Target: Wano Country! Chu Yang vs. Kaido!

Target: Wano Country! Chu Yang vs. Kaido! Please vote with your monthly tickets.

Just as Jinbe was feeling conflicted, Chu Yang mentioned another name.

"Jinbe, do you know Hack?"

Jinbe did not know why Chu Yang had brought him up, but he still nodded. "He’s my friend."

"As far as I know, Hack has joined the Revolutionary Army and is responsible for teaching the soldiers Fish-Man Karate."

Chu Yang revealed information that left both men astonished.

"Since Hack is there, it means the Revolutionary Army doesn’t reject Fish-Men. That gives us a good chance of working together."

Tiger burst into hearty laughter.

"Then I’ll set out tomorrow."

Jinbe felt considerably more at ease, though he was still somewhat worried. "Brother Tiger, should we tell everyone about this first?"

Tiger nodded. Forming an alliance with the Revolutionary Army was no small matter. Even though he had made his decision, he still needed to hear the crew’s opinions.

"Yang, come with us too. Even if you’ve joined one of the Four Emperors’ crews, you’re still our companion!"

Tiger stood and walked toward the crowd, casually patting Chu Yang on the shoulder.

Chu Yang nodded.

Jinbe smiled and followed behind them.

"Everyone! Put the celebration on hold for now. I have something important to announce!"

Tiger walked to the center of the crowd. The bonfire cast flickering light across his face, and the atmosphere abruptly turned solemn.

The laughter gradually died away as the crew sensed Tiger’s serious demeanor.

Once everyone’s eyes were on him, Tiger slowly spoke, announcing his decision to form an alliance with the Revolutionary Army.

An uproar broke out.

Since the Sun Pirates had been founded, they had never once cooperated with a human force. The fact that they could barely restrain their hostility toward humans was already the result of considerable effort over the past few years.

If they had known that Tiger had just been betrayed by Koala’s family on the island, they might have directly opposed his decision!

"We can’t save every slave by ourselves!"

"As long as the Celestial Dragons exist, the evil of trafficking races will never stop!"

"Because all justice in this world revolves around the Celestial Dragons. Their thoughts, every word they speak, become reason and justice!"

"As long as they need Fish-Men and other races to be slaves, then us being sold like slaves is the most normal thing in the world."

Listening to Tiger’s impassioned speech, the crew fell silent, because what Tiger said was a fact everyone knew.

But hating the Celestial Dragons and fighting the Celestial Dragons were two entirely different matters.

Tiger saw the hesitation on his companions’ faces. He had already said everything that needed to be said. As for how many would choose to stand with him, that was no longer his concern.

Unexpectedly, the first Fish-Man to step forward in support of Tiger was Arlong.

As the representative of the radicals, all he had for humans was hatred. He did not care whether the enemy was the Celestial Dragons or anyone else.

This should have been done long ago. All we need is war. Peacefully coexisting with humans is bullshit!

Arlong silently thought to himself, a savage grin appearing on his face.

Soon after, more and more Fish-Men voiced their agreement.

Thus, Tiger decided to have Jinbe represent the Sun Pirates and travel to White Soil Island—Baltigo.

Baltigo was located in the first half of the Grand Line. Its environment was exceedingly harsh, the land severely desertified, with yellow sand and white stone everywhere. It was utterly barren.

The name White Soil referred precisely to Baltigo’s desolate land.

Such a climate was practically hell for Fish-Men!

Half a month later, Chu Yang and Jinbe set foot on this land.

After witnessing its desolation firsthand, Jinbe could not help asking, "How did Hack endure living here for so long?"

Chu Yang smiled. "Faith, or willpower."

Jinbe sighed. "That guy truly is a warrior with extraordinary will. He used to be the most famous karate master in Fish-Man District."

Chu Yang looked at Jinbe curiously. "If we compare only their mastery of karate, who’s stronger, you or him?"

Jinbe gave a dry cough and answered in a smug tone, "Hack is very skilled, but compared to me, there’s still a certain gap."

Chu Yang felt that if Jinbe could describe him as skilled, then Hack truly had some ability as the Revolutionary Army’s karate instructor.

"Yang, this island is so huge. How are we supposed to find the Revolutionary Army’s base?"

Baltigo’s environment was harsh. Yellow sand filled the air, forcing them to cover their mouths and noses when breathing. Even during the day, visibility was poor.

