"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
The once grand residence of Wanokuni's General, Kurozumi Orochi, had been reduced to smoldering ashes. Kurozumi Orochi, now a mere shadow of his former self, couldn't even maintain the form granted by the Snake-Snake Fruit—Mythical Beast Yamata no Orochi. He gazed up in sheer terror at the figure above him, an incarnation of thunder.
After his alliance with Kaido and rise to dictatorial power over Wanokuni, Kurozumi Orochi had grown accustomed to flaunting his might. Yet now, he was a pitiful sight, his body covered in burn marks. "Damn it! This woman, this woman! Why is she here?!" he stammered, eyes wide with fear.
He knew her well. During the Entei Incident, she had fought alongside 'Dark King' Silver Rayleigh and 'Dark Ranger' Fujitora to capture Admiral Kizaru alive. She was a Logia user, wielding one of the most formidable powers: the Thunder Fruit. She was a high-ranking officer of the Entei Pirates Grand Fleet, with a bounty of 2 billion berries—"Little Thief Cat" Nami.
Although Wanokuni had been isolated by Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido, cutting off external information, Kurozumi Orochi had still managed to keep himself informed about the outside world. He had witnessed the live broadcast of the Entei Incident, a spectacle that had shocked the globe. Back then, "Little Thief Cat" Nami had been the only officer of the Entei Pirates with Admiral-level combat prowess, though she had relied heavily on her Thunder Fruit abilities and was not truly at the admiral level.
But now, what had changed? The power emanating from this woman was incomprehensible. Nami, transformed into a living thunderstorm, radiated an aura of pure destruction. The fear in Kurozumi Orochi's eyes was indescribable.
His own Devil Fruit, the Mythical Beast Yamata no Orochi, had granted him the ability to manifest eight heads, each with its own consciousness, essentially giving him eight lives. To kill him, one would have to destroy all eight heads. While his form was not as formidable in combat as Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit—Mythical Beast Blue Dragon, it was unparalleled in terms of survival.
Yet, within a short span, five of his eight heads had been obliterated by Nami's relentless thunder attacks. Her power was overwhelming, leaving him no chance to retaliate. This was not just the power of the Thunder Fruit. There was something more, something far more terrifying.
"You are really good at running, but the game is over," Nami said, her red lips curling into a slight smile as she looked at Kurozumi Orochi.
Before arriving in Wanokuni, Nami and her comrades had learned of the dire situation caused by the collusion between Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi. Witnessing the suffering of Wanokuni's people firsthand only fueled Nami's anger. For scum like Kurozumi Orochi, she had no intention of showing mercy.
"Spare me, spare my life! The Flame Emperor's target is Kaido, right? We can cooperate with each other!" Kurozumi Orochi screamed, desperation evident in his voice as he faced the thunderous figure of Nami. He knew escape was impossible. In a world where only the speed of the Sparkling Fruit user, Kizaru, might outrun the Thunder Fruit's power, everyone else could only await death when pursued by a Thunder Fruit user.
Even with his Yamata no Orochi form granting him eight lives, Kurozumi Orochi stood no chance. The Thunder Fruit's combination of speed and power made it one of the most invincible Logia abilities. Facing such an opponent, especially knowing the terrifying man behind her—Flame Emperor Portgas D. Ace—made Kurozumi Orochi feel an icy dread.
He remembered Doflamingo's downfall. Ace hadn't even needed to intervene personally; two of his officers had annihilated Doflamingo and the Donquixote family. The knowledge that Ace aimed to confront Kaido and the BIG-MOM Pirates, who had formed an alliance, only added to his terror.
"Why didn't the Entei Pirates go directly to Onigashima but came to Wanokuni?" Kurozumi Orochi pondered. It wasn't because they didn't know where Kaido was. After the Entei Incident, Ace's forces, especially with Nami's Thunder Fruit-enhanced Observation Haki, could perfectly track all battlefield information.
The Entei Pirates had targeted Wanokuni from the start, likely for its strategic resources—precious Seastone and renowned weaponry. Post-Entei Incident, it was clear that another battle loomed between the Entei Pirates and the World Government. Ace's ambition surpassed that of the Pirate King; his goal was to conquer the world.
Realizing this too late, Kurozumi Orochi felt a pang of regret. He should have ensured his safety with Kaido instead of basking in his power in Wanokuni. Yet, he believed he could still negotiate. If he could help Kaido build a war factory and seal off Wanokuni, he could do the same for Ace.
