The sea itself had become the battlefield.
Kaido soared hundreds of meters above the waves, looking down at Kozuki Oden from the heavens. This position gave him the greatest possible advantage in combat over open water.
The two world-class powerhouses clashed fiercely. Every collision between their weapons and Haki unleashed bursts of lightning that crackled through the sky. Shockwaves spread outward like a Category 10 hurricane, whipping the sea into a frenzy.
No one dared approach within a thousand meters of their battlefield.
Even farther away, the aftermath remained impossible to avoid.
Whenever Kaido's massive dragon body collided with Oden's twin blades, enormous amounts of energy erupted outward. Brilliant flashes illuminated the night, and from a distance, it looked as though a second sun had been born above the ocean.
As the battle intensified, Kaido's immense yet agile dragon form repeatedly smashed apart the towering sword lights Oden unleashed.
Each shattered slash exploded across the sky like a shower of stars.
It was a magnificent sight.
Only those fighting understood how deadly it truly was.
To give Oden stable footing, Wano's forces had deliberately left several ships within the combat zone. By now, however, most of those vessels had been damaged or destroyed, leaving only scattered wreckage drifting across the sea.
Despite fighting under unfavorable conditions, Oden continued to stand against Kaido.
Both men possessed monstrous physiques worthy of their reputations.
Kaido's scales were not invincible. Throughout the battle, Oden had carved numerous wounds into his body. Broken scales littered the battlefield. Sword cuts crisscrossed his hide, and blood occasionally flowed from the deeper injuries.
Yet they were only wounds.
Pain merely made Kaido laugh harder.
His recovery speed was equally terrifying. Most injuries visibly closed over as the battle continued, showcasing the terrifying vitality that had earned him the title of an immortal monster.
Half a day had already passed.
As darkness settled over the battlefield, visibility dropped sharply, making large-scale assaults increasingly difficult for Wano's forces.
The Beasts Pirates' Steel Fortress remained standing.
Even when groups of samurai managed to breach sections of the defensive line and climb the walls, they were quickly driven back by waves of Beasts Pirates reinforcements.
By this point, anyone with military experience could see the truth.
Wano Country simply lacked the manpower and firepower necessary to break through the fortress.
Not without suffering catastrophic losses.
The samurai had attempted alternative approaches.
Several units tried circling around the island and infiltrating through neighboring islands to strike from the rear.
The attempt failed.
The Beasts Pirates had already anticipated such tactics.
Smaller fortifications had been established throughout the surrounding islands, and the waters between them were filled with countless hidden explosives.
Sea Mines.
A newly developed strategic weapon of the Beasts Pirates.
Buried beneath the waves, these bombs were extremely difficult to detect. The moment a ship touched one, it detonated with devastating force.
One explosion was enough to tear open a massive hole in a vessel's hull.
Any ship that struck a Sea Mine was effectively doomed.
During the past half day, Wano had already paid a painful price learning that lesson.
The Beasts Pirates' defensive network remained stable throughout the battle.
Even when portions were breached, reinforcements arrived quickly enough to seal the gaps before they could be exploited.
Elsewhere, King continued battling Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
Despite facing two powerful opponents simultaneously, he showed no signs of collapse.
Individually, neither Mink was his equal.
Together, they were merely able to match him.
Though the Minks possessed their natural Electro abilities, King wielded flames and possessed the extraordinary durability of the Lunarian race.
In his youth, he had endured countless experiments conducted by the World Government, including extensive electrical resistance testing.
"The moon is exceptionally bright tonight."
"This is the moment we've been waiting for."
Nekomamushi raised his head.
A perfect full moon hung above the battlefield.
Silver moonlight bathed the sea.
King immediately realized what was about to happen.
The Mink Tribe's strongest transformation.
The Sulong.
During the Golden Sea War, King had personally witnessed Gar's Sulong transformation multiple times. The increase in combat power was extraordinary.
However, Gar was a special case.
Unlike normal Minks, Gar could freely control the transformation.
For most Minks, Sulong came with severe drawbacks.
The tremendous increase in power consumed vitality at an alarming rate. It drained stamina rapidly and left the user weakened once the transformation ended.
Moonlight descended upon Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
White fur exploded across their bodies.
Blue-white lightning danced around them.
Their physiques became leaner, sharper, and visibly more powerful.
Scarlet eyes locked onto King.
"Let us mourn the dead of Zou, King."
The aura radiating from both Minks surged dramatically.
King narrowed his eyes.
Though he knew Sulong was temporary, he also knew he could no longer fight them head-on as before.
The next instant, both Minks vanished.
Not even afterimages remained.
They appeared simultaneously on either side of King.
Lightning-wreathed claws tore through the air, creating silver streaks that looked capable of ripping space itself apart.
