Chapter 107: Kaido's Fury!
[Grand Line - The Sky - World Economy News Press Headquarters]
The massive airship that served as the headquarters of the World Economy News Press floated silently amongst the clouds, but inside, it was a cauldron of noise and chaos.
"BIG NEWS!"
The screech echoed through the sorting room, startling the hundreds of News Coos that were busily organizing mail pouches.
"Big News" Morgans, the President of the World Economy News Press and the absolute monarch of the information underworld, snatched a waterproof film canister from the beak of an exhausted bird that had just flown in from the New World.
His talons trembled with anticipation. He could smell it—the scent of a scoop that would shake the world to its foundations.
"Show me! Show me what you found at the edge of Totto Land!"
He rushed to the darkroom, ignoring his editors who were shouting about deadlines. He developed the photos with frantic speed, the chemical smell of the developing fluid filling his nose like the sweetest perfume.
As the image slowly manifested on the paper under the red light, his eyes—hidden behind golden-rimmed spectacles—widened until his pupils constricted to pinpoints of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.
"Excellent! THIS IS IT!"
He held the photograph up to the light as if it were a sacred relic given by the gods of journalism.
The photo was a masterpiece of composition, capturing a moment of impossible history.
In the foreground, lying face down on the steel deck of a cruiser, was a colossal corpse. The mammoth fur coat, the metallic jaw guard, the massive ivory tusks—there was no mistaking him. It was "The Drought" Jack, one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, a monster with a billion-berry bounty. His eyes were rolled back, foam at his mouth, defeated not in a grand battle, but instantly.
Standing over him was a small girl with long black hair and crimson eyes. She was in the middle of sheathing her blade, her expression one of absolute, chilling indifference. She looked as if she had just finished a light workout, not assassinated a Calamity.
And in the background, looking shocked and terrified, was Charlotte Katakuri, the invincible Sweet Commander.
"A genius! The News Coo who took this photo is a genius! Give him a raise! Give him premium fish for a month!"
Morgans shrieked, slamming the photo onto his mahogany desk with a THWACK that sent feathers flying.
"Look! All of you, look!"
He roared at his trembling editors, pointing a wing at the wet photo.
"This is the grandeur my 'Fifth Emperor' should possess! Just entering the New World, and already taking on a Yonko's top executive? And killing him like a dog?!"
He grabbed a quill, pacing around the room, his mind racing at a mile a minute.
"Another unknown newcomer! A girl! She instantly killed a Great Pirate with a billion-berry bounty! Jack is dead! The Drought is over! The rains of chaos are coming!"
Morgans laughed, a manic sound.
"And look at the context! Katakuri was there! Why? Was it a meeting? A clash?"
He tapped his beak.
"Did they meet by chance? Or..." Morgans grinned, his reporter's intuition flaring. "Is there an alliance? Did Suzaku and Big Mom meet to discuss the division of the world? Did they team up to kill Jack as a message to Kaido?"
The implications were terrifying. If Suzaku and Big Mom allied, the balance of power would shatter instantly.
"No! Not enough! This headline isn't explosive enough!"
He snatched the drafted front-page headline—'Jack Defeated by Rookie'—and tore it to shreds, throwing the confetti into the air.
"That's too passive! Listen to my command!" He spread his wings like a conductor leading an orchestra of chaos.
"The front-page headline will be: ['FIFTH EMPEROR' EXECUTIVE ONE-SHOTS 'THE DROUGHT'! COULD THE ERA OF THE YONKO END EARLY?]"
"The sub-headline: [DUAL EMPERORS MEET! BIG MOM AND SUZAKU VS THE BEASTS PIRATES! A DECLARATION OF WAR!]"
"Use the photo of the girl! And the photo of Suzaku sipping tea while Jack dies! Contrast the violence with the calm!"
"Quick! Print more! Get all available printing presses running! I want every corner of the world—from the West Blue to the depths of Fish-Man Island—to see this magnificent newspaper tomorrow! Wake up the sleeping world!"
The entire news agency instantly transformed into a high-speed machine. The roar of the steam-powered presses drowned out the wind outside.
For Morgans, it didn't matter if the world burned. What mattered was that he sold the tickets to the show. And Suzaku was the star performer.
[New World - Wano Country - Onigashima]
The skull-shaped island was alive with the sounds of debauchery. The Golden Kagura was in full swing, a festival of fire and alcohol.
