Punk Hazard, New World
"Relay my orders!! I want you and Borsalino to report back to HQ! NOW!!!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice thundered through the transponder snail, his tone laced with urgency and fury. The harshness of his command reverberated in Raylene's mind, tearing her attention away from the intense battle raging around her.
Raylene, currently one of the Navy's most formidable admirals, was locked in a brutal three-way combat on Punk Hazard. The island's volatile environment reflected the chaotic nature of the battle. She was up against two monsters: the indomitable Hundred Beasts Kaido and the young, yet terrifyingly powerful, Donquixote Rosinante.
Despite being in her prime, with her mythical white tiger fruit and supreme swordsmanship, Raylene found herself struggling to gain the upper hand.
Kaido, a towering dragon of a man, was taking the brunt of the damage in this three way showdown, but it wasn't due to Raylene's efforts alone. The young Rosinante, with his dual blades, one crimson, the other black, and fearsome lightning Logia powers, was the true menace who was keeping both herself and Kaido pinned.
He moved with a speed that left even her reflexes that she prided in strained, and his black lightning infused strikes were as precise as they were deadly. Every time she tried to exploit an opening by using Kaido as a shield, the teen would react faster, his lightning-fast reflexes turning the tables on her.
Despite her frustration, Raylene couldn't deny the terrifying reality: Rosinante, despite his youth, was a stronger contender in this deadly dance. His blade— especially the crimson one, pulsing with an ominous energy—seemed to cut through the reality itself. Every attack from the said blade seemed to devour lifeforce and haki, and even her devil fruit powers seemed to be restricted by the blade.
Raylene herself wielded a supreme-grade odachi, Tora no Tsume, a blade that had been with her through countless battles, yet it was as if the teen's sword was something otherworldly, a weapon that shouldn't exist, a weapon superior to even the finest blades in the world. But she couldn't believe it, couldn't accept that such a blade could surpass her own.
"Sengoku-san… but… I have an opportunity here to catch them! At least Kaido…" Raylene's voice wavered with reluctance. She could see that Kaido, despite his ferocity, was bearing the brunt of Rosinante's wrath. It was almost as if the boy held a personal grudge against the dragon. If she could just capitalize on this, maybe she could capture Kaido and end this nightmare of the seas.
"Marine! Do you even know what's going on?!!" Sengoku roared, cutting her off with a fury that made her flinch, despite her battle-hardened nature. His voice crackled with an intensity that sent chills down her spine.
"We cannot afford another mishap! Under no circumstances should the situation on Punk Hazard escalate! Disperse the two parties, immediately! I don't care if you have to abandon Punk Hazard altogether!"
Raylene felt her resolve waver, a sinking feeling in her gut. Sengoku's urgency was unlike anything she had ever heard from the man. What could be happening that was so dire, so catastrophic, that the Fleet Admiral was willing to abandon a mission involving Kaido? She clenched her teeth, her eyes darting between Kaido and Rosinante.
The dragon and the young warrior were relentless, their battle cries tearing through the toxic air of Punk Hazard. But something was wrong, deeply wrong, for Sengoku to issue such a desperate command.
"Sengoku-san…" Raylene began, her voice shaking slightly as she struggled with her decision. She had never been one to abandon a fight, especially not when she was so close to capturing one of the world's most dangerous pirates. But the weight of Sengoku's words, the sheer desperation in his voice, made her hesitate.
"Disperse them, Raylene!" Sengoku's voice boomed again, leaving no room for argument. "I don't care what it takes—this battle must not continue. Report back to HQ immediately!"
Raylene tightened her grip on her Odachi, her knuckles white under the strain. She looked at Kaido, his massive form still absorbing blow after blow, and then at Rosinante, his crimson blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. The young teen was relentless, his every strike echoing with a power that seemed unnatural for someone his age.
