Without the bizarre powers of Paramecia types, and without the exaggerated area-of-effect attacks of Logia types, Zoan types offer the purest enhancement of physical attributes.
Mythical Zoan species not only have more comprehensive physical enhancements, but also come with all sorts of strange and wonderful abilities.
As the user of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon form, Kaido's Dragon-Man form is his strongest mode.
Moria appeared to be evenly matched with Kaido, but this level of strength was far from enough to defeat Kaido; instead, it piqued Kaido's interest.
Kozuki Oden, the only person in Wano Country who could potentially harm Kaido, had lost his mind and chose to believe Kurozumi Orochi's lies, spending his days performing naked dances.
Neither wind, frost, rain, snow, nor domestic turmoil affected him; he had even become the object of ridicule in Wano Country's nursery rhymes. Apart from that, there were no rivals in Wano Country that Kaido felt threatened by.
Kaido was itching for a fight, and Moria's arrival was perfectly timed.
"Hehehe, not bad newcomers. Come to think of it, you've already surpassed most people by getting here."
Kaido meant on one hand that these people could come to the New World, and on the other hand, he meant that Moria could enter Wano Country.
After all, the terrain of Wano Country has been rebuilt, and in addition to the surrounding whirlpools and currents, there are also waterfalls with huge drops as natural barriers.
The port that leads into Wano Country has been taken over by the Beasts Pirates, and Moria clearly climbed up the waterfall.
"Hehehe, I'm going to be the Pirate King! Kaido, you're the first step I take to reach the top of the New World!"
"One Piece? You really dare to say anything, huh? You want to climb to the top by stepping on me? Well, just you wait and see! Thunder Bagua!"
The same name, but manifested in completely different ways. Kaido suddenly exerted force in his arm, and his spiked club swept horizontally in front of him, not only deflecting Moria's long sword, but also knocking away another member of the Moonlight Pirates next to him.
"Kaido! What have you done, you bastard?!"
"Fight? What nonsense are you talking about? Are you scared already?"
"Those are my comrades! How dare you harm them in front of me! Horned Blade Shadow!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Moria saw that his companion, who had been knocked into the snow, was motionless. Moria's pupils almost instantly turned bloodshot. Then, Moria leaped into the air, raised his long sword high above his head, and slashed down at Kaido.
At the same time, Moria's shadow also came to life, making a gesture completely different from Moria's slashing motion.
The shadow snaked forward like a venomous snake, finally reaching Kaido's feet and stabbing him in the abdomen.
"Success! It's Captain Moria's Horned Blade Shadow!"
"His stomach must have been pierced through. Even pirates from the New World aren't all that great!"
Attacking with shadows while slashing is a common move Moria uses these days. Most opponents won't notice the shadows under their feet, and by the time they realize what's happening, it's usually too late.
The solidified shadow is far more powerful than a blade, enough to shred an enemy's body to pieces.
The moment they saw Kaido's Twin Blade Shadow hit, the Moonlight Pirates erupted in cheers, except for Moria, whose expression turned somewhat grim.
He knew very well that his shadow had not pierced Kaido's body at all.
"It hurts quite a bit. You're a troublesome guy. I need to be more careful."
The spot where the horn blade struck was covered by a patch of pitch-black Haki, which blocked Moria's attack, preventing it from advancing even an inch.
On the contrary, Kaido's body underwent more changes. After his size expanded by two sizes, blue-green dragon scales appeared on his body.
The combined attack is usually quite effective, but Kaido has grown up in war since childhood, and on the battlefield, he has developed countless methods to kill his enemies.
This feint attack is just the most basic tactic.
After Kaido's assessment, Moria was determined not to be a nobody, but rather to deserve some respect befitting a strong person.
More importantly, he plans to recruit them.
"Moria, is it? I'll give you a chance to join my ranks. If you choose to join, I'll let bygones be bygones for trespassing on my territory and provoking me, and your men can continue to follow you."
