Kaido was dead. The "Strongest Creature" had finally been silenced, his titanic presence vanishing from the world like a snuffed candle.
Even as the dust settled over the reshaped, glass-like plains of Wano, a heavy silence hung over the allied forces. Luffy sat on the ground, his Gear Fourth form having timed out, leaving him small and exhausted. He stared at his hands, a look of profound frustration on his face. He had saved Wano, yes, but he hadn't been the one to deliver the final blow.
"I still... I still wasn't strong enough," Luffy muttered, his head hanging low.
Kazuha walked over, the wind swirling gently around his feet. He had heard the boy's sigh. "Strength isn't just about the weight of your fist, Luffy. You have a hidden potential that has yet to bloom. If you reach it, not even Kaido or Whitebeard would be your match."
Luffy's eyes widened. "A hidden potential? You mean... a Fifth Gear?"
"Precisely," Kazuha sat beside him. "My Lord, Su Han, told me of a legend. The form you seek is called Joyboy. It is the true awakening of your fruit."
The surrounding pirates—Kid, Law, and Sanji—all froze. The name Joyboy was a myth, a ghost of the Void Century.
"Wait, Joyboy is a transformation?" Law asked, his tactical mind racing.
"It is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika," Kazuha revealed, his voice steady. "The World Government renamed it the 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' because they feared the Warrior of Liberation. You don't have the power of rubber, Luffy. You have the power of imagination."
The revelation sent a shockwave through the crew. Who's-Who, the former CP9 agent who had been lurking nearby, slumped against a rock. "So that's why I was imprisoned... for losing the Fruit of a God."
Luffy didn't look burdened; he looked inspired. A new path had opened before him. Though he hadn't defeated Kaido today, he now knew that the ceiling of his power was much higher than he ever dreamed.
[The Unexpected Guest]
As the clearing of the Beast Pirates' remnants began in the Flower Capital, a towering figure appeared at the gates. Charlotte Katakuri, the former Sweet Commander, stood there with his sisters, Brulee and Pudding.
Diluc stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his claymore. "You... the one from Tottland. Why are you here?"
"My mother is gone. My family is shattered," Katakuri spoke, his voice muffled by his scarf but his eyes clear. "There is no place for us in this world anymore. I have seen the future you bring... and I wish to follow you to your world. I only ask for a place where my sisters can be safe."
Su Han's voice came through the Chat Group almost instantly: [Accept them. Katakuri is a rare talent, and his sisters' abilities are invaluable for our intelligence network.]
"Our Lord welcomes you," Diluc said, lowering his blade. "But you must travel within a specialized spirit-vessel until we reach our home. Do you accept?"
"Without hesitation," Katakuri replied. The strongest son of Big Mom had officially defected to Teyvat.
[The Spoils of Wano]
While the soldiers stabilized the country, Ningguang was busy conducting business with Momonosuke and Hiyori. Wano was technically "poor" in terms of food, but it was incredibly rich in rare materials.
"These blue stones... you call them Sea Prism Stones?" Ningguang asked, picking up a shard. Her eyes sparkled. To her, this wasn't just a tool to weaken fruit users; it was a Hydro-Elemental Battery.
"They are plentiful here, Lady Ningguang," Hiyori explained. "But we have no use for the factories Kaido built. We hate them."
"I will take the factories and the ore," Ningguang smiled elegantly. "In exchange, I will grant you 5,000 pounds of specialized 'Sovereign Wheat'—a variant that grows in half the time and provides triple the nutrition. It should solve your famine in a single harvest."
The Wano officials were overjoyed. To them, they were trading "cursed rocks" for life-saving food. To Ningguang, she was acquiring the fundamental materials needed to power a thousand new Hydro-arrays back in Liyue.
[The Return]
Three hours later, as the Beast Pirates were fully suppressed and the Flower Capital erupted in a festival of liberation, the mission clock hit zero.
[Ding! Hard Special Mission: Complete!]
[Reward: 400,000 Points (Split between 5 participants).]
[Bonus Reward (Difficulty Spike): Weatheria Island (Mobile Sky Island).]
"Five minutes left," Keqing noted, looking at the portal. "Xiangling, say your goodbyes."
Xiangling hugged Nami and Chopper one last time. "Stay safe! And remember to eat well!"
As the five heroes vanished into the portal, the horizon of Wano saw one last flicker of movement. The Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, was appearing on the horizon, ready to clash with the remaining Marine blockade—but the "Sovereigns" of Teyvat were already gone, their inventories full and their spirits high.
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