Jinbe was very concerned. If they could not find the Revolutionary Army quickly, they might be in danger.

"Like this."

More than a dozen clones immediately appeared around Chu Yang. At his command, they scattered and vanished into the yellow sand.

Jinbe stood dumbfounded.

"Was that an illusion just now?"

"Just a small special ability. Don’t be so surprised, Jinbe."

Using clones for a carpet search was a clumsy method, but it suited their current situation perfectly.

On any other island with normal visibility, Chu Yang could have flown high into the air and looked down, easily spotting the Revolutionary Army.

"You’re the strangest Devil Fruit User I’ve ever seen."

Jinbe stared at Chu Yang with an astonished expression.

A moment later, guided by the consciousness relayed by his clones, Chu Yang led Jinbe to the Revolutionary Army’s location.

The Revolutionary Army had discovered them as well.

A large number of armed personnel gathered, aiming dark gun barrels at Chu Yang and Jinbe.

Jinbe shouted, "I am Jinbe of the Fish-Man race. On behalf of Sun Pirates Captain Fisher Tiger, I have come to discuss cooperation with the Revolutionary Army."

Jinbe had gained a little fame by then. There might not have been many in the Revolutionary Army who knew him, but Tiger was different.

The Burning of the Holy Land had shocked the entire world.

Although Tiger was merely taking the blame, his reputation was in no way inferior to that of the Four Emperors.

Upon hearing that they had been sent by Tiger, the Revolutionary Army guards were no longer so hostile. After asking Jinbe a few questions, they turned and entered the base to notify the higher-ups.

Not long afterward, a Fish-Man man emerged from the base. Upon seeing Jinbe, his face lit up with joy.

"Hack!"

"Jinbe!"

Hack laughed as he patted Jinbe on the shoulder. "They told me Mr. Tiger had sent someone over, but I didn’t quite believe it. I never expected it to be you!"

Jinbe smiled in response. "It’s been a long time, Hack. This is the first time we’ve met since I left the kingdom’s royal guard."

Hack nodded, then asked, "Why did Mr. Tiger send you to find the Revolutionary Army?"

Jinbe said solemnly, "Brother wants to work with the Revolutionary Army to fight the Celestial Dragons together!"

Hack was greatly shocked!

It was hard to imagine that such an aggressive move—openly standing against the Celestial Dragons—would be the style of Mr. Tiger.

After all, in Hack’s impression, Mr. Tiger had always taken the initiative to avoid the World Government. Even when rescuing slaves, he had gone to great lengths to avoid direct conflict with them.

"What about Fish-Man Island’s position? Caught between us and the World Government, it must be in a very difficult situation, right?"

"I heard Queen Otohime is collecting signatures, hoping Fish-Man Island can coexist peacefully with humans…"

Hack wore a troubled expression. The more Fish-Men who resisted the Celestial Dragons, the more dangerous Fish-Man Island would become.

His joining the Revolutionary Army alone was completely different from Tiger and his group joining it.

"At this point, the Fish-Man race has no way back. Even if we do nothing, this country has no status at all before the World Government!"

"Our people will still be trampled at will as slaves!"

Jinbe clenched his fists emotionally, filled with indignation.

"Since Mr. Tiger has made his decision, I’ll support you. Come with me. I’ll take you to meet the Revolutionary Army’s leader."

Hack gestured to the soldiers on both sides. They quickly dispersed, opening a path for Chu Yang and Jinbe to enter the base.

Aside from the soldiers in front of him, Chu Yang’s Observation Haki detected hidden soldiers in every corner of the base. They remained on alert, and some were even aiming their guns.

He had no doubt that if he made the slightest suspicious movement, they would immediately open fire.

Through their long struggle against the World Government, the Revolutionary Army’s soldiers had developed exceptionally high combat discipline.

The two followed Hack to the second floor, where they met the Revolutionary Army’s leader—Monkey D. Dragon—in a small war room.

Also in the room were the "Okama King," Emporio Ivankov, and his assistant, Inazuma.

A young boy lay unconscious on a hospital bed in the corner.

Chu Yang was curious. Why was there a child at the Revolutionary Army’s base?

After meeting Dragon, Jinbe took the initiative to explain their purpose.

Meanwhile, Ivankov was studying Chu Yang. He found the young man familiar, as though he had seen him somewhere before.