Although Kaido still prefers Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, there is never too much powerful combat strength.
At this time, the Beasts Pirates were already lacking core members, which is why Kaido recruited Moria after several battles.
"What a joke! I'm a man destined to become the Pirate King, how could I possibly join you!"
I have the best companions on this sea. I will defeat you here, steal your treasure, and then head to Laugh Tale!
How could I possibly join you and then stagnate here?
"I'm sorry, your answer was wrong. You may all disappear from here."
"careful!"
Moriah suddenly shouted, but it was too late.
"Heat Breath!"
A scorching breath came out of Kaido's mouth, but its target was not Moria alone, but the entire Moonlight Pirates.
Moria managed to cut through some of the flames, but he couldn't completely stop Kaido's heat breath.
The snow melted in the flames, and several members were burned to a crisp by Kaido before they even had a chance to scream.
"Kaido! You!"
Moria's hands trembled uncontrollably. The Moonlight Pirates had suffered casualties since they set sail, but never before had they suffered such heavy losses.
The companions who were laughing and celebrating together yesterday are now just memories, a blow that Moria cannot describe.
At this moment, his regard for his companions was just like Luffy's.
He made the decision to come to Wano Country, but the consequences were beyond Moria's imagination.
Killing Kaido and avenging his comrades had become Moria's only thought.
At this moment, Moria knew very well that if he couldn't stop Kaido, the consequences would only be more severe.
However, apart from the two of them, the Moonlight Pirates did not gain any advantage in the battles against the others.
"Make way, let me show these newbies what the real new world is all about!"
A pangolin-man charged out from the horde of beasts, carrying an iron net covered in sharp blades.
This was the first beastman to successfully create a second-generation potion when Absalom first brought his goods here, and also the one who understood his own animal characteristics the most.
This iron net was a weapon he created for himself by combining the characteristics of a pangolin. After a running start, he became a meat grinder on the battlefield.
Kaido's heat breath had already disrupted the Moonlight Pirates' formation, and with the intrusion of the Pangolin Man, the Moonlight Pirates became even more chaotic.
A pirate, armed with a bomb, attempted to take down the pangolin-man, but an arrow shot from the side pierced his head.
I see you.
The second-generation potion has a lower degree of orcification, and depending on the individual, it will focus on specializing in a certain part of the ability. On the nearby hillside, there is a chameleon man.
Although his partial transformation prevented him from displaying full-body camouflage like a chameleon, it gave him the unique eyesight of a chameleon.
Even in the chaos of the battlefield, he can prioritize locking onto the most threatening enemies.
Babanuki's destructive power is the most terrifying.
As a large land mammal, the elephant greatly amplified Babanuki's size and strength, causing massive casualties whether it was the sweeping of its trunk or the trampling of its hooves after it had transformed into a beast.
The Moonlight Pirates were already at a complete disadvantage from the very beginning of the battle.
"Scattered bats!"
Moria controlled his shadows to turn into bats, trying to help his companions, but his path was blocked by the wind blades spat out by Kaido.
"Your opponent is me, Moria. Let your men fight it out themselves. Aren't my men quite good? I spent a fortune to buy these good things."
"They are my comrades, not just subordinates. How could you willingly turn your comrades into those grotesque creatures!"
The difference between people modified by the drug and Zoan-type Devil Fruit users is huge, and Moria could see that.
"Strange shapes? That represents the power of wild beasts, and they even think there's not enough of that power! Although the production is a bit small, I'll be able to build my own animal-type army sooner or later."
"Moria, it's not too late to join now."
A pirate crew's style is determined by its captain, and Kaido is a pirate who adheres to the logic that strength is everything.
His subordinates were also a group of people who admired Kaido's power, which is why they joined him.
There was only one thing they were unhappy about with the beast-transforming potion – the quantity.
Therefore, they would fight each time a new member was selected, using this method to decide who would become the new Gifter.
At this point, Kaido still had the idea of recruiting the other party, and the killing was also to make the other party feel fear and change their mind. However, for Moria, reconciliation was no longer an option.
