Kaido of the Beasts!!!
Everyone was stunned.
Charlotte Linlin frowned.
"That old bastard Kaido… what the hell is he doing here?"
Normally, as two of the Four Emperors, they would never step into each other's territory without a serious reason. Doing so without notice? That was a provocation—plain and simple.
Still, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido once sailed together under the legendary pirate Rocks D. Xebec. They'd fought side by side. Though it had been twenty years since they last saw each other, some remnants of camaraderie remained.
"Mother, let me go check it out," Katakuri offered, stepping forward with concern.
But the scout who had come to report shook his head frantically. "No—no, that's not it!"
"What do you mean, that's not it? Didn't you say Kaido is coming?" Charlotte Owen stood up, irritated. He had desserts in front of him waiting to be enjoyed. He didn't want to be bothered with trouble.
"Kaido… he's severely injured. On the verge of death. He drifted in clinging to a piece of wreckage."
The scout took a deep breath, his voice cracking under the weight of the news.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the room went dead silent.
Kaido?
Seriously injured? On the brink of death?
Was this a joke?
Charlotte Linlin's pupils dilated in shock. She slammed her hand onto the table. The force sent desserts flying into the air, splattering across the floor.
"Where is he?!"
"We're sending people to recover him, but he's too heavy..."
Without hesitation, Charlotte Linlin stood up and headed straight for the coastline where Kaido had been found.
After navigating some rough terrain and chaos, Charlotte Linlin, Katakuri, and a few others arrived at the sea where Kaido had washed up.
At the edge of the vast ocean, Kaido clung to a shattered plank of wood. His breathing was shallow. Ropes clung to his body like chains. He looked like a broken giant.
A team of soul-infused soldiers was trying to pull him ashore, but Kaido's massive weight made the task near impossible. Their efforts only left them exhausted and frustrated.
"Step aside!"
Charlotte Linlin stormed forward and grabbed Kaido's shoulder with one hand.
With a roar, she lifted him effortlessly from the sea and threw him onto the shore.
Everyone was frozen in disbelief.
Kaido—the mighty King of the Beasts—was missing an arm.
His body was riddled with gashes and stab wounds. The sight was terrifying.
Because Kaido was a Devil Fruit user, he had lost his strength after soaking in seawater. Now, he looked utterly pitiful—like a fallen god.
"Get him medical attention. Immediately!" Charlotte Linlin shouted, snapping out of her shock.
Katakuri nodded and swiftly arranged for treatment.
As Kaido was rushed away, Charlotte Linlin stood there, stunned.
"Who in the hell could've done this to Kaido?" she muttered.
For the first time in years, a chill ran down her spine.
Kaido wasn't weaker than her. If anything, he was stronger—especially with his freakish endurance.
The man had survived countless naval executions and escaped prisons like it was nothing.
And yet, now… he looked like death warmed over.
"Could this be the World Government's doing?" Charlotte Owen asked, stepping forward.
"Or… Mihawk? Hawkeye?"
There were powerful factions in the world that could potentially threaten Kaido.
The World Government was a deep-rooted monster, shrouded in eight hundred years of secrecy. No one knew its full power—but it had weapons and warriors hidden away.
The Five Elders alone were no joke.
But the stab wounds across Kaido's body hinted at something else—swordsmanship. Brutal, precision swordsmanship.
Only one man in the world could do something like that.
Hawkeye Mihawk.
Of course, the idea of Kairos Flint crossed their minds, too.
But it didn't seem possible. After all, Kairos had just fought the Navy and Whitebeard. It would be insane for him to immediately turn around and launch a solo strike on Kaido.
"It probably wasn't Mihawk," Katakuri said, shaking his head.
After all, Mihawk had no personal vendetta against Kaido.
The fall of Kaido sent shockwaves through Totto Land.
The entire territory trembled with anxiety.
A Sea Emperor had just been brought to the brink of death. How could anyone remain calm?
Meanwhile, hidden within the country was a field reporter from the World News who immediately recognized the golden opportunity.
He rushed to transmit the information back to his boss, Big News Morgans.
On Ula Island — Base of the World News Organization
In a lavish suite, Morgans lounged on a velvet sofa, sipping wine and reading a newspaper. Most of the stories bored him—rumors and fluff. The only decent scoop was the report on the battle between Kaido and Kairos Flint.
The rest? Worthless filler.
Just as he was about to toss the paper, a special den den mushi began to vibrate.
Morgans picked it up, and a hidden reporter—one of his top spies—relayed the breaking news.
"Kaido has been critically injured and drifted into Totto Land!"
The cigar dropped from Morgans' beak-like mouth.
His heart pounded. Blood rushed to his head.
"Repeat that. Are you sure?"
The agent swore on his life.
"Investigate immediately!" Morgans barked. "If you bring me hard proof, I'll pay you one million Berries."
He had operatives embedded in every major region—sleepers he'd cultivated for years.
If even one of them could get a scoop, it would be headline gold.
"Big rewards make bold men," Morgans muttered.
He hung up and began pacing the room like a madman.
His brain spun with questions.
Who could possibly do this to Kaido?
What weapon? What power? What motive?
It didn't matter. This was world-shaking news.
And Morgans was going to be the first to print it.