After listening for a while, Dragon nodded slightly. "I greatly admire Mr. Tiger’s deeds, and I’m happy to have you join the revolutionary cause. It’s only a pity that I wasn’t able to meet Mr. Tiger himself this time."

The two sides hit it off immediately, and things progressed smoothly. Chu Yang could tell that the Revolutionary Army badly needed allies. They had not been established for long, and their foundation was unstable.

Tiger’s influence was no small matter. That fire had burned more than just the Holy Land—it had also freed many slaves, including figures such as Empress Hancock.

Hack had played a crucial role. Without him, Dragon would not have believed Jinbe so easily. He might have placed him under house arrest and investigated him in secret immediately.

After reaching a verbal agreement, the meeting room became filled with cheerful conversation. Ivankov was still staring at Chu Yang, and Dragon noticed something was off before looking over as well.

Dragon stared at Chu Yang, his gaze abruptly turning sharp. "Why is a member of a Four Emperors’ crew here as well? Could it be that Shanks is also interested in forming an alliance?"

At the mention of Shanks, Ivankov finally remembered that this young man had shone brightly in the recent clash between the Marines and the Red Hair Pirates.

By himself, he had fought several veteran Marine vice admirals. His strength was nearly on par with Captain Shanks, and alongside first mate Ben Beckman, he was known as Shanks’s right-hand man.

"Yang…"

Ivankov murmured his name softly.

Chu Yang said calmly, "I came here only on my own behalf. It has nothing to do with Shanks. The reason I want to work with the Revolutionary Army is because of my personal grudge against the Celestial Dragons."

Dragon asked in surprise, "A personal grudge?"

Jinbe suddenly explained, "Yang and Brother Tiger met because of the Burning of the Holy Land."

Dragon and the others immediately understood what Jinbe meant.

"Judging by your appearance, you must have been very young at the time, right?" Ivankov looked at Chu Yang sympathetically. "To suffer such terrible torment at that age…"

Chu Yang smiled teasingly. "Thanks to the Celestial Dragons, I had the motivation to grow this quickly."

Ivankov exclaimed in admiration, "What powerful willpower. Ordinary people couldn’t bear those memories, yet you can still smile."

Jinbe nodded. "When it comes to willpower alone, Yang truly is the strongest person I’ve ever seen."

After learning about Chu Yang’s past, Dragon welcomed his participation. For the Revolutionary Army’s combat strength, this was an unprecedented boost.

The Revolutionary Army’s higher-ups, led by Dragon, became especially excited.

Chu Yang then took the opportunity to offer his own suggestion. "When I came here earlier, I observed this place. To be honest, Baltigo isn’t a very good choice for a base."

"Using its naturally harsh environment as cover may help you avoid Marine searches, but once you draw attention, the base will be very difficult to defend."

"White Soil Island is extremely barren. There aren’t any natural defensive barriers you can use. It’s a location that’s easy to attack and hard to defend."

"That also means the members must act more carefully and cautiously, doing everything possible to keep this place undiscovered. It greatly increases the difficulty of the Revolutionary Army’s operations."

Dragon did not refute Chu Yang’s view. On the contrary, he shared the same opinion. However, the reality was that the Revolutionary Army could not find a better stronghold than Baltigo.

"We understand everything you said. When the Revolutionary Army was first established, some members raised similar objections. But the World Government’s intelligence network is incredibly powerful, so we had no choice but to choose this place."

Ivankov said solemnly, "The World Government has two secret spy organizations, codenamed Cipher Pol No. 9 and CP0. We’ve fought them during wars to liberate countries. They’re formidable, especially when it comes to intelligence gathering and assassination."

Chu Yang tapped the conference table with his fingers and emphasized once more, "That’s why I said this place isn’t suitable as a base. Having worries at our back will only constrain our actions."

Dragon seemed to sense something, and the corners of his mouth rose. "From the way you speak, it seems you’ve already found a base for the Revolutionary Army?"

Everyone present looked at Chu Yang in surprise.

Talking to smart people really was comfortable—they immediately understood what he meant. Chu Yang decisively nodded and spoke a place name.

"Wano Country."

Due to Wano Country’s unique terrain, outsiders found it difficult to enter, let alone launch a large-scale invasion. It was a classic place that was easy to defend and hard to attack, making it ideal as a headquarters.

The only problem was that they had to defeat Kaido, who had already occupied Wano Country.

