Mangaka in the StrawHats

Damn it!!

Kaido's mind raced, struggling to comprehend what was happening. What is going on??? One moment, chains bind him, and the next, an invisible force cuts his soul. How were they able to bypass his dragon defenses so easily?

Are there this many branches of the Soul-Soul Fruit? His frustration mounted as he thought about the attacks piercing his spirit instead of his body.

At that moment, Zoro took a step forward, leaping into the air.

"Nitoryu: Kasane, Yakusoku Giri!!"

[Two Sword Style: Overlap, Promised Slash]

With a battle cry, Zoro raised Wado Ichimonji high, its edge gleaming under the intense pressure of his sword energy. A powerful surge of sword energy erupted from the blade, crashing down upon the entire square. The weight of the attack was felt far and wide, pressing down on every pirate nearby.

The spectators gasped in terror, eyes widening in fear. It was as though a sword had been placed at their throats, choking them with the imminent threat of death.

"What... what is this?!"

"Why can't I move?! Someone help me—I want to go home!!"

"Please! This is a nightmare!"

The sheer spiritual pressure emanating from Zoro's strike was unbearable, pinning even the strongest pirates to the ground.

Kaido, though not a swordsman, knew enough to recognize something was amiss. "What do you mean by two swords? You're clearly using one sword!" He stared at Zoro, confused by the technique.

But as Zoro descended, Kaido's vision blurred for a moment. It seemed like another figure had appeared alongside him—a spirit girl, her hands grasping the hilt of Wado Ichimonji as well.

In that instant, Zoro was not alone.

The spirit and Zoro together wielded the sword, bringing it down with unstoppable force.

"Another swordsman..." Kaido muttered, recognizing the weight of the attack. Memories flashed in his mind—eighteen years ago, a similar swordsman, Kozuki Oden, had struck him with such power. Oden had broken through his defense with one strike.

Now, this young swordsman, Zoro, was giving him that same feeling of dread.

Kaido quickly summoned his Conqueror's Haki, wrapping it around his dragon claws. His massive, armored scales expanded and thickened, forming an impenetrable shield. Confident that this defense was flawless, Kaido believed nothing could break through it—not even Oden's legendary sword could scar him in his prime.

As Zoro's sword met Kaido's dragon claw, the sound of metal clashing filled the air. Sparks erupted as the two titanic forces collided.

Kaido sneered, "Do you really think all of you have soul-related abilities?"

He tightened his grip on Wado Ichimonji, confident in his victory.

But then... his smirk faltered.

What... what is this?!

Kaido felt an overwhelming pressure radiating from the sword, as if a part of his very soul was being drained. His dragon claw trembled, unable to resist the sudden burst of soul energy from Zoro's sword.

Boom!!

The sword cut deeper than Kaido could have expected, slicing through not just his flesh, but straight into his soul. His entire body seized up, and with a violent shudder, Kaido fell to the ground.

Zoro landed gracefully, standing tall over the fallen Emperor. His voice was calm and resolute: "This is Two Swords Style."

Just as Zoro made his proclamation, Nico Robin stepped forward, crossing her arms in the familiar Fleur gesture. A swarm of spectral arms materialized around Kaido, forming seals.

"Summoning Jutsu: Five-Layer Rashomon!!"

The sky darkened as massive bronze gates, each engraved with a fearsome oni face, fell from the heavens. One by one, the gates slammed into the ground, creating a deafening series of crashes as they trapped Kaido.

Under normal circumstances, Kaido would have been able to shrug off the Rashomon gates, but the combined attacks from Brook, Usopp, and Zoro had left him severely weakened.

Kaido, still in his dragon form, roared in pain as the gates twisted his body. His dragon scales, though resilient, couldn't withstand the crushing weight of the Rashomon gates. With a final, agonized howl, his massive blue dragon form dissolved, reverting to his human form.

Logan approached, holding a set of seastone chains. He wrapped them around Kaido's limbs, binding him tightly.

"That should hold you..." Logan muttered, but then he paused, slapping his forehead. "Ah, I forgot. You've trained in Wano Country for years. These seastone chains won't work on you, will they?"

Indeed, Kaido had built up resistance to seastone over the years, just like Luffy had during his short time in Wano.

Kaido chuckled darkly, "You're well-informed, boy."

Logan reached into his cloak, producing another set of chains. This time, they were Hell Chains.

Quickly, Logan wrapped Kaido in the fiery chains. The moment they touched his skin, the hellfire ignited, burning Kaido's soul.

"AHHH!!!" Kaido screamed in agony, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

"What... what is this?!" Kaido roared in disbelief. "Where did you all get these chains?! Are they mass-produced like seastone now?!"

The pain was unbearable. Kaido had already experienced the bite of Brook's Hell Chains, and now Logan's chains burned with the same soul-searing flames.

Brook grinned and added, "Time for a little insurance," as he approached with another set of Hell Chains, wrapping Kaido's body head-to-toe in the burning chains.

Kaido, once thought invincible, now lay bound in flames. His soul was continuously scorched, leaving him unable to recover his strength. He was a dragon shackled, powerless before the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Damn it! I have no grudges against you, why are you doing this to me?!" Kaido bellowed.

"We have no grudge against you," Logan replied with a nonchalant shrug. "We explained our purpose when we got here."

"Then why...?" Kaido's voice trailed off in confusion.

Snap!

Before Kaido could finish, Nami smacked him on the head with her staff. "Idiot! We told you we just wanted to copy the Road Poneglyph!" Her fierce glare sent a shiver through even the strongest of men.

"Exactly," Logan added, now bored. "Look at you, just like Big Mom. You could've avoided all this drama if you just calmed down."

Kaido's eyes shot wide open. "Wait, what? Linlin was defeated by you?!"

Logan chuckled. "Nervous? You two really had something going on, didn't you?"

Kaido's expression darkened. "BULLSHIT! I'd NEVER have anything to do with that old woman!!!" He furiously denied it, but Logan's mischievous grin only widened.

"I knew it... You sold yourself for that mythical Zoan fruit, didn't you?"

Kaido's face flushed with anger. "DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS!!"

Logan laughed, while Kaido's frustration reached a breaking point. Memories of his foolish youth, when Big Mom tricked him, flooded back. Now, the Straw Hats knew everything.

Kaido, the strongest creature in the world, had never felt so humiliated.

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[Read more chapter ahead at [email protected]/goldengaruda]

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