Chapter 45: The True Nature of Power

Desire Island’s Theater Street. The moment the battle began, the people there quickly fled the scene.

But no matter how far they ran, if we were fighting, it was impossible for them to completely escape the danger. Especially when the opponent was this strong.

"N-No way…!?"

"That’s Kaido-sama and Nue-sama fighting together, two against one…!!"

"Almost none of their attacks are landing!?"

"How long do they even plan to keep this up!? They’ve been at it for half a day already!!"

The noise from the peanut gallery below was irritating. For just a second, my focus wavered toward them. And in that instant—

"—You have the luxury to spare attention elsewhere…!?"

"!! —!!?"

A Haki-coated umbrella was already rushing toward my face. I used Observation Haki to read its trajectory and kicked off the rooftop to dodge—but in that same moment, my opponent predicted that, and their long leg shot toward my gut, leaving me no choice but to block.

The pain came just before I was sent flying, crashing through the large building on the opposite side of the street, scattering destruction in my wake. But my consciousness didn’t fade. I immediately righted myself and summoned a UFO to strike back.

"‘Unknown Entity’—‘Righteous Green UFO’…!!"

"! Tch… Annoying ability on top of being tough—just like you…!!"

"RROOOAAARR!!!"

My UFO’s attacks—green lasers, bullet hell, even snakes emerging from the beams—were all dodged. Even Kaido’s surprise club strike from behind was effortlessly avoided. The reason I had more breathing room this time was simple: Kaido’s Observation Haki was inferior to mine. In battles between masters of Observation Haki, the one with sharper instincts holds the advantage.

Reading attack intent, dodging, countering—even against the two of us, this bastard was skilled enough to keep up.

As a result, our attacks rarely landed. Even the hits that did connect were minor, and the number of clean strikes was clearly in our favor.

Kaido, too, took a Haki-imbued umbrella blow after having his attack dodged, but he didn’t go down, glaring at the enemy instead.

"Damn it!! Pissin’ me off!! Dodgin’ every damn thing…!!"

"The irritation is mutual… To still be standing after so many direct hits—what absurd endurance. Nothing but frustration…!"

"How about you die for me? Or join my crew, and I’ll let you live. Hah… fufufu♡"

"Spare me the nonsense…"

"! Tch—"

Another umbrella strike came flying, but I dodged by taking to the skies. Midair, my mobility was absolute—advantage, me. Sure, the enemy could handle aerial combat, but they couldn’t outfly me.

On top of that, I partially transformed. My left arm and forward leg morphed into the massive, bestial limbs of a tiger—not that I’d call this move by its original name—

"‘Hungry Tiger’!!!"

"!!"

Using my UFO as a foothold, I lunged forward with explosive force. The raw power and speed of a beast, slashing with razor claws, smashing with crushing force, or even grabbing and biting if I got the chance.

…For the record, most of my close-combat techniques are original, so I just name them whatever comes to mind. I’m not the original user of these powers—I’m me. If I think of a move, I’ll use it, even if it didn’t exist before. No point obsessing over details.

But the attack only grazed their stomach—too shallow. Or more like, too hard. Armament Haki defense, huh?

Still, I succeeded in slamming them down toward the ground. Or more accurately, right into my partner’s range.

"‘Ragnaraku’!!!"

"Gh!!"

Kaido swung his Haki-and-lightning-wreathed club, smashing the enemy I’d launched straight into the paved road. The impact roared, the street caved in, and nearby buildings crumbled like dominos.

"Whoaaa…!!?"

"Nue-sama’s strike and Kaido-sama’s strike both hit!!"

"Did they die!?"

"Did we get ‘em!?"

The Beast Pirates crew, spectating from below, erupted into cheers. Their voices were so cliché I couldn’t help but smirk. Amusing, but I’d rather they stop. Say stuff like that, and even if we did win, it’d feel like we hadn’t.

And sure enough, bursting from the rubble of a shattered building was—

"—Hmph… As expected of Rocks’ subordinate… You’ve got some skill, I’ll give you that…"

"Tch… Still breathin’, you bastard…!!"

"Pretty rich comin’ from us, don’tcha think!?"

—Red, of course.

They wiped the blood from their mouth with the back of their hand, eyes locked onto us with a sharp glare. …Yeah, no knocking them out that easily.

Still, two-on-one was pushing it. This was the first real challenge in a while. Sure, they weren’t Whitebeard-tier, but they were tough. My own durability was the only reason this was even a fight. Red’s Armament Haki was strong, but they leaned more toward Observation—and with two of us, they couldn’t finish this quickly.

This was gonna drag on—or so I thought, when suddenly, Red spoke.

"—Enough."

"The hell?"

"Huh?"

