"I told you, Sanders is a Thunder Dragon!"
Jack shouted at King from the ship's railing, his voice full of conviction.
This earned him an eye-roll from King.
"This idiot… Thunder Dragon? That's just the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!" King thought to himself.
"And anyway, Devil Fruits can be artificially replicated. It's not impossible for identical abilities to exist at the same time!"
Moments ago, King had witnessed Sanders floating in the air without the use of flame clouds.
Without a doubt, this was the work of the Float-Float Fruit.
Though it was just a theory, King was now certain: Sanders had the powers of multiple Devil Fruits.
But the sheer terror of this realization left him shaken.
"How can anyone face a monster this powerful?"
At that moment, the lightning crackling around Sanders' Thunder Dragon form faded. It was replaced by a shimmering white frost, as his dragon form transformed into a massive Frost Dragon.
ROAR!
A frigid, column-like blast of icy breath erupted from Sanders' mouth, freezing Kaido's Azure Dragon form solid in an instant.
However, it only took Kaido a moment to break free from the ice. He retaliated with a searing blast of heat breath, and the two dragons resumed their fierce battle, trading devastating attacks.
"Not a Thunder Dragon anymore?"
"Now he's a Frost Dragon?"
King glanced at the stunned Jack, a faint smirk of mockery playing on his lips.
It took Jack a moment to snap out of his daze, still reeling from the sight of Sanders' transformation into the Frost Dragon.
"King, what's going on?!" Jack exclaimed, his voice filled with confusion and frustration.
"What else could it be? Sanders has multiple Devil Fruit abilities," King replied.
Unlike Jack, who was completely shaken, King maintained his composure. However, the trembling in his pupils betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
"Multiple Devil Fruits?!" Jack was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of his head, and his jaw hung open, almost touching his chest.
"Isn't it supposed to be impossible to eat a second Devil Fruit without dying?" Jack shouted, struggling to make sense of it all. "How does Sanders have multiple abilities?!"
The rule that consuming a second Devil Fruit meant death was an iron law of the sea.
"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, freezing powers, the Float-Float Fruit, the Azure Dragon Fruit…"
"Sanders has at least four Devil Fruit abilities!"
Jack couldn't stop himself from blurting out his thoughts.
"How is he even alive with so many powers?!"
"And with abilities like these, who could possibly be his match?"
Fueled by loyalty to Kaido, Jack grabbed his scythe and prepared to order their ship closer to the island.
"We need to help Boss Kaido!" he declared.
"Shut up, you fool." King's voice was cold as he stopped Jack from acting.
"Kaido-sama would never allow anyone to interfere in his battles!"
"Besides, just because someone has multiple abilities doesn't mean they'll win. You need to trust Kaido-sama."
King's words carried a weight of experience. Having more powers didn't necessarily translate to victory.
After all, many of the world's strongest figures didn't even rely on Devil Fruits. Some stood at the top purely through physical might, skill, or willpower.
Moreover, Devil Fruit abilities consumed stamina.
"So, what do we do?"
"Just sit here and watch?" Jack asked, still anxious.
The sheer variety and power of Sanders' abilities were too terrifying to ignore.
"We wait. Kaido-sama won't be defeated so easily," King said calmly.
On the island, the battle between Kaido and Sanders raged on. As they fought, Sanders grew increasingly adept at utilizing the Azure Dragon Fruit's abilities.
The techniques he had initially struggled with were becoming more fluid and natural.
Kaido couldn't help but notice this development as they clashed.
"Even if you didn't have multiple Devil Fruit abilities," Kaido said, his voice tinged with admiration, "with your talent for learning and comprehension, you'd still become a force to be reckoned with on the seas!"
Sanders chuckled slyly but didn't reveal to Kaido that his ability to replicate Devil Fruit powers stemmed from the same mysterious source.
His massive dragon body began to shrink, shifting into a hybrid form—a blend of man and beast.
Kaido, noticing this, scowled. Without hesitation, he transformed into his own hybrid form to match.
Sanders planted his feet firmly on the ground. With a thought, a massive spiked club began to materialize in his hands, perfectly suited to his size. This was another application of the Fusion Fruit's ability.
However, unlike Kaido's traditional metal kanabo, Sanders' weapon was improvised, constructed from earth and rubble infused with Armament Haki. There wasn't enough metal around to forge a proper club, but his version was just as effective.
Seeing Sanders wielding a weapon that resembled his own, Kaido's anger flared.
"Will you cut it out already?!"
Using the Azure Dragon Fruit was one thing—but now Sanders was copying his fighting techniques as well. It was an insult Kaido couldn't tolerate.
