Boom!
A thunderous crash exploded across the harbor as the battle between Kaido and Ron officially began.
Kaido had lived with his life on the edge of a blade since childhood. He had experienced countless battles, large and small, and when it came to combat experience, he was extremely seasoned.
Ron, on the other hand, had spent his first eighteen years living peacefully on earth. Even after crossing into the world of pirates, it had only been a little over a year.
Once they clashed, his movements were noticeably more awkward than Kaido's.
"Hey, newcomer!"
Kaido swung his kanabo and grew more annoyed the longer they fought. "What kind of fight is this, dodging all over the place? The path of a true powerhouse isn't something you dodge your way through!"
Ron thought completely differently.
After all, this was his first time fighting a famous figure from this world. Playing it safe was never wrong.
The reason he dodged was to estimate exactly how much power Kaido had behind each swing.
He kept dodging because he was worried Kaido might be sandbagging and waiting to spring a dirty trick on him.
Now, however, each of Kaido's swings seemed to carry roughly the same level of power. He probably was not pretending to be weaker than he was.
In that case...
Whoosh!
Ron suddenly stopped short, planted both feet firmly into the ground, and faced Kaido head-on.
Kaido froze slightly, then grinned. A newcomer was still a newcomer. Sure enough, he could not keep his cool. Just a couple of taunts were enough to lure him out.
"Heh... eat this!"
Before his voice even fell, Kaido had already wrapped Armament Haki around his kanabo and swept it straight toward Ron's face.
Ron's movements were almost synchronized with his. He also coated his weapon in Armament Haki and swung.
Boom!
The two weapons slammed together. The violent collision instantly erupted into a terrifying shockwave that swept in all directions.
In terms of pure explosive power, Ron, supported by the Sage Body, clearly held the advantage over Kaido.
After the two terrifying forces collided, Kaido was forced back again and again. His feet carved two deep trenches through the ground.
Clear disbelief appeared on his face.
"You bastard...!" Kaido's eyes widened as he shouted in dissatisfaction. "You kept dodging earlier just to make me lower my guard?!"
Ron did not answer.
His figure flashed, and he immediately pressed the attack.
The people on the ship also subconsciously realized that they had somewhat underestimated Ron.
They had to admit... Rocks really did have a poisonous eye for talent.
"John."
Stussy slowly walked to Captain John's side and spoke in an unhurried tone. "I bet one billion on the newcomer winning."
Captain John looked at her like she was an idiot and cursed, "Bet my ass."
"Tch. Can't afford to play."
Stussy casually threw out those words and turned toward Whitebeard.
Captain John's veins bulged from anger. He shouted at her back, "Me? Can't afford to play? You bastard, are you serious? Come here! I bet twenty billion on the newcomer winning!"
Stussy did not even bother with him.
Captain John's face turned green with anger. "Stussy! You bastard! Are you messing with me?!"
On the ship's roof, Rocks continued drinking the last of the liquor, the corners of his mouth stretching into an exaggerated, almost twisted grin.
"Wahahahaha! Looks like... this trip wasn't a total waste after all."
Bang...!
Bang...!
With each explosive collision, Kaido's figure was continuously forced backward. His expression grew increasingly grim.
Then, a dangerous idea began to take shape deep in his heart.
Whoosh!
Ron's long blade suddenly struck Kaido's body. Even with Armament Haki covering him for defense, Kaido's chest immediately bled.
Ron clearly froze.
Logically speaking, Kaido should have been able to dodge that strike.
"You think you've won?"
Kaido's voice sounded beside his ear, filled with savage force. "I took one slash from you. Now... can you take one swing from me?"
Ron instantly understood.
Kaido had realized he could not gain the upper hand, so he intended to trade injury for injury and test whose health bar was tougher.
Whoosh!
It seemed like several seconds had passed, but in reality, it was only the blink of an eye.
Kaido's kanabo had already come howling toward him, carrying violent force as it smashed straight at Ron's body.
"Trading wounds?" Ron did not dodge. "That's certainly an interesting move."
He wanted to see what expression would appear on the face of this man who would be called the "Strongest Creature" in the future when his plan completely collapsed.
Thud!
A dull, heavy boom erupted in every direction. The powerful shockwave raised rolling clouds of dust, instantly swallowing the area where the two stood.
Rumble!
The dust thrown into the air poured back down like a torrential rain, striking everything from above.
The smoke gradually thinned.
Kaido's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints.
"You..."
The injured part of Ron's body was emitting white steam. More importantly... it was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
This was thanks to his Sage Body. In addition to providing a continuous supply of energy, the Sage Body also possessed high-speed regeneration. Even fatal wounds could heal instantly.
At this moment, Kaido's mentality nearly collapsed. This newcomer not only had real skill, he was also a physical monster.
"Don't rush."
Ron calmly dropped those words and began testing another ability: Tailed Beast Transformation.
In an instant, scarlet vertical pupils replaced his originally clear eyes.
An orange-red chakra cloak rose around him like blazing flame, and a scorching aura rushed outward.
His body swelled massively in a single instant.
Behind him, one tail after another burst out and lashed wildly through the air, stirring howling winds.
Kaido's pupils contracted violently again.
This time, his mentality truly shattered.
Not only was this guy a physical monster, he was a damn Devil Fruit user too? And judging by this form, it was clearly an incredibly powerful fruit!
Why?!
Kaido's face was full of envy, jealousy, and hatred. He suddenly felt that the gap between himself and Ron... was merely luck.
Once Ron revealed his Tailed Beast Transformation, most of the people on the ship became interested.
"Zoan... Mythical Zoan?"
Linlin stared at Ron's transformed appearance and guessed with interest.
"It seems... rather powerful too," Streusen said from beside Linlin.
"Mamamamama!" Linlin laughed lightly. "Even in pure base strength, that brat Kaido was already at a disadvantage. Now... he's probably going to suffer badly."
"Hahahaha." Stussy covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes shifting with amusement. "I thought Rocks had picked up some trash... I didn't expect a reversal. Isn't that right, Newgate?"