"Are you done?" Nami's expression turned icy. "After that, you can go to hell. Are you worthy of cooperating with our captain?"
Kurozumi Orochi's face paled. "Wait!" he tried to plead.
"Two hundred million volts! King Cobra!" Nami's cold shout interrupted his desperate plea.
"Squeak! Boom!!!"
A colossal thunderous snake materialized, its sharp fangs even more menacing than Kurozumi Orochi's Yamata no Orochi form. With a deafening roar, the thunder king cobra Descended Upon Kurozumi Orochi mercilessly.
"Little girl! Don't be so arrogant!" A thunderous roar echoed from the sky.
"Roar!!!"
Kurozumi Orochi's eyes widened in shock as a colossal dragon head slowly emerged from the clouds, revealing the immense body of the Azure Dragon. Kaido had arrived, blocking Nami's Thunder King Cobra.
"So that's it. He came from above the clouds. Conqueror's Haki... my Observation Haki is isolated," Nami thought, observing Kaido's sudden appearance. Although her Observation Haki could cover a country's scope due to her Thunder Fruit, it also consumed significant physical strength, depending on the range. Concentrating her Haki on Onigashima had blinded her to Kaido's approach through the clouds, where extending Haki required even more energy. Violet's Devil Fruit ability, the Staring Fruit, also proved ineffective against Kaido's Conqueror's Haki, which shielded him from detection.
"DA!" Kaido's dragon form collided with Nami's 200 million-volt King Cobra.
"Sizzle! Boom!!!"
Kaido's face twisted in surprise as he felt Nami's attack. "What?!!! This isn't just the power of the Thunder Fruit! There's another power entwined—Conqueror's Haki!!!"
Kaido's eyes flashed with purple-black lightning as he channeled his Conqueror's Haki, wrapping it around the dragon's head. With a powerful blast, he sent Nami's Thunder King Cobra skyward.
"Boom!!!" The Thunder King Cobra exploded in the clouds, its combined power of Thunder Fruit and Conqueror's Haki obliterating large swathes of clouds above the atmosphere.
"I didn't expect that you would actually master the power of Conqueror's Haki-Infusion," Kaido admitted, now regarding Nami with a serious expression. Though her Conqueror's Haki was not as formidable as his own, the combination with her Thunder Fruit was impressive and worthy of his full attention.
"Sure enough, it's Conqueror's Haki-Infusion!" Kurozumi Orochi, cowering behind Kaido, felt a shiver of dread at the realization. The Entei Pirates were monsters. It was one thing for Ace to master such power, but for Nami, the "Little Thief Cat," to also wield Conqueror's Haki-Infusion was unbelievable. The implications were terrifying. If Nami had reached a level where she could fight Kaido, what about the other officers of the Entei Pirates? And then there were the newly joined former Admiral Kuzan and Pirate Queen Boa Hancock, both formidable warriors.
A sense of impending doom washed over Kurozumi Orochi. Even if Kaido and the BIG-MOM Pirates had allied, facing the Entei Pirates still seemed perilous. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he realized the magnitude of the threat they faced.
"There are still many things you don't know, Kaido." Nami waved her weather stick confidently, standing her ground against the formidable opponent.
Though she knew she couldn't defeat Kaido yet, she wasn't afraid to face him. Her fighting spirit surged, fueled by her thoughts of Ace.
"Your appearance has somewhat disrupted the original balance of combat power. Before the Flame Emperor arrives, I'll get rid of you first!"
Kaido's roar echoed through the skies. "Linlin!!!!" He called out to Onigashima floating in the distance. For Kaido, dignity was secondary to victory. Nami's combat power far exceeded his expectations. A warrior he initially saw as merely reaching the threshold of Admiral-level strength had suddenly become MUCH stronger than he expected. This shift could alter the entire war's outcome. Without knowing why Ace hadn't appeared, Kaido saw an opportunity to weaken the Entei Pirates before Ace could arrive.
"Mama! Mama!" A nauseating laugh pierced the air as Charlotte Linlin, the fearsome Big Mom, approached on her living thundercloud Homies Zeus, wielding the giant sword Napoleon, another Homie.
"What a surprising Bunch... Entei Pirates! But it's over, mama! Mama!" Linlin's eyes were bloodshot, her mouth twisted in a grin as she swung her giant sword at Nami.
