Both figures arrested their backward spin in midair, faces tight with focus.
Kaido's will surged first—Conqueror's Haki pouring out like a stormfront. Karl answered in kind, his own kingly pressure crashing against it. The sky split; black-red lightning spidered around them as the heavens themselves groaned.
"Wu-ro-ro-ro! Take this, brat—Gundari: Drag to Naraka!" Kaido vaulted high, body twirling as his kanabō wound itself in crackling Conqueror's coils, then hammered down like a comet.
Karl had no time to overthink. "Howl-Heaven Art: Azure Dragon Break!" His blade Xintinghou howled; Conqueror's Haki sheathed the edge. Dragon roars and tiger snarls seemed to ring from the strike as it rammed into Kaido's descending club.
BOOOOM!
The blast ripped the sky and set the whole sea patch ablaze with black-red forks of lightning. Pressure detonated between them; both were launched straight down and cratered the ocean's surface.
A hollow weakness punched through Karl's limbs. He burst upward on flame-clouds, chest heaving—then a hot copper taste. He coughed blood, pallor washing over his face.
Opposite him, Kaido wiped his mouth… and grinned through a matching splash of red.
"Wu-ro-ro-ro! Karl—I acknowledge you!" It had been a long time since Kaido had this much fun.
Karl let out the breath he'd been holding. Any longer and they might have gone past "spar" into "to the death."
"Teacher Kaido, you don't pull punches, huh? You kept throwing kill shots. What if I couldn't take them?" Karl rubbed his sternum; it still ached.
"You did take 'em. And don't play innocent—you weren't holding back either. I still feel it." Kaido snorted, then turned, scales rippling as he became a dragon, eager to get back to Onigashima—and his gourd. If I'd brought my sake, I'd have won, he thought, half-sulking.
"Wait—Kaido!" Karl called.
"Hm? What now, brat?"
"Business. I want in on seastone. Sell me some."
"Wu-ro-ro-ro… Fine. Talk to my man, King the Wildfire. He runs that. Not me." With that, the dragon carved off into the clouds.
"Business to Wildfire, bio-madness to Plague, beatdowns to Drought… what exactly do you handle—oh right, beating me up five minutes ago," Karl muttered, finally letting his shoulders sag. Even a handful of exchanges had burned through a mountain of Haki.
"Phew… I'm wiped. Better get back before they worry—the noise alone probably spooked them."
He dropped into human form and arrowed toward the Tiger God.
Karl hit the deck a minute later.
"Lord Karl! Are you alright?" Hancock darted in, eyes on the blood at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm fine. Spat one out; Kaido did too. We're even," he said, waving it off.
"Uncle, you're pale. Really okay?" Ann frowned.
"I'm hungry. That fight burned through days of reserves," Karl grumped.
"Captain—kitchen, now. Daphne said you'd need a feast. I prepped ahead," Karin called.
"Lifesaver, Karin!" Karl barreled into the galley—and found the table stacked with meat like a fortress.
He didn't bother with ceremony. Plates vanished at a speed that made food-streamers look restrained.
"Slow down. There's plenty," Aili laughed helplessly.
"Icanstill—eat—" Karl mumbled around a mouthful, not slowing an inch.
In short order the tabletop cleared. Karl's belly ballooned… then he tapped Life Return; his body tightened back to normal.
"Alive again. I was starving."
Daphne leaned on the doorframe. "So, why was Kaido in Paradise? He shouldn't be here."
"No idea. Maybe he went on a drunk sky-suicide tour and sobered up over this patch." Karl shrugged. "Don't ask. Kaido's… Kaido."
"Suicide?" Adrian blinked. "An Emperor?"
Karl scratched his cheek. "His defense is ridiculous. If no one can kill you, you start… jumping. Sky-high."
"People really—" Everyone except Daphne looked stunned.
"Kaido's an Oni. Insane natural defense. Then he ate the Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon. If you don't have techniques like Conqueror's coating, you might not even cut him," Karl said.
"Onis are that tough?" gasps all around.
"And Big Mom—'iron balloon' body. She wrecked a giant village at five years old," Daphne added casually.
More stunned faces.
Hancock glanced at Daphne. "Elder Sister Daphne, you know a lot."
"Ahaha—Karl told me ages ago! He's a great storyteller, you know," Daphne said cheerfully—then dragged Karl into the line of fire.
Karl froze. When did I…
"Lord Karl! You haven't told this concubine any stories yet." Hancock pouted.
"Alright, alright—later, story time." Karl clapped once. "Speaking of business—Daphne, I cleared it with Kaido. We can buy seastone through him. You get what that means."
"Seastone? He agreed to sell to us?" Daphne blinked, then smiled. "That's… huge."
Karl smirked. "Guess he 'recognized' me."
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