ONE PIECE: KAIDO'S SON

 "Mom, it's not surprising that Kaido challenged the G1 branch."

  "But this man's reaction... is worth our attention."

  Charlotte Katakuri's sharp gaze lingered on the bounty poster, narrowing at the name: Ragnar.

  Particularly, at the vertical pupil glaring from between his brows.

  Whether it was due to his Kenbunshoku Haki, or something deeper, an unexplainable sense of unease welled up in him the instant he saw it. That single glance brought a chill more profound than any he had felt even in the face of Admirals.

  The Grand Line, which had stabilized under the balance of power, suddenly felt fragile.

  "Hmmmm..."

  Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—didn't speak immediately.

  She too stared at Ragnar's bounty poster in silence.

  And then—her voice, thick with menace and delight, cackled through the whipped cream halls of Whole Cake Chateau.

  A grin full of madness stretched across her face, echoing through the frosting-coated castle.

  Red Force – On the deck

  "Kaido..."

  "Ragnar..."

  Shanks let the newspaper flutter in his hand, his one visible eye shifting from the inked headlines to the crisp new bounty.

  "Captain, come on! We're in the middle of a party!"

  Lucky Roux plopped a foaming mug in front of him, chewing on a hunk of meat.

  "A crazy Kaido skirmish with the navy? What's the big deal? Happens every year."

  He glanced at the article—Kaido once again clashing with G1 and, as usual, captured.

  "Don't be so relaxed, Roux," Shanks muttered, draining the mug in one go. "This time is different."

  "Different?" Roux raised an eyebrow.

  "When it comes to Kaido, it's always the same. Storm the navy, get captured, torture, execution, jail—and then he walks out of Impel Down like it's a revolving door!"

  "Right," Roux added. "We've done it ourselves. Caught him three times."

  "No," Ben Beckman interjected, lighting his cigar. Smoke drifted lazily as he exhaled, hiding nothing from the clarity of his gaze.

  "This time, the Beasts Pirates don't just have one Emperor."

  "There's another—who might be more dangerous."

  Jesus Burgess turned from where he had been sipping quietly.

  "More dangerous than Kaido...?"

  Beckman didn't answer. The silence said enough.

  "Let's go." Shanks rose to his feet, sheathing Gryphon in one swift motion.

  "Huh? Captain, where to?"

  The partying crew paused, confused.

  "To meet someone," he said, his tone heavy with intent.

  Moby Dick – Somewhere in the New World

  Whitebeard sat, IV drip still in his arm, newspaper in hand.

  The ship gently rocked as he folded the paper with a deep frown.

  "Pops? Is something wrong?" Marco asked, watching his father's reaction closely.

  "No," Whitebeard rumbled, placing the paper over his thigh, covering a bounty poster beneath it.

  "I'm still Whitebeard."

  He chuckled—deep and slow.

  "Gurararara! Let the times change. We've stared down the old era, we'll survive this one too."

  G1 Naval Base – Aftermath

  Once a proud fortress of justice, the base now lay in complete ruin.

  Where once the main tower pierced the clouds, now only broken rubble remained.

  It was as if some titan had torn the entire base off the earth and slammed it down.

  Not a single structure remained intact.

  The surviving Marines limped across the debris, wrapped in bloodied bandages and tattered uniforms, stunned by the wreckage.

It was clear that the battlefield had just quieted after a storm of chaos.

The land bore scars of destruction—craters, shattered buildings, the fractured remains of the once-mighty G1 Marine Branch. Fires smoldered amid the rubble. The scent of gunpowder and blood lingered heavily in the air.

And the cause of it all—

Kaido of the Beasts, Emperor of the Sea, now stood shackled in layers of seastone cuffs, each limb chained and bound, including a seastone muzzle clamped around his jaw. His massive frame was restrained, yet even now, he radiated the overwhelming aura of a beast not yet broken.

Standing on either side of him were two of the Navy's strongest:

Admiral Akainu and Admiral Aokiji.

They were escorting him aboard a colossal prison ship docked beside the ruined base, its hull groaning under the weight of damage and the gravity of its cargo.

"The casualties are no joke…"

Aokiji cast a somber glance back at what remained of G1. Half the base was obliterated.

"You really went all-out this time, Kaido."

He exhaled a puff of cold air and looked over his shoulder.

"You know… If you wanted a free trip to Impel Down, you could've just asked. I'd have given you a ride, no fireworks needed."

Kaido snorted, the chains clanking around him.

"Tch… Still yappin', Aokiji?"

His voice was muffled behind the seastone mask, but the disdain cut through clearly.

"Got anything better to do than gloat, brat?"

Aokiji's laid-back expression hardened for a moment.

"Better than getting thrown in a cage? Probably."

His tone chilled slightly. He wasn't usually talkative—but today was different. The cost of capturing Kaido had been staggering. If he hadn't happened to be nearby when the assault began, they might've lost the entire branch.

Akainu's voice boomed with fury.

"Enough with the nonsense! Throw this monster in the deepest cell of Impel Down!"

His torso was still wrapped in bandages—his magma body having absorbed much of Kaido's wrath—but even now, his fury burned hotter than any wound.

"If it were any of the other Yonko, this would be a victory."

He spat on the deck.

"But this one? He'll break out again in a month. We should've killed him when we had the chance."

Aokiji said nothing.

He knew that Akainu wasn't wrong. They had captured Kaido before. And every time, the result was the same: Impel Down's walls would tremble, and Kaido would walk free again.

Without another word, Aokiji opened the reinforced cage and shoved Kaido inside.

The cage door shut with a heavy clang. Seastone bars sealed tight. A silence hung over the deck.

Akainu, scowling, turned and descended the gangplank.

He didn't look back.

"Let the monster rot. I've got a graveyard to clean up."

But then—he froze mid-step.

His instincts screamed.

At the same time, Aokiji spun around, his gaze snapping toward the sea.

The calm ocean had turned violent.

Waves surged unnaturally.

A powerful presence approached—fast.

Kaido's eyes gleamed behind the muzzle. He leaned forward as much as the restraints allowed, grinning like a madman.

"Hah… Hahahahaha!!"

His wild laughter boomed from within the cage.

"They're here!!"

"Let's see if your 'justice' can handle this storm…"

The sky darkened.

The sea roared.

The true danger hadn't passed—

It was only beginning.