Amidst the swirling sky and earth, bursts of Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tide, sweeping across the land layer by layer while stirring up towering dark thunder.
"Hoo... roar—!" Yamato had completely transformed into her beast form, her pure white fur standing on end. She snarled at the sky, a low growl rumbling in her throat.
"This is... really bad." Ace smiled bitterly, holding his famous blade horizontally across his chest. Armament Haki flowed over the blade, turning it black.
"..."
Sato Sakura remained silent, reaching into her chest and pulling out a small purple Den Den Mushi. She pressed a button, and the snail's special signal was transmitted, reaching the distant Medical Island… Marian.
"Worororororo!"
A wild, booming laugh came from within the clouds… a laugh all too familiar to Yamato.
The group felt as if they were in the eye of a typhoon. The air pressure plummeted rapidly, and the dark clouds in the entire sky collapsed inward, forming a huge vortex-like hole in the center.
Then, an enormous head emerged from the clouds… a horned dragon head, its scales gleaming, two long whiskers dancing in the wind.
"Running away from home. What a big surprise you've given me, Yamato!"
"You... aren't you on an expedition?" Yamato cautiously guarded against him, so nervous that her ability unconsciously spread, forming a layer of frost on the ship's hull beneath her feet.
"Hmph!" The massive dragon head didn't answer Yamato's question. Instead, it turned its gaze to Sato Sakura and Ace. "Two brats with impressive spirit. So, which one of you let this fool go? You? Or you?"
Ripples of Conqueror's Haki erupted, shaking the atmosphere as they passed, instantly enveloping Ace and Sato Sakura.
Yamato, Ace, and Sato Sakura exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
A vast amount of Haki burst from their bodies, churning in the void like boiling water. Four waves of Conqueror's Haki collided, causing dark lightning to blast across every inch of space.
Their shared will to resist Kaido twisted together into a single rope, forcibly tearing open a domain of their own within Kaido's Haki.
"More kings? This world doesn't need so many kings." The blue dragon in the clouds radiated fierce light from its entire body.
Accompanied by flames and swirling storms, its massive body descended from the sky, smashing a huge crater into the ice.
The sinister-faced man stared at them with his giant kanabo, walking right up to the three.
His gaze swept over Ace's sword and Sato Sakura's face. Kaido's brow furrowed slightly.
'That bastard Roger's sword, and that crazy woman Haruno Sakura's face, plus my own child...'
'What was this, a pirate second-generation platter?'
"Is this a battle? Someone on Mother's level..." Sato Sakura's dangling arms were trembling, but her will burned even stronger.
Ace and Yamato beside her looked much the same, though Yamato had a bit more awkwardness facing her own father.
"Our opponent is someone on Sakura-nee's level. We need to cooperate against him. Don't hold back!" Ace pushed his Haki output to its limit. His heart pounded fiercely. Crimson Haki flowed through his veins and onto the pitch-black blade.
"Of course. I know his terror better than anyone!" Yamato nodded, reverting to her hybrid form. Her kanabo was also wreathed in frost and Haki.
Both of them swung their weapons behind them. Amidst the clash of storm and Haki, flames blazed and shockwaves spread.
Ace and Yamato charged out from the broken ship simultaneously, transforming into two wildly dancing lines… one black, one white.
—God Speed - White Snake Drive!
—Night - Rough Soul!
The sound of piercing air was endless. Cold air and Haki combined to birth a slender, icy white snake, dancing bewitchingly. A bone-deep chill erupted from the blade, also mixed with Haki to create a black snake, cruelly trampling everything.
The two giant snakes intertwined, rushing to Kaido's side. Kanabo and blade interwoven, they suddenly crashed into his chest, knocking him to the ground!
Boom!
Instantly, frost and slashes rolled outward, tearing apart and expelling all flames and storms that fell within their attack range.
"This won't work. It's too shallow!" Sato Sakura's Observation Haki foresaw something bad.
She leaped onto the ice, and as she ran, she began her transformation into the land giant beast Behemoth.
"Worororororo! That hurt, you two brats!" Kaido laughed.
He straightened his bent legs, grabbed Ace and Yamato, who were clinging to him, and slammed them onto the ground.
He raised the arm holding his kanabo and wiped the blood trickling down his forehead.
"Now then, it's my turn!" A rough roar rang out. Kaido's muscles bulged all over his body. Dark lightning coiled directly around his kanabo.
"Thunder Bagua!"
The moment the kanabo swung, the entire world fell silent, leaving only the roar and boom of bursting lightning. Kaido's blazing Haki crashed down toward Ace and Yamato in the crater.
"Powerful Blast!"
At the critical moment, Sato Sakura, who had already condensed an iron spear using her ability, arrived. Flowing Haki gathered at the spear's tip as she stabbed fiercely toward Kaido's kanabo.
Clang!
The two weapons clashed in mid-air… or rather, they hadn't actually collided. There was still a gap between them!
Shockwaves continuously erupted between the weapons. The tiny whine of the cracking iron spear clearly reached Sato Sakura's ears.
Crack!
Sato Sakura's spear, which had only used internal destruction, couldn't resist Kaido, who was using Conqueror's coating. After reaching its limit, it shattered with a bang.
But this brief opening bought Sato Sakura some time. She curled her tail, scooping up Ace and Yamato and pulling them out of Kaido's attack range.
'A Zoan, no, a Mythical Zoan?'
Kaido savored the clash, sensing something subtly wrong.
Then, he laughed, his gleaming eyes fixing on Sato Sakura as he impatiently stated his terms: "Brat, join my crew. Help me build the world's strongest Zoan user army!"
"A position as an All-Star, or even the shogun of Wano with that fool Yamato… I can give you either!"
"Who wants to be your All-Star or the shogun of Wano!"
Yamato, still curled in Sato Sakura's tail, became agitated, waving her arms and legs as she refused. "I've already promised Sato Sakura. We're going out to sea together and become the freest people on this sea!"
"Liar, hypocrite. Your fruit has a will of its own. The fact that Oguchi no Makami recognized you means your wills are shared!"
Kaido, resting his kanabo on his shoulder, began his lecture. "Since your goal is ultimately for Wano's sake anyway, why not come help me now and become the shogun of Wano!"
"No! I won't protect the Wano that you rule. That's wrong!"
Yamato gripped her kanabo tightly with both hands. "I will protect every person in Wano with my own will, and accomplish Wano's opening!"
Defied by his own child in front of so many people, veins bulged on Kaido's forehead. He turned to look at Sato Sakura. "What about you!"
"We will measure everything with our own eyes." The emotionless girl replied in an indifferent tone.
"You brats are so annoying. All you have to do is obediently submit to domination, and you could have everything." Kaido's eyes widened. His spirit began to rise.
"Listen to me. In this world ruled by violence, you don't need things like willpower!!!"