One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 253: Fruit Awakening

Charlotte glanced at the silent Kaido.

"Bah! Lucky you're dead! Otherwise, I would have made your life worse than death!"

He spat fiercely, but the wound on his cheek stung, making the corner of his mouth twitch in pain.

"Hiss! That hurts!"

It had been so long since Charlotte had been injured that he could barely remember the last time.

The only memory that remained vivid was from 1484, when he fought Kong, who was still an admiral at the time. That was the only time he had suffered a loss—since then, no one had ever bested him.

"I haven't fought seriously in years. My vigilance has dropped... That's not good!"

Charlotte muttered to himself, standing there completely unaware of the eerie silence around him.

"Brother!"

A cry of agony rang out!

Charlotte was startled.

Queen and King abandoned their battles, ignoring their opponents as they rushed to Kaido's side, grabbing his body and sobbing bitterly.

The entire battlefield turned silent, all eyes locked on Kaido's unmoving form.

Charlotte took one look at the scene and scoffed, turning away.

He needed ice for his face—he had no intention of being disfigured.

Casually, he walked toward the ship. Everyone around him slowly lowered their weapons.

To them, the battle was over.

"Wait!"

As Charlotte was walking away, something felt off.

"Kaido isn't dead?"

He suddenly turned his head, eyes narrowing as they locked onto Kaido's body.

Kaido still lay motionless in the rubble, surrounded by Queen and King.

But he was still in his half-dragon form.

Charlotte's brows furrowed in confusion.

"How can a dead man stay in his beastly form?"

Though his voice wasn't loud, the entire battlefield had fallen into complete silence—except for Queen's wailing.

Charlotte's words echoed clearly throughout the area.

"What?! Boss Kaido isn't dead?"

The Beasts Pirates stiffened, quickly turning their eyes toward Kaido.

And then they noticed it.

Kaido's half-dragon form remained intact—his enormous body still radiated life.

Queen's sobbing abruptly stopped as he stared at his fallen brother.

"Quick! Get Brother Kaido out of there!"

Queen's voice rang out in urgency.

King immediately began clearing the rubble off Kaido's body.

And as they finally pulled him free, everyone gasped.

Right before their eyes, Kaido's wounds began to heal.

His limbs, bones, and even the gashes from Charlotte's attacks were mending at a visible rate.

Even his shattered scales were regrowing.

Charlotte instinctively stepped forward—ready to end it.

But suddenly—

Kaido's body, which had been lying on the ground, began to float.

And then, it started expanding.

"This...!"

Charlotte's eyes widened.

Something about this seemed familiar.

Kaido's body continued to grow and rise higher.

Until finally—

He hovered in the sky.

A massive, towering dragon loomed above the battlefield.

A thousand-meter-long form cast its imposing shadow over the land.

A terrifying pressure radiated from its body—a pressure so immense it made weaker warriors tremble.

Kaido's body glowed with shifting blue, red, and golden hues—his very form seemed to be wrapped in a storm of wind, fire, thunder, and clouds.

And then, the light faded.

The colossal dragon in the sky opened its eyes.

Charlotte unconsciously took a step back.

"The Devil Fruit... awakened!"

His voice trembled in shock.

A Devil Fruit Awakening?!

Charlotte never expected this.

First, Kaido had endured his Armament Haki Ryuo, only to master it in less than an hour.

Then, he had withstood Charlotte's Conqueror's Haki—and unlocked it himself.

And now, after being pushed beyond his limits...

Kaido had awakened his Devil Fruit!

Charlotte's expression twisted in frustration.

"What the hell?! Do you think you're Luffy?!"

His voice roared across the battlefield.

Raising his sword, Charlotte unleashed a devastating slash—

A thousand-meter-long blade of energy tore through the sky toward the dragon above.

The force of Charlotte's fury shook the entire battlefield.

Though none of them knew who Luffy was, everyone could feel Charlotte's absolute rage.

Kaido, in his massive Azure Dragon form, slowly turned his gaze downward.

His glowing eyes locked onto Charlotte.

As the massive slash approached, Kaido opened his mouth.

"Bad Wind!"

A torrent of razor-sharp wind blades shot out.

Each blade was hundreds of meters long, like massive swords being unsheathed.

They clashed mid-air with Charlotte's attack.

Clang!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The two forces collided—the air rippled with each impact.

Slowly, Kaido's wind blades consumed Charlotte's attack.

By the time Charlotte's slash was ten meters away from Kaido, it finally lost power and vanished.

Kaido's massive dragon form remained unscathed.

The Azure Dragon looked down indifferently.

And then—

He opened his mouth again.

"Heat Breath!"

A massive column of fire burst from Kaido's mouth, aimed directly at Charlotte.

The flames tore through the air, roaring toward him.

Charlotte's eyes narrowed.

For the first time since this battle started—he took things seriously.

Anger wouldn't help him here.

This was no time to act recklessly.

Charlotte's grip on his Seven Star Sword tightened.

The blade glowed green.

Lightning crackled across its surface.

A mix of red and green energy flickered around it.

Charlotte unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, infusing it into his next attack.

"Demon Sword—Tyrant Heaven!"

A massive slash erupted from his sword, just as large as the incoming pillar of fire.

The two collided mid-air.

Charlotte's Haki-infused attack pierced through the flames, continuing toward Kaido.

The Beasts Pirates held their breath.

This was the same move that had already defeated Kaido twice!

Kaido felt it too.

In an instant, his dragon body twisted.

And then—

Flames erupted from his form.

The Azure Dragon transformed into a Fire Dragon!

Blazing flames consumed his entire body.

He lunged forward, meeting Charlotte's attack head-on.

"Fire Dragon Torch!"

The two forces collided.

Charlotte's attack, already weakened from breaking through the Heat Breath, shattered upon impact.

"Success!"

King and Queen cheered in triumph.

But Kaido wasn't done.

His blazing dragon form twisted mid-air.

Looking down at Charlotte, the flames surrounding him burned hotter.

And then—

"Rising Dragon: Flame Bagua!"

The fiery dragon plummeted toward Charlotte, head-first—

Its skull wrapped in Conqueror's Haki!

---

Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin

[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]

*Thank you*