"BOOM..."
In the very next second, Kaido's enormous, gleaming spiked club descended with mountain-crushing force, slamming violently onto the Black Tortoise protecting Lancelot.
An earth-shaking roar erupted, as if the entire world trembled from the impact!
Instantly, the colossal energy generated by their collision erupted like a volcanic explosion, continuously clashing and intertwining midair.
Each impact released blinding flashes of light accompanied by deafening roars and crackling electrical discharges.
Wave after wave of shockwaves radiated furiously from the epicenter where the two stood, sweeping across all directions.
The speed of these shockwaves was staggering, their destructive power beyond imagination.
Wherever they passed, it resembled a Category 8 typhoon's aftermath—everything on the ground was instantly swept into the air.
Massive boulders, thick trees, and street vendors' stalls alike fell prey to this overwhelming force.
Moreover, these airborne objects suffered further violent impacts from the shockwaves, shattering into countless fragments that scattered like rain.
"CRACK CRACK CRACK..."
Simultaneously, even the sturdy buildings lining the streets began succumbing to the tidal waves of destructive force.
Horrifying cracks rapidly spread from walls to rooftops, leaving entire structures teetering precariously.
As time passed, these fissures widened relentlessly.
"RUMBLE..."
Finally, with a tremendous crash, all buildings within a kilometer radius collapsed under the strain.
Dust blotted out the sky as the once bustling streets transformed into ruins of broken walls and debris within moments.
"HISS..."
Hajrudin and Gerd, who had already sprinted some distance away, instinctively halted at the commotion behind them.
Though considerably far from the battlefield, they hesitantly turned their heads and were instantly petrified by what they saw, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets!
Within that zone, two figures engaged in a breathtakingly intense battle.
Their towering, majestic forms moved with tsunami-like momentum, resembling ancient demons descended upon the mortal realm.
With each exchange, the surrounding space seemed to tear apart, emitting continuous deafening roars.
Where their conflict reached, the ground fractured, earth and stones flew indiscriminately, trees were uprooted, and even the air appeared to combust, forming distorted heat waves.
This apocalyptic spectacle was truly soul-shaking.
Hajrudin and Gerd exchanged glances, seeing profound terror reflected in each other's eyes.
They couldn't imagine what terrifying consequences they would have faced if they were still on that battlefield.
At this thought, both of them simultaneously revealed expressions of relief.
'What a relief!'
Fortunately, they had made the wisest decision earlier—to retreat immediately!
If they hesitated even slightly and remained in place to watch the battle, they would likely suffer severe injuries, if not death, under the terrifying energy fluctuations.
Yet what was even more unnerving was that this fierce confrontation had only just begun.
It was foreseeable that the ensuing battle would grow increasingly intense, with its scale and destructive power far exceeding what ordinary people could endure.
"Retreat... retreat now..."
They were still too close to the combatants.
Hajrudin and Gerd accelerated their pace, sprinting even faster into the distance.
"Huh..."
At that moment, Kaido let out an involuntary sound of astonishment.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the iron rod in his hand, a wave of shock surging within him.
He could clearly feel the immense power he had infused into the iron rod rapidly diminishing at an alarming rate!
Not only that, but the dazzling electric currents that had been tightly entangled around the spiked club were now fading, as if their vitality had been drained, until they vanished completely.
He had never encountered such a situation before.
Meanwhile, Lancelot curled the corners of his lips into a faint smile.
After all, this was no ordinary technique!
It was a unique skill he had meticulously developed by integrating the principles of the "Hollow Wood" style—a move capable of absorbing an opponent's attack, converting it into his own power, and then retaliating with even greater ferocity!
As the Black Tortoise continuously absorbed the energy from Kaido's technique, the serpent tail behind it, which had been dormant, began to undergo a startling transformation.
The serpent tail seemed to be reborn, rapidly growing in a short span of time.
As more energy was absorbed, its size expanded relentlessly, soon reaching a critical threshold.
Finally, in an instant, the serpent abruptly opened its long-closed eyes.
A cold gleam shot from its pupils, as if announcing its complete awakening.
Immediately after, a sharp "whoosh" pierced the air as the serpent lunged forward with lightning speed.
Since the serpent had been concealed behind the massive form of the Black Tortoise, Kaido, from his vantage point, was completely unaware of this sudden, lethal threat.
It was only when the serpent launched its fierce assault, charging at Kaido with thunderous momentum, that the ruler of the seas realized the danger was already upon him!
And this unexpected attack truly caught Kaido off guard!
Not only was it sudden, but its method was also beyond anticipation.
The serpent shot forth like a bolt of lightning, its head crashing into Kaido's steel-hard abdomen with overwhelming force.
In that instant, an unparalleled burst of power erupted.
Kaido was sent flying backward like a boulder struck by a cannonball, his massive body tracing a long arc through the air at a staggering speed.
As Kaido hurtled backward, the path he traversed was left in utter devastation.
"Boom... boom..."
A series of deep, earth-shaking impacts echoed in his wake.
Whether it was the surviving remnants of broken walls or the incredibly sturdy structures in the distance, or any other obstacles standing in the way, none could withstand the impact of this terrifying force.
They were all shattered into piles of ruins and debris.
But who was Kaido?
The strongest creature on land, sea, and air... such an attack was still insufficient to injure him.
He slowly rose from the distance...