ONE PIECE: KAIDO'S SON

"The New World is too small!"

The bold declaration from Ragnar echoed across the Beast Pirates' stronghold, igniting a fire in the hearts of all present.

"So that's it… This time, Lord Ragnar isn't just going to save Kaido-sama—he intends to drive the Navy out of the New World entirely!"

"Hahaha! Now that's what the Beasts Pirates should be doing!"

"Lord Ragnar! Let us fight alongside you!"

"You're right! The King cannot be humiliated… The Four Emperors aren't playthings for the Navy to parade around!"

Voices erupted from the ranks—King, Queen, Who's-Who, Fukurokuju, and the rest of the Flying Six. Even the usually indifferent Black Maria's expression flickered with excitement.

They had already sensed that Ragnar's ambition far outstripped Kaido's.

Unlike Kaido, whose actions often stemmed from personal thrill-seeking or suicidal boredom, Ragnar's calculated resolve was aimed at expansion—true conquest. And now, just a few days after taking Kaido's seat, he was already looking to strike at the Marines' foothold in the New World.

"Lord Ragnar," said Queen, adjusting his cybernetic spectacles, "since you're going to attack Navy-held waters, please don't go alone."

"The Navy isn't like us. They don't care for honor or one-on-ones. They overwhelm with numbers and strategy. You'll need backup."

Before Ragnar could reply, Jack took a step forward, his giant frame casting a long shadow.

"Let me go with you!"

"Lord Ragnar, you're right. The King cannot be humiliated! Kaido-sama may love one-on-one fights, but letting the Navy torture and execute him like a common dog—I won't stand for it!"

His fists clenched, and his ancient Zoan power surged. Jack had never looked more serious.

Ragnar opened his mouth to respond, but a firm voice cut through the air like a blade.

"I will go."

Gasps filled the space. The Three Calamities and the Flying Six turned as one toward the speaker—Yamato.

"You?" Queen muttered, wide-eyed.

Even Jack was stunned.

"Yamato, I don't have a problem with you, but…" Jack frowned. "Why are you suddenly so eager to save Kaido-sama? Aren't you the one who's always hoping for his downfall?"

The others said nothing, but their suspicious glares spoke volumes.

Yamato ignored them all. She looked straight at Ragnar.

"Because he can only be beaten by me. Is that reason enough?"

Her voice was steady, laced with a cold determination that silenced the room.

Ragnar stared at her for a long moment… then gave a slow nod.

"Children saving their father… Why ask for reasons?"

A subtle tremble passed through Yamato's shoulders. Her fists clenched tighter. Was it anger? Emotion? She looked away and snorted with disdain.

"Hmph. 'Father' or not, I still owe him for… giving birth to me."

Jack stepped forward again, frustration on his face.

"Then at least take more ships! What if it's a trap?!"

But Ragnar shut him down with a calm, iron voice.

"And leave the territory defenseless? No. You'll stay and protect our home. We'll handle the rest."

Before anyone could argue, the third eye on Ragnar's forehead flashed open.

A divine wind howled across the island.

Before anyone could react, a vortex of wind lifted Ragnar and Yamato into the sky—and in a blink, they were gone.

"So fast!"

"Wind-based movement?"

"How many powers does Lord Ragnar have?!"

Queen wiped his brow. Black Maria stared into the sky. Who's-Who muttered something under his breath, eyes gleaming with suspicion.

They had seen many things under Kaido's rule—raw strength, unbreakable will—but never this kind of overwhelming mystery and power.

Ragnar's rule had only just begun, and already they felt it—

They had stepped into the reign of a true monster.

Cake Island.

A castle constructed of layered sponge, overflowing cream, and sugar-glazed battlements towered beneath the moody skies of Totto Land.

In the Sweet Commander's Hall, Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom herself—lounged regally on her candy-cane-striped throne, a slice of strawberry cream cake clutched in one massive hand, and a crumpled newspaper in the other.

"Well now..." she murmured, her voice thick and slurred from the cake in her mouth. "Kaido's caused another ruckus—this time at the G1 Branch. Hmph!"

On her left, towering and silent, stood Charlotte Katakuri—her most powerful son and one of the Sweet Commanders. His expression was calm, unreadable beneath the scarf partially covering his mouth.

"This sort of reckless assault is typical of Kaido, Mama," Katakuri finally said, setting his own newspaper aside. "It's not exactly newsworthy anymore. If Kaido didn't attack the Navy every few months, that would be the headline."

Big Mom snorted. "Gurarara! True enough. That dragon bastard wouldn't be Kaido if he didn't throw himself at Marineford every few years, hoping to die." She shoved another handful of cake into her mouth, crumbs falling down her dress.

But then she caught sight of Katakuri still staring down at the paper.

"What's this? You just said it's nothing new—so what are you brooding over now?"

Katakuri slowly turned the page and held it up. A fresh bounty poster stared back at her.

A young man—black-haired, cruelly handsome, with a vertical slit-like pupil glowing from between his brows—looked back at them with a gaze that suggested both supreme confidence and complete detachment. The name beneath the picture:

Ragnar

Wanted: 2,420,000,000 Berries

Big Mom's eyes narrowed.

"Ragnar…"

Her voice dropped an octave. Her fingers tightened around her teacup, cracking the porcelain without noticing.

"The brat that took over Kaido's crew. So the rumors were true... He really did make that old lizard step down voluntarily."

Even Charlotte Linlin—who had once ruled the seas alongside Whitebeard, Kaido, and Shanks—felt an unfamiliar ripple in her chest. Not fear. Not quite. But something... alert.

"To take the reins of the Beasts Pirates by force is one thing," she growled. "But to do it without bloodshed—and have those maniacs like King and Queen follow you willingly?"

She laughed once, dry and low.

"That takes more than strength. That takes presence. Madness, maybe. Or charisma like Gold Roger."

Katakuri nodded silently. "He's young. No older than Ace was when he made a name for himself. But the way he moves... the world's shifting again, Mama."

Big Mom's expression darkened. "And Kaido's letting this pup play leader. Which means he's watching from the shadows."

She stood up, the entire hall trembling slightly as she rose. The Homies around the room flinched instinctively.

"This era's brats… They think they can rise above us. Tch. First it was Blackbeard, now this little Jian."

Katakuri folded his arms. "What shall we do?"

Big Mom didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned to the wide windows of her palace, staring out over Totto Land's sugary expanse.

"We wait."

Her voice turned cold and sharp.

"Let the boy bark. If he dares cross into my waters, if he lays a finger on what's mine—then I'll show him why I was called Emperor of the Sea."