Chapter 30: To Each Their Own!

The horns on Loya’s forehead were glowing.

The air current accelerated sharply. Then, the clouds in the sky began to churn violently. In just a heartbeat, a colossal hurricane capable of devouring everything took shape. It swallowed the better part of the sky, bridging the heavens and the earth; a pillar supporting the firmament now stood in the world.

"Ugh!"

Kaido’s pupils constricted. This scale!! He, too, could create tornadoes, but compared to the heaven-piercing, earth-shattering hurricane Loya had summoned, they were not even in the same league. Could a user of the Wind-Wind Fruit really manifest such a disaster at the same level of strength? Was this brat actually capable of creating natural disasters that surpassed those of the corresponding Logia users?

Kaido tried to flee at top speed, but the gravitational pull and the rapid expansion of the hurricane gave him no such chance, swallowing him whole.

"Lightning Swirl!"

The cyclone suddenly turned pitch black as dark thunderclouds manifested within the vortex. Wind and clouds merged, and then, lightning illuminated the entire hurricane. The pillar that supported the sky became blindingly radiant, as if it had truly transformed into a heavenly path connecting the world! Thick bolts of lightning surged across the surface of the hurricane, like divine dragons coiling around a celestial column.

Loya smacked his lips, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. He couldn't unleash many of his more powerful techniques in the sky; he was just making do with lightning and wind. "Sorry for the poor hospitality, I hope you don't mind, Brother Kaido."

Inside the hurricane, Kaido roared in agony. The turbulent winds made it impossible for him to control his body, and the pain and damage inflicted by the violent lightning were difficult to defend against, even with his Haki.

"Flame Dragon Torch!"

In a roar that even the hurricane and lightning storm could not suppress, a massive fire dragon tore through the hurricane, charging toward Loya with unstoppable momentum.

"You can't win everything just by relying on your abilities, Loya!"

Though he said that, wasn't this technique of yours, Brother Kaido, also a mixture of ability and Haki? Loya didn't intend to go head-to-head with Luffy or Kaido. With a beat of his wings, he instantly widened the distance.

Then.

"Meteor Shower!"

Bright lights simultaneously appeared in the sky. Meteorites! Giant rocks nearly a hundred meters in diameter rained down upon Kaido one after another.

"What?"

Inside the fire dragon, Kaido’s pupils constricted once more. He looked at Loya in disbelief. Did this bastard brat have an endless supply of stamina? Who fought like this! But then he recalled another one of Loya's terrifying abilities.

"My energy is infinite!"

Loya laughed heartily. His stamina consumption was indeed immense, but in a world invisible to Kaido, endless black mist surged toward Loya without a moment's pause. He inhaled it, and his spent stamina was restored to full in the blink of an eye!

"Brat! Who do you think you're dealing with!"

The massive fire dragon soared into the sky, the giant meteorites melting the moment they made contact. However, there was a limit to how fast they could melt, and the sheer force of the impacts made the fire dragon tremble continuously.

"Fire Bagua!"

The fire dragon expanded abruptly, and its entire body began to turn pitch black.

Boom!

The fire dragon spun in the sky, its massive body acting like a giant god’s whip. The falling meteorites were smashed to pieces mid-air, and countless fragments, coated in molten magma, rained down, bringing apocalyptic disaster to the wilderness below.

The entire nation shook. Whether they were civilians working in the fields or soldiers locked in combat, everyone trembled in fear. In that instant, the black mist permeating the country grew even thicker.

"Truly exaggerated! How could I possibly block that in a direct confrontation?" Loya marveled repeatedly; he would be smashed into a fool. "As I thought, I can't get too close!"

Loya’s lips curled upward. "Brother Kaido, shall we continue? If it's a meteor game, I can play with you for a year!" As long as this country wasn't destroyed, that is.

"..."

Kaido fell silent. He was confident that he was stronger than Loya, but this bastard was simply unreasonable, hurling all sorts of destructive natural disasters as if they cost nothing. This kid could infinitely recover from both his injuries and his stamina; even he, possessing a Mythical Zoan ability, could never outlast him!

What kind of monster was he? Even Kaido, who had been called a monster since childhood, couldn't help but feel genuinely shocked. Everyone in the Rocks Pirates had tried their best to overestimate him back then, but it seemed they had all underestimated him! This brat was an unprecedented monster that exceeded everyone's imagination!

Watching the silent Kaido, Loya knew this "big brother" was stuck in an awkward position. He had come in aggressively to start a fight, only to find he couldn't do anything to his younger brother, who was over a decade his junior. Even Brother Kaido would feel a sense of shame. Therefore, as an understanding, good-natured kid, Loya decided he should take the initiative to break the stalemate.

"Let's reconcile, Brother Kaido," Loya said with a smile. "Do me a favor and let's call it a day. It's been a long time; let’s just sit down and have a good chat."

"...What else is there to talk about?" Kaido snorted with a haughty air.

At this point, no matter how unwilling he was, he had to admit he couldn't take Loya down, and naturally, he couldn't force Loya to join his Beasts Pirates. A wasted trip. Dammit, he just wasn't strong enough. If he possessed the power of those two bastards, Whitebeard or the Golden Lion, would this stinking brat dare to be so arrogant?

"Let's talk about our mutual invitations."

"What?"

Not long after, a ship gradually sailed away from the Land of Endless War. A banquet was underway on the deck.

"The first meal in six years! I almost forgot how to chew." Loya tore into a steak with an unaccustomed expression, a look of disdain crossing his face. "Tsk, as expected, it’s as terrible as ever!"

"Your stinking temper hasn't changed a bit, you brat." Kaido, sitting beside Loya, sneered as he gulped down wine.

"You don't understand, Brother Kaido," Loya waved his hand. "There's no point in talking to people like you who have never tasted the supreme delicacies."

"Enough with the nonsense. Loya, what exactly do you mean?"

Facing Kaido’s question, Loya licked his fingers and smiled. "I want you to join my company, and Brother Kaido, you want me to join your pirate crew. You think it's a choice between the two, but only children make choices—as an adult, of course, I want it all!"

Kaido hummed. "A stinking brat talking about being an adult? So, what exactly is your plan?"

"It's simple!" Loya’s small face was serious. "You join my company, and I join your pirate crew. We'll be dual leaders."

"What?" Kaido frowned even deeper. "Are you joking with me, brat?"

"What does it matter? From now on, we can call each other whatever we want!" Loya was unconstrained. "You call me President, and I'll call you Brother!"

*Aren't you already calling me Brother?*

Kaido set down his wine glass, his eyes turning dangerous again. "If you still want to fight, I'll accompany you to the end!" Even though, with Loya's strength, he couldn't be taken down even away from the Land of Endless War, that was no reason for him to be toyed with!

"Don't get excited, Brother Kaido," Loya waved his hands repeatedly. "You want to overthrow the World Government and establish a new order; I want to overthrow the World Government and turn the world into a culinary paradise. Naturally, we should be on the same side."

Kaido’s expression visibly improved, and the look he gave Loya became much kinder. That was right; they did indeed share the same goal! Loya craved the misery of humanity, and what he himself craved was a world where the strong could trample the weak at will! Didn't they hit it off perfectly?

"Here’s what I’m thinking: we become each other's outside associates. When you encounter trouble you can't solve, I will assist with all my might, and when I need help, you will lend a hand!" Loya said. "When the time is ripe, you and I, brothers, will join forces. Who in this world could possibly stand against us?"

Kaido felt a stir in his heart. It was impossible to make Loya his subordinate, but this kind of cooperative relationship didn't seem so bad, did it?