"Uh, actually, you can call me Rosinante..."
"Hm?"
Kaito paused for a moment before realizing—"Corazon" was just his codename within the Donquixote Family. His real name was indeed Rosinante.
"Ah, that was my bad. Heh."
"No, no, it's just... if I'm returning to the Marines, I'd prefer to go by that name again. Please don't take it the wrong way!"
Corazon, lying on the ground, frantically waved his hands. Kaito had saved both him and Law—he felt his earlier behavior had been completely out of line.
Truth be told, Corazon could be a bit of a thick-headed fool sometimes. (We'll keep using "Corazon" in narration for consistency—it's more familiar.)
After speaking, Corazon grabbed Kaito's hand and stood up.
He looked longingly at the Ope Ope no Mi in Kaito's hand. That Devil Fruit was the key to saving Law's life!
Noticing his gaze, Kaito chuckled, then tucked the fruit into the [Gate-Gate Space], speaking calmly:
"Stop staring. This fruit is a high-priority item requested from above. Don't make things harder for me."
Hearing that, Corazon drooped his head in disappointment. It seemed he'd have to find another way... but did Law even have that kind of time?
Kaito gently patted Corazon on the shoulder, then walked over to Law, clearing the mucus off his body. He turned back with a reassuring smile.
"Don't lose hope. I can cure Law's illness. You don't need to pin everything on the Ope Ope no Mi."
"Nani?!"
Corazon looked at Kaito in shock. Vice Admiral Kaito could even handle this? But then, Sengoku's words echoed in his ears:
"You can trust Kaito completely."
That's right. All he could do now was exactly what Fleet Admiral Sengoku had said—entrust everything to Vice Admiral Kaito. And Kaito really did seem like someone you could rely on.
Seeing Corazon calm down, Kaito smiled to himself and got ready to leave with him and Law.
...
Just then, an angry roar rang out from the distance.
"You damn Marine! What the hell have you done!?"
Both Corazon and Law flinched. That voice was like a demon's to them—Donquixote Doflamingo.
Moments later, Doflamingo charged back onto the scene. But as soon as they saw him, the dread in Corazon and Law's hearts eased slightly.
The reason? Doflamingo didn't exactly look great right now.
The most obvious thing was the circular hole torn in the back of his pink feathered coat, exposing bruised skin underneath. One lens of his sunglasses was shattered, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
As he landed, Doflamingo gasped for air, eyeing Kaito warily.
Earlier, he'd been blasted thousands of meters away by Kaito's Almighty Push. His internal organs had almost ruptured. If he hadn't stitched himself back together using his Devil Fruit powers, he'd already be dead.
But the Ope Ope no Mi and some of his top subordinates were still back here. The moment he stabilized his injuries, he rushed back—only to see his men strewn all over the ground and the Ope Ope no Mi missing.
The whole situation made him nearly lose his mind. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Kaito.
"So you're the youngest Vice Admiral in the Headquarters—Uchiha Kaito. I didn't expect you to show up this early."
Kaito didn't bother replying.
He simply raised his hand—Universal Pull.
"Shit, not this again! And it's the reverse direction this time!?"
Doflamingo was yanked toward Kaito at terrifying speed. Just as he was about to reach him—
Almighty Push.
A direct blast to the chest.
Doflamingo flew like a kite with its string cut, crashing hard into the ground. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, chunks of organs mixed in.
This time, his injuries were at least twice as bad as before. He couldn't even stand. He wasn't Luffy, after all—he couldn't just sit up like it was nothing.
Swoosh!
Kaito appeared in front of the barely-conscious Doflamingo, looking down at him with cool indifference.
"Before, I held back to protect the Ope Ope no Mi. And you still dared to come back. What am I supposed to say to that?"
Doflamingo, still defiant, glared back with savage eyes and rasped,
"Do you even know who I am? If you kill me, you won't get away with it!"
"Heh."
Kaito scoffed. He knew exactly what Doflamingo was getting at. Since Doflamingo hadn't joined the Seven Warlords yet, he was implying that he had Celestial Dragon blood.
"I don't care who you are. All I know is..."
"...you're a criminal."
Without another word, Kaito coated his fist in Armament Haki and raised it, ready to smash down.
"Wait, Vice Admiral Kaito! His identity is... complicated. It's best not to execute him on the spot!"
Kaito raised an eyebrow and looked toward the voice.
Behind him, Corazon's eyes suddenly widened in disbelief.
It was someone he recognized—Vergo.
"Vergo! What are you doing here!? You... you actually joined the Marines too!?"
Vergo, who had been rushing in at top speed, froze for a split second. He saw Corazon standing behind Kaito and cursed inwardly. Without hesitation, his upper body burst out of his uniform, instantly coated in jet-black Armament Haki, ready for battle.
He'd seen Kaito leave the ship earlier and had secretly followed. As a pure physical fighter, his swimming speed was even faster than the warship's.
Seeing Vergo appear, Kaito finally realized what he had overlooked—he'd forgotten about the Marine mole, Vergo.
But Kaito wasn't the least bit concerned.
He activated Advanced Armament Haki, fists glowing, and met Vergo head-on. Their fists collided—
Vergo didn't even last a full second before retreating in panic.
Clutching his arm, he stared at Kaito in fear. That arm hung limp—completely destroyed.
"I almost forgot about you, you little rat. You're not leaving either."
Kaito's cold voice rang out. A dull thud followed.
He kicked Vergo hard in the stomach, knocking him out cold.
With Vergo handled, Kaito returned to Doflamingo.
"Now that the distractions are dealt with, it's your turn."
...
Just then, an overwhelming aura blanketed the entire land.
Behind Kaito, both Corazon and Law collapsed, unconscious.
"What is this?"
Kaito paused mid-motion and looked up toward the sky.
It had gone completely dark.
A colossal figure loomed in the clouds, barely visible—but it resembled a massive serpentine beast.
Kaito's expression grew grim.
In a low voice, he muttered:
"Emperor of the Sea... Kaido of the Beasts."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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