Sanders, however, remained unfazed by Kaido's outburst. In fact, he grinned. The angrier Kaido got, the harder he would fight, which was precisely what Sanders wanted.
From a distance, King and Jack observed the escalating clash.
The two hybrid dragon-men now stood locked in combat, each wielding a spiked club and trading devastating blows across the island.
Not long after, Sanders executed a familiar attack.
"Thunder Bagua!"
The difference? The lightning coursing through Sanders' club was brighter, more intense, and far more destructive than Kaido's.
The fight dragged on, and to an outside observer, it might've looked like two versions of the same person locked in a duel.
Eventually, Sanders took stock of his stamina and called out.
"Alright, enough! I'm done!"
But Kaido, lost in the thrill of battle, ignored him. With a mighty swing, he sent Sanders flying with a powerful blow.
As Sanders crashed into the rubble, Kaido finally allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.
During the fight, this impudent upstart had mimicked nearly all of his techniques—and worse, Sanders' versions often seemed even more potent.
Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit gave him a measure of control over lightning, but compared to the true wielder of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, it paled in comparison.
Sanders dusted himself off, rising from the wreckage with a sincere expression.
"Thanks, Kaido!" he called out earnestly.
The gratitude in his tone wasn't feigned. Kaido had been an exceptionally thorough teacher, even if unintentionally. Sanders felt like he had grown tremendously through their battle.
If they were to fight seriously now, Sanders was confident he could overpower Kaido entirely. However, out of respect for the "lesson" Kaido had provided, he decided not to humiliate him by spreading this fact across the world.
Kaido, still fuming, muttered, "What the hell are you, really?"
For years, Kaido had been hailed as a "natural disaster," a monster among men. But now, he felt like the true monster stood before him.
Forget the ability to wield multiple Devil Fruit powers—Sanders' uncanny talent for learning was what truly unnerved him.
"Who picks up techniques after just a couple of hits?" Kaido thought.
His own techniques were the product of countless battles and refinements. Yet Sanders had copied them effortlessly, despite Kaido not even explaining them.
"Those idiot Marines must be out of their minds," Kaido mused bitterly.
To have let go of such a prodigy—someone who, even without Devil Fruits, could've easily risen to the rank of admiral.
If Sanders had been under Kaido's command, he would've trained him personally, treating him as his successor.
In fact, Kaido couldn't help but think...
"Maybe I should marry my daughter off to him?"
The idea struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Of course, Kaido referred to Yamato as his "son," but it didn't change the fact that she was his daughter—and an unruly one at that. Her admiration for Oden was a constant source of frustration.
Perhaps an alliance through marriage could both tame her rebellious spirit and solidify a connection with Sanders, this terrifying prodigy.
The more Kaido thought about it, the more the idea appealed to him.
Kaido couldn't imagine how far someone like Sanders, only twenty years old, could grow in the future.
If he couldn't recruit such a talent to his side, then a marriage alliance might be the next best thing.
Whitebeard liked to collect "sons," and Big Mom liked to have lots of children. Was it so unreasonable for him to find a son-in-law?
Besides, Sanders had mentioned that he wasn't interested in becoming the Pirate King. In Kaido's view, that meant he wouldn't be a competitor, but rather a powerful ally when the time came to compete for that position.
With that in mind, Kaido's gaze toward Sanders softened considerably.
Sensing the shift in Kaido's expression, Sanders couldn't help but shiver.
"Sanders, that was a satisfying fight. Come back to Onigashima with me for a drink!" Kaido extended an invitation.
Sanders gave Kaido a suspicious look, unsure of what he was plotting.
"Uh... no thanks, I've got things to do. See ya!" Clearing his throat, Sanders politely declined.
Without hesitation, he flew off into the sky and quickly distanced himself.
Yeah, right, only a fool would go drinking with Kaido, Sanders thought to himself.
They weren't exactly close, and if Kaido decided to take advantage of the situation—perhaps by trying to get him drunk and capturing him for experiments—things could go very badly. After all, Sanders knew about the crazy scientist in Kaido's ranks, Caesar.
He did want to join forces with Kaido to eventually attack Mariejois, but ruining their relationship prematurely was not an option.
Watching Sanders retreat so swiftly, Kaido scratched his head and slung his kanabo over his shoulder.
"What a shame. I was planning to have Sanders and Yamato consummate their marriage tonight."
"If they had a kid inheriting both their talents, that'd be incredible!"
"Huh? Why am I starting to think like Linlin? I must've spent too much time around her and picked up her habits."
