"Kaido-sama is actually dead!"
"How can this be possible?!"
"Impossible! Kaido-sama can't be dead!"
Panicked cries erupted throughout the Beasts Pirates.
The entire battlefield descended into chaos.
Everyone stared at Kaido's corpse with bloodshot eyes, unable to accept reality.
The monster known as the World's Strongest Creature had fallen.
The man who had survived countless executions and challenged death time and time again now lay motionless before them.
"Bastard!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
"You actually dared to kill Kaido-sama!"
Queen the Plague and the remaining officers roared furiously.
Their eyes were filled with rage and hatred as they charged toward Ryūjin without hesitation.
Unfortunately, their anger could not change reality.
"Fools."
Ryūjin's voice carried undisguised contempt.
A golden radiance condensed in his hand.
"Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion."
Whoosh!
A brilliant white slash swept across the battlefield like a beam of divine judgment.
The world seemed to split apart.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Blood sprayed into the air one after another.
The remaining All-Stars.
The Flying Six.
Every surviving member of the Beasts Pirates.
Not a single one escaped.
Expressions of shock and unwillingness remained frozen on their faces as their bodies collapsed into pools of blood.
Within moments, silence returned.
The mighty Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors' crews that had dominated the seas for decades, had been completely erased.
No survivors remained.
Nami and Robin stood frozen in place.
Even after witnessing Ryūjin's strength many times, the scene before them still left them speechless.
That had been an Emperor's crew.
Yet in front of Ryūjin, they seemed no different from ordinary pirates.
"The entire Beasts Pirates... gone..."
Nami swallowed subconsciously.
Her eyes were filled with shock.
Robin's expression was equally stunned.
Even she struggled to find words.
Ryūjin glanced briefly at the corpses scattered across the battlefield before losing interest.
To him, it was nothing worth dwelling on.
"Crocodile."
"Set sail."
"Yes, Lord Ryūjin."
Crocodile immediately bowed his head and began directing the ship.
As the vessel resumed its voyage, Ryūjin entered the Sign-in System's space to collect the rewards earned from the battle.
As always, Devil Fruits were his primary target.
If there were no Devil Fruits available, Observation Haki became the next priority.
As for ordinary crew members lacking both Devil Fruits and Haki, they provided little value.
Still, the harvest from the Beasts Pirates alone was astonishing.
Kaido's Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
The Devil Fruits of the All-Stars.
The Devil Fruits of the Flying Six.
Each one represented a substantial reward.
Without hesitation, Ryūjin absorbed Kaido's Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
Immediately, his Yin Release Chakra surged.
The increase was significant.
Even Ryūjin found himself satisfied with the result.
The remaining Devil Fruits also strengthened his various chakra attributes to varying degrees.
Meanwhile, both Observation Haki and Armament Haki experienced noticeable improvements.
Unfortunately, no Conqueror's Haki appeared among the rewards.
Such a power was exceptionally rare even among the strongest figures on the sea.
Overall, the gains exceeded expectations.
The battle between Ryūjin and Kaido had been closely monitored by countless forces from beginning to end.
Therefore, the moment the battle concluded, the news spread across the world at astonishing speed.
It exploded like a bomb throughout the Grand Line.
"What?! Kaido was killed?!"
"One of the Four Emperors actually died!"
"As expected of Demon Eye Ryūjin!"
"The World's Strongest Creature was defeated!"
Every corner of the sea fell into an uproar.
Countless people were stunned beyond words.
For years, Kaido had represented an indestructible existence.
Even suicide had failed to kill him.
Yet now he had died at someone else's hands.
The news sounded unreal.
Aboard the Moby Dick, Whitebeard sat silently after hearing the report.
Even he paused briefly.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"So Kaido finally fell."
Whitebeard shook his head.
"If the one who killed him was Ryūjin, then there's nothing surprising about it."
He understood Ryūjin's strength better than most.
After all, he had personally experienced it.
That overwhelming power had surpassed the level of any Emperor long ago.
Even Kaido was not an exception.
Elsewhere, Red-Haired Shanks sighed softly after receiving the same information.
"So it happened after all."
He remembered their brief exchange.
Although neither side had fought seriously, Shanks had already sensed how terrifying Ryūjin truly was.
Kaido choosing to challenge such a monster had never seemed like a wise decision.
Now the outcome proved it.
From this day forward, the balance of power in the New World had changed.
The Four Emperors no longer existed as before.
At Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin nearly crushed the newspaper in her hand.
"What did you say?!"
"Kaido is dead?!"
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Unlike Whitebeard and Shanks, she had never personally tested Ryūjin's strength.
Because of that, she found the news difficult to accept.
After all, she knew exactly how powerful Kaido was.
They had once sailed together aboard Rocks D. Xebec's ship.
Nobody understood Kaido's resilience better than she did.
"Mama, it's true."
Baron Tamago's voice was unusually serious.
"The information has been confirmed multiple times."
