Carol nodded.
"Even if they see through it, there's nothing we can do."
"Who can refuse to become an Emperor?"
"Especially those lawless pirates."
Sakaski extended his hand out the window, catching snowflakes.
"The New World's territory is not small."
"Three Emperors aren't enough."
Carol's eyes widened suddenly.
"It can be like this?"
"Hiss!"
"Politicians are truly black-hearted."
Sakaski let out a soft chuckle, retracting his hand from the window. It was indeed quite black-hearted...
He watched the four snowflakes melt and evaporate rapidly in his palm.
Sakaski casually flicked a booklet, tossing it towards Carol.
"Provide some help to Dragon, appropriately."
"Don't expose yourself."
Carol looked at the words on the booklet and chuckled.
"Understood."
--------------------
New World, Wano Country.
Ida Port, the beach.
The ship of the Moonlight Pirates was broken in two.
Several pirates with powerful auras were searching for something in the sea.
"Found it!"
"Hurry and pull it up!!!"
"Get two more people!!!"
"Where's the doctor!!!"
Not long after.
Moonlight Moria, who was pulled to the beach and unconscious, opened his eyes.
"Cough... cough..."
"Where is this?"
His subordinates swarmed him.
"Brother Moria!"
"That's great!"
"You're alright."
"Wuwuwu!!!"
Moria shook his head.
"I'm fine."
"I remember we climbed a waterfall through the mist."
"Where is this??"
His subordinates spoke in a rush.
"We don't know."
"We came here after climbing the waterfall."
"There are islands and the sea here too."
"It's truly magical."
"This is the charm of the sea."
"Hahahaha."
"Oh, it looks like this island is inhabited."
He said, pointing to the several giant chimneys visible to the naked eye.
Moria looked, then got up and stretched.
"Since that's the case,"
"Let's have a feast!"
"And then explore this island."
"Heh heh heh heh heh!!!"
The subordinates cheered directly.
"Ooh!!!!"
----
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Kaido held the newspaper titled "Emperor" in his hand.
He lifted his sake gourd and gulped it down.
*Bang*—
The sake gourd smashed onto the ground.
"Emperor, heh heh heh heh."
"Quite a clever scheme."
*Tap tap tap*....
The sound of leather boots echoed.
King, with one hand on his sword, walked over.
"Brother Kaido."
Kaido threw the newspaper on the ground and stood up.
"What is it, King?"
King spoke.
"A subordinate reported seeing a group of pirates at Ida Port."
"It's the Moonlight Pirates."
Kaido's interest was piqued.
"Moria, that guy?"
"Interesting."
"Then let's use him as a stepping stone."
He said, his eyes glancing at the newspaper on the ground. Who wouldn't be tempted by the title of Emperor...
----
Ida Port, the beach.
Suddenly, a small red dot appeared in the sky.
A subordinate, casually looking up, rubbed his eyes.
"Hey!"
"Look!"
"Is that thing getting closer?"
Everyone grabbed their weapons.
"What!"
"Where!"
"Are there enemies?"
"No!"
"It's in the sky!!!"
"That's!!!"
King, flying high in the sky, looked down at the Moonlight Pirates and threw a fireball from his hand.
"Flame Emperor."
The scorching fireball rapidly grew, its heat waves stimulating everyone's nerves, instantly sobering them up.
Moria grabbed his long sword, and countless black shadows surged onto the blade from the ground.
"Shadow Slash!!!"
A crescent-shaped black shadow was unleashed.
*Screech*—
It directly tore through the giant fireball.
King slowly descended.
Moria narrowed his eyes.
"You fellow... are that idiot Kaido's subordinate, aren't you?"
Hearing Moria's disrespect, King snorted.
"This is the territory of the Beast Pirates. Speak politely."
"See that island to the east?"
"In three days, Brother Kaido will be waiting for you there."
"Don't be too scared to come."
"Moonlight Moria."
Moria suddenly laughed.
"Heh heh heh heh heh!!!"
"So this is that idiot Kaido's territory."