"Hu! Clang!" An invisible, terrifying gale suddenly blew over, blocking the giant sword in Linlin's hand.
"Roar!!!" The roar of a tiger made Kaido and Linlin turn, their faces contorting in anger and frustration.
Before them stood Gion, in her White Tiger form, radiating a powerful and intimidating presence.
"Swoosh!"
A metallic gust of wind, charged with a deadly aura, clashed with the Homie Napoleon in Charlotte Linlin's hand.
The next moment, "Boom!!!" The violent airflow unleashed waves of terrifying fluctuations, causing the ground to quake violently. The sheer intensity of the energy sent shivers down Kurozumi Orochi's spine. What had just happened?
"Roar!!!"
A deafening tiger roar echoed, seemingly capable of shattering the world. Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, their faces contorted with alarm, rushed toward the source of the roar.
There, a massive white tiger, no less formidable than Kaido's blue dragon form, stood proudly. The tiger's immense body, lifted by a murderous wind, exuded a killing aura similar to Kaido's flame clouds.
"Mythical beast!!!" Kurozumi Orochi's pupils shrank in terror. Ordinary Zoan fruits did not bestow such enormous bodies or the ability to Ride on murderous winds like Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Beast - Blue Dragon Form. This was unmistakably a rare Mythical Beast Devil Fruit as Sweat poured from Kurozumi Orochi's forehead.
"Tiger-Tiger Fruit, Mythical Beast - White Tiger Form! Who are you?" Kaido demanded, recognizing the formidable fruit instinctively.
In the One Piece world, four top-tier Mythical Beast Devil Fruits stood out, second only to the legendary Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Beast - Nika Form. Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Beast - Blue Dragon Form was one of them, granting its user near-immortality and the power to control natural elements. This made it the strongest among the four in terms of overall power.
Another known fruit was the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Beast - Suzaku Form, held by the Entei Pirates' cadre, 'Firebird' Laki. While powerful, it leaned more toward mystical aspects rather than direct combat strength, making it generally weaker than Kaido's Azure Dragon form.
Now, standing before them was the third of the four top-tier fruits, the Tiger-Tiger Fruit, Mythical Beast - White Tiger Form. Though Kaido's dragon form was superior in versatility, the white tiger form was unmatched in pure attack power, rivaling even the top offensive fruit, the Lava-Lava Fruit.
"Tiger-Tiger Fruit, Mythical Beast - White Tiger Form? The Devil Fruit with the strongest attack power? No wonder this wind stings my hands," Charlotte Linlin remarked, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the white tiger. She opened her mouth, licking her lips hungrily.
Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, obtained in the Valley of Gods, had granted him immense power. Charlotte Linlin knew its potential well; fully developed, it could elevate someone to an Admiral-level combatant based purely on its Devil Fruit abilities.
However, the white tiger form's attack power was even more formidable. Although its user's Haki wasn't particularly strong and lacked Conqueror's Haki-Infusion, the tiger's attack had still managed to sting her hands slightly. It was indeed a Devil Fruit power surpassing even Kaido's Azure Dragon form in terms of raw attack potency.
"Buzz!"
At Kaido's roar, the white tiger's form shifted rapidly. In moments, it morphed into an upright humanoid tiger, its sharp claws transforming into hands that gripped the famed sword Jinpira.
"Gion? It's you," Kaido muttered, recognizing the weapon instantly. Former Naval Headquarters Vice Admiral and Admiral Candidate, Momousagi Gion, was a name known across the world. Despite never becoming an Admiral, her prowess and her sword were legendary.
"Yes, Gion, Captain of the Sixth Division of the Entei Pirates Fleet. I am here," Gion replied, a slight smile curling her lips as she held Jinpira horizontally before her.
Kaido's eyes narrowed. "Ace, that guy, what he said at the beginning was really true. Did he even get the Tiger-Tiger Fruit, Mythical Beast - White Tiger Form?"
After the Entei incident, Kaido, Whitebeard, and Shanks had all attended a banquet held by Ace. There, Ace had disclosed a special ability that could attract precious Devil Fruits directly, the origin of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Beast - Suzaku Form. However, when Ace tried to help Marshall D. Teach attract a Devil Fruit ability, nothing happened, leading Kaido to question the legitimacy of Ace's claim.
