News of Kaido's defeat spread rapidly through the Four Seas, Paradise, and the New World, shocking everyone.
Before the battle, the news was full of skepticism toward Leno, highlighting Kaido's seemingly invincible power. But now, the tides have turned.
A different crowd is now rising to praise Leno, belittling Luo, and it all happened in just one day. Even people who once criticized Leno are suddenly behaving like they've been his biggest fans for years.
It's both amusing and unbelievable to watch.
Still, there were others shouting in frustration.
"What's so great about the Four Emperors?"
"The strongest creature? More like the weakest! Can't even beat a guy from East Blue? This is ridiculous!"
"Fixed fight! It has to be! Leno and Kaido must be in on it, trying to scam everyone!"
"I've lost everything! The Red Line was too high to climb, so I tried to jump into the sea, but even the sea was packed with people like me!"
Gamblers worldwide cursed Kaido's name, their faces turning green with anger. They wished they could drown him with their words alone.
In the New World, news from Wanokuni was heavily restricted, so there was little reaction.
However, the Beasts Pirates stationed outside Wanokuni faced attacks from countless ambitious pirates.
"Kaido is down, brothers! The position of the Four Emperors is open for the taking!"
"Kaido is dead, the throne is ours for the taking!"
"Charge! This is the perfect chance to claim the title of the Four Emperors!"
As these pirates attacked from every corner, King, Queen, and Jack had their hands full, fighting off the chaos.
With their combined strength, they managed to fend off the initial wave of attackers.
"King, is the Governor-General really gone? Wahh..." Jack sobbed through his bandages.
Queen kept his silence, puffing on his pipe.
King, with a steady voice, said, "If you want to cry, do it somewhere else. The Governor-General isn't that easy to take down. If he could die that easily, he would've been gone long ago!"
His words rang through the camp, filling the uncertain hearts of the crew with renewed determination.
That's right, Kaido doesn't fall that easily.
A Four Emperor can't be defeated just like that!
Moreover, Kaido's loss doesn't signal the end of the Beasts Pirates.
In fact, it's only a setback.
He always fought against overwhelming odds, and each defeat only made him stronger.
King's gaze turned to the newspaper, doubt creeping in. Could it be true that Kaido was truly defeated?
Sabaody Archipelago, Auction House
Doflamingo and Tesoro sat in silence, staring at each other across the table.
There were no words, only the relief that washed over their faces.
"Good thing we didn't mess with Leno when we had the chance, huh?" Doflamingo finally said with a nervous laugh.
Marine Base
"Vice Admiral Gion!"
Two Marines stood at attention as Gion passed by.
Gion nodded at them with a slight smile.
"Hey, did you see that? Vice Admiral Gion just smiled at us! She really is the goddess of the Marines!"
"Yeah, I noticed too. I guess she's happy with our performance lately!"
Encouraged, the Marines redoubled their efforts.
Gion continued on her way, heading to the training ground where Kuina was hard at work.
Shakky's Rip-Off Bar
"I can't believe he actually did it!" Shakky said, cigarette in hand, her face showing both disbelief and admiration as she stared at the newspaper.
Outside, Buggy was celebrating loudly, drawing odd looks from the passersby who thought he was out of his mind.
"Haha! It's a new era!" Buggy declared proudly, as if he were the one who had defeated Kaido.
Rayleigh, holding a wine glass, chuckled. "He's got potential. Give him a few more years, and he might even surpass Roger!"
"Roger was your captain," Shakky said with a teasing smile. "Are you okay with that?"
Rayleigh just shrugged. "Every era has to end sometime. A new legend always rises to take its place."
Shakky grinned. "You sound like you're looking forward to it."
Amazon Lily, Inside the Palace
Hancock clutched the newspaper to her chest, a look of pure joy on her face. "Leno truly won!"
"Our Leno is the greatest!" cheered the Kuja Pirates.
Gloriosa, watching from the sidelines, scratched her head.
"What's happening? Has Hancock's fever spread to everyone else? Now even the others are worshiping Leno like he's a Celestial Dragon."
She sighed, bewildered. "I just told Leno to pretend to be a Celestial Dragon to help Hancock recover. Did I give her the wrong treatment?"
North Blue
"Breaking news! Leno, the president of the East Blue Hunter Guild, has defeated Kaido!"
Back at the Heart Pirates' hideout, young Trafalgar Law was training with Bepo and Shachi, although it looked more like play-fighting than serious training.
Law stared at the newspaper in disbelief. "Kaido... defeated? How is that possible?"
Bepo nodded furiously. "It's true! It's all here in the news!"
Law read through the article, his face pale with shock. He remembered the fearsome tales of Kaido that even the most dangerous pirates told in hushed whispers.
Shachi teased him, "What do you say, Bepo? Maybe we should ditch the pirate life and become hunters instead!"
Bepo chimed in, "Hunters do sound better than pirates. At least they don't have everyone gunning for their heads!"
Law stood quietly, lost in thought, pondering this new possibility.
Five Days Later.