With those words, they turned their back on us. Kaido and I were left dumbfounded. Ignoring us completely, Red dismissed the fight entirely.

"My nest isn’t limited to this place. Rather than waste time with troublesome beasts like you… you can have it."

"THE HELL YOU SAYIN’, YOU BASTARD!!!"

"HEY!! Don’t you dare run!! Fight me!! Let’s kill each other!!"

"Hmph… Beasts, through and through. Reckless, arrogant… and overconfident in your strength. Let me make this clear—you’ll never claim the top of these seas at your level. Especially not wild animals like you, picking fights on all sides. You’ll be crushed sooner rather than later."

Wow, a lecture? Seriously? I deliberately mocked them, hoping to provoke them into turning back.

"Don’t decide for us, dumbass!! We won’t be crushed~~~!! We’ll be the strongest pirate crew~~~!!"

"You cowardly bastard, runnin’ away!! If you’re so sure, then prove it right here!!"

"You should’ve realized it from this fight… You can’t beat me, let alone Whitebeard or Roger. If you were truly on Rocks’ ship, if you knew their power, you’d understand. The sheer absurdity of their strength—"

"Like I give a damn!! I’ll kill anyone who stands in my way!! Doesn’t matter who they are!!"

"Dumbass, dumbass!! Chicken~! If you’re so pissed, come at me!!"

"Say what you will. I have no time to waste on the likes of you—"

"Ah!!"

"Get back here!!"

And just like that, Red vanished without another glance. Damn it… Too fast to chase. Ugh, what a waste! A strong enemy like that, and I wanted to keep fighting!!

"Tch… Lost ‘em…!!"

"—What the hell are you idiots standing around for!? Search for that spineless bastard!!"

"Y-Yes, sir!!"

Kaido, boiling with rage, barked orders at the crew. They scattered through the streets, but it was pointless. Even I couldn’t sense them with Observation Haki anymore. Either they’d already fled the island or were hiding outside my range. No catching them now.

I exhaled, still unsatisfied, and landed where the crew had gathered. Spotting King and Queen getting patched up, I called out.

"You two okay?"

"Yeah…"

"Ain’t nothin’ serious… Damn that bastard… Next time, I’ll pump ‘em full of pathogens the second I see ‘em…!!"

"Oh, good! Then how ‘bout some sparring with me? ♡ I’m real frustrated right now~♡"

"Ack—owowow!! S-Suddenly my injuries got worse!! Sorry, Nue-san!! I’d love to, but I don’t think I can!!"

"Please… not now."

Ugh. Queen faked an injury to dodge me, and King just straight-up begged off. Boooring. I’ve got energy to burn!

"Hmph… Fine. Stussy, then? Wanna fight?"

"…I’ll pass. I can’t fight to begin with, and right now, I need to assess the town’s damages and oversee reconstruction."

"…Yeah, figured."

I’d tossed the offer half-seriously, but of course she’d refuse. Can’t risk exposing her Marine skills. Still, I’d love to fight a master of Rokushiki… Stussy’s composure didn’t crack, though. Smart. If she slipped up, I’d have to kill her.

But ugh, reconstruction again? Feels like every island we take ends up wrecked, and rebuilding’s just part of the routine now.

…Still pissed they got away, though. Even if we couldn’t win, I wanted to fight until someone was satisfied. Maybe that unstable thing I’ve been testing could’ve helped… Ah well. Might as well scout the island a bit more. No way they’ve left yet.

"Where oh where~? Here? Or maybe over here~?"

I combed alleys and shadows—perfect hiding spots.

—30 minutes later.

"…I’m bored."

No luck. Just stifled a yawn and sighed, scratching my head.

"Haaah… Whatever. They’re gone, I’m hungry—time to head back. Maybe grab food on the way…"

Restaurant? Free meal. Ingredients? Cook later. Pirates don’t pay, and this’ll be our turf soon anyway. Though if I’m feeling nice, maybe I’ll toss ‘em a coin—

"—Finally alone, are we?"

"!!"

"Oho~?"

I spun, trident slashing at the voice behind me. They dodged cleanly. …Found you. Grinning, I taunted:

"Ahaha~… Sneaking up on a girl? Rude. But hey, glad you showed your face~!!"

"Hmph. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not here to fight. I came to ask you something."

"…Ask?"

I kept my weapon ready, but Redfield’s expression was deadly serious. Ugh. Not in the mood for talk. I just wanna fight—

"—During our battle, I glimpsed fragments of your memories."

"!!"

That froze me.

Glimpsed my memories. Meaning they’d peeked into my mind.

"…………You saw?"

"No. I tried… But some were… incomprehensible. As if they weren’t yours. Vast, alien… My mind rejected them."

