The iconic scenes of top-tier powerhouses trading blows without even touching, and of the sky splitting apart in battle, were both tied to Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
In other words—
No matter how powerful an attack was by itself, if it had not reached the limit of what Conqueror's Haki Infusion could defend against, it would never truly hit Kaido in any meaningful sense.
Things like shockwaves were completely meaningless against fighters on their level.
Any attack that actually mattered would most likely be blocked outside his body by the Conqueror's Haki field formed from his overwhelming kingly presence.
And even if one did break through the defense of Conqueror's Haki Infusion, one would still have to face multiple layers of additional defense.
Just like that formula from before—
A despair-inducing qualitative evolution in defense!
So—
Before one's strength crossed a certain threshold, no matter what kind of attack it was, to Kaido, it would amount to no more than this level.
Because Kaido himself was also an awakened Zoan user.
Based on the intelligence Ren had gathered so far—
A Logia awakening was mastery over the concept of natural disaster, permanently altering the weather and environment.
A Paramecia awakening was the ability to affect the outside world.
And a Zoan awakening granted even more terrifying vitality, while greatly strengthening the specialty traits of the creature represented by the fruit.
Very unfortunately—
Kaido, who already possessed such horrifying defensive power, was a genuine awakened Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon form user!
Compared to him—
Ren was completely different.
All of his current power relied on Meteor Burst plus Judgment's main cannon.
Immense energy, combined with methods of converting energy, along with a series of traits and abilities—
That was what had allowed him to complete a qualitative leap in strength.
Even King had been forced to reveal his Lunarian form and resort to a turtle-shell style of defense.
But there was one fact that could not be ignored.
If everything Ren possessed was added together, the total energy he had was only enough to destroy two Dressrosas.
And by "energy," that referred purely to the destructive force of the explosion caused after releasing it—enough to obliterate two Dressrosa islands.
The reason he had managed to fight this far, even inflicting damage that broke through Kaido's defenses—
Was purely because of the qualitative leap in efficiency brought by Phase Two.
Using Demonic Shadow to recreate a Blood Demon body, he constructed an "external armament" capable of bearing immense energy.
Then he used that external armament as an output platform, explosively releasing overloaded energy that even his own body could not withstand.
And finally, through techniques like Thunder Breathing and Blood Demon Art, he drove that power into the devastating Thunderflame Greatblade series.
However, the problem was—
Kaido's defense was nearly impossible to break, and his recovery ability had no end.
But Ren's energy had a limit!
Strictly speaking, this was an unequal battle from the very start.
It was like clearing an intermediate dungeon, only to immediately face the final boss.
Even after counting through every trump card in his hand, there was not a single one capable of turning the situation around.
It seemed that, from the very beginning, choosing to fight Kaido had been a mistake.
Before reaching the level where four ounces could move a thousand pounds, no amount of cleverness could possibly shake that massive weight.
He should have been afraid.
He should have been helpless.
He should have regretted it.
He should have been frustrated.
But the one thing he should not have been—
Was as he was now, eyes full of fighting spirit!
"Why are you so quiet? Wasn't I clear enough? Worororo!"
Kaido first burst into laughter, as if mocking him.
But he quickly fell silent again, because his opponent had begun to speak.
"I aspire to rule the world, because arrogant as I am, I want to shape this world into the form I desire.
Whether I possess the aptitude for Conqueror's Haki or not, that will never change.
If even this second life cannot be lived brilliantly, the way I want, then what meaning is there in being alive?"
Ren spoke slowly, yet with unwavering conviction.
"Adversity is nothing more than a stepping stone.
If I stop moving, I will never cross it. And if crawling on hands and knees is what it takes to get over it, then so be it.
Embarrassment, pain, helplessness—it does not matter.
Because this is the path I chose. Even death will not stop my steps from moving forward."
"But I can't see any chance of you winning."
Kaido tilted his head, puzzled.
"If you die, then no matter how great your ambition is, it won't mean anything, right?"
"Yes, that is true enough.
The aptitude for Conqueror's Haki that I possess is merely the threshold—the chance to challenge monsters on your level.
And as you said, the current me still cannot reach that standard.
At this very moment—
I cannot gain any kind of victory over you in any meaningful sense.
That is the inevitable reality.
But so what?
Kaido, just as I told King—
Someone who relies on schemes and trickery can never become a peak powerhouse, much less the one and only existence above the peak.
If I calculated everything and only moved according to plan, then I would never have appeared here at all!
You may not understand what I mean.
What I'm saying is this: precisely because I knew you would appear here, I chose to start this war!"
Ren lowered his stance, his crimson eyes fixed on Kaido's frowning face.
"Plans exist for stability. Stability exists for victory. Victory exists for greater ambitions.
Ambition exists to realize my ideals, and within this interconnected cycle—
Even temporary defeat is acceptable, so long as it sharpens the blade I will one day swing at the world. There is nothing that cannot be sacrificed.
That is why I am still standing here now, preparing the slash you've been waiting for.
Whether it can kill you, defeat you, or even wound you—
None of that matters.
What matters is that I am standing here—
And I am swinging my blade at you!"
"…Worororo. I think I understand what you mean now."
Kaido fell silent for a moment, then burst into delighted laughter.
"So you're one of those men who pursue the toughness of the heart, huh?
