The Entrance

"Out of my way! Oden Two-Blade Style—Gun—Imitation Demon!"

Kozuki Oden charged forward like a vicious demon, invisible force coiling around his body as he surged ahead like lightning.

Without even touching his blades, every Beasts Pirates pirate standing in his path was sent flying.

The ground was blasted open into a deep ravine, while Beasts pirates were flung through the air!

"Whoa, that guy's as strong as a monster!"

Behind the many Beasts pirates, Queen clicked his tongue as he watched Kozuki Oden charge ahead as though no one stood in his way. Then his eyes rolled. "King, how about you go play with him? The glory of the Lunarian Tribe shall be reforged today."

"Stop spouting nonsense."

King ignored him completely and instantly transformed into a gigantic pterosaur, soaring into the sky. "That man is an opponent Mr. Kaido values. Our mission is the Red-Sheath Samurai!"

"Whoa, he ran. He said all that serious stuff, but ran without hesitation."

Queen looked expressionlessly up at King flying into the sky, then smacked his forehead. "But he's got a point! We can't spoil Boss Kaido's fun."

So he switched battlefields as well.

Kozuki Oden pressed forward, and no one could stop him for even a moment.

With a single swing of his swords, he could cleave apart a forest. With a roar and the surging force of his spirit, he could make countless pirates faint on the spot!

Kozuki Oden had only one target: the giant dragon in the distant sky, staring back at him just as fiercely!

He continued forward, and along the way, Shinobu, the ninja who had once served under his father, joined him.

The distance between him and Kaido was steadily shrinking.

As Kozuki Oden advanced, the Red-Sheath Samurai under his command advanced as well. Ordinary Beasts Pirates members were no match for these warriors proficient in Haki.

But their opponents soon appeared.

Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech!

A roar came from the sky. Then sharp Wind Blades rained down like raindrops, carving the ground into countless ravines and blocking the Red Scabbards' advance.

"That guy is!"

Kin'emon looked up and saw King circling overhead like a fighter jet.

"Muahahahaha! You samurai have had enough fun, haven't you?"

Heavy footsteps brought an earthquake with them as a massive Brachiosaurus approached with a laugh. "You're all staying here!"

"Kaido's officers! Leave Kaido to Lord Oden. We'll handle these two!"

Ashura Doji, perhaps the strongest among the nine, shouted loudly.

"Yeah!"

The Red-Sheath Samurai charged forward as one.

As Kozuki Oden gradually pushed deeper in, Sirius and Yamato began moving as well.

The two ran through the forest on their short little legs, trying to keep up with Kozuki Oden's advance. It no longer mattered if they were discovered now.

They commented as they ran.

Yamato excitedly leaped over the treetops and looked into the distance. "Amazing! That guy is really amazing! Who's stronger, him or Father?!"

"We'll know who wins soon enough!"

Sirius struggled to keep up with Yamato. This girl had far too much stamina and ran much faster than he did. As he ran, he looked up through the gaps in the branches at Kaido in the distant sky.

"Uncle Kaido is about to lose his patience too, isn't he?"

"I can't wait! Kozuki Oden, just how far can he push Father?" Yamato was brimming with excitement, showing no concern at all for Uncle Kaido.

They were already very close. Kozuki Oden and Kaido were close enough that Kaido could no longer hold himself back.

"Wororororo!! Kozuki Oden, let me see it! The power that made both Roger and Newgate look at you in a new light!!"

The azure dragon circled in the sky and opened his enormous jaws. Several huge fireballs shot forth like arrows loosed from a bow.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

The fireballs landed in the forest and caused massive explosions. Trees were blasted into the sky, the ground split apart, and flames began spreading through the woods.

"Kaido!"

A path was cleaved through the flames. Kozuki Oden leaped into the air and lunged straight toward Kaido, who had deliberately lowered his altitude.

He had escaped the sea of fire, but Yamato and Sirius, still inside the forest, now had to face the forest blaze head-on.

"This is bad!"

Sirius looked around. Flames had already surrounded them.

Since he had brought Yamato out, he had to bring her back safely.