Inside the massive Skull Dome, the air smelled of stale sake, sweat, and roasted meat.
Kaido of the Beasts, the "Strongest Creature in the World," sat on a massive throne made of stone and bones. He was in his dragon-human hybrid form, blue scales covering his arms, massive horns protruding from his head.
"WORORORO!"
He poured an entire giant sake gourd's contents down his throat like a waterfall. Sake spilled down his chest, mixing with the sweat of a drunken stupor.
"More! Bring me more sake! Today is a good day! Where is Jack? He should be back with the new recruit by now!"
Just then, the skylight shattered.
CRASH!
A figure engulfed in black flames descended like an arrow from the sky. He landed heavily before the throne, cracking the floor tiles and sending a shockwave that knocked over the nearby geishas.
The music stopped. The laughter died. The rowdy crew members—Waiters, Pleasures, and Gifters—fell silent, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
It was "The Wildfire" King. The second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates. The last Lunarian.
The atmosphere froze. Everyone could tell that King looked extremely grim beneath his black mask and uniform.
"Governor!" King's voice was hoarse and low, lacking its usual stoic composure.
Kaido let out a deafening burp. His crimson eyes, hazy with alcohol, glanced over lazily.
"Oh? It's King. What's the rush? Did you find that brat named Suzaku? Did Jack bring him here? I want to see if he's strong enough to join us! If he's weak, I'll just kill him!"
King stood silently in place, unmoving. The fire on his back flickered nervously. He held a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.
Kaido's drunkenness faded a bit. He sat up straighter, the floor groaning under his shift in weight. The terrifying pressure belonging to a Yonko began to emanate, heavy and suffocating.
"What's wrong? Lost your tongue? Speak up!"
King took a deep breath. He walked up the steps and handed the newspaper to Kaido.
"Jack..." King said, his voice barely a whisper. "...is dead."
The silence in the room was absolute. It was as if the air had been sucked out.
"...What?"
Kaido's smile froze. He snatched the newspaper, tearing it slightly with his claws.
He scanned it. The giant headline and the high-definition photograph seared his eyeballs like a red-hot branding iron.
[JACK THE DROUGHT DEAD. KILLED IN ONE STRIKE BY SUZAKU PIRATES EXECUTIVE.]
"Jack..." Kaido whispered. "Was killed? By the Suzaku brat's subordinate? By a girl?"
He looked at the photo of the red-eyed girl sheathing her sword. He looked at Jack's lifeless body.
Kaido's voice was soft, but the contained fury made the entire island of Onigashima tremble slightly. Dust fell from the ceiling rafters.
"WORORORORO... HAHAHAHAHA!"
He suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. It wasn't happy. It was filled with unbelievable absurdity and towering rage. Tears of anger formed in his eyes.
"I sent Jack to 'invite' him! That was giving him face! Showing him respect! I offered him a place at my side!"
BOOM!!!
Kaido smashed a giant rock beside his throne with a casual backhand swing of his fist. The terrifying shockwave sent the surrounding pirates sprawling, blood coming from their ears.
"This brat named Suzaku... not only doesn't appreciate it, but dares to kill my executive?! My brother?!"
"A woman... killed my Jack?!"
Kaido stared intently at the newspaper. He looked at the photo of Suzaku, who was sipping tea in the background, looking bored.
"Damn it! Utterly damn it!"
CRUNCH.
Kaido crumpled the newspaper into a ball of pulp.
ZAP-BOOM!
A violent Conqueror's Haki burst forth uncontrollably. Black and red lightning raged throughout the great hall, knocking out hundreds of waiters and lower-ranked pirates instantly. The walls cracked. The sake gourds shattered.
"GATHER THE MEN!" Kaido roared, his voice shaking the heavens and the earth. "FIND THESE BASTARDS FOR ME! I'LL TEAR THEM TO SHREDS WITH MY OWN HANDS TO AVENGE JACK!"
"Governor, please calm down!" King immediately stepped forward, braving the Haki storm that was peeling the paint off the walls. "The newspaper says that people from the Big Mom Pirates were also present at the time. Katakuri was there."
King pointed at the sub-headline.
"We cannot rule out the possibility that they have allied. If we act rashly and attack Totto Land, we start a total war."
"ALLIED?!"
