To truly grasp the gravity of the situation, one must understand the sheer scale of Kaido's current physical defense. Forget about common heavenly lightning; even if he stood amidst the searing heat of a volcanic eruption, he wouldn't feel the slightest discomfort. His natural resilience has grown several times beyond its former legendary limits. In his current state, unless an opponent utilizes the most top-tier Conqueror's Haki coating, he wouldn't even flinch at the impact.
Yet, despite using his Thunder Bagua—reinforced with his own Conqueror's Haki—to intercept the blast from the Ancient Weapon Pluton, a lingering sense of paralysis crept through his limbs. This was an ominous sign. Just as a small leak in a dam indicates a structure riddled with hidden weaknesses, the fact that Kaido could feel this numbness meant his "invincible" body had finally been breached.
Kaido frowned, carefully analyzing the sensation left by the lightning strike. This was no ordinary elemental attack. He sensed more than just the power of a Devil Fruit; there was a distinct aura of Haki woven into the energy. These two pinnacle forces of the world had merged into a singular power that could rival Kaido's own Qi. It was a transcendent force, a fusion of abilities that surpassed the sum of its parts.
A slow, predatory grin spread across Kaido's face. "Gods!" he whispered. Only the beings referred to as "Gods" in the ancient Road Poneglyphs could possibly unleash such a devastating blow. He let out a roar of pure excitement.
"Worororo! Now this is more like it! Otherwise, these seas would be far too boring, wouldn't they?"
With those words, Kaido shifted into his strongest hybrid form. Enveloped in a thick shroud of Conqueror's Haki, he launched himself toward the "sun" like a living cannonball, the sheer force of his movement creating sonic booms in the air.
Pluton seemed to sense the provocation. From within the glowing orb, the ship began to cycle its energy, firing a rapid succession of lightning bolts that functioned like high-output laser cannons.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The underground world erupted into chaos. It felt as though the apocalypse had arrived. The earth groaned under the weight of the tremors while red and blue lights clashed violently in the sky. The soft glow of the giant tree began to flicker and fade, casting the subterranean world into a creeping darkness.
As Kaido swatted aside the strikes from the Ancient Weapon one by one, the paralysis in his body worsened. But would a bit of numbness stop the "Strongest Creature"? Never.
He began to circulate the Greater and Lesser Heavenly Cycle Self-Rotation Method, sending surges of Qi to repair his damaged nerves. The numbness receded instantly, replaced by an even greater surge of speed and Haki.
"Worororo! Trying to keep your secrets from me? If you want to stop me, you'll have to try harder than that!" Kaido bellowed. "God's Advent!"
With a singular, devastating strike, Pluton's electromagnetic beam was sliced clean in half. Kaido moved like the sharpest blade in existence, cutting through the defenses and piercing the surface of the sun-like bubble.
"Boom!"
Kaido landed heavily within the dense forest of the inner world, his presence like that of a Great Calamity. He shook the sticky resin from his skin and surveyed his surroundings. Unlike the blinding exterior, the light here was soft and filtered. Towering, ancient trees stood like silent sentinels, radiating a vigorous life force.
Kaido reached out and squeezed a nearby trunk. He was surprised by its hardness; even with his monstrous strength, he had to exert effort just to snap a branch. However, his Observation Haki revealed a strange void: there were no animals, only the plants. Worse, he could feel a palpable sense of rejection from the forest itself. It did not want him there.
"Since I've made it this far, there's no way I'm leaving without taking control of this ship," he muttered.
Suddenly, a rapid signature appeared in his Observation Haki. Something was charging at him with incredible speed. Kaido's eyes widened in genuine shock. The aura was impossible—yet hauntingly familiar.
"Hey, hey... you've got to be kidding me," he whispered.
He turned toward the source and saw a figure he would never forget—the man with the legendary silhouette.
"KAIDO!!!" the figure roared in a voice filled with pure, unadulterated rage.
Kaido stood stunned. Had the worlds of the living and the dead merged? Was this some form of reincarnation, or was he trapped in a powerful illusion? His Haki detected no trickery. Standing before him was Kozuki Oden, the man he had executed over twenty years ago, looking as though he had never left.
The confusion didn't last long. The thrill of the hunt took over. Kaido gripped his spiked club, Hassaikai, as black and red lightning crackled around the weapon. He exuded an aura like a demon from the lowest depths of hell.
The resurrected Oden charged blindly, wielding two great swords coated in Conqueror's Haki. "Kaido! Get out of here! You are not welcome!"
"Wororororo! I don't know how you're here, Oden, but I'll be more than happy to kill you a second time!"
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Totsuka!" "God's Advent!"
For the first time in two decades, the two legends clashed. But while Oden was exactly as he had been in the past, Kaido had evolved into something far more terrifying.
Oden's eyes filled with horror as Kaido's God's Advent tore through his defenses. The sheer pressure of Kaido's Conqueror's Haki overwhelmed him instantly.
"Boom!"
Oden's body didn't bleed; it began to disintegrate. To Kaido's amazement, the warrior's form shifted into a soul state—a cloud of pale flame, much like the effects of the Revive-Revive Fruit.
As the soul prepared to dissipate, Kaido acted on instinct. He reached out with his dragon claw and snatched the flickering spirit from the air. He squeezed it firmly. A sound like shattering glass echoed through the forest, and the entire giant warship let out a low, mournful wail, as if it had lost its very heart.
When Kaido opened his palm, Oden's soul was gone. In its place, a glowing pattern was etched into his skin. It was the crest of the Kozuki Clan: the Yatagarasu.
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