon blood spurted out.
"Are you kidding me..." Seeing Kaido injured should have been thrilling, but Moriah was instead filled with disbelief. He couldn't accept the outcome. He had expected to decapitate Kaido, but the result was just this?
Dragon-shaped Kaido lowered his head to look at Moriah, the wound on his neck slowly healing thanks to his formidable regenerative abilities. Coldly, he said, "Are you wondering why you didn't cut off my shadow? Your ability to harm the shadow and reflect it on the entity is indeed troublesome, but the Haki covering the entity is also reflected on the shadow.
Our Haki levels aren't on the same plane! Moreover, do you really think your power is invincible? Getting a bit of fame in the New World and you lose yourself. Let me show you real terror!"
With Kaido's words, the serpentine dragon body began rotating, forming a massive tornado around him.
"Dragon Twister: Demolishing Wind!"
As the colossal dragon body twisted, it released countless green wind blades towards Moriah. The sheer number of wind blades seemed overwhelming, moving as fast as a swordsman's slashes, and in an instant, they reached Moriah.
Facing the incoming wind blades, Moriah's heart tightened. He released his Armament Haki, coating his weapon while gathering all the shadows he had collected within himself, amplifying his presence. He swung his long sword at the wind blades.
Initially, he hoped to deflect all the incoming blades, considering that his crew, though incapacitated by lightning, were not dead due to their zombie-like nature. However—
The moment his sword clashed with the first wind blade, he realized his idea was naïve. "Such power..." The overwhelming force transmitted from the wind blade made veins pop on Moriah's forehead. He managed to deflect the first few blades, but soon, he could only protect himself. The subsequent wind blades flew past him, striking his incapacitated crew behind him.
Slicing sounds filled the air, and the scene behind Moriah turned into a hellish landscape of severed limbs and blood. Moriah stared blankly at his crew members' dismembered bodies, his long sword slipping from his grasp, emitting a soft cry.
He could no longer see the mocking, contemptuous eyes of the dragon in the sky. This was the absolute power gap. "Everyone..." Watching his shattered comrades in the blood pool, Moriah's anger ignited. These comrades had trusted him unreservedly, even lending their life-tied shadows, yet he couldn't protect them.
"Kaido!!!" In a rage beyond words, Moriah lost his rationality. "Gathering Shadows!" His eyes ablaze with fury, countless shadows entered his body, swelling it to a giant's size in mere moments. Thud! Thud! Thud! In his wrath, Moriah charged at the dragon with unexpected speed for his giant size.
"Worororo, is this your trump card?" Kaido mocked as he watched the giant Moriah rushing at him. Size sometimes indicated power, but not against someone of Kaido's caliber. Kaido's dragon claw grabbed Moriah's hands, and his dragon head viciously headbutted Moriah's chest, the sharp horns tearing deep wounds. The force threw the massive Moriah away.
"Is this all you got..." Kaido felt both disappointed and reassured, noting that someone like Nicholas was still rare. He remained among the strongest on the sea.
Kaido, uninterested in wasting more time on Moriah, opened his dragon mouth. "Demolishing Wind!" Wind blades shot from his mouth, cutting into the airborne Moriah, sending blood spurting and shadows escaping. The giant body plummeted to the ground. Kaido, reverting to human form, headed towards Moriah's fallen form, intent on finishing him off. "If it were before, I might have recruited you, but now I'm furious!" Kaido raised his spiked club, ready to strike.
"Lord Moriah!" Suddenly, a figure appeared by Moriah's side, grabbing his unconscious body. "Hmm?" Kaido hesitated, then kicked the intruder in the jaw, shattering it. Despite the horrific injury, the figure smiled at Kaido. As Kaido prepared to strike again, the figure vanished along with Moriah.
Even using his Haki, Kaido couldn't sense them anymore, as if they had vanished into thin air. Looking at the battlefield littered with bodies and the missing Moriah, Kaido's anger flared. Just then, an falcon's screech echoed through the sky.