Kaido roared, spitting magma-hot breath. His eyes glowed like demonic lanterns.
"SO WHAT?! I AM KAIDO!"
He grabbed his massive kanabo, Hassaikai.
"Forget about a mere newcomer! Even if that old hag Linlin really teamed up with him, what can she do to me?! I am the Strongest Creature in the World! Nothing kills me!"
He wouldn't listen to any advice. Only one thought remained in his alcohol-soaked, rage-filled mind: Revenge. War. Destruction.
"Hmph. Since Linlin's people were there, they must know their whereabouts! I'll go ask her myself! And if she hides him, I'll sink Whole Cake Island!"
Kaido walked out of the Skull Dome, crushing the stone beneath his feet with every step. He walked to the edge of the floating island.
"DRAGON FORM!"
ROAR!
Before his words finished, Kaido's massive body shot into the sky.
Blue scales erupted from his skin. His body elongated, twisting and growing until he was kilometers long. Massive horns sprouted from his head. Whiskers flowed in the wind.
He transformed into a colossal Azure Dragon that blotted out the sun and coiled through the clouds. The weather over Wano changed instantly—storm clouds gathered, lightning struck, and the wind howled in sympathy with the Dragon's rage.
With a deafening roar that was heard across the entire country of Wano, he rapidly flew into the distance, heading toward Totto Land.
"Governor! Governor!"
King looked at the receding dragon shadow and sighed helplessly.
"Damn it," King muttered, watching the storm follow his captain. "He's drunk and angry. This is going to be a war."
[Marine Headquarters - Marineford]
The mood in the Fleet Admiral's office was somber, a stark contrast to the rage in Wano.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer, placed the fresh newspaper on Fleet Admiral Sengoku's desk.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, her face etched with a deep, weary worry.
"They finally clashed," Tsuru spoke slowly, her voice as steady as ever, though her hands were clasped tightly behind her back. "Just entering the New World, and already having a direct conflict with a Yonko's force. And winning decisively."
"This kid's initiative is even faster than we expected," she noted. "He isn't hiding. He is hunting."
Sengoku said nothing. He sat with his hands clasped over his mouth, his gaze fixed on the red-eyed girl's photograph in the newspaper.
A vein throbbed on Sengoku's forehead, pulsing with the headache that had become his constant companion since Suzaku appeared.
"Another newcomer..." Sengoku whispered. "Without a title or a bounty history. A girl who looks like a child."
He tapped the photo.
"She just appeared and took down 'Drought' Jack—a monster with a billion-berry bounty, an Ancient Zoan known for his durability—in one hit. One hit, Tsuru. Do you understand what that means?"
He looked up at Tsuru, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.
"It means she bypassed his defense completely. Haki? Devil Fruit? Curse? We don't know. We are fighting ghosts."
"Tsuru, don't you think this is terrifying? The continuous emergence of monsters in the Suzaku Pirates... it's unnatural. Where is he finding them? Is he manufacturing them?"
"The fearsomeness of a pirate crew never depends solely on the Captain," Tsuru picked up her teacup and blew on the hot liquid, trying to maintain a facade of calm. "Roger had Rayleigh and Gaban. Whitebeard has Marco and Jozu. Strong captains attract strong followers. That is the rule of the sea."
"But this..." Tsuru shook her head. "This indeed goes beyond common sense. Their 'Executives'—Ulquiorra, Albedo, this Akame—are stronger than most Captains in the New World. They are a crew of Captains serving one King."
"This isn't a matter of common sense!"
BANG!
Sengoku slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups clatter and his pet goat bleat in surprise.
His voice was filled with deep fatigue and worry.
"The executives of the Suzaku Pirates are all monstrously strong. Ulquiorra defeated an Admiral. Albedo blocked Kizaru. Now this girl kills a Calamity."
Sengoku stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the symbol of Justice painted on the plaza below.
"If we let this continue... if they survive the New World..."
Sengoku gripped the window frame until the wood splintered.
"They will sooner or later become a menace more troublesome than Kaido and Big Mom combined! Those two are stagnant. They hold territory. They are predictable."
"But Suzaku..." Sengoku whispered the name with dread. "Suzaku is moving. He is overturning the board."
"The tail is wagging the dog, Tsuru," Sengoku said grimly. "We thought we could use them to disturb the Yonko balance. But the dog is about to bite us all."
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