One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

A scorching wind swept across the shattered, charred land of Onigashima, carrying with it the smell of burnt earth.

The choking scent of ash filled the air, making every breath feel like inhaling fire.

Kaido stood atop the broken ruins, his towering figure resembling an unshakable mountain. His gaze pierced through the drifting smoke, fixed on the distant horizon—

The direction where Yamato had just been taken.

After a long silence, a rare smile slowly curved across his ferocious face.

"Yamato… perhaps you really should go see this world."

His voice drifted away with the wind.

Then his gaze shifted toward the motionless King beside him.

For a brief moment, Kaido seemed to see again the desperate child trapped in a laboratory long ago—the boy whose eyes had once held nothing but despair.

Within those normally savage beast-like pupils, a faint trace of gentleness flashed by.

He raised his massive, bloodstained hand and gently patted King's head.

His tone was calm, far too calm for someone who had just suffered defeat.

"The battle is over, Alber."

"I don't believe it!"

King suddenly lifted his head.

His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched so hard it creaked. He stared at Kaido with trembling disbelief.

"I don't believe it! You're so powerful… how could you possibly lose?!"

"A loss is a loss."

Kaido looked at him calmly.

There was no bitterness in his eyes. No despair.

For someone like him, defeat was never something unacceptable.

"There's nothing to argue about."

Those words struck King like thunder.

His body froze, his face turning deathly pale as the blood drained away.

He couldn't believe it.

The man who had pulled him out of despair—

The hero who, in his eyes, had been as invincible as a god—

Had actually lost.

That shattered belief left him completely lost.

"What's wrong, Alber? Disappointed in me?"

"—No!!"

King's reply was immediate.

Though his eyes were red, they burned with absolute conviction.

"In my eyes, you will always be the strongest!"

"You are the only… Joy Boy in my heart!"

"Joy Boy?!"

Kaido burst out laughing in ridicule.

Legend said that Joy Boy was the one who would bring freedom and liberation to the world.

The Sun God.

The legendary Warrior of Liberation, who would bring smiles to everyone.

"Worororo—!!"

Kaido laughed wildly, bending forward from the force of it. Even the rubble around him trembled as small stones fell.

Tears even appeared in the corners of his eyes.

"Alber… someone like me—"

"A madman who wants to plunge the world into war and drag every noble and Celestial Dragon down from their thrones—"

"I'm no Joy Boy."

Gradually, the laughter faded.

Kaido turned around and began walking toward the distant smoke, dragging his massive kanabo behind him.

King stared blankly at his broad but slightly lonely back.

His mind replayed Kaido's words again and again.

Before he could react—

Kaido suddenly stopped.

He turned back and grinned wildly.

Brilliant sunlight pierced through the clouds like golden blades, illuminating his bloodstained face.

Despite the wounds covering his body, he looked as arrogant and domineering as ever.

"But Alber…"

His voice was low, yet thunderous.

"If you believe I'm your Joy Boy—"

"I promise you this."

Before he finished speaking—

A ribbon-like black flame cloud rose from his neck and began circling his body.

His battered body started healing at a visible speed.

Even the deep scar left by Kozuki Oden, which had once cut to the bone, gradually faded until it disappeared entirely.

BOOM!!!

An indescribably terrifying aura erupted from him, shooting straight into the sky.

In an instant—

The entire Onigashima was swallowed by black-and-red light.

His overwhelming Conqueror's Haki froze the surrounding space itself. Cracking sounds echoed as invisible pressure shattered the air.

Black-red lightning exploded across the sky.

Kaido stared directly at the stunned King.

His voice boomed like thunder.

"—I will never lose again!!"

High above the endless sky—

A fluffy white cloud drifted lazily through the air.

Luffy sat on it with one hand supporting his chin, frowning as if deep in thought.

"Luffy!!"

Yamato stood with her hands on her hips, her long silver hair fluttering in the wind.