The shockwaves from the battle between Leno and Kaido had begun to subside. Around the world, the heated discussions were cooling, but something peculiar lingered—silence from the World Government.
Neither Kaido nor Leno had claimed victory.
It was almost as if the battle had never happened.
The World Government maintained an indifferent posture, as if to say, "We don't care." The Marines, too, remained eerily silent. No public movements. No statements. Just an unsettling stillness.
Even more curious, neither Kaido nor Leno had made an appearance since the duel. This strange, heavy atmosphere left people uneasy.
The Hunter Guild continued operations as usual, quietly confirming Leno's victory without any fanfare.
Then, rumors began circulating, stoking the fires of public curiosity once more.
"Breaking News! Both Kaido of the Beasts and Hunter Guild leader Leno sustained serious injuries in the fight—both whereabouts unknown!"
Speculations spiraled.
"Kaido and Leno have been secretly captured by the World Government!"
"My god, Kaido, the world's strongest creature, and Leno, the strongest hunter, were both killed at Mary Geoise!"
"Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku denies rumors of their capture!"
"According to an anonymous World Government official, Mary Geoise had nothing to do with the incident!"
One headline declared, "The World Government still recognizes Kaido as a Four Emperor and won't issue a bounty for Leno."
Another claimed, "The Hunter Guild will now align with the World Government as a non-pirate organization!"
The wildest rumor of all: "Leno is secretly a Celestial Dragon!"
As newspapers scrambled to push sensational headlines for profit, Morgans, one of the emperors of the Underworld, emerged as the biggest winner. His World Economy News Paper became the most trusted source, overshadowing every newspaper affiliated with the World Government.
It felt reminiscent of the uproar after Kuzan's resignation from the Marines, sparking endless debates about where Kuzan would go next. Now, people everywhere were obsessed with the question: Where are Kaido and Leno?
Deep beneath the sea...
Fish swam by in schools, their scales gleaming under the faint light that filtered through the turbulent currents.
For ten days, a blackened, charred figure drifted lifelessly among the waves—until now.
A giant shark, drawn by the scent of flesh, swam toward the figure, jaws wide.
Boom!
A powerful heartbeat rippled through the water, sending shockwaves that scared off the shark and every nearby fish.
Kaido's eyes snapped open.
His battered body was healing—only the deep scars and a missing leg remained.
"What a long sleep..." Kaido muttered, bubbles escaping his lips.
Despite being a Devil Fruit user, Kaido was unfazed by the sea. He sat up, his massive frame stirring the currents.
Then, memories surged back. His gaze lowered to his chest, where two prominent scars marked his skin: an X from Oden, and a 十 left by Leno.
"That bastard..." Kaido growled, wincing at the memory.
In the heat of battle, Leno had stabbed him—not once, but twice—in the kidney, trying to wake Kaido from unconsciousness.
Kaido gritted his teeth. Damn it...
Inside the cabin.
Leno leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach.
"Ahhh... finally, I'm full."
A system notification chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Underwater Breathing talent upgraded to A-rank. Underwater activity extended to 5 hours.]
"Not bad," Leno mused, exhaling in satisfaction.
He stood and approached a mirror. His body, now fully recovered, rippled with lean muscle. His once-frazzled hair and dull pupils had returned to their natural black.
At 241 cm tall, Leno's frame was tougher than ever, able to withstand strikes from ordinary swords.
After escaping the Red Line and evading Uranus's search, Leno had hidden in the deep sea—a place untouched by the World Government. Here, in this dark abyss, he could rest and recover.
With the Sulong exhausted, Leno knew he'd be weak for a while and needed time to heal.
But one thing was certain: as long as he lived, he was a threat.
He had sent a clear message to Imu and the Five Elders by infiltrating Mary Geoise: I don't fear the Celestial Dragons.
Leno knew most people in the pirate world either groveled before the Celestial Dragons or lived in fear of them—even the Revolutionary Army treaded carefully. But not him.
When it came to power, Leno didn't see titles. He saw rivals.
He smirked. Princes, emperors, or admirals—doesn't matter. We're all playing the same game, and when it comes down to it... who's afraid of whom?
Still, for now, Leno needed to play it smart. He couldn't afford recklessness—not when Imu or the Five Elders might send someone to Fish-Man Island in pursuit.
Leno clenched his fists, feeling the air crackle from the sheer force.
He opened his system panel.
[Host Name: Leno]
[Real Age: 18]
[Battle Talents: Armament Haki (SSS), Conqueror's Haki (SSS), Sword Mastery (SS), Rokushiki (S), Fish-Man Karate (B)...]
Leno's eyes gleamed as he read the system's evaluation:
"Admiral-level combat power. A prodigy, forged through blood and fire."
"Beyond even Garp, huh?" Leno muttered, his grin widening.
"Alright then. Next stop—Fish-Man Island."
There was no way he'd pass up the chance to find Shirahoshi and unlock the mysteries of the Poneglyphs.
This was just the beginning.
Leno was ready for whatever came next.
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg