Chapter 339: The Final Blow!
Having dodged Kaido's punch once more, Rhodes felt he was nearing his limit, both physically and mentally.
His ultra-fast fighting style required him to maintain constant focus, and his relatively weaker defenses forced him to dodge Kaido's attacks repeatedly, further draining his mental energy.
As the battle continued, the silver moon slowly descended from the sky, brightening the heavens, and then the sun rose imperceptibly.
CLANG!
Rhodes swung his sword, the sharp blade tearing through the air, shattering the dragon-shaped energy pillar unleashed by Kaido and wounding him. However, some residual force continued forward, reaching him.
Rhodes clenched his left fist, using Hasshoken technique, but was still blasted away, coughing up blood.
At this moment, both were injured, fighting a fierce and bloody battle.
Especially troubling, Rhodes frowned—his special energy was finite, and after nearly a full day of intense combat, it was almost depleted.
He withdrew momentarily, retreating hundreds of meters to avoid flying debris and wipe the blood from his face.
In the distance, Kaido of the Beasts remained in his hybrid form, largely intact, though his face was pale and his body weak.
This made Rhodes's heart sink. Such massive reserves of life force were truly astonishing.
It made sense—a ten-meter-tall body condensed life force comparable to a super-large Sea King. Its power was unimaginably immense.
"The final blow. Life or death is in fate's hands."
Rhodes showed no sign of backing down. Swordsmen were born to fight, and Great Swordsmen even more so.
He gripped his sword with both hands, solemnly facing Kaido.
His special energy was almost depleted. Continuing the fight would put him in continuous damage mode, causing his combat power to decline steadily.
He had to stake everything on one decisive strike, or he would have no chance of victory.
At the same time, Rhodes also felt that after such a prolonged battle, Kaido of the Beasts couldn't have only been depleting his life force.
His spirit, his stamina, and his Armament Haki must have all weakened to some extent.
Furthermore, his body, having been damaged and then rapidly regenerating, certainly wasn't as strong as before.
Rhodes had deliberately damaged certain parts of Kaido's bones in preparation for this final blow.
He'd done his best, and regardless of victory or defeat, he would have no regrets.
"Come on."
Kaido showed no mockery. If it weren't for his unparalleled regenerative abilities, he would likely have already been defeated. He felt genuine admiration for Rhodes, this young man.
And for powerful figures like them, the best way to express admiration was to defeat them honorably.
"They're about to decide the victor. Beckman, who do you think is more likely to win?"
Yasopp, with his astonishing eyesight, easily discerned the state of the two on the island and asked with great interest.
The other members of the Red Hair Pirates showed no signs of fatigue despite watching the battle for so long. They were all excitedly discussing it.
"I'm more optimistic about Kaido. His regenerative abilities are just too incredible."
"I thought so too before, but now it seems uncertain."
Beckman, who'd already smoked countless cigars, exhaled a smoke ring and said:
"I always thought Kaido would win, even after Rhodes broke through to Great Swordsman, but now it seems that's not the case."
As one of the strongest members of the Red Hair Pirates, Beckman could see that Rhodes was still in relatively good condition and had a chance to defeat Kaido.
He was very interested in Rhodes. Despite not being a Devil Fruit user, Rhodes possessed such powerful lightning manipulation and incredible regenerative abilities.
"Could he be from a special race? But it doesn't seem like it."
Beckman stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The crew discussed among themselves, then turned their attention to Shanks.
As the strongest person present, one of the Yonko, and having fought Kaido multiple times, Shanks was most qualified to judge.
"I think..."
Shanks hesitated for a moment, sensing the crew's gazes, before slowly saying:
"Rhodes has a chance of winning. It all depends on how powerful his next attack is."
"If he severs Kaido's head, Kaido will die."
"Note—it's severing the head, not just cutting the neck. Simply cutting the neck is useless."
Shanks sighed softly, as if recalling some painful memories.
He paused, then continued:
"Next, bisecting Kaido's body and destroying his heart will also significantly deplete Kaido's stamina and life force. In that case, Kaido's endurance might be pushed to its limit, leading to defeat without death."
"And if he fails to achieve either of these, Rhodes will undoubtedly lose."
Meanwhile, the Marines were also discussing.
Sengoku's understanding of Kaido was no less than Shanks's. The two powerful figures almost simultaneously expressed similar assessments.
"The battle is about to end."
Gion's eyes were somewhat distant. Had the once earnest young swordsman really reached this point?
Even Kaido of the Beasts might fall to him.
Such strength far surpassed her own, his former teacher.
For some reason, Gion felt a surge of pride.
"I believe you won't become truly evil. You have your own path—just keep walking it."
Gion recalled the past and made a silent decision.
Perhaps she could no longer teach Rhodes to become stronger, but she could still play a role.
However, she didn't know that Vice Admiral Tsuru had already noticed Gion's subtle change. Tsuru sighed inwardly and secretly gave a signal to the elite Vice Admirals, including Momonga, who'd followed nearby.
The Vice Admirals understood.
Sengoku, however, didn't look at them. He trusted Tsuru. If she said she'd handle it, she would.
Gion was still a bit too naive.
"The Thunder God Swordsman must die here!"
Sengoku's principle was balance. He didn't want an overly powerful pirate force, and Rhodes undoubtedly possessed that potential—or rather, already had that capability!
He might not be able to kill Kaido of the Beasts, but others were a different story.
When superhuman speed combined with a Great Swordsman's attack power, even a peak-level expert like a Marine Admiral could be killed single-handedly by Rhodes, with no chance of escape.
"The CP0 captain—the Five Elders have high hopes for him. He shouldn't disappoint, right?"
Sengoku glanced in one direction, his eyes flashing, quietly preparing to make his move!
He was once Fleet Admiral of the Marines, a mark that would never fade.
Even if his actions might provoke hostility from both Shanks and the Beasts Pirates, he was willing to take the risk!
Meanwhile, on the island, Kaido and Rhodes faced off in silence. They didn't unleash their full power yet—at this point, not a single ounce of strength could be wasted.
Even so, the air where their gazes met seemed to freeze.
An ordinary person here would probably be terrified and unable to breathe.
Shanks and Sengoku could analyze the situation, and Kaido himself understood it perfectly.
He knew that as long as he could withstand Rhodes's strongest attack, he would achieve final victory.
"..."
Kaido channeled the last of his Armament Haki into his right arm, causing it to swell even larger than Rhodes's entire body. The densely packed muscles gave it an aura of invincibility.
Rhodes, for the first time since becoming a Great Swordsman, gripped the sword hilt with both hands. His body settled into a low stance, and though his clothes were tattered, he possessed a presence that seemed capable of cleaving heaven and earth.
That sharpness—even for pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million—would cause a stinging pain in their brows and make them involuntarily lower their heads.
(End of Chapter)
[Support Goal: 500 PS → +1 Chapter]
[Support Goal: 10 Reviews → +1 Chapter]
Your review helps the story grow.
P1treon Soulforger (20+chapters ahead)