WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1042, "The Victor Needs No Epithet," by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.
In Chapter 1041, Momonosuke revealed he can speak with Zunesha, who is willing to fight on his side for Wano. However, he worried if he would be a suitable leader for his country, explaining that an important page was missing from his father's journal. He wondered if now is the time to open the borders and what his father would do. Meanwhile, Raizo stood victorious in his battle against Fukurokuju, who Orochi was still waiting on in the Treasure Repository. While ranting about how the ninja never showed up, Komurasaki played her shamisen, which only annoyed him even further. A piece of ceiling fell on top of Orochi, but he was unable to transform to escape from underneath it. This was when Komurasaki not only revealed that she used nails made from sea prism stone on him and that she was Oden's daughter Hiyori.
In the basement, Izo managed to kill one of the two CP0 members as he also fell. The remaining agent then received a call from another member explaining that the Five Elders want to assassinate Luffy before the battle ends. In another part of the basement, Usopp and Hamlet were rushing to try and get Kin'emon and Kikunojo to safety. Outside, Franky managed to catch an unconscious Zoro before he fell off the island. Nami's group was shown to be safe while Kid and Law's crews were still celebrating the victory against Big Mom. Neither were fit to face Kaido if he won against Luffy. On the roof of the Skull Dome, Kaido felt the loss of Big Mom with Luffy taking the chance to launch an assault against him.
Chapter 1042 opens on Drake impaling the remaining CP0 agent through the back with his sword. As blood drips off the blade, the agent asks Drake why, with Drake responding that he's doing what his justice tells him. The agent admits that he's envious before disappearing from in front of Drake and then reappearing, attacking Drake and sending him reeling backwards. As this takes place, a group of Flower Capital citizens ready the sky boats with their dreams and wishes written on them, unaware of the turmoil taking place above them.
On the Skull Dome Roof, Luffy unleashes a flurry of punches against Kaido, landing numerous hits and appearing to have a temporary advantage in the fight. Kaido quickly recovers, using his bagua to block one of the punches, but Luffy manages to adapt and is able to bend the trajectory of his attacks. Kaido thinks to himself that it's impossible for rubber to do that, telling Luffy that his attacks hurt.
As Luffy continues his assault, his punches coming in from all angles, Kaido becomes more enraged and yells at him once again to stop before asking him to "just staaahp" in a phase dubbed "Drunken Begger". This only angers Luffy further, shouting about Kaido still being drunk. Kaido then tells Luffy that he isn't the only one that can see the future before transforming into his dragon form and using Luffy's own tactics to dodge the Straw Hat's punches. This phase is called "Drunken Thief."
He bites down on Luffy's torso, then entraps him within his mouth before flying high into the air. Luffy punches against the roof of Kaido's mouth, subsequently being spit out. He's still not safe, however, as Kaido launches a Blast Breath attack at him. The attack crashes through the roof of the Dome, down into the basement and through the bottom of the island, narrowly missing Yamato and other fighters along the way.
The force of the attack pushes Luffy through the hole in the ground and out through the bottom of Onigashima, but he quickly bounces back up to the top using his Bounceman ability. Kaido remains unfazed, but Luffy is trying to calculate how much longer he can hold on to his Gear Four form before time runs out. It's his last one and he doesn't want to waste a second. He pushes himself, saying that he can't lose because everyone in Wano will continue to suffer. He readies another attack as Kaido lectures him about how the people of Wano don't truly want freedom because they are either shun violence or because they find "glory in death." Luffy counters that the samurai are strong, but Kaido continues on his tirade, asking if Luffy is strong or stubborn. He readies another Blast Breath, but Luffy hits him in the mouth with a Gum-Gum Over-Kong Gun attack first.
Kaido falls to the ground with a devastating crash. Luffy's Haki begins to fade and he rushes in to try and finish the fight before it completely runs out. Before he can reach the fallen dragon, Kaido comes barreling through the smoke with a Thunder Bellow Bagua attack, sending Luffy careening into the ground. His Haki begins to leave his body and he desperately tries to keep it in, trying not to lose his strength.
A still-drunk Kaido enters a new phase: Bloodthirsty Drunk. Luffy manages to get to his feet and tries to land one more attack before time runs out, emphasizing he'll lose if he can't land one more hit. Kaido readies his bagua for another attack, wielding it like a batter at home plate. He urges Luffy to come at him and show him what he's got, the excitement of the fight evident on his face.
Just as the two reach each other, the CP0 that fought Drake suddenly appears behind Luffy and holds his arm back. Kaido is shocked to see the agent and thinks back to his fight with Oden 20 years before, but it's too late. He swings his bagua down on top of Luffy before he can stop himself, a pained expression on his face as Luffy crumples beneath the weight of the attack.
The next chapter of One Piece will be available on Sunday, March 13th.
