Chapter 40: Defeat and Departure

The battle began. The opening salvo was signaled by the clash of the two captains’ weapons.

"!!!"

"Whaaaaat—?!"

"The hotel’s collapsing!!"

"It’s a clash of Conqueror’s Haki!!"

Whitebeard’s naginata and Kaido’s kanabo collided, sending shockwaves of crimson-black lightning ripping through the surroundings. The sheer force of their energy shook the earth, toppling people and buildings alike, sending tremors across the entire island. Dark clouds had already begun gathering in the sky.

At a glance, the collision of their kingly ambitions seemed evenly matched—but the one at a disadvantage was still… Kaido.

"Ghh… OOOOOOH!!!"

"Tch… Still as tough as ever…!"

Kaido was sent flying by Whitebeard’s Haki-infused strike, but he immediately righted himself and charged back in. At least he wasn’t the type to go down in one hit. Relieved for the moment, I turned my attention to commanding my crew while diving into the fray.

"Nice and spacious now! Perfect for fighting! C’mon, charge, charge—!!"

"Let’s go!! Follow me, you bastards…!!"

"Kaido, Whitebeard, and Nue are one thing… but you really think some random underlings can take me on?! Here I go!! It’s showtime!!"

"Hyahhaaa!!! Kill ‘em all—!!"

The vanguard of our Beast Pirates consisted of me, King, Queen, and other top officers, backed by our numerically superior crew as we pressed the Whitebeard Pirates. But—unsurprisingly—the men Whitebeard had gathered were no pushovers. Their overall strength was formidable.

"Ahaha!! One down—"

"—Not happening!!"

"Stay put, Nue!!"

"! Ahaha!! Rakuyo and Whitey Bay~! Long time no see~!"

The moment I tried to skewer some nameless Whitebeard grunt with my trident, my weapon was intercepted—first by a Haki-laden iron ball hurled by Rakuyo, followed by a sword slash from Whitey Bay. Fighting these two got my blood pumping. After all, they were my old comrades. The Whitebeard Pirates had quite a few of those, but going head-to-head with former allies like this? It brought back memories. Made it all the more fun.

Too bad they didn’t seem to share the sentiment. Their brows were furrowed, hostility burning in their eyes. Not a trace of a smile. My cheerful long time no see only made them grit their teeth harder.

"Still a damn freak of a kid…!!"

"We weren’t exactly looking forward to this either…!!"

"Ehh~? C’mon, don’t be like that! Let’s get along like old times! We drank together, fought together… even killed together, remember? Back in the day!!"

"Tch… Damn it…!!"

"Things are different now…!!"

I swung my trident at them with even more force, Haki surging through it. Oh-ho? Have the tables turned? It felt good knowing I’d grown strong enough to hold my own against Whitebeard’s top fighters like this.

…That said, one-on-one was one thing, but two or even three against one was a real possibility. And I was a little worried about our other crewmates. Whitebeard’s men were just built different—strong across the board. How the hell did guys like Roger and Whitebeard always manage to recruit such high-caliber fighters despite their small numbers? Where’d they even find these people? I’d kill to know their secret.

Still, we had our own standouts. Only a couple, but—

"You’re not touching my crewmates!!"

"—Out of the way, trash…!!"

"! —Guh!!?"

"Marco!!"

Just as Marco—that blue-flamed phoenix brat—tried to swoop in, King, one of our finest officers, swatted him aside with one hand. The raw power of an Ancient Zoan, combined with King’s already formidable Armament Haki, made him a force to reckon with.

Marco was around the same age, and most of Whitebeard’s officers were older or peers, but King’s flames and swordsmanship kept them on the back foot.

"The hell’s with this guy…?! He’s on fire…!!"

"Hot!! Shit! A flame user…!?"

"He transforms into fire…!? Some kinda special Ancient Zoan like Marco!?"

"No reason to explain shit to dead men… Burn to ash—!!!"

"Tch… His fire’s a pain… But I ain’t losing as a swordsman!!"

As King swung his flaming blade down, a young man blocked it with twin swords—Vista, maybe? Impressive, stopping King’s strike. He was even younger than King, probably the youngest in Whitebeard’s ranks aside from apprentices. But King still had the edge. Sooner or later, he’d win in a straight fight—but this wasn’t a duel.

