Boom!
Pale lightning, mixed with furious firelight, tore through the sky, unleashing an angry roar at the earth.
The lightning struck the town, shattering buildings, plowing through streets with tyrannical force, and blasting deep, charred furrows into the ground.
Everything in its path was reduced to dust.
Sengoku glowed golden, transforming into a giant Buddha. Conqueror's Haki coiled around his arms, and streaks of crimson lightning sparked outwards.
"Conqueror's Haki coating... It seems I didn't come in vain today."
A glint of excitement flashed in Kaido's eyes. He let out a roar, and the surrounding atmosphere trembled as if collapsing, while the thunder in the sky struck erratically.
Under the pale light, the shadow beneath Kaido's feet twisted, as if something was breaking out of the ground.
His body visibly grew taller, dragon horns sprouted from his forehead, his fangs rapidly lengthened, and a dense layer of azure scales appeared on his skin.
Kaido's eyes narrowed, and with a hum, flowing Armament Haki formed an invisible armor that wrapped around his entire body.
He looked as if his entire body was enveloped in a shimmering heat haze, with the air around him flowing and distorting.
His adamantine body could only be harmed by advanced internal destruction techniques using Armament Haki. However, by flowing a massive amount of Armament Haki over his body, Kaido could create an invisible, automatic defensive armor.
Of course, maintaining such a massive flow of Haki for an extended period was still a drain on Kaido's energy.
But the energy and magnitude of Haki could be learned and developed through post-natal training.
As long as he frequently maintained this state, perhaps one day in the future, this consumption would be as simple as drinking water or breathing for him, so small as to be negligible.
Bang!
Kaido stomped on a collapsed building, and with a casual sweep of his tail, which was entwined with streaks of electric snakes, he shattered an entire building.
Azure Dragon Fruit, Human-Beast Form!
Kaido bared his teeth in a sinister grin, then suddenly opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of Hot Breath, which transformed into an explosive column of flames, shooting towards Sengoku.
Sengoku scowled furiously, raised his palm, and formed a Zen seal, sending a shockwave crashing into the Hot Breath.
Boom!
The energies collided, and a terrifying transparent shockwave spread out, blowing away the surrounding buildings.
Sengoku took a giant step forward, his immense body causing the ground to shake with each movement, shattering the streets, and adding an air of majesty and divinity to his every action.
Zephyr also stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Sengoku, his flowing Haki coiling around his large fists like flames.
His massive fists slammed forward, followed closely by shockwaves.
Kaido spewed forth 'Bad Wind,' unleashing countless Kamaitachi slashes that powerfully tore through the ground, flying towards Sengoku and Zephyr.
Zephyr rushed forward, low to the ground, blocking and deflecting the Kamaitachi with his Haki-coated arms. His figure flickered, and he suddenly appeared in front of Kaido, landing a punch on Kaido's chest.
"Bang!!"
A terrifying surge of energy erupted, but it was blocked by the flowing Haki on Kaido's body. Zephyr's heart trembled, and he looked up at Kaido.
Kaido's expression was dark, playful, as if mocking Zephyr's powerlessness.
"It seems you can't break through my defense!"
Bang!
Sengoku's fist-print impact struck Kaido's face, sending Kaido reeling backward into a pile of rubble.
A cloud of smoke billowed out, but then Kaido sprang out of the smoke with a whoosh, opening his mouth again to unleash another terrifying Hot Breath.
The Hot Breath blasted towards Zephyr. Zephyr and Sengoku both started running simultaneously, as the energy of the Hot Breath was so powerful it easily blasted through and melted the ground.
Kaido's gaze followed the two as he continued to spew Hot Breath. Wherever it passed, the ground exploded and melted, turning into scorched earth!
Witnessing the horrific and terrible scene before them, Silver Axe and Gan Zhui were astonished.
Gan Zhui's face was grim. He said in a low voice, "Now that Kaido is dead and they are locked in battle, should we seize this opportunity to escape?!"
"Escape..."
Silver Axe's eyes were fixed on the figures fighting fiercely on the battlefield. It was Sengoku and Zephyr's combined siege that had led to his complete annihilation in the past.
Now, with his two enemies right before him, it wasn't his nature to simply flee without doing anything.
Silver Axe said coldly, "Gan Zhui, you go first. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me!"
Silver Axe drew his great axe. His physique was extremely burly, so muscular he barely looked human.
He lunged into the battlefield, swinging his giant axe. Dozens of wind blades, imbued with Haki, slashed towards Sengoku.
Just then, after Kaido had turned a two-kilometer radius into a sea of fire with his Hot Breath, he swung his spiked club in a wide arc. A net-like Conqueror's Haki lightning crackled from his head, resembling a bloody spiderweb!
Lightning struck, and the ground reflected the terrifying shape of a bloody spiderweb!
A red light flashed in his eyes; he had foreseen the future!
"Descent of the Three Worlds: Infernal Inducement!"
Kaido plummeted like a meteor towards Zephyr on the ground.
Zephyr looked at the all-too-familiar technique, remembering he had seen it on Winter Island. His brows furrowed, and he hastily used Soru to dart to the side, only to find Kaido appearing precisely where he landed!!
His bared white fangs were ferocious, and his blood-red eyes were eerie!
Zephyr was startled and quickly raised both hands to block above his head!
Boom!!
Crimson lightning shot straight into the sky, the entire island shook violently, and terrifying cracks directly tore through the entire street, with destructive power extending towards the coast!
A shocking deep chasm nearly split the entire island in two!!
"Zephyr!!"
Sengoku cried out in alarm. Distraught, he actually took a direct axe blow from Silver Axe and was sent crashing into the sea of fire.
Strike him while he's down, finish him off!
Kaido stood before the chasm, terrifying energy accumulating in his mouth, then he suddenly blasted it into the crack in front of him.
The Hot Breath was like world-ending karma fire, incinerating everything!
The terrifying Hot Breath pierced straight through the earth, melting everything, directly blasting through the island's foundation and exploding thousands of meters beneath the sea!
Kaido closed his mouth, residual flames lingering at the corners, his formidable blood-red eyes cold and sharp.
He turned around, and with a roar, a hundreds-of-meters-high wave of flames erupted behind him!
"No!!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's face turned pale. It was as if all the blood had been drained from her body, and she knelt powerlessly on the ground.
Crack, crackle!
The moment the island's foundation was destroyed by the Hot Breath, the island's structure was compromised. The cracks in the streets grew larger and larger, like soil eroded and hollowed out by water, and the island began to fall apart!
Buildings toppled, hills cracked, collapsing with a rumble into the chasms. Seawater began to spread, overflowing the dams and surging into the streets and alleys.
Gan Zhui, who had intended to flee, hadn't even reached the coast when he felt the ground beneath him sink. The few fishing boats floating nearby were swept into the deep sea by the rising waves.
He frantically gazed at the surging sea. Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
"Hey, Gan Zhui, are you planning to run away alone?"
Gan Zhui trembled all over. The heavy footsteps behind him felt like they were treading on his heart, making his breathing shallow and his heart race!
Gan Zhui stiffly turned his head, looking at Kaido, who was walking through the firelight and constantly collapsing buildings. His expression was extremely grim.
The spiked club in Kaido's hand was dripping with blood.
Gan Zhui stiffened his neck, bit the bullet, and said with a twitching mouth, "Speaking of which, Kaido, you still remember, don't you? I used to look after you..."
Kaido's forehead was covered in an extremely dense black line: "Who would remember something like that, Gan Zhui! You don't leave a good impression on me...!"
"Tell me, where is that Devil Fruit?!"