Yemu felt something strange.
It had been ten years since he ate the Mera Mera no Mi.
Over those ten years, he believed he had already pushed the Mera Mera no Mi far beyond Ace in the original story. Without exaggeration, he could even say he had surpassed more than ninety percent of Devil Fruit users in this world.
And yet, there had always been a problem.
As Yemu had always said, whether it was a Devil Fruit or a sword, to him they were nothing more than tools. Tools without their own will, requiring the user's control to function.
But everything changed after that battle on Fish-Man Island.
When he fell into the Sunlight Tree Eve, the Mera Mera no Mi awakened its own consciousness, absorbed some mysterious energy, and evolved on its own.
From that moment on, it was completely different.
To put it simply, before evolving, the Mera Mera no Mi was like a normal computer operating system.
After evolving, it had become artificial intelligence.
Now, Yemu no longer needed precise control or complicated manipulation to use its power. A single thought was enough.
That was why he could now wield flames so freely.
"I am the flame."
That was the only feeling in Yemu's mind at this moment.
Over the stormy sea, beneath heavy clouds and raging winds, two massive Eastern dragons hovered in midair.
One was a fire dragon formed from the crimson flames of the Mera Mera no Mi.
The other was Kaidou's Mythical Zoan azure dragon.
As both dragons opened their jaws at the same time, blazing flames surged out.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Bolo Breath!"
If Kaidou's Bolo Breath was like a concentrated beam of flames, then Yemu's attack was more like a massive sphere of condensed heat.
In the sky, a deep crimson fireball collided head-on with a blazing, high-temperature flame beam.
Both attacks carried the power to destroy everything, clashing violently in midair.
Seeing this, Katakuri shouted in alarm,
"Quick… all ships, retreat from here…"
But it was already too late.
A blinding light, as bright as the sun, erupted. In that instant, everyone's vision was filled with searing red.
"Boom…"
The sea itself trembled.
The massive storm clouds covering the ocean were blasted apart by the explosion, and scorching shockwaves and flames swept across the water in every direction.
In a single instant, every ship on the sea was engulfed.
Even pirates battling over a hundred kilometers away were stunned by the sudden explosion.
Looking up, they saw a towering mushroom cloud rising in the distance. The crimson flames burned brighter than the sun itself.
"..."
Both sides instinctively swallowed, exchanged glances, and without a word, called off the fight and fled as fast as they could.
After the explosion, the sea gradually calmed.
Thanks to the massive Mochi Wall and Candy Wall, the BIGMOM Pirates barely survived.
When they looked up, the once dark and stormy sky had been completely cleared. The clouds were gone, leaving behind a brilliant blue sky, as if washed clean, with sunlight pouring down onto everyone's faces.
High above, the two dragons still hovered, facing each other.
Neither had a single scratch.
It was as if that devastating explosion had been nothing more than a warm-up.
Only then did the members of the BIGMOM Pirates truly realize what they were witnessing.
"You've got to be kidding me… that kind of power…"
"And this is someone who hasn't even properly entered the New World yet?"
"He can actually fight Kaidou head-on…"
"How old is he… how can he be this strong…"
"Is the New World about to change…?"
At that moment, Katakuri wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke in a low voice.
"Now you understand why Mama values this kid so much."
Everyone's expressions shifted. Charlotte Oven, in particular, felt a wave of embarrassment at his earlier overconfidence.
That kind of power was on an entirely different level, yet he had actually thought about provoking him.
Just then, above the sea, Kaidou hovered in midair on flame-like clouds. His dragon eyes fixed on Yemu as he spoke,
"So that old hag wasn't wrong. A monster really has arrived in the New World. But… don't think this level of power is enough for you to brag in front of me."
"Roar…"
A piercing dragon's roar echoed, and the violent winds stirred the sea into chaos once again.
Yemu, however, remained unfazed. His massive dragon body coiled through the air as he replied calmly,
"Whether it's bragging or not, we'll find out after we fight."
"Hmm."
Kaidou drew in a deep breath, yet made no move. That gave Yemu pause. This didn't match the Kaidou he knew. By all rights, Kaidou should have charged straight at him and smashed him with a Raimei Hakke.
Then it hit him.
At this time, Kaidou should be preparing for the decisive battle in Wano Country against Oden and the others.
Oden and the Nine Red Scabbards weren't weak. Kaidou likely didn't have absolute confidence in winning that fight yet.
Yemu couldn't remember every detail of the story, but he did recall one thing. It seemed someone from the Kurozumi clan had used a trick that distracted Oden, allowing Kaidou to defeat him. Otherwise, the outcome might have been different.
Although Kozuki Oden had been one of Roger's companions, Yemu hadn't spent much time with him. During those three days with Roger's crew, he had been busy learning Haki, constantly following Rayleigh and Roger to seek guidance. He barely interacted with the rest of the crew. Even with Shanks and Buggy, he had only exchanged a few words.
And to begin with, Yemu had never cared much for samurai ideals. With Momonosuke in the picture, he had even less fondness for Wano Country.
Still, while he had no interest in Wano itself, the Devil Fruits there were a different matter.
Aside from Kaidou's Azure Dragon Fruit, Wano still had nearly three Mythical Zoans. Yamato's Okuchi no Makami, Kurozumi Orochi's Yamata no Orochi, and a fox's Onyudo form.
There weren't many Mythical Zoans in the entire world.
Yet Wano alone accounted for nearly half of them.
And on his crew, Ayala still didn't have a Devil Fruit, and he had promised to find one for Anne.
Beyond Mythical Zoans, there were also several powerful Paramecia fruits.
The Bari Bari no Mi, the Mane Mane no Mi, the Toki Toki no Mi, the Fude Fude no Mi…
Each one held tremendous potential.
Thinking of this, Yemu looked at Kaidou.
Maybe that was exactly why Kaidou had come looking for him.
"So, Kaidou… instead of fighting, are you interested in working together?"