Ten minutes later, the four giant carp hauled The King toward the towering cliff waterfall that guarded the entrance to Wano Country. As the fish began to ascend, they pulled the massive ship vertically, riding the rushing water with surprising ease.

"It's incredible," Kalifa said, watching the carp climb. "I didn't expect fish to be strong enough to pull an entire ship."

The rest of the crew looked on in awe. The waterfall was nearly vertical, its force thunderous and intimidating. Scaling it seemed like madness.

Just as The King was about to reach the midway point of the climb, a warning flared across their senses.

High above, on Wano's cliffside forts, dozens of cannon muzzles turned to aim directly at the ship.

In the control room atop the cliff, Queen the Plague grinned as he barked orders to his subordinates. His round body jiggled slightly as he leaned back in his chair, chewing on a cigar.

"All batteries, open fire!" Queen shouted, pointing at the screen. "Blast them down before they reach the top!"

This wasn't just a defensive maneuver. It was a test—Kaido of the Beasts had ordered it himself.

"If that brat Vane can't even handle a climb like this, he has no business claiming to stand on the same level as Kaido sama," Queen muttered.

He chuckled, puffing smoke through his nose. "Let's see what you've got, kid... and let's see if your crew is worth anything."

Behind him, King the Wildfire stood silently, watching the monitor. Without a word, he turned and left the room.

"Planning to steal the show again, huh?" Queen smirked, watching him go.

Just then, Kaido's voice echoed through the chamber. He sat on a raised throne, surrounded by broken sake bottles.

"If you're bold enough to challenge Big Mom and live, show me your strength!" he bellowed, crushing another bottle in his hand.

His aura alone sent a chill through the room. Even hardened Beast Pirates flinched.

Back on the ship, Vane and the others immediately noticed the cannon muzzles aiming down at them.

Over twenty turrets opened fire at once. Shells whistled through the air, exploding around the ship in rapid succession.

"They've found us!" Gion drew her blade Kinpira, her expression tightening. She leapt forward, slashing through one cannonball mid-air. It exploded harmlessly behind her.

Without hesitation, she launched another slash upward, striking a distant turret cleanly. The steel structure cracked apart and erupted in flames.

Esdeath raised her hands, summoning a barrage of ice projectiles. Her icy volley intercepted the remaining shells before they reached the ship, freezing and shattering them.

Kalifa joined in, firing bolts of lightning from her fingertips, each blast reducing a turret to rubble.

Despite the chaos, Vane didn't move.

He stood at the edge of the ship, watching the sky with a calm gaze.

He knew this wasn't the end. Cannons alone wouldn't be enough for someone like Kaido. If they'd identified him, then someone powerful was sure to come.

Plague Queen? King the Wildfire?

Maybe... even Kaido himself?

Vane smirked. "Now this is getting interesting."

Meanwhile, high above, King the Wildfire exited the control room and stepped out onto the cliff's edge. He looked down at the waterfall.

"The kid really came," he muttered.

With no hesitation, he dove.

His black wings unfurled mid-air, catching the wind. His body twisted, flames wrapping around his limbs.

This was King the Wildfire, Kaido's strongest subordinate. A user of the Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit, Model: Pteranodon—a flying dinosaur long extinct.

He transformed mid-fall, wings extending, body covered in obsidian scales. Flames rippled across his back and shoulders.

From the deck of The King, the crew saw him descend like a meteor.

"Here he comes," Gion said, stepping beside Vane.

"That's King the Wildfire," Kalifa muttered. "Far stronger than Jack the Drought."

"I know," Vane replied coolly.

"He's... kind of ugly," Esdeath remarked. Kalifa stifled a chuckle in agreement.

The black pterosaur closed in rapidly.

Then Vane moved.

He soared into the air with frightening speed, Haki laced around his fist. At the last moment, he clashed directly with King's talons mid-flight.

Their collision shook the air, producing a shockwave that rocked the cliffside.

King's claw was deflected, the sheer force of Vane's punch pushing him back.

Without pausing, Vane dashed forward and struck again—his second punch aimed directly at King's chest.

"You can fly?" King asked in surprise, blocking the blow with his arm.

Vane grinned. "You can fly, why shouldn't I?"

Just then, a golden magic circle appeared beside Vane's shoulder. It glowed with intense light, blinding at close range.

Caught off guard, King narrowed his eyes, but not quickly enough. A weapon shot out from the circle—a long golden spear—aimed directly at his head.

"Too close!"

King's battle instincts kicked in. He twisted his neck just in time—the spear grazed his right ear, slicing off a lock of hair.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

From the deck, golden light surged behind Vane, spreading across the sky. Dozens—no, hundreds—of golden circles now floated in the air behind him, forming a radiant wall of weapons, each aimed at King.

Queen's jaw dropped as he watched through the surveillance feed.

"What... What kind of ability is that?"

Even King looked stunned. He was forced to retreat mid-air, flapping backward until he reached the edge of the cliff. Behind him was nothing but the waterfall.

Two hundred golden weapons floated in the sky, glittering like a divine arsenal. Spears, swords, halberds—all pointed at King's heart.

"What the hell is he?" King muttered, sweat trickling down his face.

"So, how about I give you a test?" Vane said, hovering in the air.

He raised his hand.

The weapons shifted.

And Wano trembled.

---

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