Chapter 334: Supreme Beast Armament!
"This is astonishing."
Outside, those watching the broadcast were shocked. They hadn't expected Kaido of the Beasts to suffer such a severe injury first—even his dragon horns were broken off.
"Won't something unexpected happen?"
Jack the Drought asked, deeply surprised by Kaido's condition as seen through the live feed.
King the Wildfire remained calm, casually saying: "Don't forget what our boss excels at most. His vitality and recovery are more than ten times stronger than yours."
"That's true."
Jack the Drought nodded his massive head.
"Let's keep watching. The Thunder God Swordsman only took advantage when the heavenly lightning changed direction. His actual strength is far inferior to Boss Kaido's."
Queen the Plague said calmly.
Beside them, the high-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates settled down, their faces showing relief.
Their boss was the strongest one-on-one fighter in the New World. How could he possibly lose to a new generation powerhouse?
After being injured, Kaido of the Beasts' aura became even more intense. He was massive, yet powerfully built and muscular, like a condensed version of a giant.
His black hair flowed freely, his pupils flashing with cold lightning, making him appear like a demon god—captivating and awe-inspiring.
ROAR!
He roared, stretching his limbs, his body radiating dark, ominous Armament Haki, while a unique power emanated from him.
It was the special ability of his Mythical Zoan Dragon form, allowing him to manipulate natural forces to a certain extent.
Now it erupted, forming a terrifying domain that caused the mountains to shake violently.
Nearby, one after another, redwood trees rose directly from the ground, carrying soil into the air, along with massive boulders, all floating and rapidly swirling around him.
The power of the Azure Dragon was astonishing.
"Die!"
He roared, his massive body leaving afterimages at incredible speed. He spread his five fingers, covered in dense Armament Haki as if forged from special metal, radiating a dark luster, reaching for Rhodes.
This resembled an indestructible dragon claw. The air beneath it thickened, space itself exploded, and debris flew everywhere—a truly terrifying sight.
"..."
Rhodes's face was grim, his body radiating blinding lightning, like a thunder god descending.
He gripped his sword with both hands, directly clashing head-on with Kaido of the Beasts, going all out.
CLANG!
Sword and claws collided, silver and dark light erupting simultaneously, like a collision between a silver world and a black world, weaving together terrifying energy fluctuations.
With a deafening boom, the area erupted with an astonishing explosion. The ground tore apart, crisscrossed with countless black cracks, each one or two meters wide.
One could imagine how devastating their destructive power was!
The two moved swiftly, fiercely exchanging blows. In the blinding light, only their silhouettes could be seen, like two demon gods colliding.
WHOOSH!
After dozens, even hundreds of exchanges, the two suddenly separated, fast as lightning, each retreating a hundred meters, facing each other across the mountainous terrain.
A trace of blood appeared at the corner of Rhodes's mouth—an injury from the high-frequency vibrations—but it wasn't serious, only causing some difficulty breathing.
Blood stained Kaido's outstretched fingers, slashed by Rhodes's sword. In the life-or-death struggle, even Kaido's defenses couldn't completely withstand Rhodes's attacks.
The ground was a mess, littered with fallen leaves and broken branches. The surface looked like it had been struck by a meteorite, with a huge crater and cracks radiating from its edges.
In the distance, those who witnessed this scene were deeply shocked. Rhodes hadn't been at a disadvantage in direct confrontation with Kaido.
This was one of the Yonko who reigned over the New World, the World's Strongest Creature, strongest in one-on-one combat, and one of the most powerful beings in the entire world.
And the Thunder God Swordsman was only twenty, a rising star. His talent and potential were truly astonishing—unprecedented and unparalleled.
Kaido's eyes were cold, his body covered in Armament Haki as if cast in metal, radiating a black light that conveyed shocking power.
His previous lightning injuries were gradually healing and had little impact.
He stared at Rhodes, his eyes flashing with cold light like the sharpest blade. A dragon's might gradually emanated from him, blending with his Yonko-level Conqueror's Haki, making him incredibly imposing and shaking the very heavens.
At this moment, even powerful pirates felt a chill, unable to resist submitting before Kaido—this was suppression at the most primal level.
Rhodes remained calm and silent, his spirit and energy highly concentrated, everything focused on his sword: will, spirit, soul—everything.
At this moment, he was more devoted than ever before, like a solitary traveler walking the path of the sword.
Shanks, in the distance, paused slightly, then a smile played on his lips. He thought to himself: "It seems the world will have another supreme swordsman from now on."
"That Hawkeye should be pleased."
"You are strong—qualified to become a king."
Kaido spoke, his gaze both aggressive and genuinely acknowledging. Few in this world could elicit such words from him, and Rhodes was undoubtedly one of them.
"I originally intended to use this technique on that Shanks, but I didn't expect to use it on you first."
With that, Kaido of the Beasts' gaze sharpened, and he roared:
"Supreme Beast... Armament!"
The heavens and earth trembled, space itself vibrated, and a buzzing sound filled the air.
"This?"
Under Rhodes's gaze, the Armament Haki covering Kaido's body flickered for a moment, then vanished completely, as if merging into his very being.
"How is this possible?!"
In the distance, Shanks and Sengoku exclaimed almost simultaneously, their faces filled with disbelief, as if they'd seen a ghost.
"This..."
Even Vice Admiral Tsuru, usually so shrewd and composed, was visibly startled.
"What kind of ability is this?"
Gion asked, being the youngest of the three and unaware of certain advanced techniques.
Sengoku took a deep breath and said with utmost seriousness: "You should know that mastery of Armament Haki allows one to cover their entire body with it without any blind spots."
"But very few people know there's an even higher level above that. As far as I know, only that old monster Garp has achieved it, and now Kaido..."
Sengoku couldn't help but feel uncertain. If Kaido had truly mastered Armament Haki to that level, he would definitely be able to overwhelm Rhodes easily.
"It seems... he's using it forcibly?"
Tsuru, with her keen insight, made this observation because she noticed that after activating this ability, Kaido's body trembled unnaturally, shattering the nearby ground.
Clearly, it was a sign he couldn't fully control the power.
"His physique is unparalleled, his vitality nearly immortal, so forced internal fusion is possible..."
Sengoku agreed with this assessment and added: "However, it probably won't last long. That kind of power isn't easy to maintain."
Sengoku breathed a sigh of relief. If Kaido had truly mastered Armament Haki to its absolute peak, even if not quite at Garp's level, it would still be a disaster for the Marines and the world.
After all, that guy was a madman who thrived on chaos.
Sengoku would rather Rhodes possess this ability than Kaido.
"Even short-term use is enough to influence the outcome of this battle! Now it all depends on whether the Thunder God Swordsman can break through to Great Swordsman level quickly. If he's even slightly delayed and Kaido of the Beasts gains the advantage, this battle's conclusion is all but certain."
Tsuru made her assessment, and Gion couldn't help but show a hint of worry.
Though she didn't know exactly how powerful this ability was, just thinking about Garp's strength made it clear.
Anyone with eyes could see that Rhodes was in grave danger.
(End of Chapter)
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