King reacted instantly.
His black wings spread wide, intercepting both attacks.
His wings were among the most durable parts of his body. Reinforced with Armament Haki, they collided against the claws like steel grinding against steel.
Sparks exploded everywhere.
King immediately leaped skyward.
Transforming into his Beast Form, he shot into the air and unleashed countless razor-sharp wind blades from his wings.
The compressed air slashes swept across the battlefield.
But the transformed Minks were far faster than before.
They weaved through the barrage like meteors.
The distance between them and King vanished in an instant.
King's instincts screamed in warning.
Flames erupted across his body.
There was no avoiding them now.
The two Minks could even move through the air for short periods using their combat techniques.
King had no choice but to engage directly.
As Kaido's right-hand man, retreat was not an option.
Even against opponents whose combined strength exceeded his own.
Using his wings as weapons, he met their assault head-on.
Blood splattered across the sky.
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi tore deep wounds into King's wings.
Hideous gashes opened across the black feathers.
Ignoring the pain and resisting the violent Electro coursing through his body, King immediately counterattacked.
The Minks could not remain airborne forever.
That brief moment of descent was his opportunity.
Flight remained his greatest advantage.
Night had fallen.
The war continued.
The darkness slightly reduced the effectiveness of the Beasts Pirates' artillery.
Although the samurai also suffered from limited visibility, the Steel Fortress blazed with countless lights, becoming a massive beacon in the darkness.
Using the cover of night, more samurai managed to approach the defensive line.
Yet the cost of the daytime battle had been devastating.
More than three thousand samurai had already died.
Many of the survivors carried serious injuries.
Their overall combat effectiveness had fallen below half.
This was Wano Country's first true large-scale war against a major sea power.
In the past, they had always defended their homeland against invaders.
This time, they were the attackers.
That difference had proven far more significant than anyone anticipated.
The intelligence they had gathered on the Beasts Pirates was largely outdated.
For years, Kaido had focused on development.
Aside from the Golden Sea War and the conflict against the Marines, the Beasts Pirates had remained relatively quiet.
As a result, Wano had severely underestimated them.
Now they were paying the price.
The firepower of the Beasts Pirates far exceeded anything they had witnessed before.
Even spectators watching the battle through broadcasts were stunned.
The screen was filled with endless artillery and gunfire.
It was enough to make anyone feel numb.
Even at night, powerful searchlights illuminated the coastline and surrounding sea.
The open ground before the Steel Fortress was brighter than daylight.
With shorter engagement distances came greater accuracy.
The volume of fire only became more terrifying.
"Don't spare the ammunition! Fire everything you've got!"
Queen had transformed into a massive brachiosaurus.
While suppressing powerful samurai with his immense strength, he continued issuing commands across the battlefield.
"Keep up the suppressive fire! Hold the line and don't let them climb the walls!"
Queen saw the situation clearly.
Time was on their side.
Every minute the battle dragged on weakened Wano further.
The Nightfall Pirates could provide supplies.
They could not replace dead samurai.
The casualty gap between both sides had already become enormous.
To achieve such a result, the Beasts Pirates had spent a fortune.
The Steel Fortress.
The artillery.
The ammunition.
The logistics.
All of it required immense investment.
But it was worth it.
The fortress could be dismantled after the war.
The islands themselves were not Beasts Pirates territory, so there was no reason to leave permanent installations behind.
This was a war Kaido intended to win with money.
Spending resources to reduce casualties was a trade he gladly accepted.
Years of development had given the Beasts Pirates vast reserves.
The endless gold extracted from the Golden Sea had filled their coffers beyond imagination.
There was another purpose behind this war as well.
The global arms market.
The Beasts Pirates intended to enter it.
This battle was not merely a war.
It was also a demonstration.
A showcase of their military industry.
With their production capabilities, research facilities, and technological advantages, they were fully capable of becoming one of the world's largest weapons suppliers.
Every cannon fired served as an advertisement.
Every victory increased the value of their products.
No major war ever had only one objective.
Despite their overall disadvantage, the samurai of Wano demonstrated remarkable quality.
On average, they were significantly stronger than ordinary members of the Beasts Pirates.
Their mid-level combatants vastly outnumbered those of the Beasts Pirates as well.
If both sides had fought on open ground under equal conditions, the Beasts Pirates would likely have suffered several times more casualties.
That was precisely why Kaido had chosen this battlefield.
Why fight on equal terms when superior strategy could decide the outcome first?
The battle continued.
The samurai burned through enormous amounts of Haki simply defending against the endless barrage.
Some bullets were coated in Armament Haki.
Each impact left agonizing pain.
Below the Steel Fortress lay the main battlefield.
Few cannonballs reached this area.