Dragon frowned. Clearly, he knew something of Wano Country’s situation and was weighing the gains, losses, and feasibility of the operation.

"There are weapons factories there. Their buyers include the World Government, pirates, underground forces, and several major countries."

"If we seize Wano Country, we can not only strengthen our own forces, but also deal a considerable blow to the World Government."

As soon as those words were spoken, Dragon’s eyes immediately lit up!

At this time, the Beasts Pirates were not yet the colossal force they would become more than a decade later, and Kaido was not yet powerful enough to make Dragon hesitate in fear.

The benefits represented by Wano Country’s weapons factories were entirely worth Dragon risking the Revolutionary Army’s future.

More importantly, this plan also had the participation of Chu Yang and the Sun Pirates!

If they could take Wano Country, the Revolutionary Army would gain a perfect stronghold and become far stronger from then on.

Dragon felt he had absolutely no reason to refuse!

Before that, he needed to verify the intelligence. Even if he trusted Chu Yang, he could not make a rash decision.

"In the near future, I’ll send people to Wano Country to investigate. Once we have more detailed intelligence, I’ll decide whether to put this plan into action."

Dragon’s words caused quite a stir in the meeting room. Ivankov’s expression turned solemn. As Dragon’s companion, he knew very well that these words essentially meant he had agreed.

"Then I’ll return first. Mr. Tiger is still waiting for the result. Once you have an answer, you can have Hack come find us."

Jinbe handed his Vivre Card to Dragon.

After Dragon accepted it, he prepared to offer his own Vivre Card in exchange as a gesture of sincerity for the alliance. However, Ivankov suddenly spoke up. "It would be better to use mine."

Dragon frowned. "There’s no need. I trust Jinbe and Mr. Tiger, and they’re Hack’s fellow Fish-Men as well!"

Ivankov unusually refuted him again with a firm attitude. "You are the Revolutionary Army’s leader. You are all of our hope. No amount of caution is too much. Of course I trust Mr. Jinbe, but what if something unexpected happens?"

"If your Vivre Card falls into the World Government’s hands for some reason, it would be a devastating blow to us!"

Seeing Dragon and Ivankov fall into an argument, Chu Yang interrupted them. "Let Mr. Hack and Jinbe exchange Vivre Cards instead. That would be more meaningful."

Hack smiled and nodded. "We’ve been friends for so many years, yet I don’t have Jinbe’s Vivre Card. That’s somewhat regrettable."

Jinbe burst into laughter.

Dragon also realized that casually handing over his Vivre Card had been somewhat rash, so he readily went along with Chu Yang’s suggestion.

After achieving their purpose, Chu Yang and Jinbe stayed on Baltigo for one night before leaving the following morning.

As soon as they left, Dragon immediately sent people to Wano Country.

Chu Yang and Jinbe returned to the Sun Pirates and told Tiger about the alliance.

When he heard that Chu Yang and Dragon had set their sights on Wano Country, Tiger was utterly stunned. He had no objections, but he was quite unfamiliar with that country.

However, once he learned that it was the territory of Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, Tiger’s expression gradually turned grave.

"Isn’t this too risky?"

"Every decision comes with corresponding risks."

"That’s true, but the opponent is one of the Four Emperors. If we launch an attack rashly, we’ll be at an absolute disadvantage."

"It’s fine. I’ll handle Kaido."

Seeing Chu Yang’s confident expression, Tiger said no more.

He was only curious about just how powerful Chu Yang had become.

He knew Chu Yang was not an arrogant person. Without absolute confidence, he would not speak to him with such an attitude.

Before the Revolutionary Army sent any definite news, the plan to seize Wano Country remained confidential. The crew only knew that the alliance had been successfully formed.

About a month and a half later, Hack found the Sun Pirates through Jinbe’s Vivre Card.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Tiger brought Hack to the captain’s quarters.

Everyone focused their eyes on Hack. He took a deep breath and said, "Our intelligence personnel have more or less figured out Wano Country’s current situation. Dragon has agreed to make a move against Wano Country and liberate this nation."

"Dragon’s suggestion is for our intelligence personnel to keep monitoring the movements of the Beasts Pirates. We’ll strike when Kaido or other officers leave the vicinity of Wano Country."

"The risk is still too great if we face a Four Emperors crew at full strength!"

