Summary:
King asked Zoro if he was trying to be king, but Zoro told him that he was just remembering his promise to his captain and his best friend. King scoffs at this, saying that as long as he and Kaidou are there, Zoro’s promise will never come true. With that, the two continue to fight, trading blow after blow. Zoro is exhausted, but King is still unharmed. King scoffs at his attempts, telling him that his sword attacks won’t work against him.
King is now on the attack. Zoro tries to analyze their battle while deflecting King’s attacks. He knows he’s slashing King, but his slashes don’t affect him at all. Zoro uses his Ul-Tora Gari attack while infusing his swords with Haoshoku Haki. The attack causes King to bleed out and also rips off All-Star’s mask. Zoro eventually discovers that King’s durability and speed are directly linked to the flames on his back – that once those flames are extinguished, King’s speed will increase, but his defense will be weaker.
A couple of beast pirates see the king without his mask and see that he has black wings, white hair and brown skin. They say they are so rare of a race that the world government is awarding 100,000,000 Bela to those who have information about their existence. King overhears and burns them to death.
The King and Zoro continue their battle outside the Skull Dome. King finally recognizes Zoro’s power and the danger he poses. Zoro accepts the compliment and vows to end the reign of Kaidou and the Beasts pirates. King refuses and declares that Kaido will be the king of the pirates. Zoro rejects this statement and attacks with the King of Hell, Three Sword Style: Rengoku Oni Giri.
King recalls meeting Kaida for the first time many years ago at Punk Hazard. The younger Kaidou was the World Government’s guinea pig and had just escaped. As he walked out of the lab, he saw a young man engulfed in fire after passing the endurance test. Kaidou assumed he was a Lunar due to his ability to resist raging fire. Kaidou told the young man that he was going to start a new pirate group and offered him the chance to make the not-so-fascinating world fascinating. The man accepted the offer after Kaidou guaranteed that he would change the world. After their escape, Kaidou asked the man his name and he replied that it was “Alber.” After noticing how strong Alber was, Kaidou told him that he should be called “King”. Kaidou promised King that he would never betray him and made him his right-hand man.
Currently, Zoro’s attack is ineffective and the king counters with Imperial Flaming Wings, which sends magma-like flames at Zoro. The King then strikes Zoro with his flaming sword, which Zoro blocks. Refusing to lose any of his swords, Zoro unleashed a burst of Haki that sent them flying. Zoro is unable to see the King as he suspects the flames on the King’s back have gone out due to the Lunarian moving at incredible speed. Knowing that King is not invulnerable in this state, Zoro attacks with the Yakkodori and knocks the King back.
King realizes that Zoro has figured out the mechanics of his power, and Zoro finally sees a window into King’s defeat. Zoro uses his Ul-Tora Gari technique, but King blocks the attack despite having red-hot flames. Zoro taunts the King for blocking his attack, but King retorts that Zoro is biologically incapable of defeating him. He then launches an Imperial Flaming Wings attack that sends a number of magma-like streams at Zoro. The flames try to engulf Zoro, but he defeats them while making his way to the king. Zoro attacks with King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation, and King spares with his Extra Large Imperial Flaming Wings.
The clash sends shockwaves throughout Onigashima. The royal sword is broken and its right wing is torn. As King’s consciousness fades, he thinks of his captain. He thought of Kaidou as the prophesied Joy Boy. Grateful for the life Kaidou had given him, he asked his captain to remain the strongest. He also promised to never lose so he could make Kaido the pirate king. At the same time, Zoro recalls his promise to become the greatest swordsman in the world – a promise he made to Luffy, the man he declared would become the Pirate King.