"Ohohohoho!" Kaido laughed heartily, standing on the now nearly-destroyed island.
He wasn't too concerned about Sanders running away. There was plenty of time; both Sanders and Yamato were still young.
That said, Yamato's obsession with Oden was still a problem.
Having his "son" idolize someone else instead of him was something Kaido found deeply irritating. And if Sanders were to marry Yamato, he figured it'd be just as awkward for Sanders to have his wife worship another man.
To ensure the marriage alliance succeeded, Kaido decided he needed to take action.
At that moment, King arrived on the island with Jack.
"Kaido-san, are you alright?" King asked.
"Fine, just a few scrapes!"
"King, I need you to handle something."
"What is it? Do you want me to spread rumors about Sanders having the ability to wield multiple Devil Fruit powers?" King inquired.
He assumed Kaido intended to stir up trouble for Sanders by exposing his secret.
"You figured out he has multiple abilities?" Kaido looked slightly surprised.
"Kaido-san, I'm not blind," King replied dryly.
"First he turned into a lightning dragon, then an ice dragon—anyone could figure it out."
"Oh? Is that so? Ohohohoho!" Kaido laughed.
"No need to spread anything. In fact, warn the newspapers not to report any specific details about my fight with Sanders," Kaido said after thinking it over.
This was, after all, his future son-in-law and potential ally. It was only right to help cover things up.
"Uh...?" Jack looked at Kaido in confusion.
"We'll be working together in the future."
"Oh, and King," Kaido added, "figure out a way to make my son idolize Sanders instead. Yamato's obsession with Oden is revolting."
No matter how he had defeated Oden, the fact that his own child didn't respect him was a sore spot for Kaido.
Oden would forever remain Kaido's defeated opponent, yet his son idolized that same loser. The thought irritated Kaido to no end.
He was a pirate—resorting to schemes was second nature to him. But this particular defeated opponent was just too stupid!
Oden was so dumb that Kaido once believed the Kozuki Oden he killed was actually Oden's twin brother, convinced the real Oden had perished somewhere on the seas.
Sure, being that ignorant before venturing out to sea was excusable. But even after traveling with both the Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates, Oden's idiocy remained astounding. That was harder to forgive.
If Yamato idolized Sanders instead, it would be a different story.
For one, Sanders had proven his strength and earned Kaido's respect. Plus, he was Kaido's potential future son-in-law.
Kaido wouldn't mind if Yamato idolized Sanders.
"Uh...?"
King and Jack both stared at Kaido in surprise.
Jack couldn't understand why the topic had suddenly shifted to Yamato.
King, on the other hand, quickly deduced Kaido's intentions for a marriage alliance.
And he agreed.
Forming an alliance with a young, powerful individual like Sanders was far better than fighting pointless battles across the seas.
Besides, while Yamato was undoubtedly strong, her presence brought no real benefits to the Beasts Pirates.
In fact, if someone came to challenge Kaido, Yamato might even step in to help the challenger.
Under those circumstances, it might actually be better to marry her off.
However, convincing Yamato to switch her idol from Oden to Sanders would be difficult. Her admiration for Oden ran deep, down to her very bones.
This would require careful planning.
Still, shifting Yamato's admiration toward Sanders would be far easier than reconciling her relationship with Kaido himself. The two were like oil and water, constantly clashing.
Sanders, on the other hand, was a different story.
Even setting aside the fact that he wasn't part of their crew, Sanders had done plenty to earn admiration.
He had escaped Impel Down, killed Celestial Dragons, fought Admirals and Yonko, and was still so young.
Based on the intelligence King had gathered, Sanders was admired by countless people across the seas—especially those who had suffered under the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons.
Thus, in the days that followed on Onigashima, Yamato began hearing a lot about Sanders.
People exaggerated his feats: how powerful he was, how bold he was to kill Celestial Dragons, how he defeated Marine Admirals, and even how Kaido himself couldn't do anything to him.
At the same time, they took every opportunity to mock Kozuki Oden.
They ridiculed his stupidity, claiming that even after traveling the seas, he hadn't grown wiser, and how Kaido had outsmarted him effortlessly.
As a result, Sanders' name echoed in Yamato's ears more frequently than ever before.
Though it didn't do much to diminish her admiration for Oden, it did pique her curiosity about this man who could not only fight her father but even push him back.
Meanwhile, Sanders, blissfully unaware that he had almost been married off to Yamato that day, boarded his ship and promptly left the waters near Wano.
His next move was clear: recover from his injuries while continuing his search for the mysterious "Bonbori."
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T/N:
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