"…So when you hit me mid-fight, you took a look?"

Red nodded. Their Observation Haki was so refined, they could steal memories on contact. And they’d tried it on me—only to hit a wall.

Relief flickered, then rage.

"What are you? I demand—"

"—I’ll never tell."

"What?"

Red furrowed his brows. Even I was surprised at how cold my voice sounded.

Inside, emotions were swirling violently. I was aware of it. And I understood why.

I simply couldn’t allow it. It was unacceptable—absolutely.

"You know, peeking into a girl's mind the moment you meet her is the absolute worst. Well, it’s not like you saw everything, so I’ll let that much slide... but still... Red... I can’t forgive you."

"...What if I told you I actually saw everything?"

"—Then I'd kill you, obviously. Anyone who learns my secret can’t be allowed to live...!!"

"Tch...!! This is—"

—The obvious answer.

Only those truly close to me, like family, are allowed to know my secret—or even a part of it. I never reveal it otherwise. I exist as an enigma. And with being an enigma comes my own code. Red’s attempt to peek into my mind violated that.

This man, who glimpsed a fragment of my secret, must die. Without meaning to, I let my killing intent leak out.

At that moment, my Observation Haki picked up the sounds around us disappearing, one by one. Red must have sensed it too. Even without Observation, taking the full brunt of it, it was obvious. He spoke up.

"So you possess Conqueror’s Haki like Whitebeard and Roger."

"I was thinking of recruiting you if I defeated you... but that’s off the table now. You wouldn't have joined anyway... so I’ll kill you here."

"Strong words. It would be impressive if you had the power to back them up."

"—What, you think I can’t?"

"!?! —!!!"

I launched an attack from Red’s blind spot. But it wasn’t me attacking. I was still standing in front of him. The one striking from behind was one of my clones.

"—'Purple Mirror.'"

"...Heh... I see. That’s your trump card? But if that’s all you have—"

"...I’ll give you just a little taste of what I can really do."

"—What? ...!!"

We struck again, this time from Red’s blind spot. But it wasn’t me, nor was it the clone I had just created. It was two brand-new clones, reflecting the images of both the original and the first clone.

"'Purple Mirror'... no, now that there are four of us, maybe 'Four of a Kind' fits better? It ties into playing cards too... I like it."

"Dammit... what is your ability...? How can you do all this with just one power...!?"

"There’s no such thing as 'impossible' on this sea, old man ♡ Fufufu... Well, since you’re curious, I’ll give you a little hint... right now—you’re terr-i-fied, aren’t you?"

I said it, encircling him with all four of me. I revealed the most crucial key to my ability.

"Terrified...? Don’t be ridiculous. I feel no fear toward you."

"Is that so? But it feels to me like you’re afraid—afraid of the unknown, of what I am, of what I might do."

"Afraid of imagining...?"

"Exactly. My ability is to become a beast born from human fear. Shaped by human fear and imagination, I can become anything."

"Because I have no true form, people perceive me differently based on their own fears."

"And that—without them even realizing—is the source of my power."

We spoke in unison. The beings created by my power. They were my strength, magnified by fear.

I can amplify my power based on the fear directed at me within a certain range. As long as Red saw me as something unknowable and terrifying, my original power was exponentially boosted.

"Impossible...! But if I even touched on your true nature, your power should be weakening!"

"You only caught a glimpse, didn’t you? And that glimpse made you more curious. Isn’t 'wariness' just another form of fear? If you were truly fearless, you’d only be dealing with my base strength... but fufufu, this is the first time my power’s gotten this strong. Maybe spilling a little of my secret was a good thing after all."

This should at least make it a real fight. Turning an unwinnable battle into one where the outcome was uncertain was already a huge improvement. With anyone other than Red, this wouldn’t have happened.

"Haaah... Well, honestly, I should be strong enough to do this all on my own someday... but I'm not there yet. So, it’s a bit of a cheap trick, but I'll fight like this for now."

"After all, I have to kill anyone who knows my secret—to preserve my mystery."

"I am the unidentified creature, Nue. The source of my power is being an enigma."

And then, I declared to him, as our voices overlapped, ready to bury this man who had already started to give up:

"Know your limits and fall into despair!! Die trembling before the barrage of the unidentified flying object!!"

"Tch...!! This is getting troublesome... Sorry, but I’m getting out of here!!"

—Like hell you are!! I immediately moved to chase him down and finish the fight.

---

At that moment, over on Theater Street where the battle had raged on Desire Island, the crew members of the Beasts Pirates were busily tending to the wounded, reporting their search results, and running around in a frenzy.

However, those who had stayed behind to help with medical care and cooking had a bit more breathing room. Some of them had even started to chat casually. Among their conversation—

"...Hey, you know how Kaido and Nue-sama are always fighting? Honestly, who's actually stronger?"

