"Let's go, we need to pick up the pace."
Although he sensed the auras of Kaido and Linlin, Beltz had no intention of picking a fight with them. He planned to take the fruit and leave before they even met. Beltz wasn't a battle maniac, and besides, he had two children with him. If he clashed with those two, Shanks and Shamrock would be in grave danger.
He guessed they were also here for a Devil Fruit. Since he had snatched Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit, Kaido—now fruit-less—naturally had to hunt for another. And since Linlin was the Information Queen of the seas with a network spanning the globe, it was only logical for Kaido to seek her help.
In this timeline, Kaido hadn't even ambushed Linlin yet. This meant Beltz didn't even have to worry about Kaido being captured by the Navy for now. He had previously thought that in another year, Kaido would be caught and then break Alber out of prison. But without the Azure Dragon Fruit, Kaido wouldn't be sent to the research squad for study, and he wouldn't meet Alber there.
Beltz stopped his leisurely pace. He scooped up the red-haired brothers and dashed toward the palace. With "Psychological Invisibility" active, the palace guards didn't notice him at all. He easily located the Devil Fruit in the royal storehouse, sitting among piles of gold and silver.
The Drum Kingdom had always been relatively wealthy; its medical expertise was world-renowned, granting them a seat at the Reverie. It was only later, under the reign of the insatiable and evil Wapol, that the people fell into poverty.
He took the Munch-Munch Fruit and immediately left with the red-haired brothers. He leapt directly off the 5,000-meter peak! Since he and the Kaido group were on opposite sides of the island, they wouldn't cross paths.
However, unlike Beltz's low-key arrival, Kaido and Linlin clearly didn't care for subtlety. A massive ship docked at the shore, and dozens of pirates disembarked—some were Kaido's new recruits, others were Linlin's sons.
Sensing this, Beltz sighed.
"I'm taking you to a place," Beltz said to the red-haired brothers. "Don't move around inside, okay?"
His shadow began to writhe. Previously, his shadow could only hold inanimate objects, not living beings. But thanks to the recent gift from Yhwach, his Quincy powers had grown significantly! He wasn't sure if it could hold the two boys yet, but he had to try. If it failed, he'd have to stash them somewhere safe.
He had hoped to avoid Kaido, but looking at their momentum, if they didn't get what they wanted, Drum Kingdom was headed for a catastrophe. He wasn't feeling guilty about stealing the Munch-Munch Fruit—it belonged to the royals, anyway—but Kaido wasn't Whitebeard. If Kaido didn't get his prize, he might level the nation.
Beltz had saved people in a place as dangerous as God Valley; he couldn't stand by and watch Drum Island be destroyed. He didn't blame himself for taking the fruit; he simply recognized that pirates were an inherently evil lot. The current era hadn't yet settled into the Three Great Powers (Yonko, Navy, Warlords), so it wasn't surprising to see great pirates like Kaido vying for territory in the Grand Line.
The red-haired brothers were very well-behaved. Sensing Beltz's seriousness, they cooperated. This was his first attempt at putting people into his shadow; if successful, traveling between the Pirate and Soul Society worlds would be much easier.
As he activated his Shadow power, ripples appeared beneath the feet of Shanks and Shamrock. It looked as if they were standing on the surface of water. Then, their bodies began to sink into the "liquid" surface.
It worked!
Beltz was elated. He focused his mind, letting them sink deeper until they were completely swallowed. Just like that, the two children entered his shadow! It seemed holding two kids was no problem; he hadn't even hit his limit yet—he might even be able to fit an adult.
Beltz smirked. He wondered if, as his Shadow power grew, he could create a "Shadow World" connecting the two universes. He could create a Schatten Bereich in One Piece and another in the Soul Society, then find a way to link them. He might not be able to do it now, but with his unique transmigration trait, it wasn't impossible for the future!
With the boys hidden, Beltz transformed, becoming the massive Azure Dragon!
On the other side of the island, Kaido stepped off the ship, resting his mace, Hassaikai, on his shoulder. "Linlin, are you sure there's a suitable fruit here?"
"If you don't trust me, you didn't have to come."
Linlin and Kaido walked at the front with dozens of pirates behind them. This menacing group immediately alerted the Drum Kingdom, and an army soon arrived.
Linlin added, "Kaido, if I help you find the Munch-Munch Fruit, you'll owe me a big favor."
"Say whatever you want." Kaido saw a large number of figures appearing in the snow ahead, rifles aimed at them.
"Halt! You are forbidden from proceeding! One more step and we fire!"
In this period following the dissolution of the Rocks Pirates, they had begun to carve their own paths, but the most famous pirates were still the "Big Three": Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki. Linlin's reputation was loud, but Kaido was still a "small fry" by comparison.
Three years since God Valley wasn't quite enough to make them world-renowned. Not everyone was a protagonist like Luffy, who could conquer the world in three years. Luffy could beat a Yonko at nineteen; these veterans wouldn't reach their peak until their forties or fifties.
Because they spent most of their time in the New World and rarely visited the first half of the Grand Line, the people of Drum Kingdom didn't recognize their ship immediately.
Kaido looked at the soldiers with disdain. "The people of this country are so weak." To him, the weak didn't deserve to survive; they existed only to be slaves or corpses. He wanted to create a world where only the strong could live!
Linlin ignored his musings. "Katakuri, deal with them!" She said to her son, "Take all the treasure from the town below. If there's good food, bring it all to the ship!"
