On the way they saw an empty crater.

"Queen fell over here, didn't he?" King asked, pointing with his thumb at the crater. "Where's the scum?"

"As soon as he regained consciousness he pulled out some technology that lifted and carried him out of here and disappeared. Funny you call your crewmate a scum." Said Robin.

"Everyone in our crew is a scum." King replied, "Except for Kaido, he has a pirate's honor."

"We can argue about that." Robin smiled, "And you? Are you a scum too?"

"When I have to." King replied. "I do not enjoy cruelty per se, but I will do anything for our cause, for Kaido, and, of course, to protect myself."

Robin nodded. They reached the pit in which Kaido lay. It was about 4 meters deep. King sat down carefully at the edge of the pit, his legs dangling inside. Robin dissolved her double and remained standing a few steps behind King.

"Kaido..." King whispered, not believing his own eyes. Kaido lay in a distorted position, with a large hole gaping in his chest, breathing wheezing breaths, which brought blood to his lips.

"King," Kaido grunted, "King, I finally did it right. It was a good fight, I became equal to Roger and Whitebeard, and death will now bring me to perfection!"

King swallowed. "This is what you always wanted. But all your plans, New Onigashima, everything is gone!"

"It no longer matters, King. I think I've found you what you're looking for. Go change the world like you wanted to, with your Joy Boy."

"Kaido..." King sniffed. "I'm grateful to you for all the years you've protected me. You were like a father to me. You're more important to me than some children's legend."

"Worororo!" Kaido laughed and coughed up blood. "You were more loyal to me than a son. I appreciate that. Where is Yamato? I have something to say to him before I die."

"I'll call him." Said Robin before King had time to try to get up.

She sent an eye to the drowsy makeshift camp, and found Yamato sleeping next to Momonosuke. She woke her up gently with a duplicated hand, and said to her quietly, with a duplicated mouth, "Yamato, Kaido wants to say some last words to you. Can you come?"

"Hmm?" Yamato rubbed her eyes, got up and started running as quietly as she could in the direction Kaido had fallen.

She sat down on the edge of the pit to the left of King, and said "Kaido, I knew Luffy would defeat you."

"Yamato, my son," Kaido whispered, "I know I was not a very good father to you, but I'd like you to know that I appreciate you very much. Both as a strong warrior and as the independent person you have become."

"Is that what a father is supposed to say to his son? You wouldn't care at all if I died from these handcuffs! Why should I care about you? I hate you!"

"Yamato..." Kaido whispered almost soundlessly, "I did everything I could to get this madness out of you. You're an Oni, you wouldn't have been killed by these handcuffs, just learning a lesson... I'm sorry you hate me for it but I... I love you." Said Kaido in his last breath and fell silent.

Yamato stared with wide eyes at the man who made most of her life miserable and murmured, "I hate him so much, so why am I..."

King put his hand on her shoulder and embraced her to him. Yamato buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. King sniffed again and the wet flag clung to his face.

After a few minutes, Yamato suddenly got up. "The sun has risen." she said. "Today a new dawn begins and I have a lot of things to do. I can finally be Oden and open the borders of Wano!" And she started running back towards the camp, which was starting to wake up to the new day.

King suddenly jumped into the pit, with a cry of pain that he could not stifle as his right wing rubbed against the pit wall, and pulled Kaido's broken horns out of the ground. He closed his captain's eyes, straightened him as much as he could and turned to climb out, sticking the sharp rivets in his shoes against the pit wall to provide him with a little more stability. Even so, the weight of his wings almost knocked him back, and only with the help of Robin's hand that pulled him forward and out did he manage to get out.

He sat down carefully again by the side of the pit, his right wing swollen and throbbing in pain. After regaining his breath, he tried to move only the left wing, to scoop sand and dirt into the pit and cover the grave. But wings are organs that act in synchronization, therefore the right wing began to move as well and King let out a cry of pain.

"Not with the wings, King!" called Robin, "You'll tear the stitches and the wing will not heal! With your hands or feet, I will help you." Dozens of hands suddenly appeared around the grave and began to help cover it.

King kicked the dirt with his feet in frustration, balancing himself with his hands. "Uh, that's so inefficient," King complained. "With one stroke of the wing I could have lifted as much dirt as 20 hands."

"And forever lose the ability to fly?" Robin asked, "Is it worth it?"

"What does it matter anymore," King replied, depressed. "It's all over anyway."

The pit was soon covered and King placed the remains of the horns as a headstone on the fresh grave. "I think I'll stay here a bit longer, Robin. You can go back to your nakama." said King in a quiet voice.

Robin nodded. "I'll leave an ear here. Call me when you want to come back. You'll need your bandages changed again soon."

"I think I'll manage to stand on my own now. Thank you for all the help, it's not to be taken for granted." King replied, turning to stare at the horn headstone and remained so, motionless.