Most artillery focused on the coast and sea beyond.
Under the giant floodlights, the battlefield was brighter than daytime.
Farther away, however, darkness reigned.
Only distant explosions and shockwaves revealed where powerful warriors continued fighting.
Most of Wano's ships had already been destroyed.
The battle was far harsher than anyone expected.
Yet not a single samurai retreated.
They carried Wano's honor.
They carried the mission of reclaiming the Road Poneglyph.
The overwhelming firepower slowed every advance.
Still, they continued charging toward the fortress.
And they continued dying.
Without Haki, the human body remained fragile before bullets and cannon fire.
Hours of combat had exhausted them.
Their strength steadily declined.
Corpses littered the battlefield.
Samurai.
Pirates.
Both sides paid in blood.
Then the gates of the fortress opened.
Beasts poured out.
Amid deafening roars, thousands of trained creatures surged forward alongside Beasts Pirates soldiers.
They bypassed the front lines and crashed directly into the samurai.
Though domesticated, they remained wild at heart.
The Beasts Pirates could not completely control them.
They only needed to ensure the beasts attacked the enemy.
The charge became Wano's second nightmare.
Only the artillery proved deadlier.
Many samurai were tackled to the ground by charging beasts.
Others exposed openings while dealing with them and were cut down by nearby pirates.
Blood soaked the earth.
Firepower and beasts.
Together they formed a killing field.
By now, everyone watching understood the truth.
Wano had lost.
The Beasts Pirates had woven a net from every advantage available to them.
The samurai continued throwing themselves into it.
Only one possibility remained.
Oden defeating Kaido.
Unfortunately, that seemed increasingly unlikely.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat immediately!"
The order finally came.
Too many had died.
The gates of the fortress remained open as endless beasts continued pouring out.
Their eyes glowed with unnatural ferocity.
The Beasts Pirates had clearly used some method to drive them into a frenzy.
Faced with overwhelming firepower, endless reinforcements, and countless beasts, Wano could no longer continue.
Under the protection of their strongest warriors, the samurai began withdrawing.
Powerful sword slashes carved paths through pursuing enemies.
Even the charging beasts instinctively avoided them.
"Open fire!"
"Finish them while they're running!"
The retreat only created new opportunities for the Beasts Pirates.
Rear-guard samurai were quickly targeted by the Beasts Pirates' elite fighters.
Meanwhile, ordinary pirates and beasts launched a relentless pursuit.
Artillery fire continued hammering the sea.
Then a gigantic mammoth entered the battlefield.
A single sweep of its trunk shattered a samurai's sword and sent him flying.
Bones cracked.
The earth trembled beneath every step.
Ordinary samurai stood little chance against such a monster.
The mammoth's name was Jack.
An Ancient Zoan Mammoth user.
Only thirteen years old. He had followed Kaido into battle since the age of eight.
Already carrying a bounty of 200 million Berries, he was one of the brightest rising stars within the Beasts Pirates.
Many samurai could swim.
Few could dive deeply enough to escape.
At this range, any rescue ships approaching would simply be destroyed.
Most survivors could only cling to floating wreckage and swim for their lives.
The searchlights illuminated the sea several meters beneath the surface.
There was nowhere to hide.
The retreating samurai became living targets.
Elsewhere, King hovered in the air.
His body was covered in wounds.
Blood stained his feathers.
The flames burning across his body had noticeably weakened.
His condition was poor.
Across from him, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi remained transformed.
At least for now.
King continued maintaining distance.
He had no intention of fighting recklessly.
He only needed to wait.
The weakness of Sulong was inevitable.
Eventually, the transformation ended.
Both Mink leaders dropped to one knee.
Their breathing became ragged.
Their bodies reverted to normal.
Their combat strength plummeted.
"Inuarashi! Nekomamushi! Are you alright?"
Kin'emon rushed over despite his injuries.
Several samurai gathered around them while keeping a wary eye on King.
King felt a trace of regret.
Had he waited a little longer, he might have killed both of them.
But the battle was already won.
The objective had been achieved.
Risking himself now was unnecessary.
Without hesitation, he turned around and flew back toward the Steel Fortress.
His injuries required treatment.
Even an Ancient Zoan's vitality had limits.
"Hoh-ho! King, you actually ended up looking like that?"
The moment he landed, Queen's mocking voice rang out.
Queen stared at King's battered appearance with obvious amusement.
"It's nothing."
King sat heavily in a nearby chair.
"Just two troublesome opponents."
Ignoring Queen entirely, he allowed the medical team to begin treating his wounds.
The pain wracking his body never showed on his face.
While wounded pirates groaned all around him, King remained silent.
His gaze drifted toward the distant battlefield.
In the end, this war would be decided by only one person.
Governor-General Kaido.