She knew what Sengoku was asking was almost impossible. Separating these two was a task that would take more than just her skills. But she had her orders, and if Sengoku was this insistent, there was something far more critical at stake than even capturing Kaido.
With a heavy heart, Raylene made her decision. She had no idea what catastrophe awaited them, but she knew she couldn't disobey Sengoku. Not now. Not when something this dire was in play.
"Understood, Sengoku-san," she finally replied, her voice steadying as she steeled herself for what was to come. "I'll do whatever it takes to stop this fight."
She took a deep breath and dashed toward the center of the battlefield, her sword gleaming in the toxic air. She would find a way to follow Sengoku's orders, no matter the cost. But as she moved, the uneasy feeling in her gut only grew stronger. What could possibly be happening elsewhere in the world that was so terrifying that Sengoku would be willing to let go of Kaido?
"You bastard! I will have your head!" Kaido roared as he launched himself into the air, his massive form morphing into his fearsome hybrid state. His kanabo raised high above his head, crackling with the combined might of his Armament and Conqueror's Haki, Kaido descended like an avenging demon. The sheer force of his presence was enough to make the very air around him tremble.
Despite the intensity of the situation, I couldn't suppress a snicker. The sight of Kaido now, with one of his dragon horns severed by my earlier strike, was oddly comical. I didn't know if that horn would ever grow back, but the once-terrifying figure now seemed almost... ridiculous.
It was a fleeting thought, quickly brushed aside as I readied both Akatsuki and Shusui to counter his attack. My mind was sharp, focused, yet I still kept track of Raylene's movements with my Observation Haki. Throughout our battle, she had been using Kaido as a meat shield, something I allowed because, for now, my target was solely Kaido.
But just a moment ago, Raylene had retreated from the fight after receiving a call from Sengoku. I had eavesdropped on the conversation, catching fragments of what had transpired. I knew she had orders to retreat, and it wasn't just her. All around the island, transponder snails were ringing simultaneously.
From the bits of information I gathered, I understood something catastrophic had occurred in the Sorbet Kingdom. The only concrete detail I could discern was that the kingdom had been destroyed. But that didn't make sense—how could an entire kingdom be obliterated so suddenly?
"Ascending Dragon: Adamantine Eight Trigrams: Ragnarok!" Kaido's voice boomed as he appeared above me, his kanabo crashing down with the force to shatter mountains. I intercepted his attack with Shusui, our weapons clashing in a collision that sent shockwaves through the air.
"Lightning Nova!!!" I countered, my blade sparking with electricity as it met Kaido's mighty blow. Though I stood nearly three meters tall, Kaido's towering form dwarfed me, making me seem like a mere child in comparison. But I pushed back, the raw power of my lightning-infused strike surging through my muscles, overwhelming Kaido.
He realized he was losing the battle of strength and attempted to unleash a close-range breath attack, but I was already a step ahead. I swung Akatsuki in a wide arc, the blade smashing into his side and sending him hurtling like a meteor into the ground, crashing into the main facility of Punk Hazard.
Just as I prepared to chain my attacks—knowing full well that a single strike wouldn't be enough to bring down someone like Kaido—Raylene suddenly appeared in my path, her odachi raised.
Even I was surprised to see her so quickly, wielding one of the 12 Supreme Grade blades. At first, I wasn't sure about the quality of her odachi, but after exchanging blows with both Shusui and Akatsuki, I gauged it was indeed a supreme-grade weapon.
"Raylene-san, tell me, have you finally decided to join hands with Kaido?" I couldn't help but ask with a smirk, my eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and amusement. I already knew she had orders to stop this fight on Punk Hazard, though I still didn't understand why Sengoku seemed so desperate to avoid creating a ruckus.
I was fully aware of my limits. If Raylene and Kaido truly cooperated, I would be at a significant disadvantage. Raylene was as strong as Kaido, and facing two Yonko-tier fighters simultaneously would be too much for me to handle at this moment. Though I wouldn't necessarily be defeated, it would lead to a stalemate—a scenario that wouldn't favor me.
