A bolt of lightning that connected heaven and earth struck down. Kaido was charred and smoking, but he still reached out a hand. "Rhett... I... next time... I'll definitely... beat you to death..."
Rhett sighed. He had come looking for a fight. But with Kaido like this, Rhett didn't know what to do.
From the crater came Kaido's heart-wrenching wail.
"Rhett —!!! You have to stay alive so I can kill you —!!!"
Rhett: "..."
Enel: "...Captain, you have a lot of enemies."
Moria wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Kishishishi... Kaido is interesting. This is the man I wanted to defeat?"
Rhett rubbed his temples. "Damn it. What the hell is this?"
Rhett watched as Kaido stood up and walked toward him. The cross-shaped scar on Kaido's chest was stark and vivid.
Kaido's face was completely sincere. He looked at Rhett and asked, "Rhett, I've always thought of you as my lifelong rival. You think of me as your destined rival too, right?"
Rhett looked at Kaido's expectant face. His eyelids twitched violently. He turned his head slightly and looked at the three All-Stars behind Kaido.
Rhett: I shouldn't have looked.
King was nodding frantically. He had his hands pressed together, moving them up and down. His eyes were begging, "Please, just go along with it."
Rhett: What is this, Tom and Jerry?
Queen had dropped straight to his knees and was banging his head on the ground. He mouthed silently, "Please! Just agree with him! Please!"
Jack had buried his face in his hands, pretending he didn't exist.
Rhett: "..."
What kind of life did these people live normally?
Kaido was still staring at him with pleading eyes. "Rhett? Say something!"
Rhett took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. "...Yes. Destined rival."
"WAAAH—!!!"
Kaido burst into tears instantly. He grabbed Rhett and hugged him so hard that Rhett almost couldn't breathe. "I knew it!!! I knew you felt the same way!!!"
Rhett's face was pressed against the cross-shaped scar on Kaido's chest. He struggled to speak. "...Let... go..."
But Kaido was completely lost in his emotions. He cried and patted Rhett on the back. "My life is complete!!! Having a rival like you, I can die without regrets!!!"
The blood mist surged. Rhett reappeared behind Kaido. The one Kaido was hugging was just a small decoy.
Enel: "..." (Silently took two steps back.)
Moria: "Kishishishi... Kaido is so affectionate." (Pulled out a video Den Den Mushi and secretly recorded everything.)
Queen let out a long breath and collapsed to the ground. "We're saved..."
King wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered to Jack, "Go get a few more barrels of sake. Before he goes on another drunken rampage..."
---
Ten minutes later.
Kaido finally let go of the mist decoy. He wiped his tears, looking completely satisfied. "Rhett, I'm happy today! Come on, let's drink! No leaving until we're both drunk!"
Rhett answered with a blank expression. "...I refuse."
Kaido's face immediately fell. "Why?!"
Rhett: "Because I don't want to be in the same room as a drunk idiot."
Kaido: "..."
The three All-Stars: "..." (All held their breath.)
The air froze for a second.
Then —
"WAAAH—!!! Rhett, you hate me!!! And we're supposed to be destined rivals!!!"
Kaido burst into tears again, rolling on the ground and slamming his dragon tail against the dirt. "I don't want to live anymore!!! Even my rival looks down on me!!!"
Rhett: "..."
Enel: "...Captain, maybe we should just kill him."
Moria: "Kishishishi... Just a little more recording. Just a little more."
Queen covered his face in despair. "It's over. He's going to cry all night again..."
---
Just as Kaido was still rolling on the ground, sobbing, a young but commanding voice suddenly came from the distance.
"I am Kaido the Second! Mist Lord Rhett, my destined rival! Face me in battle!!"
Everyone turned their heads at once. A little girl, whose head barely reached Kaido's knees, was dragging a spiked club bigger than herself toward them. She wore a miniature dragon horn helmet. Her face was painted with exaggerated markings. She was a tiny replica of Kaido.
Rhett: "..."
Enel: "..."
Moria: "Kishishishi... Now this is interesting."
Kaido's crying stopped abruptly. He looked up, snot still hanging from his face. "M-My son?"
Yamato didn't pay any attention to her father. She pointed her club at Rhett and shouted with impressive authority, "I am going to become the 'Strongest Creature'! Rhett, let's fight!"
Rhett crouched down to look Yamato in the eye. "Kid, how old are you?"
Yamato puffed out her chest proudly. "Twelve!"
Rhett: "..."
He turned to look at Kaido. "What have you been teaching your kid?"
Kaido wiped his face and suddenly looked proud. "What do you think? My bloodline! Ever since she was little —"
"Shut up." Rhett cut him off and looked back at Yamato. "Little one, your father is drunk. Take him back to bed."
But Yamato stubbornly shook her head. "No! I have to defeat you! I am Kaido the Second! Rhett, my lifelong rival! Fight me!!"
Rhett: "..." (What kind of logic is this?)
Kaido was so moved he had tears in his eyes. "My son. That's my boy. You didn't embarrass me..."
Yamato continued, "Dad says you're the man he wants to beat the most. So if I beat you, then I'll be Kaido, and Dad will be Kaido the Second!"
Rhett: "..." (Something changed. But also nothing changed. What a filial child...)
Moria's video Den Den Mushi was recording the whole scene. "Kishishishi... This is worth a lot to Moore. How much do you think he'll pay, kishishishi."
Rhett sighed. He reached out and ruffled Yamato's hair. "Listen, kid..."
"Don't touch my head!" Yamato suddenly raised her club. "Thunder Bagua!!!"
"THWACK!"
The club hit Rhett's hand. It didn't even leave a red mark.
The whole scene fell silent.
Yamato blinked. She hit him again, harder. "Thunder Bagua!!!"
Rhett: "..."
He flicked his finger. The club went flying and stuck into a distant rock wall.
Yamato stared blankly at her empty hands, then at Rhett.
Then —
"WAAAH—!!!" She burst into tears too. "My club!!!"
Kaido immediately rushed over and hugged his daughter. "Don't cry, my son! Dad will avenge you!"
The father and daughter embraced each other and wept. "Rhett is a bad person!!!"
Rhett: "..."
Enel: "..."
Is this right??? You said you were going to get revenge! So fight! Don't just stand there crying! If you don't fight, didn't I come all this way for nothing?!