"Backup’s here, Vista!!"

"Tch… You bastard…!!"

"! Fossa!! Appreciate it!!"

A cigar-chomping old man—Fossa—tried to slash King from the side. King glared in annoyance, but there was no room for complaints. This was a pirate battle. Cheap shots and ganging up were fair game. This wasn’t a sport. It was a fight to the death.

—And that meant we could play dirty too. No such thing as fouls in the world of pirates.

"—EXCITE~~~~!!"

"Guhhaa!!? W-What the—my body hurts!!"

"! Watch out!! There’s something off about his weapons!!"

Queen, ever reliable, sent Whitebeard’s men flying with sheer brute force and his Devil Fruit powers, while his tricked-out weapons inflicted agony. Hell yeah! Keep it coming!

"Muhaha!! No matter how strong you are, you ain’t lasting against my EXCITE specials!! Disease beats any thug!! Gonna watch you die slow, writhing in pain!!"

"Tch… Get the wounded outta here!! To the ship’s doctor!!"

"Smart move!! Too baaaaad~♪ I ain’t lettin’ that happen, and even if you do, it’ll be too late♪ How ‘bout I overload your infirmary!?"

"Stop…!!"

"Whoa!!? The hell’re you—!?"

Just as Queen prepared to unleash another wave of pathogens, his weapons were blocked by a gleaming, diamond-like body—Jozu. Still young, still an apprentice.

His diamond form managed to stop Queen’s mechanized attacks, but—

"Cheeky little—!! Don’t get in the way of my EXCITE, brat!! I’ll crush you flat!!"

"Tch...!!"

"Don’t you DARE bully our rookies!!"

"Like hell we’ll let you!!"

"! Ughhh—!!? Every damn one of you ganging up and getting in my way!! You’re pissing me off!!"

Queen’s sheer brute force, combined with his sheer mass, should’ve sent Jozu flying—but before he could, other Whitebeard Pirates intervened. That was probably Atmos and… who was the other one? Blonde, bob-cut, gauntlet user. They blocked Queen’s attack and countered. Queen swung his weapons wildly in frustration, but fighting multiple opponents at once was clearly wearing him down. Or rather—

"T-they’re strong…! The Whitebeard Pirates are this tough…?!"

"Don’t falter!! We’ve got the numbers…!!"

"Guhhaaah!!?"

...Our crew was weak. No—maybe it was more accurate to say the Whitebeard Pirates were just that strong. The gap in average strength between our forces was an undeniable, brutal reality. Me, King, and Queen were holding our own, but we weren’t so overwhelmingly powerful that we could plow through multiple commanders. King had his flames, Queen had his plagues—both annoying to deal with—but their Devil Fruits were Zoan types, not exactly suited for wide-range suppression or instant takedowns. In a prolonged fight between commanders, our stamina might give us the edge, but by then, our underlings would’ve been wiped out. The situation wasn’t improving.

If there was any hope of turning the tide, it’d have to come from my abilities. So I leapt into the air—

"! She’s fleeing to the sky!!"

"Watch out!! She’s up to something!!"

"Of course I am!! Here we go…!! 『Mysterious Phenomenon』—『Melancholic Blue UFO Assault』!!"

"!!!"

"What the hell is that?! Blue UFOs—hot!!?"

"Eyes on the skies!!"

I summoned a swarm of blue UFOs that rained down lasers. Numbers advantage? Gone. This was a battlefield control tactic—forcing them to scatter, divide their attention, and whittle them down. My abilities were made for large-scale fights. So next—

"And now…!! 『Undefined Darkness』!!!"

"Tch, black mist…!!"

"Guh!! Something’s flying at us!!"

"Can’t see a damn thing…!!"

"Shit, we can’t attack recklessly like this…!!"

Hehehe, working like a charm. The obscuring mist forced them to hesitate, even risk friendly fire, while I picked them off from above with UFOs and bullet hell. You can’t swing wildly, can you~? Can’t attack carelessly, right~? But we can—

"Die…!!"

"Guhhaa!!?"

"Waaagh—!!? K-King-sama… we’re on your side…!!"

"Muhaha!! Perfect!! As expected of Lady Yamato!! Now’s our chance—『Plague EXCITE Bullets』, FIRE!!"

"Ugh, aaghh—!! It hurts…!!"

