Sanji was visibly injured, and after being scolded by both Zoro and Law, he was immediately upset. "You two are just wasting time!" Sanji snapped. "Why aren't you attacking yet? Are you waiting for the New Year?".
Zoro and Law remained indifferent to Sanji's outburst. "That's exactly why your bounty isn't higher," Zoro said bluntly. "You have to observe an opponent's flaws before you move. Reckless attacks just leave you wide open". Law nodded in agreement. "Zoro is right. Black-Leg, your combat quality is simply not up to standard". Sanji was so angry at being ganged up on that he let out a frustrated snort and went silent.
However, Kaido was not interested in their bickering. "You brats make too much noise!" Kaido roared. "I told you I'd finish this in seconds. Even Whitebeard couldn't stop me if he were here!".
With a deafening roar, Kaido swung his massive dragon tail with enough force to break the sound barrier. His voice was laced with a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki, momentarily stunning the three young men. By the time they regained their senses, the enormous tail was already inches from their faces.
"Three-Sword Style: Three Thousand Worlds!" Zoro yelled. "Diable Jambe: Raytheon Strike!" Sanji cried out. "ROOM: Antibacterial Armor!" Law commanded.
The three used their strongest defensive techniques to meet Kaido's tail head-on. A piercing explosion echoed across the island as the three figures were blasted backward, breaking the sound barrier as they crashed into the distant rock formations. The sheer power of Kaido's single strike was overwhelming.
"Hooo!" Kaido laughed proudly. "I told you it only takes one move! It's a miracle they could even block it at all".
In the next second, Kaido shifted back into his human form and landed on the island. He glanced at Richie the lion, who was so terrified his fur was standing on end, and then at Mari, who was calmly eating biscuits. His eyes lingered on Mari for several seconds. He recognized the young girl; she was one of the few truly powerful members of the Straw Hat crew. He had heard stories of how she and Richie had successfully held off an Admiral candidate. Seeing her remain so composed in his presence actually impressed him.
"How is a girl this talented a member of the Straw Hats?" Kaido wondered to himself with a hint of regret. "She's much better than my own daughter... uh, my son, Yamato". He then turned his gaze toward Carl. "B*****d Carl! I did what I said. I knocked your three students away. Now it's your turn to die!".
Kaido gripped his massive mace and began walking slowly toward Carl. But before he could take more than two steps, there was a sudden movement from the rubble. Three shadows leaped out and stood before him once again, appearing relatively unharmed.
"Ahem! That tail attack was something else," Zoro said, rubbing his neck as his bones cracked. "I almost lost my lunch".
"As expected of a former Emperor," Law said, slowly drawing his blade, Shambles. "You actually sent us flying with one move".
"But you only sent us flying," Sanji added with a sarcastic smirk. "You didn't actually finish us. So, guys, what does that make Teacher Kaido?".
"A big worm!" Zoro and Law shouted in unison.
Kaido's face darkened with rage. He hadn't expected them to be this durable; a strike like that would have knocked out a high-ranking commander like Jack. Hearing them call him a worm was the final straw. He decided he would teach these disobedient brats a lesson they would never forget.
"If you're looking for death, I'll give it to you!" Kaido roared. "Thunder Bagua!".
As Kaido's mace tore through the air, Zoro rushed forward without hesitation, unleashing a brand-new technique. "Nine-Sword Style: Ashura—Ghosts Retreat!".
Zoro seemed to manifest three heads and six arms, his nine blades coated in dark Armament Haki and vibrating with the force of Conqueror's Haki. The nine slashes collided with Kaido's mace with a thunderous boom. Kaido felt a familiar sensation—a style of swordsmanship he hadn't seen in a long time.
Zoro was sent flying backward again, but he quickly tumbled to his feet, blood trickling from his mouth. Despite the injury, he was smiling. Behind Kaido, there were clear 6-meter-long skid marks in the dirt. Zoro had actually pushed a Yonko back. Kaido stared at his mace, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"How is this possible?" Kaido gasped. "How did you learn Roger's sword skills?".
Kaido was genuinely shocked. While he knew Carl was strong enough to mimic legendary techniques, he never imagined Roronoa could do the same. Zoro had blended his own style with high-level concepts; while his Haki was still immature and he couldn't fully coat his blades in Conqueror's Haki yet, he was using his unique "Ghost Breath" to achieve a similar effect. It was enough to knock an Emperor back 6 meters.
Carl and Mari both started clapping. Zoro had performed exceptionally well; proving his new move could affect someone as durable as Kaido was a massive milestone.
"ROOM: Slaughterhouse!" Law shouted, teleporting behind Kaido. "High-Frequency Scalpel!". Law's blade, glowing with high-frequency electricity, stabbed toward Kaido's back.
Kaido, sensing the threat, swung his mace around to block the sneak attack. At the same moment, Sanji appeared above him, his leg wreathed in lightning. Kaido turned his head, using his own Haki-clad cheek to tank Sanji's kick, sending the chef bouncing away. Law quickly used his powers to retreat back to Zoro's side.
The three had only been fighting Kaido for less than a minute, but they were already giving it everything they had. Aside from Zoro's new technique, their attacks hadn't done much damage, reminding them once again of the terrifying gap between them and the Four Emperors.
Kaido looked at Zoro with newfound interest. "Roronoa, you're impressive," Kaido said suddenly. "Forget these guys. Join my Beast Pirates, and I'll make you my fourth Lead Performer!".
The sudden offer caught all three of them completely off guard.
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