Chapter 75: I Don’t Want to Play With You Anymore!

Lucas exhaled deeply, a sense of fulfillment washing over him. Momonosuke was dead. The future tyrant had been eliminated, ensuring that Wano would never fall into the hands of an incompetent ruler who would bring nothing but misery, foreign invasions, and suffering to his people.

He clenched his fists, his eyes shifting back to the battlefield. The war was far from over.

Kaido, the King of Beasts, slowly pushed himself off the ground, his towering frame looming once more. The beast had endured everything thrown at him, his massive body covered in wounds, yet his fighting spirit remained unbroken.

Lucas, however, was unfazed. He had fought relentlessly, and despite Kaido's near-immortality, he had completely suppressed the so-called strongest creature in the world. The morale of the Beasts Pirates had plummeted, their once unshakable confidence crumbling as they witnessed their leader being overwhelmed.

The death of Kozuki Momonosuke sent ripples across the battlefield, but not in the way Kaido had expected.

Instead of breaking the samurai, it ignited a dangerous fire within them.

The warriors of Wano roared in fury, their eyes burning with vengeance. Momonosuke's death had bestowed upon them a desperation akin to that of an underdog army—a force that refused to die out quietly.

Suddenly, the tides shifted.

With renewed determination, the samurai fought harder than ever, their blades cutting through the remnants of the Beasts Pirates with savage precision.

It wasn't long before the once-mighty army of Kaido crumbled completely.

The Great Retreat

"King! We haven't decided the winner yet!"

Marco, the Phoenix, laughed as he relentlessly pursued King, the Flame Disaster. His golden flames burned brightly, clashing against King's own as their aerial battle raged on.

King, however, had no intention of continuing. His expression remained unreadable behind his mask, but his next action spoke volumes—he spread his wings wide and abruptly soared away, retreating from the battlefield without a word.

Plague Queen, on the other hand, was in far worse shape.

Under the combined assault of Diamond Jozu and Shutenmaru, he was barely holding on. His grotesque body was riddled with wounds, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Yet, despite his injuries, his mind remained sharp.

With a grim expression, he made the call.

"We've lost this war," Queen growled. "There's no point in dragging it out any further."

His voice carried across the battlefield as he barked orders at his remaining subordinates.

"Retreat! We'll settle this another time!"

As if on cue, Queen launched a devastating attack, his enormous mechanical arm crashing into the ground, sending shockwaves outward. The force momentarily pushed back Marco and Shutenmaru, buying him just enough time to escape into the chaos.

"Let them go!" Marco called out, stopping those who attempted to chase.

Kyoushiro frowned. "If we let the Beasts Pirates escape, won't they cause even more trouble in the future?"

Izo shook his head. "Even in defeat, they are still incredibly strong. If we chase them too aggressively and corner them, they might retaliate with nothing to lose. We'd suffer heavy casualties."

Marco nodded. "Exactly. The New World is already unstable with the Four Emperors at war. Not to mention the Marines and the World Government waiting to strike at any sign of weakness. If we push too hard now, we might just be handing someone else the advantage."

Indeed, this delicate balance was why the New World had remained relatively stable despite the constant power struggles between the Emperors. Full-scale wars were rare—except when Kaido, the suicidal madman, decided to pick fights for his own entertainment.

But now, there was no more fight left in the Beasts Pirates.

The battlefield quieted.

All that remained was Kaido.

Lucas smirked, his gaze locking onto the Emperor who still refused to go down.

"Hey, Kaido! All your men have run away!" he taunted, his voice laced with amusement.

Kaido let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Hmph. They made the right choice. I'm glad."

Without warning, Kaido lunged forward, his enormous fist coated in a dense layer of Armament Haki. The air cracked as he swung, his iron-like knuckles hurtling toward Lucas with devastating force.

BOOM!

Lucas barely managed to evade, but the sheer force of the blow sent him skidding backward. His arms tingled from the shockwave, but he quickly steadied himself, preparing for the next move.

Kaido, however, suddenly took a step back.

His draconic eyes gleamed with something unusual.

"I don't want to play with you anymore," Kaido muttered.

Without another word, his colossal form shifted. A powerful gust of wind erupted as his body expanded, transforming into his mythical azure dragon form. His serpentine body coiled upward, spiraling into the sky at an alarming speed.

Lucas narrowed his eyes.

"You're running away?"

His hand moved instinctively, gripping the hilt of Autumn Water. His blade pulsed with energy, responding to his intent.

"Too slow."

With an eerie stillness, Lucas lowered his stance.

"One-Sword Style—Dragon Slash!"

The world seemed to pause as Lucas drew his blade.

A streak of black lightning danced across the battlefield, illuminating the sky in a single breathtaking instant.

SHING!

Lucas vanished.

A split second later, he reappeared in front of Kaido—his sword already sheathed.

A thin, nearly imperceptible line cut through Kaido's massive dragon form.

Then—

CRACK!

A fresh wound split across Kaido's scales. Blood gushed violently from the injury, painting the sky crimson.

Kaido's roar of agony shook the heavens. His enormous body trembled before it finally crashed back down, shaking the earth upon impact.

Lucas' eyes gleamed.

"Good opportunity."

Clasping his hands together, he focused, his body instantly enveloped in an aura of nature energy.

"Sage Art: Gate of the Great God!"

Massive wooden gates materialized above Kaido's fallen form. They slammed down with an earth-shattering force, pinning the wounded Emperor beneath their crushing weight.

Kaido growled, his body already working to heal the wounds inflicted upon him.

Lucas clicked his tongue. "The world's strongest creature, huh? What a pain."

His grip tightened on Autumn Water.

"One more strike. Let's see if the dragon falls in one flash."

Kaido barely managed to lift his head before—

SLASH!

A second devastating blow carved deep into his flesh, forcing his colossal frame to slump heavily against the ground.

Kaido, the King of Beasts, had fallen.

Lucas exhaled, his mind piecing something together.

"Sage Mode…" he muttered. "I see. The nature chakra enhances top-level swordsmanship."

His lips curled into a grin. "Interesting."

He took a step forward, pressing his palm against Kaido's battered body.

"Eight Trigrams Seal!"

Dark, swirling runes spread across Kaido's skin, consuming his form in a web of intricate curse marks. Within moments, his dragon body was forcibly reverted back to human form. His muscles twitched under the blackened seals that restrained him.

Kaido, realizing he could no longer move, gritted his teeth.

"You… What the hell is this?"

Lucas smirked. "A sealing technique. With this, you'll stay quiet."

Kaido's eyes darkened. His reign of terror—his freedom—was over.

But before Lucas could savor his victory, he felt something.

A strange presence in the distance.

His gaze sharpened.

"The Peacemaker?" he muttered. "Coming to stop the fight?"

His smirk deepened.

"Too bad. You're too late."

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