She glared at him angrily, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

Luffy looked up at her.

She's kind of cute when she's angry like this, he thought.

"Why did you push me away earlier?!"

Her star-shaped crimson eyes locked onto him like he had committed some unforgivable crime.

"Huh?!"

Luffy tilted his head, completely confused.

What did I do now…?

"So… what do you want me to do?"

He asked cautiously.

His philosophy was simple:

Whether I'm wrong or not, apologizing first is usually the safest move.

After all—

If you invite someone onto your ship, you've got to take responsibility.

Sure enough, Yamato's anger instantly vanished.

She nodded happily.

"Then hug me!!"

Luffy: ???

Left with no choice, Luffy opened his arms.

Yamato immediately jumped into his embrace, burying her head against his chest.

The familiar scent made her feel completely at ease.

Her eyes curved into happy crescents.

Luffy gently wrapped his arms around her slender waist, his movements slightly awkward but sincere.

Nearby—

Law's mouth twitched as he silently turned his head away.

Rayleigh's expression was… complicated.

Part amusement.

Part understanding.

And part "young people these days are impossible to understand."

"Ahem!"

Rayleigh coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention away from the hugging pair.

He looked at Luffy.

"So, Luffy… how did it feel fighting Kaido?"

"Well…"

Luffy absentmindedly stroked Yamato's smooth silver hair.

Then he grinned.

"It was awesome."

"Of course it was!"

Yamato suddenly lifted her head proudly.

"Luffy beat that bastard Kaido pretty badly!"

Law and Rayleigh both froze.

Black lines practically appeared over their heads.

—That's your father!!

What kind of "filial daughter" cheers for someone beating up her own dad?

At that moment, Luffy's smile suddenly faded.

He sighed.

"But if we fought again…"

"My chances of winning would be very low."

Everyone was stunned.

Even Yamato widened her eyes.

"Kaido… awakened."

Luffy said seriously.

"What?!"

Rayleigh's expression instantly twisted as if he had eaten the worst Devil Fruit imaginable.

"A Mythical Zoan awakening…"

"That's trouble."

He muttered under his breath.

A nearly indestructible body.

Top-tier Haki.

And now the awakening of the Fish‑Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.

Even before awakening, Kaido had already been a monster firmly seated among the Four Emperors.

Now his power would become absurd.

An indestructible body.

The terrifying endurance and recovery of an awakened Zoan.

And even greater physical strength.

Such a Kaido would practically be an undying monster.

In terms of overall power—

He might already rival Gol D. Roger or Whitebeard.

Luffy collapsed onto the cloud with lifeless eyes, staring at the sky.

Only one thought remained in his mind.

He's cheating.

Kaido is definitely cheating.

"Relax," Rayleigh said with a chuckle.

"Kaido awakening isn't just because of you."

Seeing Luffy's frustration, he quickly explained.

"Devil Fruit awakening is never something that happens overnight."

"To outsiders it might look sudden, but in reality it requires years of accumulation and training."

Luffy looked at him curiously.

"All those times Kaido tried to kill himself…"

"And constantly challenged the Marines and powerful enemies."

"That wasn't meaningless."

"He was pushing himself to the limit, searching for the trigger for awakening."

"In truth, he had already reached the threshold."

"You just happened to become the catalyst."

Luffy nodded slowly.

I see…

No wonder Kaido hadn't awakened even two years later in the original story.

The awakening difficulty of top-tier Mythical Zoans was absurd.

And awakenings differed drastically between Devil Fruits.

The Azure Dragon Fruit's awakening difficulty was probably second only to Nika.

Even if Luffy could enter Nika Form, Kaido's awakened recovery ability would give him almost infinite stamina.

If Kaido couldn't be defeated within thirty minutes—

The fight would be impossible.

Luffy scratched his head and sighed.

"So… does that mean I'm the Strongest Creature now, Kaido-sensei?"

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