"No wonder no one could find them."
"In that case, I'll take it without hesitation."
"Heh heh heh heh heh!!!"
King's gaze emitted a dangerous killing intent.
"Heh heh."
But recalling Kaido's instructions, he suppressed his killing intent and gave them a deep look before soaring into the sky.
Moria rested his greatsword on his shoulder.
"Heh heh heh heh heh!!!"
"Let's continue the feast, subordinates!!!"
"Ooh!!!!"
Cheers erupted....
----
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Kaido listened to King's report, snorted, and smiled disdainfully.
----
Three days later.
Wano Country, Ringo Town.
This was the cemetery of Wano Country, rarely frequented by people.
The howling north wind and falling snow created a solemn and majestic atmosphere.
Along the path, one could see countless graves with swords as tombstones.
Kaido and his group, clad in thin shirts, looked at Moria and his entourage approaching in the distance.
From afar, both men let out evil smiles.
Kaido and Moria charged forward, heading towards each other.
Their respective subordinates followed closely, brandishing their swords.
"Kill!!!"
"Hahahaha!!"
"Crush them!!"
"Annihilate these trash!!"
"Ooh!!!"
As they drew closer.
Kaido's kanabo was imbued with a hint of Haki.
"Oaaahhh!!!"
He swung it at Moria.
Moria gripped his long sword with both hands, imbuing it with a hint of power.
"Die!!!"
*Clang*—
The long sword collided with the kanabo, stirring up a violent gale.
The resulting wind blades swept outwards. The two men locked in combat in the wind and snow met each other's gaze.
"You haven't improved over the years, Moria."
"I don't want to be lectured by a brute like you, Kaido."
*Boom*!
A fierce explosion erupted, separating them.
Kaido flicked his kanabo, wisps of lightning crackling. He grinned menacingly.
"Then die here, Moria!!!"
"Thunder Bagua!!!"
Moria channeled shadows to cover his long sword, mocking sharply.
"Then try me!!!"
"Shadow Slash!!!"
*Clang*—
Their weapons clashed, killing intent and air currents raging.
However, after a brief stalemate, Moria's eyes widened.
"Impossible!"
"This strength..."
Kaido's immense strength overwhelmed Moria, and the kanabo whistled towards Moria's head.
*Boom*—！！！！
Kaido's kanabo smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Just before the attack landed, Moria swapped positions with his shadow.
Looking at Kaido with lingering fear, he didn't hesitate.
"Spread Bats!"
Reappearing, Moria gestured with both hands, splitting his shadow.
It transformed into countless bat-shaped shadows that surged towards Kaido.
But he underestimated Kaido's talent and strength... On the information-scarce seas, his impression of Kaido was still from years ago.
These bat shadows, capable of biting through gold and iron, were useless against Kaido.
Kaido's right hand, gripping the kanabo, spun.
"Tornado!!!"
He spun in place, forming a massive tornado. Countless wind blades revolved around the vortex.
In an instant, the swarming bat shadows were swept away.
As soon as Kaido stopped, several piercing sounds approached.
"Huh?"
*Boom*!!!!
Beneath Kaido's feet, a shadow spear tens of meters long shot out, striking Kaido's chest, leaving a white mark.
The infinitely extending shadow spear sent Kaido flying backward.
Then, sharp shadow spears continued to emerge.
Some pierced Kaido, while others pinned his joints.
They moved so fast that one couldn't react, pinning Kaido to the ground.
A shadow stood up from in front of Kaido, solidifying into Moria's figure.
Moria's long sword continuously coiled with shadows, its size expanding several times over.
From a distance, it looked like an infant holding an oversized black cleaver.
"Die!!!!"
He unhesitatingly swung it towards Kaido's neck.
*Crack*—
The giant shadow blade shattered. Moria was incredulous.
"How could this be..."
Kaido, with his joints pinned by shadows on the ground, gritted his teeth and pushed with both arms.
He directly snapped the shadow spears pinning him.
A terrifying killing intent and Haki erupted.
"You've really reminded me of something unpleasant."
