The sky above the Flower Capital did not just darken; it curdled. Thick, oily clouds spiraled into a violent vortex directly above the ruined execution plaza, drawn together by the horrific friction of two supreme wills. The black lightning produced by Giovanni's sudden awakening did not merely spark; it detonated against the stone floor, carving jagged, glowing trenches into the solid rock. The loose pebbles on the ground began to float upward into the air, completely defying gravity as the physical atmosphere of Wano compressed under an impossible weight.
Kaido lowered his massive iron kanabo slightly, his draconic eyes narrowing to tiny slits as he tracked the thick, bleeding aura of dark purple and crimson spiritual energy wrapping around the young pirate. The sheer density of the Advanced Conqueror's Haki was suffocating, causing the weaker Orochi samurai watching from the distant palace steps to collapse into unconsciousness one by one, their foam-flecked mouths twitching against the stone tiles.
Kaido let out a low, dangerous rumble from the depths of his massive chest.
"Advanced Conqueror's Haki," Kaido said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, deadly serious register. "To coat your very flesh in the color of the Supreme King while your body is already falling apart... you truly are a terrifying monster in the making, Norwell D. Giovanni."
Giovanni did not answer with words. He adjusted his stance, his broken left arm hanging completely useless, fractured, and blood-stained against his side, while his right hand wielded Ace with a terrifying, unshakeable grip. The legendary cutlass hummed, its pristine steel completely swallowed by the roaring, tempestuous vortex of purple lightning.
Kaido raised Hassaikai high above his shoulder, his own black lightning erupting to meet the challenge, the surrounding air screaming in absolute protest.
"Your body is completely broken, brat," Kaido rumbled, his eyes burning with a mixture of raw curiosity and absolute killing intent. "Tell me. With a shattered frame and smashed ribs, do you actually intend to defeat me here today?"
Giovanni's bleeding lips stretched into a wide, completely manic smile.
'I don't need to defeat you today,' Giovanni thought, his mind operating at a hyper-accelerated speed despite the agonizing pain ripping through his nervous system. 'I just need to make you bleed enough that you can never look at your own reflection without remembering my name.'
"I intend to carve my own script into your skin, lizard," Giovanni rasped out.
BOOM!
The stone pavement completely vaporized as Giovanni launched himself forward. He moved at a velocity that completely transcended his physical injuries, becoming a singular, blinding streak of golden and crimson light. He appeared directly in front of Kaido's face in the blink of an eye, his blade slicing downward with apocalyptic force.
Kaido swung Hassaikai upward with a thunderous roar to meet the blow.
CLANG!
The two weapons did not even make physical contact. The massive, invisible barriers of Advanced Conqueror's Haki collided in the open air, creating a catastrophic shockwave that violently shattered every remaining wooden and stone structure within a three-mile radius. The immense pressure split the ground beneath them into a massive, bottomless chasm, sending dust, ash, and burning debris rocketing into the upper atmosphere.
Despite his broken bones, Giovanni held his own against the ultimate creature. He spun mid-air, using a rapid succession of Sky Walks to maneuver around Kaido's massive frame. He unleashed a storm of rapid, single-handed slashes, each one carrying the dense, internal-destruction property of his newly awakened King's Haki.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Kaido was forced onto the defensive, using his reinforced arms and his spiked club to parry the relentless, high-velocity assault. The Oni's face twisted into an expression of raw, adrenaline-fueled excitement. The boy was actually matching his speed, countering his overwhelming bulk with pure, unadulterated combat instinct and devastating willpower.
"Fantastic! Show me more of that beautiful selfishness, Giovanni!" Kaido roared, swinging his club in a massive, horizontal sweep meant to tear Giovanni's torso cleanly in half.
Giovanni anticipated the movement. He dropped his center of gravity, letting the heavy iron spikes pass hairs away from his forehead, cutting a vacuum wave through the plaza. He inhaled a deep, agonizing breath, channeling every single remaining drop of his life force, his stamina, and his supreme will into the dark-patterned steel of Roger's blade.