"Many people witnessed Kaido's body floating at sea."
"I personally verified the reports."
Big Mom remained silent.
Shock lingered on her face.
After a long moment, she finally spoke.
"So all those rumors were true."
For months, she had believed Ryūjin's reputation contained exaggeration.
A pirate rising from obscurity to a bounty exceeding ten billion Berries within half a year sounded absurd.
But now?
Kaido's death had proven everything.
The rumors might have understated him.
"Mama, what should we do now?" Baron Tamago asked.
Big Mom narrowed her eyes.
"Return to Whole Cake Island."
"Kaido is dead."
"There's no reason to remain here."
Her alliance with Kaido had given her confidence to pressure Marine Headquarters.
Now that ally was gone.
Facing the Marines alone was another matter entirely.
Even she wasn't arrogant enough to challenge the entire World Government by herself.
Not everyone was Ryūjin.
Baron Tamago secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Recently, Ryūjin had defeated Whitebeard, forced Red Hair back, and now killed Kaido.
Only Big Mom remained among the Emperors.
The possibility that Ryūjin might eventually target their captain had left many members uneasy.
That very afternoon, the Big Mom Pirates suddenly withdrew from the waters surrounding Marineford.
The unexpected retreat immediately sparked widespread discussion.
Most observers agreed with the decision.
Without Kaido, remaining there served little purpose.
Before long, news of Big Mom's withdrawal reached Ryūjin's ship.
"The Big Mom Pirates retreated?"
Ryūjin raised an eyebrow.
Then he nodded slightly.
Reasonable.
Without Kaido, confronting the Marines offered no advantage.
"Ryūjin-san, she must have heard you were coming and gotten scared away!"
Nami laughed brightly.
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
After all, forcing an Emperor to retreat was no small achievement.
Ryūjin simply shook his head.
"You're underestimating the Emperors."
"No one reaches that position by being a coward."
Even if his presence influenced Big Mom's decision, fear alone would not explain it.
"Bring me the map."
"Right away, Ryūjin-san."
Nami quickly handed it over.
Ryūjin studied the sea routes carefully.
Marineford was already close.
Under normal circumstances, they would arrive within roughly a week.
But now circumstances had changed.
After a brief moment of consideration, Ryūjin made a decision.
"Crocodile."
"Change course."
"We're heading to Sabaody Archipelago."
"Understood, Lord Ryūjin."
The order surprised everyone aboard.
Sabaody Archipelago sat near the entrance to the New World.
Countless pirates, bounty hunters, merchants, and criminals gathered there daily.
It was one of the busiest locations in the world.
More importantly, Silvers Rayleigh resided there.
Ryūjin had no intention of rushing after Big Mom immediately.
Whole Cake Island wasn't going anywhere.
Instead, a visit to Sabaody offered several opportunities.
Rayleigh's Haki.
The various Supernovas currently gathered there.
Potential Devil Fruit transactions at underground auctions.
No matter how he looked at it, the trip was worthwhile.
The ship quickly altered course and headed toward its new destination.
The Marines learned of the change almost immediately.
Inside Marine Headquarters, Kong's face changed drastically.
"Sabaody Archipelago?!"
He stood up abruptly.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
Of all places, Ryūjin had chosen the one location that could easily trigger a catastrophe.
The Celestial Dragons resided there.
And Kong understood exactly how those nobles behaved.
If they provoked Ryūjin...
He did not want to imagine the consequences.
Without delay, he contacted Sengoku.
"Sengoku."
"Ryūjin has changed course toward Sabaody."
"Take the Admirals there immediately."
"I'm leaving as well."
Unfortunately, they were already too late.
By the time orders were issued and preparations completed, Ryūjin's ship had already reached Sabaody Archipelago.
The moment they arrived, Nami's eyes lit up.
"So beautiful!"
"There are bubbles everywhere!"
Floating bubbles drifted through the air like glittering jewels.
The entire archipelago looked like a dream.
Even Robin appeared fascinated by the unique scenery.
After the ship docked, both women eagerly rushed onto the island.
Watching them wander among the floating bubbles brought a faint smile to Ryūjin's face.
Even he found Sabaody interesting.
The atmosphere was unlike anywhere else in the world.
"Let's enjoy ourselves before handling business."
Ryūjin spoke casually.
Nothing on his agenda required immediate attention.
"Really?!"
"Long live, Ryūjin-san!"
Nami cheered happily.
Soon afterward, the group began exploring the various districts of Sabaody Archipelago.
The vibrant streets, unique attractions, and countless bubbles created an unforgettable experience.
Yet beneath the island's beauty lurked danger.
Certain districts belonged to a privileged group.
The Celestial Dragons.
Ordinary people were expected to obey countless absurd rules whenever those nobles appeared.
Of course, Ryūjin knew exactly who they were.
He had no interest in accommodating them.
If they minded their own business, then nothing would happen.
But if they decided to get in his way...
Then slaughtering them would be no different from stepping on a few insects.