One Piece: I'm not Roger

The corners of Golden Lion Shiki's mouth curled upward as he answered Kaido with the same mocking tone the Emperor had used moments earlier.

"Kaido, whether it's true or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you're going to lose badly today. Since you barged into someone else's territory alone, you should've prepared yourself for the consequences."

Kaido's expression darkened, his grip tightening around his kanabo.

"Old man, you're getting ahead of yourself. Even if you recovered some of your strength, that still isn't enough for you to act arrogantly in front of me. Your era ended a long time ago."

Shiki let out a cold laugh.

"Then we'll see whose era is truly over."

There was no need for more words.

Shiki floated upward once again and rushed toward Kaido. At the same time, the ground beneath Kaido suddenly rose violently under the influence of the Float Float Fruit, trying to throw off his footing.

But Kaido stood unmoving like a mountain rooted into the earth. His massive body remained stable as he swung his kanabo with terrifying force.

"Thunder Bagua!"

"Lion Senpu!"

The kanabo and the twin blades collided midair, unleashing a violent shockwave. Black lightning exploded around them as their Advanced Conqueror's Haki clashed head on.

The dark clouds that had only just recovered split apart once again, revealing a massive abyss-like crack stretching across the sky.

Crack... Crack...

The sound of metal straining echoed through the battlefield.

A hint of joy appeared in Kaido's eyes, while Shiki's expression stiffened slightly.

The blade Oto, attached to Shiki's leg, was beginning to loosen.

No matter how skilled Shiki was, a weapon attached to the leg could never compare to one firmly held in the hand. Yet without his feet, he had no other option. The Float Float Fruit could make him fly, but it could not fully replace the balance and support needed during battles between monsters.

Still, Shiki showed no panic.

Because he was not fighting alone.

Aether had already been waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Without a sound or trace, he appeared behind Kaido like a phantom.

By the time Kaido sensed the danger, it was already too late.

His pupils shrank violently.

He had forgotten one terrifying fact.

Aether could interfere with Observation Haki to the point that even Future Sight became unreliable.

"You miscalculated, Kaido."

"Divine Departure!"

Dark red sword energy erupted forward.

The slash tore through Kaido's dragon scales and flesh, carving a horrifying wound from his chest all the way down to his abdomen.

Blood splattered across the battlefield.

Kaido's nearly indestructible body, the defense he took immense pride in, looked no different from ordinary flesh in front of Aether's attack.

The intense pain twisted Kaido's face.

He wanted to roar, but he forcibly endured it and swung his kanabo violently, forcing both Aether and Shiki backward before dropping to one knee.

Blood continued pouring from the wound as he grabbed his chest.

Even with Kaido's monstrous physique, an injury of this level would require time to recover.

Unfortunately for him, neither Aether nor Shiki intended to give him that time.

The two immediately moved to surround him from both sides, completely sealing off his escape path and preventing him from transforming into his Azure Dragon form.

At this moment, the mighty Beast Kaido had become prey cornered inside a cage.

Aether glanced toward Shiki calmly.

"Shiki, I want him alive. Don't kill him."

Shiki grinned viciously.

After taking such a beating earlier, he naturally wanted to return the favor personally.

"Alive is fine with me. I'd also like to see how long this brat can keep acting so arrogant."

The casual way the two discussed his fate completely humiliated Kaido.

As one of the Four Emperors, he had never suffered such disrespect.

Kaido slowly stood back up despite the blood flowing down his body. The pressure radiating from him still remained overwhelming.

"If you think you can do it, then come try."

"I am Kaido of the Beasts!"

The next moment, the three monsters collided once again.

"Divine Departure!"

"Lion Senpu!"

"Thunder Bagua!"

The battlefield trembled continuously under the impact of their attacks.

Shockwaves tore through the island.

Black lightning filled the sky.

The sound of destruction echoed endlessly for nearly half an hour.

Eventually, silence finally arrived.

[Moderately changed the fate of SS-rank character Kaido of the Beasts. Reward: 20,000 points.]

Aether sat comfortably in a chair while Rouge gently massaged his shoulders from behind.

Her soft hands skillfully kneaded away the exhaustion from battle, causing him to relax slightly.

"Mmm, right there. Rouge, you really understand me."

Aether leaned back naturally, resting his head against Rouge's lap.

The warmth and softness felt familiar and comforting.

After a brutal battle, returning to someone gentle enough to ease your fatigue was a rare kind of peace.

Of course, certain people completely failed to understand that feeling.

Not far away, Shiki clicked his tongue irritably while watching the two.

In his eyes, women were distractions that weakened ambition. Roger had always indulged too much in such things, which was why Shiki believed he would eventually be surpassed.

But when Shiki lowered his gaze toward the bandages wrapped around his own body, his expression became ugly.

Even with Aether helping him, he had still suffered injuries while capturing Kaido alive.

Meanwhile, Aether remained completely unharmed.

That difference made Shiki realize something clearly.

Although his strength had recovered significantly, he still could not return to his former peak state.

At best, his current level barely stood at the threshold of an Admiral.

There were only two realistic ways for him to fully recover.

First, remove the ship wheel lodged in his head.

Even though his Haki had returned, the wheel still affected his nervous system and reaction speed. If it could be safely removed, his combat ability would rise dramatically.

Second, restore his missing feet.

For a swordsman, feet were just as important as hands.

If his feet returned, he could once again wield Oto and Kogarashi properly, fully unleashing his swordsmanship and Advanced Conqueror's Haki without worrying about instability during battle.

While Shiki remained lost in thought, Aether suddenly spoke.

"Shiki, I know someone who might be able to remove the wheel in your head. As for your feet, I'm not sure whether he can help."

Shiki froze.

He had searched countless doctors over the years, yet all of them declared the operation impossible. The wheel was lodged too close to his brain.

But now, after years of giving up hope, a possibility suddenly appeared before him again.

His eyes immediately lit up.

"Who is it?"

"One of the Worst Generation Supernovas, Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates and user of the Ope Ope no Mi."

Shiki's expression changed instantly.

He did not care about the title of Supernova, but he knew very well what the Ope Ope no Mi represented.

"The Ope Ope no Mi..."

"The World Government has always searched for that Devil Fruit. If it's that ability, maybe there really is a chance."

Then Shiki frowned.

"But what kind of ridiculous title is 'Worst Generation'? Is the sea nowadays even more chaotic than our era?"

Aether remained silent for a moment.

In the future, those Supernovas truly would shake the entire world.

Some would become Emperors.

Some would stand near the peak of the sea.

Even the weaker ones possessed strength comparable to the Seven Warlords.

Still, before Aether could answer, a weak yet mocking voice suddenly sounded nearby.

"Worst Generation?"

Kaido laughed disdainfully despite his injuries.

"They're just a bunch of brats pretending to be pirates."

"At Sabaody Archipelago, Kizaru alone could've crushed every last one of them."

"If you and Rayleigh hadn't interfered back then, those idiots would've all ended up in Impel Down."

Aether did not argue.

Because Kaido was right.

At this point in time, the Supernovas were still far too inexperienced.