"Tch, Rosinante! Why don't we stop things here? Haven't you already caused enough trouble for us?" Raylene asked wearily, her odachi pointed at me, her guard never lowering for even an instant.
Before I could respond, my Observation Haki picked up on the dozens of transponder snails ringing again all over the island. Even the snails that Doffy and Issho-san had were chiming in unison, along with my own emergency transponder snail, which started buzzing ominously.
Down below, Kaido pulled himself out of the rubble, his massive form emerging from the crater he had created. As he stood, he noticed a group standing before him, their expressions frozen in a mix of shock and terror. It was a peculiar sight—children, all of them, except for one man who was restrained with Seastone shackles.
Kaido's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man: Caesar Clown, the very target of this expedition, the one who might help the Beast Pirates mass-produce artificial Devil Fruits.
Kaido's lips curled into a vicious grin. Wasn't this the prize he had come for? The man who could elevate his crew's power to new heights? For a moment, the idea of retreating crossed his mind. He knew they didn't stand a chance of victory now, outnumbered and outmatched. But if he could capture Caesar, this venture might still be salvaged.
Lucci was the first to react, stepping protectively in front of the group while Smoker and Gladius channeled their own Devil Fruit powers, ready to defend against the beast before them.
But Kaido was in no mood to play games with children.
"Bolo Breath!!!" Kaido roared, unleashing a powerful beam of destruction, aimed to eliminate them all in one fell swoop. The beam tore through the air with deadly precision, but before it could reach its targets, another voice echoed through the building.
"Majestic Flame Destroyer!!!" A massive pillar of blue flames erupted, colliding with Kaido's breath attack. The explosion that followed was cataclysmic, tearing through the facility with ferocious intensity. Gladius reacted swiftly, creating a massive dome of crystal around them, shielding the group from the devastation.
"Tap… Tap… Tap!!!" The sound of footsteps echoed on the metallic floor, and Doffy emerged from the smoke, a warm smile playing on his lips as he approached the group. He turned to face Kaido, and his smile widened into a mocking grin.
"Fufufufu!! Kaido, you seem to be missing something on your head. Where's one of your dragon horns? Perhaps you sold it off because of a lack of funds? I've heard dragon horns make a good supplement for vitality." Doffy's eyes gleamed with dark amusement as he subtly alluded to a certain kind of vigor-enhancing supplement.
Kaido's face soured instantly at Doffy's taunt, his rage boiling over. The tension in the air thickened as these powerful forces prepared for another clash, the fate of Punk Hazard hanging in the balance.
Kaido's eyes burned with fury at Doffy's taunt, but this time, he didn't lash out in a fit of rage. The Kaido of old would have leaped at Doflamingo, ready to tear him apart for such insolence. But the battle had taken its toll, and Kaido was no longer driven purely by wrath. Instead, he was more cold and calculating, the lessons of countless battles and recent failures etched into his soul.
Kaido weighed his options quickly. He could sense the shifting tides of battle, the way the scales were slowly tipping out of his favor. The Marines on the island seemed more keen on retreat, the incessant ringing of transponder snails across the island, and the earlier call that the Admiral received—something was happening, something bigger than their skirmish on Punk Hazard.
Whatever had occurred had rattled the Marines even for them willingly give up on their scientific stronghold of Punk Hazard, and Kaido knew it was time to think strategically.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he looked back at Caesar Clown. The scientist was the key to his plans for world domination, the one who could mass-produce the artificial Devil Fruits that would make his crew unstoppable. Capturing Caesar was more important than a grudge match with Doflamingo or finishing off Rosinante.
He turned his gaze back to Doflamingo, his expression hard and unreadable. The taunts no longer affected him, and his focus was singular: survive, regroup, and secure Caesar. Kaido knew that if he engaged Doflamingo now, it would be a distraction—a potentially deadly one.