"D-dammit, Queen-samaaa—!! You hit us too…!!"

"Dumbasses!! Then stay the hell outta my firing range!! If you can’t dodge, don’t step up!!"

"Tch… They’re attacking even their own…!!"

Aww, look at the Whitebeard Pirates, all shaken up. Not that we’re aiming for our own—we just don’t care if they get caught in the crossfire. If you can’t dodge, that’s your fault. This ain’t a game. I’ve got multiple techniques at my disposal, and if I feel like it, I can dive right into close combat. This is how we flip the script.

"Ahhh, this takes me back. We fought like this back in the day too—"

"—Yeah, just like old times… YOU CHEAP-SHOTTING SON OF A BITCH!!!"

"! Kyah!!?"

Whoa—close one!! I barely dodged the shockwave—no, the tremor—that came flying at me.

That was, unsurprisingly, the power of Whitebeard’s Gura Gura no Mi. Must’ve punched the air to send a shockwave my way. And because of that—

"The bullet hell’s thinning out!!"

"The mist is clearing too!!"

"The old man blew away the UFOs and fog!!"

"Now’s our chance!! Take ‘em down—!!"

The quake-powered attack shattered most of my carefully summoned UFO fleet and scattered the mist. The Whitebeard Pirates rallied instantly. I couldn’t help but pout.

"Ugh, seriously?! I finally had the upper hand, and you just—!? You’re still a monster, old man…!! Kaido, you good!?"

"Guh... Newgate...!! I ain't done yet...!!"

"You’ve gotten even more savage than before...!! I told you, Kaido!! Yamato!! I won’t ever forgive those who hurt my crew—you hear me?!!"

"!!"

"!! Oh shi—"

Whitebeard swung his naginata, infused with quake power and Haki, aiming to cleave Kaido in half. I braced for collateral damage, but there was nothing I could do—Kaido must’ve sensed the danger too, dodging mid-air before shifting into his full beast form.

But the ground—no, the island—wasn’t so lucky.

"W-what the hell—?!?"

"Tch... Can’t even stand...!!"

"Waaaaghh—!!?"

"The old man’s quake!! Steady yourselves!!"

The force of Whitebeard’s strike sent shockwaves rippling through Kise Island and the surrounding sea, toppling our Beast Pirates like dominos. The Whitebeard Pirates, seasoned to his tremors, clung to whatever they could.

Numbers advantage? Meaningless. Unless you could fly like me, Kaido, or King, you were at the mercy of the quakes. And even if we escaped, we couldn’t save the fodder or stop the devastation.

This man... is a monster.

The thought of taking that hit head-on sent chills down my spine. His power had only grown since the old days—

"—Bolo Breath: Blazing Roar!!!"

Kaido retaliated from the sky, a searing heat beam lancing toward Whitebeard. A basic attack, easily dodged—neither of us expected it to land.

But Whitebeard didn’t dodge.

"—Ooh!!"

"Old man!!?"

His crew’s panic was palpable as Whitebeard blocked the blast with his Haki-clad naginata.

A defensive move well within his capabilities, but... Wait. He had time to evade.

Then it hit me.

"...You dumb bastard—what if that hit civilians?!!"

"!"

—Of course. His glare and words confirmed it.

If he’d dodged, the blast would’ve razed the town behind him, slaughtering those still fleeing. So he took it head-on.

Typical Whitebeard. The pirate who refused to harm the weak. Even now, holding back to protect this island and its people.

And that’s exactly why my partner hated him.

"You mocking me...?! You got time to worry about ants mid-fight?!!"

"I can handle a runt like you and spare some decency, you snot-nosed brat!!"

"Tch...!! Same as ever... soft-hearted and infuriating, Newgate...!!! You’re strong as hell, yet you coddle the weak... Just like back then...!!"

Lightning crackled as Kaido roared, summoning storm clouds.

Whitebeard had always been like this—even among the Rocks Pirates, he stood apart. He protected allies, spared civilians, and only drew blood when ordered. And even then, reluctantly.

Worst of all? He’d never fought us seriously. Not even when we tried to kill him. Just brushed us off like pests.

To Kaido, that was unforgivable.

He respected Whitebeard’s strength—that’s why he obsessed over beating him. This wasn’t mere hatred. It was the bitter clash of irreconcilable ideals.