After hearing this, Tiger felt that Dragon’s plan was prudent and perfectly aligned with his own thinking, so he readily agreed.

Chu Yang did not particularly care. With his current strength, taking on the present-day Kaido head-on would not be a problem.

The Kaido from ten years later was the gold-medal teacher. The current one was, at most, an intern fresh out of teacher training school.

Seeing that neither Chu Yang nor Tiger objected, Hack’s tense expression eased somewhat. From then on, he would remain with the Sun Pirates as a liaison between the two sides.

The Sun Pirates also began slowly drawing closer to Wano Country, ensuring they could launch a surprise attack on the Beasts Pirates at any time.

Another half month passed.

"The time has come. King the Conflagration, Kaido’s All-Star, has left Wano Country. It seems to be related to an arms deal."

Hack received a call from the Revolutionary Army, then relayed the news to Tiger and Chu Yang.

Upon hearing about an arms deal, Chu Yang suddenly asked, "Did he leave in the direction of Dressrosa?"

Hack froze. The intelligence was indeed exactly as Chu Yang had said, and he could not help asking curiously, "How did you know?"

Chu Yang smiled without answering, then turned and reminded Tiger to head for Wano Country.

At present, the Sun Pirates were already in the same sea region as Wano Country. At full speed, they could arrive by nightfall.

Then, they could enter Wano Country under cover of the deep night.

Wano Country appeared to be an island, but the visible portion was merely the tip of the iceberg. The true Wano Country was the part hidden beneath the sea.

This was why Wano Country resembled a mountain rising from the ocean.

There were two ways to enter. The first was through the secret passage in the Back Mountain controlled by Kaido, but Beasts Pirates personnel guarded the passage, and it could only be opened from the inside.

The second was to enter through the waterfall at the front of the mountain. They would need to sail upstream against the current, much like entering the Grand Line through Reverse Mountain, only far more dangerous.

This was also why Wano Country was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

That route alone had kept countless armies outside. Wano Country only needed to guard the waterfall entrance, and enemies would find it difficult to force their way in.

King kicking the Big Mom Pirates back into the sea with one blow was the best example.

The Back Mountain passage was certainly not viable, so the Revolutionary Army and the Sun Pirates could only take the waterfall at the front.

Guards left behind by Kaido were stationed atop the waterfall. The moment Chu Yang and the others attempted to reach the top, they would definitely come under attack.

Hack stated that Dragon would personally deal with the enemies above.

Chu Yang guessed that Dragon was most likely a Logia Devil Fruit User whose ability was related to storms and could affect the weather.

Since Dragon could handle the enemies on the waterfall, climbing it was no longer a problem at all.

What were fish-men best at?

The answer was communicating with fish.

If koi could pull the Straw Hat Pirates into Wano Country, then naturally, they could also pull in the Sun Pirates and the Revolutionary Army.

The fish-men leaped into the water one after another. Before long, massive numbers of fish gathered around the pirate ships.

Countless schools of fish dragged the pirate ships up along the waterfall. At the same time, the already harsh coastal weather around Wano Country was suddenly covered by dense black clouds.

Gales howled, and torrential rain descended.

The curtain of rain blocked everyone’s vision, including that of the surveillance Den Den Mushi atop the waterfall. The guards in the monitoring room had no idea that someone had entered through the front mountain. They could neither hear nor see anything.

Dragon silently took care of all the guards along the coast.

Under the cover of the violent storm, the Sun Pirates and the Revolutionary Army smoothly entered Wano Country.

Compared to the terrible weather outside, the skies within Wano Country were clear for miles. Even those accustomed to the bizarre weather of the Grand Line could not help clicking their tongues in amazement.

After coming ashore, Dragon immediately said, "Kaido and his officers are drinking and making merry in the Flower Capital. Now is the best time to kill him."

It had been six or seven years since Kozuki Oden’s death, and samurai throughout the country were still continuously resisting Kurozumi Orochi’s rule.

Kurozumi Orochi naturally lacked the ability to suppress the samurai, so Kaido had no choice but to remain in Wano Country for a long time.

Construction of the Onigashima stronghold was still underway.

Around a decade ago, Gecko Moria had fought a war against Kaido here. Moria suffered a crushing defeat, and all his companions died in battle, though the Beasts Pirates had also suffered losses.

With King away to handle the arms deal, the Beasts Pirates’ strength in Wano Country had been further reduced.