Rosinante could easily slip past Raylene, and then Kaido would find himself surrounded by two more powerful enemies while the rest closed in. He already knew that despite the initial momentum, the Beast Pirates were being pushed back, and no matter how he saw it, the Donquixote Brats were winning. Now he realized how important it was to have more powerful subordinates.
Kaido's grip tightened on his kanabo as he made his decision. "This isn't over, Doflamingo, sooner or later, I will come for both of your heads!!!" he rumbled, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "But today, I have more important things to attend to."
Without another word, Kaido leaped back toward the crater where Caesar had fallen, still stunned and shackled, he had been separated earlier when Kaido crashed through the facility. He moved with surprising speed for someone of his size, his eyes never leaving his prize.
I was still locked in combat with Raylene, our blades clashing with a ferocity that sent shockwaves through the air. Each strike was a test of skill, speed, and endurance, and despite the chaos unfolding around us, neither of us was willing to back down.
My Observation Haki was fully active, and it wasn't just focused on Raylene; I could sense the shifting dynamics of the battlefield around us, especially the main facility where my brother and the kids faced off against Kaido.
Within a few moments, Issho, with his imposing presence, had joined the fray, accompanied by Diamante and Senor. They took their positions next to Doflamingo and whispered hurridly about the information that was being passed back and forth through transponder snails all over the island.
Doffy stood guaging his options with that ever-present smirk on his face. Their arrival changed the balance of power, adding more weight to an already tense situation.
At the same time, I noticed King disengaging from his skirmish and moving to Kaido's side. It seemed the battlefield was realigning, and everyone must have received the same disturbing news about the Sorbet Kingdom.
The urgency in their movements, the hastened pace of the Marine's retreat, told everyone present that something catastrophic had occurred—something that had shaken even these hardened warriors to their core.
I spared a brief glance toward the main facility. My Observation Haki was sharp, piercing through walls and distances, revealing everything within its radius. I could see Kaido's intentions as clear as day. He was making a move for Caesar Clown, the scientist cowering in fear, still shackled and helpless.
Kaido was preparing to retreat with his prize, and it was clear that this battle, at least for now, was coming to a close, and as much as I wanted it, it seemed like Ceasar Clown was not meant to be a part of the Donquixote family.
But my hands were tied, and I was not sure about Issho's chances against someone like Kaido. Raylene was relentless, her Odachi a blur of deadly steel as she pressed the attack. Her supreme-grade blade was a force to be reckoned with, and despite the situation, she wasn't giving me an inch to break away. Even as I blocked and countered, my mind raced, trying to figure out a way to regroup with the rest of my family.
And then, as if things couldn't get any worse, I sensed another presence joining Raylene's side—Kizaru. The Admiral candidate appeared in a flash of light, his laid-back demeanor doing nothing to mask the threat he posed.
With his arrival, the balance tipped even further against me. I was now facing two formidable opponents, both of whom had the power to keep me pinned down, preventing any chance of regrouping with my crew.
Kizaru's lazy drawl cut through the clamor of battle. "Yo, Rosinante-kun, it seems like you're in quite the bind. Care to surrender?"
I couldn't help but chuckle at his audacity, not bothering to respond. The situation had become far more complicated. I could sense the urgency in Kaido's crew as they regrouped, their focus now on a strategic retreat. The news from Sorbet Kingdom must have been dire enough to prompt such a coordinated withdrawal.
Raylene's attacks grew fiercer, as if she knew that every second I was held here was a way to diffuse the situation. I parried her strikes with Shusui, the black blade humming with energy, while Akatsuki crackled with lightning in my other hand. The clash of our weapons sent sparks flying, but my mind was already calculating my next move.
With Kizaru's light-speed attacks and Raylene's relentless swordsmanship, stopping Kaido from retreating was no easy task. I could feel the combined pressure of their assault, forcing me into a defensive stance. They were buying time—time for Kaido and his forces to make their escape, and I knew it. But I couldn't allow myself to be distracted, not when my family's safety was on the line.
