ONE PIECE: KAIDO'S SON

"Dragon?"

At the entrance of a heavily fortified building adorned with an enormous dragon statue, Portgas D. Ace narrowed his eyes.

"This must be Kaido's place."

Adjusting the brim of his orange hat, Ace took a deep breath. The oppressive aura in the area reminded him of the many tales he'd heard about the Four Emperors. But instead of fear, a confident flame ignited in his eyes.

"Kaido! I'm Portgas D. Ace, captain of the Spade Pirates! I've come to challenge you—prepare to lose your head!"

His voice echoed across the desolate compound. But before his words fully faded—

"Raimei Hakke!"

(Thunder Bagua!)

A thunderous cry answered him. A blur of speed, shadow, and lightning shot from the entrance. A massive figure wielding a black-spiked kanabō surged forward, enveloped in a storm of Haki.

Ace's eyes widened. The momentum was overwhelming.

"You're not even giving me a chance to introduce myself properly?"

Ace instinctively clenched his fist, flames erupting from his knuckles.

"Hiken!"

(Fire Fist!)

The sky turned a blazing orange as his fiery punch roared forward. It clashed with the descending kanabō in a shockwave of searing heat and raw force.

BOOM!

The explosion of color and sound scorched the earth. Flames splintered around the figure, but they remained standing. Ace was thrown dozens of meters away, tumbling across the ground. The attacker only skidded back a few feet before planting their weapon with a scowl.

Ace groaned, nursing his fist.

"Ugh... That Haki... it hurts like Grandpa's punch..."

He stared at the figure. Despite the powerful build, there were subtle hints—a delicate face beneath the oni mask, the way they stood.

"You're not Kaido..."

The person yanked the mask off, revealing long, flowing hair and a proud glare.

"Of course I'm not!" she shouted. "Kaido's head is mine!"

Ace blinked. "Huh?"

She raised her chin.

"I'm Yamato! Son of Kaido! Future liberator of Wano, and the man who will carry on Kozuki Oden's will!"

Ace scratched his head, dazed by the contradictions.

"Wait, wait... 'son'? But you're clearly..."

"I know what I look like! But I've decided to become Oden, and Oden was a man!" Yamato snapped, pointing at him. "So that makes me a man, too!"

Ace stared blankly. Then smirked.

"Hah... You're something else."

Still rubbing his sore wrist, he sighed.

"Well, it's not my business who you decide to be." His tone softened. "Sounds like you've got a real issue with Kaido too. That makes two of us."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. "You too?"

Ace's grin widened. "Yeah. My old man's no better—Gol D. Roger."

Yamato's eyes lit up. "Roger's son?! That's incredible!"

"Not really," Ace muttered. "More of a curse than a legacy."

The tension faded a bit between them.

Ace waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, whether you're Kaido's daughter or son or Oden's reincarnation, I'm not here to fight you." He turned toward the building.

"I want Kaido. That hasn't changed."

Bang!

Before Ace could advance even a few steps, a heavy kanabo (iron club) cloaked in black Busoshoku Haki and crackling with Haoshoku Haki-infused lightning came crashing down from above. Ace immediately reacted, crossing his arms and releasing dual Hiken (Fire Fist) blasts to intercept the strike mid-air.

"Oi! What the hell are you trying to pull?!"

"You Kaido's daughter or something? Trying to stop me from taking his head?!"

As the two attacks clashed, Ace was pushed back violently—his boots dragging twin gouges in the rocky floor of Onigashima that stretched nearly 50 meters before he regained his stance.

"I'm a man!" Yamato snapped, gripping the kanabo tighter.

"And yeah, I'm stopping you. But not because I'm Kaido's son—it's because I'm the one who's going to defeat him!"

Ace blinked, stunned for a moment by Yamato's bizarre reasoning.

"...You're serious?"

Then, with a sigh of irritation: "Tch. Whatever! Get outta the way, Kaido's mine!"

"No, you get out of my way. Kaido is mine!" Yamato barked back, refusing to budge.

The air between them thickened with tension. Reasoning clearly wasn't working.

From Yamato's kanabo, black lightning surged—Haoshoku Haki unleashed in full. On Ace's side, his body and arms ignited with fierce orange flames, his Mera Mera no Mi powers at the ready.

Before either moved, the environment already began to give way—flames from Ace scorched the ground beneath them, while the pressure from Yamato's Conqueror's Haki cracked and shattered the earth.

"Yamato!"

"Ace!"

In unison, they roared each other's names—two heirs burdened by legacy and fire—and sprang forward.

"Raimei Hakke!" (Thunder Bagua!)

"Hiken!" (Fire Fist!)

Their attacks surged through the air, Yamato's kanabo laced with Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki, and raw strength; Ace's fist a blazing comet of destruction.

BOOOOM!!

Just as the two attacks collided, a blinding golden light cut between them, cleaving apart flame and lightning with divine precision.