There were no Flying Six, Headliners, or Gifters yet. Kaido’s artificial Devil Fruit army had only just begun.

King had gone to Dressrosa for precisely this matter.

"The key to this operation is that we must take Wano Country before King returns."

"If he comes back to reinforce Kaido while Kaido is still able to fight, then we’ll fall into an absolute disadvantage while fighting on enemy territory."

"To be safe, I’ll fight Kaido alongside you. We must take him down in the shortest possible time."

"No." Chu Yang rejected Dragon’s proposal.

At this time, the Beasts Pirates had no Flying Six, Headliners, or Gifters, while the Revolutionary Army’s regional commanders had not yet matured either. The only ones truly capable of fighting were Ivankov and Dragon.

Dragon did not take Chu Yang’s attitude to heart. He merely decided in secret that once he dealt with Queen, he would go help Chu Yang.

Having never witnessed Chu Yang fight in person, Dragon remained doubtful that he could win alone.

However, based on the intelligence they had, Chu Yang was certainly no weakling. Dragon was also highly confident in his own abilities. If the two worked together, they would most likely be able to take down Kaido.

Put simply, Dragon trusted himself more.

The group headed straight for the Flower Capital. Every second counted in a surprise attack; for every second they delayed, the odds of King returning to reinforce Kaido rose.

Meanwhile, Kaido was accepting Kurozumi Orochi’s hospitality.

Inside Orochi Castle, there was singing and dancing. Outside Orochi Castle, the people lived in misery, but no one cared.

Kaido kept pouring alcohol down his throat. His face was flushed, his eyes unfocused. He was at the proudest point in his life.

Thinking of the artificial Devil Fruit army once it was fully formed, Kaido’s excitement was like a volcano about to erupt.

He would launch an unprecedented war that would sweep across the entire world!

Through the haze, Kaido seemed to see Holy Land Mary Geoise and the massive throne deep within Pangea Castle.

Someone sat upon the throne.

Kaido leaned closer to look. It was a young man he had never seen before.

The young man suddenly stood up and slowly walked toward him, greeting him warmly. "Kaido, are you sober now?"

Kaido: "???"

"Lord Kaido, wake up already!!!"

Kurozumi Orochi’s anxious cries echoed by Kaido’s ears. Kaido jolted awake, only to see a group of strangers suddenly standing in the banquet hall before him.

The young man with the gentle smile stood only one step away from him.

"Who are you people?"

Kaido swept his cold gaze over the uninvited guests. When his eyes landed on Dragon, he suddenly froze.

"We’ve come to liberate this country."

Dragon replied with a courteous smile.

"The Revolutionary Army!"

Kaido abruptly rose to his feet.

It was as though that served as a signal. The Beasts Pirates members in the banquet hall quickly surrounded the Revolutionary Army.

Queen’s expression darkened.

The Revolutionary Army’s actions seemed to show that they had not taken him seriously at all.

"The Revolutionary Army is one thing, but why are there fish-men here too? Since when have fish-men fallen so low as to mingle with humans?"

Kaido looked at Tiger among the crowd and mocked, "The famous adventurer Fisher Tiger has now learned to wag his tail and beg humans for favor?"

"Shut up, Kaido!" Jinbe roared. "You have no right to judge Brother Tiger, you thief who stole another nation!"

Kaido sneered. "The victor becomes king, and the loser becomes a bandit. The world of pirates is not as naïve as you think. If you can’t adapt, then next time, your country may be the one occupied by others!"

Jinbe was furious and wanted to retort, but Tiger stopped him. He calmly said to Kaido, "The victor becomes king and the loser becomes a bandit. Remember those words when you lose too, Kaido."

Kaido threw his head back and laughed wildly. "I’ll lose? Another lunatic out of his mind! Hahaha!"

The other Beasts Pirates crew members began laughing as well.

Queen was also laughing at the side, his booming laughter echoing through the banquet hall.

He found this group rather amusing. They had come to a Four Emperor’s territory just to spout such nonsense.

Either they possessed absolute confidence, or as Kaido said, they were completely insane.

Kaido’s laughter was grating. Chu Yang picked at his ear and walked straight up to him.

"Hm?"

Kaido looked down at the young man. Ever since earlier, he had seemed somewhat conspicuous.

Everyone’s attention in the banquet hall shifted to Chu Yang.