Kaido, towering and unyielding, grabbed Caesar by the collar, lifting the terrified scientist like a ragdoll. Caesar whimpered, too petrified to put up any resistance. Kaido's eyes flicked toward Raylene once more—he knew she wouldn't be able to hold me off much longer. The situation was on the brink of spiraling out of control, and Kaido was wise enough to recognize the need to retreat.
"Let's go," Kaido commanded, his voice brooking no argument. This was a retreat, not a regroup. His forces understood the gravity of the situation—they would either follow or be left behind.
With a final, menacing glare at Doflamingo, Kaido launched himself into the sky, Caesar clutched in his grip. The battlefield beneath him was left in disarray, but Kaido no longer cared. He had what he came for, and nothing else mattered.
As Kaido ascended, Raylene felt the shift in the battle. Her orders were clear—disengage. With Kaido pulling out, she knew the time had come. With a final, powerful slash, she created enough distance between herself and me to break away.
Raylene's eyes narrowed as she quickly assessed the situation. With Kaido retreating and the chaos on Punk Hazard still raging, the balance of power had dangerously shifted.
I was a force to be reckoned with—my wrath had already proven to be unstoppable, and with my Observation Haki, I was aware of every move on the battlefield. If I decided to turn my fury on the Marines, it would spell disaster.
Even with Raylene, Kizaru, and Vergo combined, they might not be able to contain the destruction I could unleash. Raylene couldn't afford to gamble on that possibility.
Taking a deep breath, she made a decision that went against every instinct as a warrior but aligned with her duty as a Marine. The destruction of Sorbet Kingdom had changed everything, and Sengoku's orders were unambiguous. But Raylene knew she needed to ensure that her forces could retreat without further bloodshed.
"Kizaru!" she called out, her voice slicing through the chaos like a blade. The Vice Admiral, who had been preparing to launch another light-speed assault, paused, turning his gaze toward her. His usual nonchalant expression gave way to a hint of curiosity.
"Have all the Marines retreat! Now!" Raylene's voice carried an urgency that even Kizaru couldn't ignore.
"Raylene-san, are you sure—" Kizaru began, but she cut him off.
"Just do it!" she snapped, her tone allowing no room for argument. Kizaru raised an eyebrow, but with a casual shrug, he began to move, his light flickering as he relayed the command through the ranks.
Raylene turned her focus back to me, her heart pounding as she faced the cold intensity in my eyes. She knew I was weighing my options, calculating the consequences of every possible move. The tension in the air was palpable—one wrong word, and this island would become a graveyard for the Marines.
Realizing she needed to appeal to something deeper, something that might stay my hand, Raylene took a step forward. Garp's name held weight, and she knew I had a deep respect for the man who had been like a father to me.
"Rosinante! For Garp-san's sake…" She called out, her voice steady but tinged with a subtle plea.
"Do me this favor… Let the Marines retreat safely. I'll repay this debt in the future. I promise you that."
Her words hung in the air, a desperate attempt to appeal to whatever attachment I had left to my former institution. She knew that if I chose to, I could unleash a storm of destruction that even the combined might of the Marines couldn't withstand. But she also knew that Garp's teachings had left a mark on me—a mark that might just be enough to sway my decision.
The battlefield was silent for a moment, the only sound being the distant echoes of retreating footsteps. I stared at Raylene, my mind racing. I finally decided that I still didn't have enough knowledge about what exactly prompted such a decision from the Marines, and losing Caesar was no big deal as we already had Vegapunk.
But there was something else too—a memory of a man who had shown me kindness and a chance for me to live, who had taught me everything that I know and that there was more to winning a war than blind slaughter.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I slowly lowered my blades. The crackling lightning energy around me began to dissipate, though my gaze never lost its intensity.
*****
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