"Huh? Well, that's obviously... Kaido-sama. Sure, their fights always end in a draw before a real winner’s decided, but still... Nue-sama struggles way more."

"Yeah, but what if... I mean, what if Nue-sama’s actually stronger somehow? We don’t even really know what her powers are."

"Yeah... that's true, we don't really get it. She pulls out UFOs, conjures black clouds, sometimes transforms parts of her body into a beast... and on top of that, she even eats people..."

"Hey, idiot, quit it! Don’t make me remember that!! Urgh... we're about to eat, and now I feel sick..."

"S-sorry. But seriously, it's kinda interesting to think about... I mean, yeah, Kaido-sama’s probably stronger, but still..."

While the two crew members were chatting away, a large shadow suddenly loomed over them. It was a person—

"What the hell are you morons talking about?"

"!!? K-Kaido-sama!!"

"N-no, it’s not what it sounds like, sir...! We weren’t doubting your strength, not at all...! Of course you're way stronger than Nue-sama!!"

"...Huh?"

"Eh?"

Standing before them was none other than Kaido himself. The two panicked, and the second man, in particular, scrambled to explain that they absolutely believed Kaido was stronger.

But Kaido, glaring straight at the man, let out a furious growl.

"You... Did you just disrespect my little sister?"

"Eh!? N-no, no, no! I-I swear I didn’t... hiii!!"

Right in front of their eyes, Kaido began transforming into his beast form—a massive dragon, easily towering over a hundred meters tall. For the civilians, enemies, and even his own crew, he was a figure of pure terror.

"You little shit...!!! I'm gonna turn you into ash...!!!"

"S-stop, I’m sorry—Gyaaaaaa!!?"

"!!"

Just as Kaido, consumed by rage, prepared to unleash his signature breath attack at the crew member, the man was engulfed in flames before the attack even landed.

It was King who intervened, either drawn by hearing the commotion or spotting Kaido’s transformation—

"Kaido-san. If you go on a rampage again, the whole town’s gonna get wrecked. I'll torture and kill him myself, so please hold back."

"Alright, King... Make sure you handle it properly."

"Yeah, I know the drill—Hey you... don't think for a second you're getting an easy death...!!"

"Gyaaah!! Urghhhaah... s-save—"

King began torturing the man ahead of Kaido’s attack, and with that, Kaido's rage subsided. As absurdly unfair as it was, King’s actions ended up sparing the other crew members and townsfolk from greater harm, so everyone breathed a sigh of relief... though the man’s agonized screams still sent chills down their spines. Every single one of them silently vowed never to mention Nue in front of Kaido again—not that any of the veteran members needed reminding.

Kaido himself, however, paid no mind to the men on the ground. His gaze was fixed elsewhere.

"Looks like Nue’s causing a ruckus again...!! Wororororo!!"

"Huh? Wait, Kaido-san!! Where are you going!?"

"So you were hiding there... Count me in...!!! 'Heat Breath - Bolo Breath'!!!"

"Eeeeeh!? He fired it anyway!!"

"The town's gonna be destroyed!!?"

"...Sigh... We’re gonna have to rebuild that side first, too, I guess..."

Queen and his subordinates could only scream in disbelief at Kaido’s sudden rampage. Watching the island get destroyed bit by bit, Stussy could do nothing but sigh.

──And right after that.

"Aaagh!! You idiot, Kaido!!! I had them right where I wanted, but while I was busy dealing with your stinking breath, they got away!! What the hell are you gonna do about this!?"

"Huh!!? Are you saying this is my fault!?"

"It's definitely your fault!!!"

"OOOOOOHHHH!!!"

"Stop, please stop～～～～～!!"

"Kaido-san! Nue-san! If this keeps up, the whole town’s gonna be wiped out!! —Hey, King!! You can fly, right!? Go up there and stop them!!"

"Then how about I carry you up there and you try talking them down, Queen!!! If I could’ve stopped them, I would've done it already, dumbass!!!"

"Why can't anyone stop them...? Actually, why are you people destroying your own territory in the first place...?"

"It’s not us!!! Yell at them!!!"

"Ah... Sorry about that... I see now... This is going to be a long, long road ahead..."

"Ahahahaha!!! Fighting is so much fuuuun!!!"

"Wororororo!!! That’s right!!! Smash it all to pieces!!!"

──Kaido and Nue’s brawl raged on for more than half a day. On the ground, King and Queen scrambled frantically to minimize the damage while the shrieks of their crew and the townspeople echoed all around. Amidst the chaos, Stussy could only sympathize with the members of the Beasts Pirates... and hold her head in her hands as the island continued to fall apart.