Sabaody Archipelago
"Just now... what was that?!"
"Did 'Pluton' Rayleigh hold off the tsunami?!"
"Are those legendary beings actually living on Sabaody Archipelago?"
Countless people on the Sabaody Archipelago were in shock.
They had believed the entire archipelago would be destroyed by the incoming tsunami.
But then, an old man with robust stature and silver hair appeared.
With just one swing of his sword, the tsunami dissipated entirely.
Despite having retired for decades, the residents of Sabaody instantly recognized him.
'Pluton' Silvers Rayleigh!
"The former First Mate of the Roger Pirates…"
"The man known as the 'Right Hand of the Pirate King'… he's real!"
"This isn't a legend… What kind of day is this? Even beings of such power are appearing."
The newly arrived supernovas stood together, their shock palpable.
Urouge, sweating heavily, exchanged tense glances with the other supernova pirates.
Fear was evident in their eyes. They had just experienced the terror of nearly dying in the tsunami.
Yet, before they could recover, another menacing presence swept across the islands.
A burst of Conqueror's Haki surged from a distant sea, striking fear into everyone.
The faces of the supernovas darkened.
"This… this power…"
"Whose Conqueror's Haki is that now?!"
Turning toward the source of the disturbance, they saw people collapsing unconscious, one by one.
Even on Sabaody, the residents fell as if struck by an unseen force.
Eustass Kid and the others stood wide-eyed, their faces pale.
"Is this a joke…?!"
"This Conqueror's Haki… it's too overwhelming!"
Area 13 of Sabaody Archipelago
"Rayleigh, it looks like you've been exposed," Shakky remarked with a sigh.
Rayleigh returned with a glass of wine in hand, his expression calm.
"We couldn't just sit back and watch the seeds of the new era be destroyed," he replied.
Looking up at Mariejois, the sacred land atop the Red Line, he added:
"What the World Government has done this time… it's beyond anything they've done before. Sacrificing hundreds of thousands of lives just to launch that kind of attack… It wasn't even this bad back then."
Shakky paused, deep in thought.
"You mean… the Rocks Pirates?"
Rayleigh's gaze remained fixed on the distant sea.
"Do you think Kaido or that monster from the North Blue survived?"
He shook his head.
"That kind of thing is beyond you or me to predict—"
Before he could finish, another burst of Conqueror's Haki swept across the archipelago.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively gripping his sword.
Shakky's gaze followed his.
"This Conqueror's Haki… Is it…?"
Rayleigh didn't hesitate. He stepped to the edge of the island, staring at the distant sea.
"It's Shanks. That guy's come to the first half of the Grand Line."
"What?! Shanks?!"
Shakky's voice was filled with shock.
Rayleigh nodded gravely.
"And he's fighting someone."
"Who could it be?" Shakky asked, her voice trembling.
"Kaido?"
"The World Government?"
"Or… that man from the West Blue?"
Rayleigh's eyes were filled with unease.
"Even with the power of the World Government… they couldn't defeat that 'monster'?"
The Battlefield
A massive explosion shook the area as Bai Ye clashed with the Red-Haired Pirates.
"Shanks!"
The Red Hair Pirates watched in horror as the land behind Bai Ye sank into the sea. Flames soared into the sky, painting everything in a fiery orange hue.
Behind Shanks, the ground seemed to have been split open by an impossibly large blade.
Dege, the ship's doctor, trembled as he stared at the destruction.
"If that attack had hit me…" he muttered, his voice shaking.
Even with all his Armament Haki, he would've been completely incinerated.
Kaido's Return
Suddenly, the earth began to tremble.
To everyone's shock, Kaido, who had been lying defeated, stood up.
His wounds were nearly healed.
Kaido transformed into his strongest human-beast form, flames swirling around him.
With a terrifying roar, he soared into the air, wrapping himself in a fiery dragon.
"Who do you think I am?! DIE!!!" Kaido bellowed.
He charged at Bai Ye, his attack infused with Conqueror's Haki.
Bai Ye's Response
Despite Kaido's overwhelming charge, Bai Ye remained calm.
Kaido's every move was clear under Bai Ye's Reiatsu.
If Kaido had chosen to flee, he might have survived.
But now, charging straight into Bai Ye was a mistake.
Bai Ye raised his hand.
"Hadō #88: Flying Dragon-Striking Thunder Cannon!"
A massive beam of lightning erupted from Bai Ye's palm, tearing through the sky.
The beam collided with Kaido mid-air.
The impact lit up the battlefield, blinding everyone.
The ground shattered beneath the force of the explosion.
Aftermath
When the light faded, the battlefield was unrecognizable.
Yasopp and the others looked on in horror as they saw Kaido's lifeless body fall from the sky.
The once-mighty Emperor of the Sea was no more.