He leaned forward, his body swelling as he transformed into a black Giant Wolf.

"Yamato, get on my back!"

"Oh! Sirius turned into a big dog again!" Yamato showed no awareness of the danger as she jumped onto Sirius's back. "So warm!"

"It's a wolf! Not a dog! Besides, wouldn't it be weirder if it wasn't warm right now?"

Sirius complained as he charged directly toward the flames ahead.

The fire was right before him. Sirius opened his jaws and casually inhaled.

His mouth became like a black hole. Flames, thick smoke, shattered trees—everything in front of him was sucked in and swallowed by Sirius.

Watching this, Yamato said in astonishment, "Sirius, are you really that hungry?"

"Is that really the important part?"

Sirius dashed forward, swallowing great mouthfuls as he went. There was no real danger.

He was fast. By the time he carried Yamato to the edge of the forest, he saw Kozuki Oden and Kaido clashing fiercely in the sky.

Kozuki Oden moved like a monkey, using Kaido's long body as a foothold as he leaped back and forth. His twin swords repeatedly clashed with the flames Kaido spewed, and he even directly struck against Kaido's fangs.

"So what is Uncle Kaido thinking?"

Sirius asked strangely, "Shouldn't he obviously turn back into human form in a situation like this?"

A huge body was not all advantages.

Against a monster like Kozuki Oden, maintaining such a massive form only meant getting beaten. The difference in agility was far too great!

But thinking back to the original manga, Kaido seemed to enjoy getting beaten in dragon form before instantly defeating people in human form. Who knew what kind of fetish that was.

As he thought this, Kozuki Oden launched himself upward once more. This time, the Haki gathered around his arms even emitted a dim glow, and black lightning flickered around it.

"Bolo Breath!!"

Kaido unleashed another scorching Fire Pillar, swallowing Kozuki Oden whole.

But in the very next instant, the Fire Pillar was split down the middle. Kozuki Oden flashed through it, and Kaido's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Kaido!! Get out of this country!!"

"Oden Two-Blade Style—Peach Blossom Ten Fists!!"

Like a meteor streaking across the sky!

After a brief flash of brilliance, Kozuki Oden and Kaido's enormous body passed one another.

"Waaah!!"

Kaido let out a scream. A huge X-shaped wound burst open across a section of his long body, and blood gushed out.

His massive body began falling. When he crashed into the ground, the earth trembled.

"No way?"

In the distance, Queen, who was fighting the Red-Sheath Samurai, even spat out his cigar. He shrieked in disbelief, "Boss Kaido was actually cut out of the sky!!"

"Father... Father is hurt?"

Yamato was dumbfounded. Then she asked in panic, "What do we do, Sirius? Is Father going to lose?!"

What was this? She really was worried about Uncle Kaido? Well, their father-daughter relationship had not yet completely fallen apart.

Sirius said, "No need to worry. This has only just begun!"

This was nothing. That wound was nowhere near enough to make Kaido lose his ability to fight!

The toughness and resilience of a Mythical Zoan needed no questioning.

However, not everyone shared Sirius's understanding.

Sirius heard a noisy commotion from nearby.

"Oden, that bastard! He can actually do this much!"

Following the voice, Sirius saw Kurozumi Orochi outside the distant woods, surrounded by ninjas, furiously speaking to the old woman beside him.

"Mushitsuki! Use your ability now! Right, right, turn into that brat Momonosuke!"

"Hehehe, leave it to me, Lord Orochi."

The old woman cackled. With a swipe of her right hand across her face, she instantly transformed into a little boy with a chonmage hairstyle.

"Now, watch my performance!"

With a twisted, eerie smile on his face, the little boy staggered toward the battlefield ahead. "I'll drag Kozuki down from the throne once and for all!"

"This is the Kurozumi revenge!"

"That's not a very good idea, Granny."

But at that moment, a voice came from the side.

Kurozumi Mushitsuki turned her head and saw a pitch-black Giant Wolf strolling out of the dense woods. "Can't you see Uncle Kaido is having fun?"