Chu Yang quietly said, "Years ago, you lost that final battle against Kozuki Oden, didn’t you?"

The smile on Kaido’s face swiftly vanished.

Chu Yang continued mocking him. "By your own words, the pirate world truly should not be so naïve. But since you relied on tricks to win, you should at least not act as though you’re invincible now."

Kaido’s gaze turned increasingly cold. "Do you want to die?"

Chu Yang grinned. "Haha, I heard you like seeking death too?"

Queen and the Beasts Pirates crew members stared at Chu Yang in horror upon hearing their exchange.

How dared he provoke Lord Kaido like this?

"Bold!"

Kaido’s face twisted into a savage grin. He raised Hassaikai and smashed it viciously toward Chu Yang, black lightning coiling around the Wolf’s Tooth Club.

Thunder Bagua!

The enraged Kaido opened with a killing blow!

At the same time, a Tailed Beast Cloak silently appeared around Chu Yang’s body. He raised his left hand to block Kaido’s Thunder Bagua head-on.

Their Conqueror’s Haki clashed violently, and the aftershock rapidly spread into every corner of the banquet hall.

Members of the Revolutionary Army, the Sun Pirates, and the Beasts Pirates continuously collapsed.

"This guy’s Conqueror’s Haki is actually on par with mine?!"

Kaido’s pupils abruptly shrank as he stared at Chu Yang in disbelief, momentarily stunned.

That brief lapse gave Chu Yang the opening he needed. He raised his right hand and drove a punch into Kaido’s abdomen.

The full-force blow, wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki and Lightning Release Armor, sent Kaido flying straight through the banquet hall wall, blasting a huge hole through it.

The banquet hall instantly fell into dead silence.

The moment Kaido was sent flying, Queen rushed forward, only for Dragon to block him. The banquet hall also immediately descended into chaos.

The Revolutionary Army and the Sun Pirates joined forces against the Beasts Pirates. Even so, there remained a disparity in manpower. The Beasts Pirates had nearly twice their numbers.

Kurozumi Orochi fled the instant the battle began, not even taking his fiercely loyal retainers with him.

The sounds of battle in Orochi Castle rang through the skies. Many Flower Capital residents noticed that something was wrong.

Then they saw a massive dragon circling above Orochi Castle.

"It’s Kaido!"

"He’s fighting someone!"

"Is it a samurai?"

The crowd discussed it in alarm.

Experienced elders quickly fled with their families. They had all seen Kaido use Bolo Breath to destroy towns, and that horrifying destructive power was a shadow they could never escape for the rest of their lives.

As everyone in the Flower Capital feared for their lives and the residents scattered in all directions, Kaido transformed into his dragon form and continued rising atop the flame clouds beneath him, looking down at Chu Yang from above.

"With Haki this strong, you can’t be some nobody. Who exactly are you?"

Chu Yang did not answer Kaido’s question. Two wooden swords appeared in his hands as he stood atop a tall building, radiating a chilling, murderous aura.

Seeing the other man ignore him and even draw wooden swords as weapons, Kaido laughed in extreme fury and roared, "You think those toys can hurt me?!"

Chu Yang pointed a wooden sword at Kaido. "That’s right."

Kaido glared at Chu Yang with murderous eyes as blazing light gradually gathered in his mouth. He intended to burn this arrogant fool to death with Bolo Breath.

He would turn the toys in his hands into charred remains!

As Kaido gathered Bolo Breath, Chu Yang used his Rinnegan to analyze Kaido’s weaknesses. His Rinnegan possessed all the abilities of both the Sharingan and Byakugan, and was even stronger.

Perhaps it was fate, but the weakness exposed by Kaido through the Rinnegan was located on the opposite side of the scar left behind by Togen Totsuka.

After locking onto his target, Chu Yang slightly crouched. His two wooden swords emitted entirely different auras as sunlight and moonlight reflected against one another.

Source Breathing, First Form: Sun-Moon Rotation.

Kaido, who was about to unleash Bolo Breath, noticed Chu Yang’s change. The stance he took with twin swords suddenly made Kaido dazed, and he instinctively thought of someone. The crisscrossing sword wound on his body also began aching faintly at that moment.

The rage buried in his heart for years suddenly erupted!

Kaido opened his dragon jaws, and Bolo Breath burst forth alongside his fury!