As for the loot at the top—the palace atop the Drum Rockies—that would be for her and Kaido.
Katakuri stepped forward without a word. He was thirteen, but due to his natural height, he was already taller than most adults.
"H-Halt!" The soldiers, seeing Katakuri advancing, put their fingers on their triggers. "Damned pirates! Die!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat!!!
A barrage of bullets flew toward Katakuri, but his body suddenly began to wriggle. Having eaten the Mochi-Mochi Fruit, he feared no bullets. They punched holes in his body but dealt zero damage. After tanking the first volley, he vanished, reappearing in the middle of the army.
He delivered a kick to a man's chest; the man screamed as his ribs shattered, and he was sent flying, taking down dozens behind him. Against these fodder, Katakuri was like a god descending to earth! The other pirates followed, eager to plunder the residents.
But just as they charged, a massive Azure Dragon suddenly flew out from the Drum Rockies?!
The dragon cut through the leaden sky, its scales reflecting a cold, blue-black luster through the snow. Most importantly, clutched in its claws was the strangely patterned Munch-Munch Fruit. Its massive body churned the air, leaving a wake of rolling snow and clouds as it sped toward the open sea.
??!!!
Big Mom, about to have Zeus fly her up, was shocked. "The Azure Dragon Fruit? Why is he here?!"
Kaido was equally stunned and enraged. "Damn it, it's that guy again!"
This was the man who had stolen his Azure Dragon Fruit! Kaido had been set on that fruit at God Valley and had chased him then; he never expected to meet him here!
"Wait, look at what's in his hand—isn't that the Munch-Munch Fruit?!"
Kaido flew into a rage. This guy stole the Azure Dragon Fruit, and now he was stealing his backup choice? This was outrageous! Flames of fury burned within Kaido. "Linlin, we absolutely cannot let him escape!"
Charlotte Linlin's face darkened, her pink hair flaring in the wind. Her wide grin was replaced by shock and fury. Her massive frame trembled, and a terrifying red light glinted in her eyes. "It's that brat again. I won't let him go!"
Like Kaido, Linlin had viewed the Azure Dragon Fruit as her own property, and she harbored a deep grudge against Beltz. Even with her intelligence network, she hadn't been able to find him. Now he appeared again and snatched their prey. "Forget this broken island! Pursue him!"
How much treasure could a tiny Drum Kingdom have? Beltz had made off with all the rewards the Celestial Dragons had at God Valley! He was the real priceless treasure!
The Drum Kingdom was instantly forgotten. Linlin mounted Zeus and surged into the sky, even grabbing the revenge-hungry Kaido along for the ride! The thundercloud carried the two future Emperors, tearing through the air at incredible speed toward the blue-black dragon shadow on the horizon!
Katakuri and the others stopped their advance upon hearing their mother's voice and returned to the ship to provide backup.
Meanwhile, Beltz, in his dragon form, flew toward the sea. Since he had abandoned the boat, he would fly straight to Sky Island—but he had to lose these two first. He was confident; his flight was superior to Zeus.
However, Linlin and Kaido weren't pushovers. Standing on Zeus and seeing the dragon's back, they prepared their attack! Kaido raised Hachisai, Conqueror's Haki crackling around the mace like black lightning. Linlin held the Emperor Sword, Napoleon, her own violent Haki surging restlessly.
The two top-tier Haki signatures resonated in their shared fury, creating a terrifying synergy. Black lightning arced between them, compressing the surrounding air!
Beltz felt the power gathering behind him and was startled.
Hakai!
And it wasn't just any Hakai; black lightning flickered on their weapons! Later at Onigashima, their combined Hakai hadn't exploited Haki infusion. While these two were far from their peak—especially Kaido, who lacked a fruit—the addition of Haki made this strike utterly horrific!
As they roared the name of the technique, a massive force took shape. With a violent swing, the surging energy turned into a terrifying projectile!
Pshhh!
Black lightning scattered as the power tore through the air, instantly slamming toward the flying Beltz!
Beltz wasn't about to tank this in his full dragon form. He shifted into his Hybrid Form mid-air, simultaneously manifesting a blade in his hand.
"Kotodama: Unclouded Land!"
Beltz used his domain. Centered on him, the laws of the violent airflow were forcibly dominated and compressed, turning into an absolutely pure, spherical domain that repelled all external matter!
In almost the same instant, the destructive torrent of Hakai slammed into the invisible barrier!
BOOM!
The Hakai struck the air barrier, shattering it much like Shiki's strike once had. But in the aftermath, Beltz had already swung his blade.
"Kotodama: King's Flame!"
BOOM!
His blade erupted in scorching flames that roared with explosive sounds, clashing against the remaining force of the Hakai!
BOOM!!!!
The immense power exploded. Flames expanded outward like a massive ring of fire, with Beltz at the center holding back the Hakai. Facing their combined attack, even Beltz didn't dare be careless. Individually, these two were not yet a match for Shiki, but their combined strike was every bit as dangerous!
However, Beltz was no longer inferior to Shiki, either! This Hakai wouldn't be enough to take him down!
With a massive roar, the two staggering forces detonated in mid-air. The explosion was so powerful that it blew the surrounding clouds apart! This wasn't the "Splitting the Heavens" caused by a clash of Conqueror's Haki—it was simply the shockwave of a massive explosion blasting the sky open!