Lead-colored storm clouds enveloped the sky over the city of Gran, and lightning, like silver, roamed through this black ocean, occasionally letting out deafening roars.
"This is my pirate game… Hanafuda, give it your all, come at me with everything you've got!"
Pale lightning illuminated Kaido's chiseled face, his forehead rugged, his sharp white teeth gleaming with a cold light, and his dark long hair fanned out behind him, with strands falling over his forehead dancing in the night wind.
Large drops of rain poured down, and under the lightning, the dense raindrops formed a curtain.
It had nothing to do with the opponent's bounty or infamy.
Just the suffocating sensation and the prickling of his skin that came rushing at him made Hanafuda realize that the man in front of him was more terrifying than all the opponents he had ever met combined!
This was a warning instinctively sent out by his body, and also the most inexplicable intuition of a living being!
Every inch of Hanafuda's skin was trembling, protesting strongly to him!
But he knew that even so, with his arrogant personality, he would never give up until the very end!
Besides… since his debut, he had never seen a man stronger than him!
"Roar!!"
Hanafuda let out an angry roar to the sky, and in the pale light of the silver snakes soaring and splashing in the sky, his body continuously grew taller, directly entering his Human-Beast form!!
Rainwater struck his face, flowing down the grooves and contours of his face, his cold, hard yellowish-green skin was like armor, adorned with dark, cold light, extremely eerie.
"Power is continuously surging from within me, Kaido, even you, I might not be unable to defeat!"
Hanafuda roared excitedly, habitually holding a dark scythe in one hand and a chain mace in the other!
The two distinctly shaped weapons felt weightless in his hands; he violently swung the chain mace, twirling it into a disk above his head, like a barrier, keeping the raindrops out and splashing up dense mist.
The instantaneous power of a chain mace depends on the length and speed of the chain; with instantaneous acceleration, Hanafuda could easily smash through a building.
Hanafuda's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he violently swung the chain mace, charging towards Kaido with a whooshing sound.
Kaido stood motionless; the chain mace struck him with a clang, emitting a metallic tremor… the chain mace was actually bounced off!
Hanafuda's expression froze, and his pupils constricted.
He clearly saw that the moment the chain mace was about to collide with Kaido's body, it was actually bounced off by the Haki flowing over Kaido's body!
Haki, can it flow and cover the body like that?!
Hanafuda was shocked, but this was not the time to be distracted; he pulled back, the chain mace swiftly retracted, and he sharply scraped his nail against the black scythe, causing dazzling sparks to fly from the scythe blade!
Hanafuda swung violently, and a flaming Kamaitachi (sickle weasel) charged towards Kaido.
Then he was surprised to find that the flaming Kamaitachi seemed to have hit a barrier; the moment it slammed into Kaido, it was like a current hitting a rock, strangely flowing around him!
"How is that possible?!"
Hanafuda's face turned ashen, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He roared in anger, an unwilling fury burning fiercely in his chest; he rushed furiously towards Kaido, his large feet collapsing the ground, leaving clawed footprints!
The chain mace and black scythe followed one after another, ear-splitting metallic clangs rising and falling, and constantly splashing sparks illuminated Hanafuda's distorted face.
"Hanafuda, in this world, only Haki can transcend everything!"
Kaido's eyes were cold; the Haki flowing over his body directly sent the chain mace, along with Hanafuda, flying.
Hanafuda crashed into a mud pit, covered in mud and grime, the muddy water flowing down the grooves of his face, his eyes filled with shock and unwillingness.
Hanafuda doubted himself, his lips dry and trembling slightly, "Is the gap between us and the great pirates really that big?"
"I told you, you just happened to meet me, the world's number one combatant!"
Kaido grinned chillingly; after years of training, his physical body was almost on par with his peak in his previous life, and his Haki was even more refined than before.
He might not be the strongest in any single aspect, but in terms of explosiveness, strength, defense, stamina, and Haki, he was the most well-rounded.
Moreover, compared to his previous life, Kaido's Conqueror's Haki was only stronger, not weaker!
"World's number one… hey, isn't that a bit too arrogant?"
Hanafuda was a bit numb, and his tone was no longer as aggressive as before.
"Arrogant?"
Kaido smiled mysteriously, "Say what you will, to match this power, confidence is a necessary condition!"
"Hanafuda, do you want to become stronger? Come join me, we must constantly strengthen our power, expand our influence, and then dominate this world!!"
Hanafuda was silent; although he really didn't want to admit he was inferior to Kaido, he could genuinely feel the sincerity in Kaido's words.
That sincerity was as if he had recognized him from the very beginning.
"Why do you insist on inviting me? Can a character like me really become your fighting force?"
Having tasted such a complete defeat for the first time, Hanafuda fell into deep self-doubt about his own strength.
"Hanafuda, you are destined to become my right-hand man, my Admiral, in the future! Come on, Hanafuda! Let's turn this terrible world upside down together!!"
Kaido extended his large hand.
It was a thick, dark palm, covered in calluses; though seemingly ordinary, in Hanafuda's eyes, it seemed to be the whole world!
Hanafuda grasped Kaido's hand and grinned, "Let's be clear, if you ever get defeated by someone, I won't follow you anymore. Only the world's number one is worth Hanafuda following!"
"Of course! The enemies we face are the whole world!! Urorororo!!"
Kaido laughed loudly, his laughter drowning out the torrential rain, and the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.
Moonlight drifted gently through the cloud gaps, and dust motes floated in the beams of light.
The next morning, Hanafuda's subordinates all woke up to see their Captain Hanafuda and Kaido with their arms around each other, eating and drinking heartily around a bonfire.
Both were thoroughly drunk, their cheeks flushed with alcohol, occasionally letting out deafening laughter.
"So, what's the situation now?!"
"Boss Hanafuda and Kaido… have become friends, right?"
The subordinates blinked, looking bewildered.
In the evening, Hanafuda's large ship set sail again.
Kaido lay sprawled on the stairs leading to the second floor, covering his forehead and snoring loudly.
Hanafuda's subordinates, passing by, were trembling with fear, not daring to disturb the new great Captain.
It wasn't until the next morning, when Hanafuda had just sobered up from his hangover and stepped out of the cabin, that he saw Kaido staring at the distant sea, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.
Hanafuda was surprised and asked, "Kaido, what's wrong?"
Kaido's lips twitched, and he snorted, "What a coincidence, I ran into an acquaintance."
Hanafuda followed his gaze and saw a large brown-black ship floating on the distant sea, with a candle skull pattern emblazoned on its sails.
A pirate ship?
Hanafuda narrowed his eyes and licked his lips, "Should we sink them?"
Kaido gave a cold smile, "Take the ship over there, Hanafuda, there might be something I want on that ship!"