While the world was still reeling from the fall of the World Government and the restructuring of the Marines at Marineford, the Holy Spirit Empire did not pause. Sith Auguro knew that the "Four Emperors" were the last bastions of the old world's chaos. Among them, the Beast Pirates and the "Strongest Creature" Kaido held the most strategic position: Wano Kuni.
Wano was not just a country; it was a natural fortress, isolated by treacherous whirlpools and massive waterfalls. More importantly, it sat atop the Ancient Weapon Pluton and held the secrets of the Poneglyphs.
On the deck of the newly commissioned "Spirit-Class" battleship, which floated through the air via Urahara's anti-gravity spirit particles, Auguro stood at the prow. Behind him stood the newly summoned Captain-Commander, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, his eyes closed, his presence calming the very wind.
"Wano is a land of samurai," Auguro said, looking at the distant, jagged peaks of the isolated nation. "They value strength and honor. Yamamoto, I want this to be a demonstration of true 'Order'."
"A land of warriors requires a lesson in discipline," Yamamoto replied, his voice like a low rumble of thunder. "If they do not bow to the King, they shall feel the heat of the sun."
The Waterfall Breach
As the fleet approached the massive waterfall that served as Wano's entrance, the Beast Pirates' lookouts began to scream into their Den Den Mushi.
"Enemy ships! They're flying! They're flying over the waterfall!"
Kaido's "Lead Performers," King the Wildfire and Queen the Plague, stood at the top of the falls. King, with his black wings and flames, looked at the approaching white-and-black fleet with narrow eyes.
"So, this is the 'Spirit King' who took down Mary Geoise," King muttered. "I'll show him that a God of the old world is nothing compared to a Lunarian."
King took flight, transforming into his Pteranodon form, trailing fire as he dove toward Auguro's flagship. At the same time, Queen ordered the plague-rounds to be fired from the shore batteries.
"Imperial Flaming Wings!" King roared, a massive blade of fire slicing through the air.
Auguro didn't even look up. From behind him, a flash of blue and white lightning intercepted the strike.
"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens... Hyōrinmaru!"
A massive dragon of ice erupted from the deck, colliding with King's flames. The steam created a localized fog, and out of the mist stepped Tōshirō Hitsugaya, the Captain of the 10th Division.
"Fire is such a noisy element," Hitsugaya said, his young face cold. "You should try cooling down."
The flying fleet bypassed the outer defenses and headed straight for Onigashima, the skull-shaped island where Kaido held his banquet.
Kaido, in his massive Azure Dragon form, swirled in the dark clouds above the island. He let out a drunken, thunderous laugh. "Worororo! A Spirit King? A Soul Society? I've been looking for a place to die! Is it you, boy? Are you the one who can finally kill me?!"
Kaido opened his mouth, and a blast of heat capable of erasing a mountain range erupted. "Bolo Breath!"
The beam of fire raced toward the flagship.
Yamamoto stepped forward. He didn't draw his sword. He simply raised his hand.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū."
An invisible wall of spiritual energy manifested in front of the ship. The Bolo Breath hit the barrier and split in two, flowing around the fleet like water around a stone. The shockwave leveled the forests of Wano behind them, but the "Spirit-Class" ship didn't even shake.
"Your breath is warm, dragon," Yamamoto said, finally opening his eyes. The Reiatsu he released was so heavy that the "Gifters" and "Waiters" on Onigashima below began to foam at the mouth and collapse, their wills crushed by the Captain-Commander's mere existence.
"Division Captains, deploy!" Auguro commanded.
Across the sky, the Senkaimon gates opened.
Zaraki Kenpachi landed in the middle of the "Pleasures" district, swinging his notched blade and laughing as he cut through steel and bone alike.
Byakuya Kuchiki stood atop the skull's horn, his sword scattering into millions of cherry blossom blades that shredded the Beast Pirates' artillery.
Soi Fon and the Onmitsukidō vanished into the shadows of the castle, hunting down the "Tobiroppo" (The Flying Six).
Auguro himself leaped from the ship, landing directly in front of the massive dragon. He hovered in the air, his feet planted on spirit particles.
"Kaido," Auguro said, his voice echoing with the power of the System. "You call yourself the strongest creature. But you are just a big fish in a small pond. I am here to reclaim the 'Pluton' and integrate Wano into the Empire."
Kaido transformed back into his human-hybrid form, gripping his spiked club, Hachi-cha. "Order? Peace? That's for the weak! The world is meant for violence! Ragnaraku!"
Kaido lunged, his club coated in advanced Conqueror's Haki. The black lightning of his strike cracked the very air.
Auguro drew The Origin.
"Bankai... Tensa Zangetsu."
The massive energy of the Soul King compressed into a small, black blade. Auguro's speed surpassed the perception of Kaido's Observation Haki.
Clang!
The collision of the black blade and the Haki-coated club sent a shockwave that split the clouds over the entire nation of Wano.
[System Notification!]
[Engaging: The Strongest Creature — Kaido.]
[Mission: Defeat the Beast Pirates and Secure the Ancient Weapon Pluton.]
[Bonus Objective: Capture the 'Yamato' talent for the Gotei 13.]
As the battle raged, Auguro noticed a figure watching from the palace rafters—a tall woman with horns, holding a kanabō and wearing the clothes of Oden.
"Yamato," Auguro whispered while parrying Kaido's flurry of strikes. "Your father's era is over. The 'Dawn' you wait for isn't coming from the sea. It's coming from the Heavens."
Auguro kicked Kaido back and raised his sword.
"Getsuga... Tenshō!"
A crescent of black spiritual energy tore through Kaido's scales, sending the Yonko crashing through the floor of Onigashima, down toward the lava chambers where the Ancient Weapon lay dormant.
"Yamamoto!" Auguro shouted. "Clean up the surface! I'm going down to finish this!"
"As you command, Lord Spirit King," the Old Man replied, his haori fluttering as he drew his blade. "I shall burn away the weeds of this land."
[Current Achievement Points: 15,000,000]