A blood-red beam tore across the skies above the Flower Capital and shot toward Chu Yang before the terrified eyes of the civilians.

Chu Yang’s body blazed with lightning. Enveloped in Lightning Release Armor, he transformed into a streak of silver light and charged straight at the Bolo Breath.

When the two met, it was like a raging current smashing into a reef. The Bolo Breath exploded with a thunderous boom!

Yet Chu Yang, that "reef," surged upstream, resisting the scorching Bolo Breath as he shot toward Kaido at tremendous speed.

Seeing Chu Yang charge right up to him, Kaido was both shocked and enraged. He poured all his strength into the Bolo Breath, and in an instant, the red beam expanded tenfold.

The fierce battle in the banquet hall temporarily came to a halt as Dragon and Queen looked up at the sky.

Even the fleeing civilians could not help stopping to look back.

The collision between silver and red drew everyone’s gaze.

That speck-sized silver glow gradually vanished into the red pillar of light.

Queen froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. "This is what you get for provoking Boss Kaido, you damned bastards!"

The Beasts Pirates crew erupted into raucous laughter as well.

Dragon sighed. He had not expected Chu Yang to lose so decisively. He should not have been so concerned about saving the other man’s face; they should have surrounded Kaido from the start.

The situation could not have been worse.

"Brother Tiger, what do we do? Yang seems to have failed…"

Jinbe and the other crew members looked at Tiger anxiously.

Tiger seemed not to hear them. He stared intently at the pillar of light overhead, and the scene of his first encounter with Chu Yang suddenly flashed through his mind as though it had happened yesterday.

"Hahaha!"

Tiger threw back his head and laughed. His bold laughter startled everyone, and they only heard him say something utterly out of the blue.

"You brat, that fire back then was obviously set by you!"

Queen stared at Tiger and sneered. "Has Fisher Tiger been driven mad by the blow?"

Dragon glanced at Tiger, seemingly sensing something. He abruptly looked up.

Within the blazing crimson Bolo Breath, an even more powerful radiance suddenly erupted, like a blazing sun rising into the sky.

The intense sunlight nearly blinded Kaido. The Bolo Breath in his mouth came to an abrupt stop, and he let out a miserable howl.

Kaido coiled his body, trying to retreat, but the sunlight suddenly shifted, turning dark and profound. An inexplicable force of attraction held him completely still.

Then, within those two radiances, Kaido saw Chu Yang’s figure.

He wielded two swords, with sunlight and moonlight spreading behind him like wings.

At that moment.

Kaido seemed to see Kozuki Oden of old, to see the earth-shattering slash known as Togen Totsuka.

No!

This time, the scent of death was even stronger!

"No!!!"

Kaido cried out in terror, but his body could not move. Part of that pulling force came from the moonlight, while the other part was one of the Rinnegan’s special abilities—Banshō Ten’in.

The two wooden swords landed precisely on Kaido’s body. Sunlight and moonlight branded new wounds across his chest.

Destructive energy even more terrifying than Togen Totsuka seeped into Kaido’s body and ravaged it wildly.

The title of strongest body seemed like a joke at this moment.

The intense pain left Kaido unable to maintain the flame clouds any longer. He plummeted from the sky and crashed brutally onto the streets of the Flower Capital.

Fortunately, the civilians had already fled. Otherwise, they would certainly have been caught in the blast.

As Kaido fell, the laughter in the banquet hall vanished as well. Every member of the Beasts Pirates stared at Chu Yang above the heavens in horror.

An unprecedented terror engulfed Queen.

Even though he knew that attack could not kill Kaido, he still could not help feeling afraid.

No one had ever suppressed Kaido so easily.

"His vitality really is tenacious. If it had been anyone else, that blow should have killed them." Chu Yang could not help sighing as he watched Kaido slowly climb out of the crater.

"Disappointed? Then I’ll have to get a little more serious next."

Covered in blood, Kaido walked forward as his body continuously changed. Dense azure scales grew across his skin, and his already massive frame became even more muscular.

By sheer coincidence, Kaido had landed beside a tavern, with numerous sake barrels stacked nearby.

Kaido grabbed a barrel and drained it in one gulp, while his steps grew faster and faster until he broke into a full sprint.

Black lightning coiled around Hassaikai. As Kaido swung it, peals of thunder erupted through the air.

"Drunken Dragon Bagua?"

Chu Yang’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly charged forward.