Chapter 57: The Reality of Kaido’s Defeat

The battlefield was eerily silent. The once deafening clamor of steel against steel, the roars of the Beasts Pirates, and the battle cries of the samurai had all faded. Now, only the whisper of the wind and the distant flickering of flames remained. The sky, once torn apart by the clash of Supreme Conqueror's Haki, was slowly mending itself. But the scar left on Wano—the land and its people—would take longer to heal.

Kaido lay motionless on the shattered ground, his massive body sprawled in the crater created by our final clash. Blood seeped from the deep wound across his chest, his once indomitable presence now reduced to a stillness that no one had ever witnessed before. He was dead.

The invincible Kaido, the so-called strongest creature in the world, had fallen.

A wave of realization swept over the battlefield. Kaido's forces, once fighting with brutal loyalty, stood frozen in shock. Their leader, the man they had believed to be untouchable, was gone. Their belief in his absolute rule shattered like the rubble beneath their feet. Their weapons trembled in their hands, and one by one, they dropped them to the ground. A dull clatter echoed across the battlefield as swords, maces, and clubs were discarded.

They surrendered.

The Beasts Pirates, once proud and vicious warriors, fell to their knees. Some broke down in tears, their entire world having collapsed before them. Others sat in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Near the remnants of Orochi's palace, Orochi's remaining samurai and followers were overwhelmed and captured. The cowardly Shogun himself had tried to slither away unnoticed, his eight serpent heads desperately seeking an escape route. But Denjiro and the samurai cornered him, severing his last means of escape. Bound in thick chains, Orochi was captured alive, his eyes wide with rage and desperation. "This is my country! You can't do this to me!" he screamed, thrashing against his bindings. But his words were empty now—his reign was truly over.

The final remnants of tyranny in Wano had been purged.

The Fall of the Beast Pirates' Commanders

In the aftermath, we moved through the battlefield, assessing the fallen. The war had taken its toll on both sides, with samurai and Whitebeard Pirates alike having suffered losses. But there was no doubt—this was our victory.

Queen the Plague was dead.

I stood over his massive, grotesque form, the battlefield around him stained with blood. His mechanical enhancements sparked erratically, steam hissing from the shattered metal on his arms. The massive dent in his chest—the mark of my final strike against him—was proof of his defeat. His grotesque laughter had been silenced forever.

His reign of terror, his twisted experiments, his cruelty—all of it had ended.

Jack had fallen, but he was still breathing. He had fought to the bitter end, unwilling to surrender, but his injuries had finally caught up to him. He was captured, his massive frame bound in thick Sea-Prism Stone chains to prevent him from transforming into his Zoan form. Even unconscious, his face twisted in a furious snarl, as if even in defeat, he refused to accept it.

King had fought longer than anyone. His Lunarian durability had allowed him to endure punishment that would have killed any other man a hundred times over. Even after seeing Kaido fall, he had refused to go down without a fight. But he, too, had been defeated. Now, he was restrained in the same Sea-Prism Stone shackles, his wings tattered, his mask broken. His golden eyes burned with rage, but he said nothing.

They were now prisoners, the last remnants of Kaido's highest-ranking warriors.

With the enemy subdued, I took a deep breath and scanned the battlefield. The warriors who had fought beside me—Denjiro, Marco, Izo, and the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates—stood together, looking over the scene. The battle was over, yet it still didn't feel real.

Denjiro, still gripping his bloodied katana, exhaled deeply. "Seven years of suffering… and now it's over."

The words felt heavy. We had fought for this, sacrificed for this, and now that it had finally happened, the weight of it was almost overwhelming.

Marco stepped forward, glancing at Kaido's fallen form. "I never thought I'd see the day someone actually killed that monster…" His expression was unreadable, though there was a hint of relief beneath his exhaustion. "Guess you really are something, kid."

I turned toward the city, where the people of Wano were gathering. They had witnessed the battle from afar, their hopes hinging on the outcome. Now, seeing Kaido's lifeless body and his forces surrendering, they finally understood—they were free.

A cry rang out.

"KAIDO IS DEAD!"

The cry was followed by another, and then another, until it became a chorus of voices, echoing through the land. Samurai raised their swords, citizens fell to their knees in gratitude, and those who had suffered under Kaido's rule wept openly.

"Wano is free!"

"Hiyori-sama, Denjiro-sama, we did it!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Hiyori. Tears streamed down her face, but she was smiling. "You… you freed Wano," she whispered. "Father… Oden… if only he could see you now."

I clenched my fists, the reality of everything sinking in. My father had fought to save this land but failed. Now, I had finished what he started.

I looked toward the sky, the clouds parting to reveal the bright blue heavens. For the first time in years, Wano's skies were clear.

Kaido's storm had passed.

A new dawn was beginning.