If it really is as you say—if you knew full well this would happen and still chose to make an enemy of me...
Then I see. You're using me as a whetstone?"
He looked at Ren and asked,
"Then answer me. After this slash, how far do you intend to go?"
"The two scars on your body look very good. But if they became three, they'd look even better."
"Worororo… It's been a long time since I met a man as interesting as you."
Kaido sized Ren up a little more seriously.
"Before, I thought maybe using Shuron Hakke against you was giving you too much respect.
But now it seems you really are worthy of me taking you a bit more seriously.
Hey, let's make it formal. Tell me your name.
If you accidentally die, I'll treat this place as your grave and bury you properly."
"Ren!"
A vein twitched at the corner of Ren's eye as he forced the words out through clenched teeth.
"You should save that grave for yourself!"
"Worororo! If you can do it, then come!"
Kaido stopped wasting words. He stomped down and once again transformed into a bolt of lightning.
His movement speed was even more terrifying than before—faster, to the point it was nearly impossible to react.
But at this moment, Ren had no need to dodge.
He only needed to charge forward with all his might!
Energy poured into his muscles, erupting into a horrifying burst of speed as Ren turned into a streak of light and shot ahead.
Between life and death lay great terror!
But it was also the best whetstone for sharpening one's blade!
At that instant—
Ren felt his Armament Haki break through once more, entering the realm of advanced Armament Haki.
His Observation Haki and his premonition sense activated together, allowing him to glimpse a fleeting moment of the future in that razor-thin opening.
Death!
But so what?
That was all!
"What courage!"
Kaido roared with laughter as he leaped high, raising Hassaikai overhead and drawing all the lightning in the sky into it.
A purple web of thunder-trees spread across the heavens, condensing into an utterly horrifying strike.
His opponent's strength had not yet reached this level, but out of respect, Kaido had decided to take him seriously.
"Roaring Thunder Bagua!"
At almost the exact same moment—
Ren released the "blade" hidden in his sheath and drew it down in a slash!
There was no especially dazzling spectacle to it.
There was only a single, fleeting line of pure white light that streaked across the world.
He had no way to increase the total amount of energy he possessed, because that had already reached its limit.
Even if Judgment fired another plasma cannon at him, it still would not be enough to produce another qualitative leap.
Nor could he do something like Luffy and learn Conqueror's Haki Infusion, or even fruit awakening, in the span of a single day.
Turning from the Gum-Gum Fruit into the Nika Fruit.
His cheat was not that absurd.
The only thing he could do—
Was compress and draw in energy without limit.
Or rather, by using traits like Thunder and Flame Mastery—
At the cost of massively consuming energy, he forcibly accelerated the molecules within that region into a frenzied state.
To obtain an ultimate power whose temperature even he himself did not know—
Thunderflame Greatblade: Like a Dream Bubble!
In the next instant, Roaring Thunder Bagua came crashing down with a thunderous roar, the lightning it carried devastating everything like a natural calamity—
Yet the moment it touched the Thunderflame Greatblade, it abruptly stopped!
His pitch-black six wings beating behind him, Ren charged forward with his blade.
Beneath the gloomy sky, that sword light—brilliant to the utmost extreme—flashed once, then lit up Kaido's vision in pure white!
'Th-The sun!?'
For a brief instant, Kaido almost thought he was gazing directly at the sun.
It was just like back in the past, when he had once been bored enough to try approaching the sun itself.
That line of blade light gave him the same warped sensation as facing the sun.
"Isn't this even more interesting?!"
Kaido let out a wild roar. The crushing impact transmitted from Hassaikai in his hands—
And the next moment, the pure white blade light bloomed across his chest!
The scorching-hot plasma blade cut through layer after layer of defense, carving an indelible scar across the chest of the blue-purple dragonman!
At the same time—
Hassaikai, wrapped in lightning and Conqueror's Haki, smashed Ren's head apart.
The two had clearly both chosen a style of fighting where they exchanged injury for injury!
Immediately after—
From the point where they collided, a pillar of thunderflame burst forth.
Its violent power pierced the heavens, completely tearing apart the thunderclouds that had blanketed hundreds of kilometers.
As the gloom began to dissipate—
The plasma, having lost its constraints, could no longer be controlled.
A thunderous explosion erupted in an instant!
A gigantic fireball lit up the gloomy sky completely, turning Dressrosa into a blinding white day!
For a moment, it seemed as if the sky had gained a second sun!
One hung high above, looking down upon all creation.
The other hung low on the horizon, melting all things!
Within that blazing scene, arcs of lightning leaped and danced, as the power of Roaring Thunder Bagua and the energy released by the final strike clashed wildly against each other.
Strands of thunderflame light spread across the land like a web—
And every substance they touched within several kilometers became molten lava!
The air expanded violently from the tremendous heat.
Then, across the kingdom of Dressrosa, a terrifying flaming shockwave was unleashed.
The searing wind, moving at nearly a hundred meters per second, spread outward in a ring—
Sweeping flat the land on one side of the bridge dividing King's Plateau, an area that occupied one-third of the nation and contained its busiest streets!
Everything it touched was destroyed within the thunderflames!
At last, the surging shockwave seemed to turn into blades and swords that stabbed into the earth—
And tore this stretch of land apart by force!