~ Support & Read 13 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!

❁❁❁❁

Arthur's fist, wreathed in terrifying lightning, had shattered the Sky Island.

He and Kaido, two falling stars, had plummeted ten thousand meters from the sky, impacting the island of Jaya below like a meteor strike. The island fractured like a pane of glass.

A web of cracks spread outward in all directions.

The bar at Mock Town's port was instantly vaporized, and nearly half of the people attending the underworld auction inside were crushed to death.

The earth-shattering impact sent a shockwave across the sea. Pirate ships and merchant vessels alike ground to a halt. On Jaya itself, the terrified pirates, merchants, and nobles scrambled for cover, their eyes fixed on the two emperors who had literally fallen from the sky.

"Is that... Kaido? The monster they call the Strongest Creature in the World?"

"The other one... it is Thunder Emperor Arthur! I heard he was critically wounded by Garp three years ago! They said he never recovered!"

"That cannot be right!"

Those who were not immediately paralyzed by fear could only stare in awe, not even considering escape.

The clouds of dust that had blotted out the sky slowly began to settle, revealing the two terrifying figures who held the world in their thrall.

Like Whitebeard, Arthur's name, after years of carnage, was now known by all. He was a man who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the pirate world.

That arrogant, world-scorning posture—it was unmistakable.

"A battle between Arthur and Kaido is not something I can interfere in," Doflamingo muttered, his shock quickly giving way to cold calculation.

He made his decision in an instant. "Leave Jaya immediately. Return to the New World. Deliver the Devil Fruits we have collected to the Thunder God Pirates."

He was a madman, yes, one who dreamed of burning the world to the ground. Yet he was also a pragmatist. A few moments later, the flamingo-headed ship was already sailing away from Jaya's shores.

Mock Town, a haven for pirates, naturally crawled with World Government spies. The moment they saw the two emperors, they were on the phone to Enies Lobby.

Soon, every major power in the world had received the news.

————————————

New World, near Raijin Island, aboard the flagship of the World Pirates.

"Captain Arthur disappeared for three months... and his injuries are already healed?" Byrnndi World crushed the Den Den Mushi in his hand, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Could he have found a Devil Fruit that could heal him?" Nightin asked from beside him, her face a mask of confusion.

"World, you have to stop this," the small figure of Byojack said from his brother's shoulder, his voice pleading. "Do you not know how terrifying the Thunder Emperor is? Even Shiryu might be more than a match for you now."

He had tried to talk his brother out of this coup from the very beginning.

Now that Arthur was healed, the plan was no longer merely risky. It was suicide.

————————————

Jaya.

The dust had settled in the massive crater.

Arthur could not be bothered to count the dead. His eyes were cold, filled with a storm of crackling lightning. He twisted his neck, shaking off the last of the impact, and then his body vanished.

In the next instant, he was upon Kaido.

His entire body seemed wreathed in a violet flame, the arcs of electricity so bright they were impossible to view directly.

"Kaido! Even if I cannot kill you, I am going to make you understand the price of provoking me! I am going to make you understand what pain truly is!"

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM? I AM KAIDO!"

The ten-thousand-meter fall, which he had taken head-first, had only left him dizzy for a moment. He shook his head, cleared it, and roared as he charged forward, ready to show the world who the true king of the one-on-one fight was.

No strange abilities. Just pure, physical power, enough to move mountains and fill the seas. He resembled a giant from myth, a guardian of the gates of the gods. His swinging hand seemed to blot out the sky, the very air in its path crushed into nothing.

This was the advantage of a powerful body. Not only was his stamina seemingly endless, but as long as you could not break through his defense, you could not harm him. All other attacks were simply ignored.

Arthur loved a head-on clash, even against a man like Whitebeard. He wanted to crush all his enemies from the front. Yet Kaido's fighting style was even more savage than his own.

He let every attack come, took every blow head-on, and then simply struck back.

BOOM!

The violet light from Arthur's fist illuminated half the sky. Kaido's steel-like hand remained completely unscathed. The storm generated by their clash swept through Mock Town like a tsunami.

CRACK!

No building could withstand the aftershock. One by one, they were pulverized, the small island itself beginning to fracture, the seas around it churning in violent uproar.

The onlookers stared in horror as the two monsters collided again and again.

In truth, the name fit. Men like Arthur, Kaido, Whitebeard, and Big Mom—they were far beyond the scope of mere humans. Their bodies, their life force, their Haki, their Devil Fruit abilities—all had reached a terrifying level that an ordinary person could not hope to achieve in a lifetime.

As they fought, Arthur realized something. Kaido's defense was even stronger than it had been the last time they had fought. It was truly indestructible.

No wonder even the Marines were helpless against him. No wonder they had tried and failed to execute him time and time again. Not even Whitebeard's world-shattering blows could kill him.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

They traded blows, again and again, a clash of purple lightning and pure, physical force. The island crumbled, the ocean roiled, and monstrous waves swept across the sea.

Arthur now faced the same dilemma as the Marines.

In a head-on clash, he held the absolute advantage, driving Kaido back into the sea. Yet it was useless. As long as Kaido possessed stamina, he could simply ignore Arthur's attacks.

The paralyzing effect of the lightning could, at best, bring him down. Yet what then? How do you kill a man whose body is as hard as diamond?

His frustration reached its peak. His blows grew more and more vicious.

Yet neither could gain the upper hand. Neither was willing to be the first to stop.

————————————

The sun set. The sun rose.

Ten days passed.

The battle had been broadcast across the world. Still, they fought. Both showed signs of fatigue, their movements slower, yet their power had not diminished in the slightest.

On the seas, every ship—merchant and pirate alike—had their telescopes trained on the island. Now, the warships of Marine Headquarters had arrived.

"Oooh... the World Government has developed a new method of execution they want to test on Kaido. Should we arrest him?"

On the bow of the lead warship, Admiral Kizaru sat with his legs crossed, his chin resting on his hands, a look of profound boredom on his face. Yet his eyes remained fixed on Arthur's figure in the distance.

"Of course, it would be even better if we could arrest the Thunder Emperor in front of all these people... I can be quite vindictive, you know."

❁❁❁❁

~ 13 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)