The purple lightning around Ace suddenly turned into a blinding, hyper-compressed crimson line. The air around the sword grew completely silent, the ambient noise of the burning plaza vanishing entirely as the space around the blade began to warp and fracture.
"Divine Departure!" Giovanni screamed.
He unleashed a horizontal, wide-sweeping slash. The attack was identical to the legendary technique of the Pirate King himself, a massive, towering wave of compressed crimson and black energy that tore through the spatial fabric of the plaza.
Kaido's eyes snapped wide as he recognized the sheer, unmitigated lethality of the incoming strike. The stance, the angle, the terrifying compaction of the conqueror's lightning was a phantom of the past. He attempted to hoist Hassaikai to block, but the speed of the departure was absolute.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The crimson wave slammed directly across Kaido's massive torso. The Advanced Conqueror's Haki violently erupted upon impact, slicing cleanly through the legendary dragon scales that had withstood countless executions throughout the decades. A massive, deep geyser of dark blood erupted from Kaido's chest, painting the ruined pavement in bright red.
The immense force of the strike launched the twelve-foot Yonko completely across the plaza, smashing him violently through the thick stone foundation of the royal palace, causing the entire eastern wing of the building to collapse into rubble.
Kaido let out a guttural roar of genuine, excruciating pain as he crashed through the debris. A fresh, massive laceration was carved diagonally across his chest, a deep and bleeding wound that would permanently remain as a brand new scar alongside Oden's legacy. He was genuinely, severely injured.
Giovanni landed heavily back on the shattered floor, his right knee buckling as the sheer, agonizing backlash of using such a high-tier technique tore through his already broken muscles. He used Ace to keep himself from collapsing entirely, his chest heaving violently as sweat and blood dripped continuously from his face into the dirt.
Behind him, the five master samurai of Wano were slowly forcing themselves back onto their feet, catching their ragged breath as they witnessed the absolute miracle that had just unfolded before their eyes. They stared at the smoking hole in the palace ruins where Kaido had been hurled, then turned their gaze toward the lone, bloody pirate who had achieved the impossible.
Shimotsuki Ushimaru dragged his limping frame forward, his hand resting on his sword hilt as he stared at Giovanni with profound, unadulterated reverence.
"Young warrior," Ushimaru said, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. "What is your name?"
Giovanni did not turn around, keeping his golden eyes fixed on the palace ruins where the dust was still settling, but his voice was steady.
"Norwell D. Giovanni," he said.
Ushimaru let out a deep, breathless chuckle, shaking his head in awe. "Giovanni. You are incredibly strong. To force that immortal demon into a state of pure agony... you have done more for this country than we could have ever asked of an outsider."
Hyogoro of the Flower stepped up beside Ushimaru, his face grim as he looked toward the distant borders of Kuri, where thick plumes of black smoke were still rising into the sky. "But the war is not over, Giovanni. Wano's future is still bleeding in the cradle. We can feel the presence of the All-Stars gathering at Lord Oden's estate."
Ushimaru placed a bloody hand onto Giovanni's trembling shoulder, his gaze filled with a solemn, heavy finality. "We are old men, and our time ends here today. We will stay behind and keep Kaido occupied in this plaza for as long as our hearts draw breath. We will give our lives to ensure he cannot leave this capital."
The legendary samurai tilted his head forward, his voice cracking with urgent desperation. "But we beg of you, Giovanni... please go save Lady Toki and young Hiyori."
Giovanni's brow furrowed, his jaw tightening. He hated leaving a battlefield before the final bell, and leaving these legendary men to face an enraged, injured Kaido felt like an absolute death sentence for them.
"We can only trust you with this job," Shimotsuki Yasuie added, his usual smiling face completely serious now. "You possess the speed and the power to break through their lines. Protect the remnants of the Kozuki bloodline. Ensure the dawn can return in the future. Go, Norwell D. Giovanni."