"Moria."
"How do you want to die?"
Kaido stared chillingly at Moria and transformed into his hybrid form.
Fierce dragon horns and scales appeared on various parts of his body, and he gripped his kanabo with both hands.
The moment Moria saw Kaido's hybrid form, he knew it was an unwinnable fight.
"Shadow Clone..."
Before he could use the Shadow Clone to swap positions and evade, Kaido appeared before him.
"Roaring Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido's kanabo, imbued with Haki, smashed directly into Moria's head.
*Crack*—
A crisp bone-cracking sound echoed, Moria's eyes bulged.
He was sent hurtling towards his subordinates' battlefield with the force of the violent gust.
*Boom*—
A crater tens of meters wide appeared. Moria struggled to his feet, thinking it was impossible... absolutely impossible...
"How could this..."
The entire battlefield fell silent.
Kaido, in his hybrid dragon form, walked slowly with his kanabo, stopping at the edge of the crater.
"It's time to end this, Moria."
Moria, covered in blood, glared at Kaido with wide eyes.
Just then, someone started moving.
All of Moria's subordinates jumped into the pit, forming a shield in front of him.
"You want to touch our boss? Ask us first."
"That's right!"
"Hahahaha, don't worry, boss!"
"We won't let him take a single step closer!"
Kaido looked at the scene in the pit, a cruel smile spreading across his lips.
"Ororororo!"
"So boring, each and every one of you."
"Bad Wind."
Kaido's dragon head, in his hybrid form, exhaled a torrent of wind blades, striking like sickle-shaped cuts.
They tore through most of the subordinates blocking Moria, sending dismembered limbs flying.
"As weak as you are, Moria."
"Trash should have the awareness of trash."
"Ororororo!"
Kaido's cruel voice hammered into Moria's mind, simultaneously shocking the other pirates.
Moria couldn't believe what had just happened. In an instant, everyone was...
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!"
"Shadow Collection Ground!!!!"
He activated his ability, plundering shadows from those around him, whether they were Kaido's subordinates or his own.
All their shadows were stuffed into Moria's body.
Moria's body grew five times larger, his muscles swelling several times their original size, radiating a dangerous aura.
A long sword made of shadows appeared in his hand.
"Die!!!!"
He swung it ferociously at Kaido.
Kaido's left dragon claw, imbued with Haki, grabbed the shadow sword.
*Boom*—
The immense force caused the ground to crack outwards.
Within a radius of hundreds of meters, the ground was covered in a dense, spiderweb-like network of fissures.
The violent air currents made it impossible for anyone to open their eyes. Kaido, holding the shadow sword, let out a grim laugh.
"Ororororo!"
"The best way to destroy a person is to crush them directly!!!"
With that, he crushed the shadow sword with his left hand, stomped his foot, and shot upwards, dodging Moria's lunge with his massive right hand.
He leaped to a position level with Moria's head, gripping his kanabo with both hands, crackling with lightning.
"Roaring Thunder Bagua!"
A series of bone-cracking sounds echoed. Moria's colossal, multi-meter-tall form was smashed into the ground.
Kaido twisted his body in mid-air, transforming into a giant blue dragon hundreds of meters long.
Intense energy coursed through its mouth.
"Heat Breath!"
A massive mushroom cloud formed. A deep crater hundreds of meters wide flowed with lava.
There was no longer any sign of life; everything had evaporated.
"Heh..."
----
After an unknown amount of time...
Moria, who was unconscious, woke up in a large tomb, a surge of hatred erupting.
"Kaido..."
----
Grand Line, aboard a massive warship.
"Vice Admiral Sauro, a ship belonging to that illegal exploration team has been spotted on the island ahead."
Giant Vice Admiral Sauro fell silent for a few seconds.
"Proceed with the capture."
"Remember, it's a capture."
"Yes!"
The orderly saluted and retreated. Sauro looked at the distant island. After repeated captures, he was increasingly confused and bewildered.
They were just a group of unarmed scholars. Why did it have to come to this... They had to die...