All of us former Rocks Pirates felt it. Big Mom, Shiki—none of us called him weak. To do so would be an insult to ourselves.

Hell, Kaido once crushed a fool who dared say Whitebeard was "washed up." I nearly joined in.

Because only those who’ve faced him understand—

Who the hell could call this monster weak?

"Damn you... Newgate...!! Who the hell do you think I am?!!"

"Shut your mouth, whelp!! You think I’d flinch at your name?! —I’m Whitebeard!!!"

"Grgh—OOH...!!"

"Hah... Ridiculous power...!"

His Devil Fruit, his Haki, his raw might—every facet of him demanded acknowledgment.

That’s why Shiki tried recruiting him. Why Big Mom and Kaido seethed, desperate to topple him.

A soft man wouldn’t provoke such obsession.

It’s because he’s strong and unyielding in his ways that he’s the ultimate rival.

And that’s why we challenge him.

To beasts like us, he’s the ultimate wall—the enemy we must crush.

Just like Roger.

No true pirate scoffs at legends.

"—Kaido! Yamato! We’re in trouble!! At this rate—"

"Tch...!! Goddamn pests, swarming us...!!"

"Their numbers are thinning!! Push through!!"

"Only those four are strong!! Surround and take them down!!"

──Even if most of our crew lay dead.

"Hah... Ugh... Not... done yet...!! I'll kill you...!!"

"Ahaha... Oof... Man, it's been a while since I felt this close to dying...!! But I'm still standing...!!"

"Tch... Just drop dead already!!!"

Even as bones shattered under quake-infused Haki strikes, even as we teetered on the brink of death... we couldn't stop fighting.

"『Peaceful Dark Cloud』...!!"

"You think that cheap trick will work now!?"

I summoned a shroud of darkness to obscure Whitebeard's vision—not that I expected it to fool him.

Our stamina was nearing its limit. Barely two or three hours into the battle, and our forces were annihilated. Only King and Queen remained standing—the rest of us were barely clinging to life. Even with our endurance, no one could last days against Whitebeard. Every hit threatened to knock me unconscious.

So it was time to end this.

I triggered my Mysterious Phenomenon ability, altering my appearance in the split second his vision was obscured—

"Die...!! Newgate...!!"

"You're the one dyin' today, Kaido!!!"

"Gh...!!! Hah...!!!"

I swung my trident, only for Whitebeard to counter with a devastating punch. The impact drove the air from my lungs, my ribs and organs screaming in protest.

But—

He'd called me Kaido.

I'd mimicked Kaido's voice, his mannerisms—and he'd fallen for it. A grin split my bloodied lips. Good. He sees Kaido in me.

"Heh... heh..."

"!!? You—Yamato...!!"

And in that instant—

The real Kaido, now in his full hybrid form, brought his kanabo down from behind with a roar.

"RAAAAHHH...!!!!"

"Tch!!!"

"Look out!! Old man!!?"

A point-blank strike, amplified by Conqueror's Haki.

A blow we could never land alone—only possible with my support.

Spitting blood, collapsing to the ground, I still saw it—

Whitebeard, gritting his teeth but refusing to kneel, swinging back with a fist that carried the weight of the sea itself.

"...This ends here...!!!"

"Gh...!!!"

Kaido was sent flying.

Eyes rolled back, blood spraying, forcibly reverted to human form as he hurtled toward the ocean.

...That sealed our defeat.

But—

"Gotta... save him..."

I crawled forward, desperate. Even Kaido couldn't survive hours submerged.

Yet—

...Damn... I'm... spent—

My body gave out, face-up on the sand, consciousness slipping away.

"........"

The last thing I saw—

Whitebeard, standing over me, fist raised for the final blow.

---

Whitebeard had crushed the Beast Pirates. The battle was over.

Most of the enemy crew lay defeated—likely dead. Kaido had been blasted into the sea.

And Yamato, after struggling to her last breath, now lay motionless on the sand.

All that remained… was the finishing blow.

So Whitebeard raised his fist. Over the fallen girl, sprawled on her back.

…Yet—

"…………"

—He couldn’t bring himself to strike.

He knew the logical choice. Kill her now.

Even if they’d once been comrades, even if she wasn’t yet his equal—given time, she could be. Kaido too. Both had already honed their Haki to terrifying levels. In ten years? Unpredictable. A threat to his sons, his family.