Giovanni remained silent for a long moment, his fingers gripping the hilt of Ace until his knuckles turned white. He let out a sharp, reluctant sigh, realizing the true weight of the timeline rested on his movement.
"Fine," Giovanni muttered, his voice cold but resolute. "Don't die too quickly, old men."
BOOM!
With a sudden, explosive kick against the stone floor, Giovanni utilized his remaining stamina to launch himself into the sky. He transformed into a golden blur, rocketed away from the Flower Capital at supersonic speeds, heading directly toward the burning wastes of Kuri.
---
Meanwhile, back in the burning ruins of the Kozuki estate, the atmosphere was thick with absolute desperation.
The blue and yellow flames of regeneration flickered around Marco's shoulders as he stood in front of the collapsed wooden entryway. Beside him, Kawamatsu the Kappa held his massive katana at the ready, his small body tense as he tracked the movements of King and Queen in the smoky courtyard.
Marco glance down at the stout samurai, his voice calm but completely direct. "Listen to me, frog-man. You cannot defeat King and Queen by yourself. They are top-tier ancient zoans and lunarian fighters. If you stay here alone, they will systematically tear you to pieces."
Kawamatsu did not break his stance. He kept his small eyes locked onto the approaching shadows of the All-Stars.
"I know that, Phoenix," Kawamatsu said, his voice filled with urgent desperation. "I am fully aware of my own limitations against these monsters. But I can at least make some time for you to escape. Lady Toki and young Hiyori have to leave this island at all costs. Their survival is the only thing that matters now."
Toki stood a few paces behind them, holding the weeping Hiyori tightly against her silk robes, her eyes filled with a mixture of terror and profound sorrow as the fires consumption grew absolute.
Before Marco could formulate a response, the sounds of heavy, rhythmic marching echoed from the outer borders of the estate.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A massive contingent of armored warriors burst through the burning tree line, completely surrounding the ruined house from every single angle. There were easily around one thousand high-ranking Beast Pirates, their weapons drawn and their faces twisted into sadistic grins.
Leading the massive army was Hanafuda, a towering, sinister figure wearing heavy ornamental armor, his dark eyes scanning the remaining defenders with absolute coldness. The escape routes were completely blocked. The sky, the ground, and the surrounding forest were entirely swarmed by the enemy forces.
Marco looked at the surrounding army, a soft, low chuckle escaping his lips. He adjusted his glasses with a lazy, slow motion, his expression completely unreadable through the smoke.
"Well, it seems that's out of the way," Marco said smoothly.
Kawamatsu blinked, confused by the strange, nonchalant wording of the whitebeard pirate. "What do you mean, Phoenix?"
Before the words could fully leave Kawamatsu's mouth, the atmosphere violently shattered.
King moved.
He turned instantly toward Kawamatsu, his speed reaching an absolute, blinding peak that completely transcended the Kappa's observation haki. His right foot, completely enveloped in a dense, pressurized black armament Haki, slammed directly into Kawamatsu's exposed torso.
KRA-RACK!
The sheer, catastrophic force of the critical blow completely shattered Kawamatsu's ribs, the shockwave exploding through his back and sending a massive spray of blood from the samurai's mouth. Kawamatsu's eyes rolled back in absolute, unadulterated shock as his body was driven violently into the dirt floor, coughing up blood as his consciousness immediately began to fade into total darkness.
Toki screamed in horror, clutching Hiyori closer as she stumbled backward away from the blonde pirate, her face pale with a new, terrifying realization.
"Kawamatsu" Toki screamed, her voice cracking with shock.
King slowly stood tall over the broken, bleeding body of the Kappa vassal as he looked down at the remaining Kozuki survivors.
"We are going to kill all of Oden's vassals as well," King said, his voice completely devoid of any emotion as Hanafuda and the one thousand Beast Pirates closed the circle around them.
---
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