"Shadow Mage!"
The shadow beneath Moria's feet gained its own life, detaching from its body and transforming into the pitch-black shadow Moria.
Under Moria's control, Shadow Moria lunged at Kaido.
"Shadow box!"
The shadow enveloped Kaido, and Moria wanted to go to the aid of his comrade, but to do so, he had to first figure out how to deal with Kaido's problem.
At this moment, Moria only hoped that the shadow box could trap Kaido for a while.
Although he wanted revenge, he needed to get his other companions to safety first.
However, this was just his ideal idea. The shadow box couldn't even hold Kaido for a minute before it was smashed to pieces by Kaido.
Fortunately, shadows don't feel pain, and they can reassemble even if they are shattered.
Where do you want to go?
Meanwhile, on Onigashima, Absalom was still there, watching Kaido's battle through surveillance cameras.
Queen modified some of the animals in Wano Country, enabling them to see distant scenes.
Although he couldn't forget the pleasure quarters of Wano Country, he still knew how to prioritize.
Kaido used this opportunity to test the combat capabilities of the Gifters' army, while Absalom was also observing Kaido.
Judging from the current situation, it's only a matter of time before the Moonlight Pirates are destroyed.
He learned this from Kate. Although Oran has connections with various forces now, the essence of pirates and the underworld will not change.
They may become enemies someday in the future.
So there's no harm in learning about their battles.
Just like the names on Kate's list, if anyone were to go against Oran one day, there would be ample reason to eliminate them, without any further scruples.
"Well, this is our Governor Kaido. Even through the screen, you can feel his power."
Queen's decision to join the Beasts was based on his own considerations; among the many monsters on the sea, Kaido's personality was the most suitable for him to play his part.
Moreover, the Beasts Pirates were just starting out at that time, so he was a founding member when he joined.
"I didn't feel anything in this level of combat; he probably didn't use his true strength."
Absalom wasn't that impressive, and Moria was far from enough to get Kaido into a fight to the death.
If Absalom were to comment, this commotion was almost comparable to the commotion when Leliana was training, but Leliana was only 12 years old.
In addition, Absalom also watched the Buster Call to capture Barrett and the data entry process of the Golden Lion through video recordings.
Kaido is right in the middle, and compared to the still-growing genius and the monster in his prime, he seems slightly different.
Are there many people in the outside world who are stronger than my father?
Before Quinn could say anything, Absalom's words piqued the curiosity of another person.
That's Kaido's daughter, Yamato. When it comes to raising children, Kaido adopts a semi-hands-off approach.
At this point in time, Yamato didn't harbor as much hostility towards Kaido, and she also had the kind of admiration a child has for their father.
However, Kaido failed to grasp this point, which ultimately led to a rather bad outcome.
Yamato has lived in Wano Country since she can remember, and she has her own curiosity about the outside world.
Absalom was also the only person she could remember who received a warm welcome from Quinn on Ghost Island.
However, this has nothing to do with Absalom himself. Quinn's attitude is simply because of Oran. Ever since realizing the gap and the benefits of being a sycophant, Quinn has transformed into a half-Oran fanboy.
He firmly believed that Oran must be up to something big behind the scenes, and that a mere king and a Shichibukai would not be enough for Oran.
"Yes, I come from an island in the outer sea. My strength is not great, so it is difficult to make an evaluation, but Lord Oran must be the greatest person in the world."
Absalom only knew that the other party was Kaido's daughter, and instinctively associated her with Oran and Lyriana in terms of father-daughter relationship.
Since the other party is the "princess" here, it is reasonable to answer her questions.
However, there is one problem: Absalom is a huge Oran fan, and Quinn himself will not refute this.
If someone like Absalom were to openly introduce Oran, even Oran himself couldn't guess what he would say.
To give an example, Absalom's introduction of Oran is no less impressive than the people of Wano Country's promotion of samurai or Kozuki Oden.
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