Now, seeing Gion, Kaido realized the problem lay not with Ace but possibly with Teach or the Dark fruit itself. The fact that another top-tier Mythical Beast Devil Fruit had fallen into Ace's hands was troubling.
Gion's transformation and the power she displayed were alarming. Though not on their level, she was undoubtedly Admiral-level in combat power, a force that even the Four Emperors had to take seriously. Kaido's own strongest subordinate, the Flame Disaster King, didn't reach this level—merely approaching it.
Kaido's initial plan had relied on the Beasts Pirates and the core strength of the BIG-MOM Pirates to contain the Entei Pirates' officers. He had underestimated them, thinking they had Admiral-level fighters but no Four Emperors. Now, Nami's unexpected strength and Gion's emergence disrupted everything.
The confirmed Admiral-level fighters of the Entei Pirates—'Dark' Rayleigh, 'Dark Ranger' Fujitora, and the former Admiral Aokiji—Only made things even worse. Even Kaido felt a twinge of fear.
The Entei Pirates were too powerful. Kaido recalculated. If all these formidable fighters, along with the monstrous Ace, focused their efforts, it would spell big trouble. Yet, he clung to hope. During the Entei incident, the Entei Pirates had defeated the Navy Headquarters through tactics despite not being as outright strong as the Marines.
He resolved to weaken the Entei Pirates' combat strength first, mirroring their strategy against the Marines during the Entei incident. He had to act quickly and decisively before Ace arrives. The battle ahead would require more than just brute strength; it would demand cunning tactics and strategy.
"Linlin! Go all out and get rid of them FAST!" Kaido roared, his eyes blazing with the terrifying aura of Conqueror's Haki.
"Buzz!"
At this moment, Four Emperors Kaido would not hold back. It was imperative to eliminate Nami and Gion before Ace arrived, or they would face dire consequences.
"Mama! Mama! Leave it to me," Charlotte Linlin's eyes filled with the same purple-black hue of Conqueror's Haki. Though often perceived as a tyrant obsessed with sweets and children, she was far from a fool. She understood that the balance of power between their Pirate Alliance and the Entei Pirates was shifting.
The Entei Pirates' high-end combat power was astonishing, despite their smaller numbers. They needed to reduce this power before Ace's arrival.
"Huh!"
Charlotte Linlin unleashed the full power of her Soul-Soul Fruit. Homies Zeus transformed into a pitch-black thundercloud, crackling with terrifying lightning beneath her feet. Homies Prometheus merged with her hair, turning it into a burning flame. With her giant sword in hand and Conqueror's Haki enveloping her body, she became a true monster of the sea.
"Mama isn't messing around anymore!"
Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son, watched in awe as sweat formed on his forehead. Katakuri, standing beside him, wore a solemn expression. The war hadn't even truly begun, yet the Entei Pirates' appearance had driven two of the Four Emperors to their full fighting strength.
The Entei Pirates were terrifying. Not all of their powerful officers had shown up, and there was no sign of their legendary leader. Katakuri, ever vigilant, began accumulating strength, ready to unleash his Haki and Devil Fruit abilities at any moment.
"Buzz!"
The red light of Ultimate Observation Haki flashed in Katakuri's eyes, and his face changed dramatically.
"Don't think that you can provoke us just because you have eaten a powerful Devil Fruit! Little girl!" Charlotte Linlin bellowed, launching a terrifying attack infused with Conqueror's Haki at Gion. This attack could grievously wound even a Naval Admiral if not avoided.
The raw power of the Four Emperors was overwhelming. Each of the three strongest Naval Admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—relied on their Devil Fruit abilities to battle such foes, avoiding direct clashes that could spell disaster.
"Die! Little girl!" Charlotte Linlin opened her maw wide.
"I want to see what's so great about the Four Emperors."
"Swoosh!"
A tall figure executed a graceful arc in the air.
"Boom! Swoosh!!!"
Violent black and purple lightning filled the air, coiling around slender legs.
"Big Perfume Femur!" Hancock shouted, her Sweet-Sweet Fruit and Conqueror's Haki-Infusion powers fully unleashed.
"White Tiger, Strong Wind!" Gion shouted, her sword Jinpira wrapped in Armament Haki and White Tiger winds. Together with Hancock's attack, she struck at Charlotte Linlin.
"Boom!!!"
Charlotte Linlin's expression changed drastically as her attack was completely overwhelmed. The massive force sent her hurtling backwards.