He should end it here. His mind understood that.

"...Damn brat…"

But—

Memories flickered unbidden.

Of a reckless apprentice who’d ambushed him for training, who’d been nothing but trouble.

A girl who hadn’t changed at all—not in appearance, not in spirit. For better or worse.

His teeth ground together.

And in the end… he lowered his fist. Turned away.

"...There won’t be a next time."

A debt repaid. To one of the few who’d made that blood-soaked ship feel like home, if only briefly.

"—Old man."

"—Yeah. Tend to the wounded. We set sail."

"Huh? Already?"

"What about the log pose—"

"Use the Eternal Pose we took from that enemy ship."

"Ah, got it. …But, old man—"

"What?"

As he moved toward the ship, one of his newer sons—a recruit from recent years—glanced at the girl on the shore.

"...What is she, really?"

"...Hell if I know."

Whitebeard’s answer was quiet.

A girl he knew too well—and yet, not at all.

Then, with his family, he left.

---

Even when consciousness flickers back to life, it’s never in a moment of safety.

"Nn… Ah…"

So I force myself up, assessing the damage.

But these situations always follow the same script. Thrown in a cell. Shackled for transport. Strapped to a torture table. The common denominator?

"...Tch. We lost, huh…"

"...You’re awake, Nue."

"Mm. Barely."

Yeah. We lost. Obviously.

Defeat is why I blacked out. Survival is why I woke up. (Though the crew around me? Usually half-dead. This time, though—I was being carried.)

King had woken first—hauling me in his arms like some damned princess. Bloodied but unbroken, his Lunarian durability keeping him on his feet where I’d crumpled. (And considerate, too—cradling me against his chest instead of his burning back. How sweet.)

"Heheh. ‘Princess carry’? Bold move~."

"...Get down if you can walk."

"Ehh… Too tired. Just float me to the ship. And hurry—we need to fish Kaido out before he drowns."

"Queen’s handling the idiots who survived. Also—" He adjusts his grip. "—locals tried jumping us while we were down."

"Ah. Came for revenge, huh? Can’t blame them~."

"...Took care of them."

"Atta boy."

King, ever reliable. Queen too, apparently—already barking orders at the dozen or so crewmates still breathing. Our stash? Probably intact. Hidden well enough. Only question left—

Is Kaido alive?

——

Tracing his Vivre Card, we salvaged him from the sea. And, of course—

"Guh—cough—Ugh…"

"Holy hell. You’re alive?"

"Lord Kaido, your injuries—"

"Hah… You maggots made it too…"

Six hours underwater. Six. And he’s griping.

Monster.

"Welp. We lost. Crew’s decimated. So—what now? Queen’s comedy hour to lighten the mood?"

"Leave it to me, Yamato!! FUNK FU—wait, this ain’t the time for—!!"

"Perfect comedic timing. 10/10. —Now seriously. What’s the plan?"

I toss the gag to Queen, eyes locked on Kaido. Do we regroup here? Or—

"—Enough cowering in this shithole…!!"

"Oh? So then—?"

I already know. But I let him roar it anyway.

"We sail… for the New World…!!"

"Whoa."

"!"

"Just like that—?!"

Three reactions. Mine theatrically exaggerated.

Finally—Kaido’s decision. The real sea. The second half of the Grand Line, where only true pirates survive.

A choice born of defeat, of Whitebeard’s fist hammering the lesson home—but not a single soul here hesitates. Obedience is baked into their bones.

And so, atop a ship of groaning wounded, Kaido barks his orders:

"Our base shifts to the New World. First—strip this island of every coin, every scrap of food…!!"

"Crew’s thin now. Gotta stock up before we sail~."

"Payback for the rats who attacked us…!!"

"No strength needed to crush ants."

"Take it all… Kill whoever resists…!! No—have fun with it…!! Smash what you hate!!"

"Weakness deserves punishment, after all~."

"Rip them apart…!!"

"Pity to wreck such a nice island… But if we’re leaving it behind—♪"

"This ain’t the end… The New World’s where the real rampage begins…!!!"

And so—with ruin in our wake, fueled by defeat and departure—the Beast Pirates set sail.

To carve our names into that savage sea.

To burn it all down.