"Too weak."
With a muffled growl, Kaido seized Lucien's right leg, his thick black hair whipping wildly in the raging air currents.
Lucien did not speak. He simply twisted his body and swung his left leg like a falling meteor, the colossal force crashing directly into Kaido's chest.
This time, even Kaido could not hold his ground.
His massive body was blasted backward, smashing into the earth. The ground exploded as he landed, forming a deep crater that shook the entire area. Kaido slowly stood up from within the pit, glanced at the faint smoke drifting off his chest, and casually brushed it away.
Not even a scratch.
"This little bit of strength only made me feel pain," Kaido said lazily. "A bit disappointing."
A trace of genuine disappointment appeared on his face.
Lucien straightened his posture, staring at Kaido's completely intact chest with a faint smile.
This bastard really knew how to show off.
But he had the right to. Kaido's defense was completely unreasonable. If it had been any other so-called powerhouse, their bones would have shattered by now, or at the very least they would be coughing blood.
Kaido looked as if nothing had happened at all.
His physique was simply monstrous.
"As expected of Beast Kaido, the strongest creature."
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
This level of defense had already surpassed human limits. Even without Armament Haki, Kaido's raw physical durability alone was enough to crush a Marine Vice Admiral from Marineford.
And that was not even the most terrifying part.
His strength, recovery, endurance, and defense were all at the absolute peak.
"You're not bad either," Kaido said, rolling his thick neck, "but still too weak."
He shook his inhumanly thick arm, and his savage aura slammed down like a tidal wave, pressing heavily on the battlefield.
Still showing off.
"You're still a bit lacking when it comes to showing off," Lucien sneered. Even though he knew Kaido was not doing it on purpose, it was still irritating.
Way too much.
"I don't kill nameless people," Kaido said coldly. "State your name."
Lucien fell into brief thought.
Giving his real name was impossible.
And thinking about it, he did not even have a proper title.
How was he supposed to walk the world without a title?
Founding Titan?
Demon Founding Ancestor?
They sounded powerful, but also felt awkward.
Darkness?
That name was meant to stay hidden. Shouting it out loud would just be inviting trouble.
After three seconds, Lucien's eyes lit up.
He thought of a very cliché, yet extremely impressive title.
Just hearing it, people would assume he was righteous, noble, and full of hope.
"You can call me Savior."
Lucien stood with his hands behind his back. Flames burned around his body, golden lightning crackled through the air, and his amethyst eyes looked down upon Kaido like a god gazing at mortals.
This level of showing off deserved full marks.
He even planned to get a glowing halo someday to complete the image.
Then his appearance, prestige, and presence would all be perfect.
Unfortunately, the battle was far from over.
The ground beneath them exploded again. In a flash of light, the two figures collided once more, crashing together with terrifying force.
A pressure halo spread outward, turning into raging shockwaves that shifted mountains and split the sea.
Afterimages flickered.
A thick arm wrapped in violent power smashed toward Lucien.
Lucien showed no fear. He clenched his fist and met it head-on.
The two completely asymmetrical fists collided, producing a thunderous boom that echoed through the clouds. Sand and stones were flung into the air, and the surrounding land was devastated by repeated natural disasters.
They separated and hovered in mid-air, their momentum rising like blazing suns.
"I hope you can kill me," Kaido said with a savage grin, his beast-like hair fluttering wildly.
He raised his left arm, completely coated in dense Armament Haki, and smashed it down toward Lucien.
Lucien snorted.
He clenched his fist and shot upward.
Retreat was not an option.
He had never heard such a ridiculous request.
The battlefield had completely spiraled out of control. One terrifying collision after another erased everything in sight.
Feeling the dull pain in his fist, Lucien drove his knee forward with a sonic boom.
Kaido slammed his massive elbow down.
A pressure halo exploded between them.
The two plummeted, collided again in mid-air, and the surrounding ten thousand meters of land collapsed completely. Entire barren mountains were ripped from the earth.
Light and shadow rippled behind them.
Lucien suddenly appeared above Kaido's head, grabbed one of his curved horns with both hands, and slammed his weight down.
The ground sank violently, storms erupting in all directions.
Caught off guard by the sudden shift, Kaido's massive body bent forward.
"Get up for me."
Lucien roared.
He twisted his waist and executed an over-the-shoulder throw, lifting Kaido's monstrous body and smashing him violently into the ground.
Kaido's body slammed down like a falling continent.
The earth collapsed completely, forming a landslide that stretched for kilometers.
Just as Lucien was about to follow up, a sharp sense of danger surged through his mind.
Without thinking, he raised his right arm across his chest.
In the next instant, it felt like a mountain crashed into him.
Lucien was blasted sideways uncontrollably.
Kaido's face was twisted with rage. His massive body crouched slightly, then exploded forward.
A piercing sonic shriek tore through the air, like a giant hammer smashing into the heart. The oppressive aura made it hard to even breathe.
Lucien steadied himself and looked up at the dark shadow descending from the sky. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze icy.
Kaido came crashing down, his explosive power causing continuous detonations across the battlefield.
Veins bulged across Kaido's arms. His aura condensed violently, flames surging even more fiercely around his body.
This time, Lucien still chose to face him head-on.
No dodging.
"Boom…"
A terrifying shockwave expanded in a circular ring, tearing the earth apart and forming a massive canyon.
Chaotic power swept through everything, mountains collapsed, and the land turned into nothingness.
Without warning, the two figures appeared above a desolate mountain, collided again, and vanished.
A second later, the entire mountain exploded into fragments.
Lucien was covered in flames, his hair disheveled, blood filling his mouth. Even so, he continued to exchange blows with Kaido, punch for punch, kick for kick.
Any serious wounds regenerated within a single breath.
Lucien had not even removed his weight restrictions.
He had not even activated his war bgm.
With a deafening bang, a circular shockwave erupted and both were forced apart. Lucien slid sideways, panting, wiping blood from his mouth, feeling the terrifying power vibrating through his body.
Kaido, on the other hand, was only slightly disheveled. His breathing was steady, and only a small trail of blood ran from his mouth.
The gap was obvious.
After such a prolonged battle, Kaido's breathing rhythm had not even been disrupted.
In the world's eyes, Kaido was known as the Strongest Creature in the World, on land, sea, and air. His destructive power and immortal body were legendary. It was even widely accepted that in a one-on-one fight, Kaido was probably the strongest.
Perhaps only Whitebeard and Garp could suppress him.
And even then, in terms of defense, recovery, and endurance, they might not surpass Kaido. Maybe only their destructive power could exceed his.
But in immortality and regeneration…
Lucien was confident.
He could leave Kaido behind.
"You are qualified to become my subordinate."
Kaido's killing intent surged violently. His eyes burned with savage ambition.
He was preparing to beat Lucien half to death and drag him into his crew.
The ground exploded as Kaido made the first move again.
His punch tore through the air, but in a fleeting moment, Lucien shifted his body slightly and perfectly dodged it.
Time seemed to slow.
Lucien leaned forward and drove his elbow straight into Kaido's ribs.
Kaido let out a muffled grunt and stumbled backward.
His eyes widened in fury. His massive palm slammed down, generating a violent storm.
This single strike could collapse everything within a thousand meters.
At point-blank range, Lucien casually took one step to the left.
The ground collapsed behind him.
Kaido's attack missed again.
A red glow flickered continuously in Lucien's amethyst eyes.
Without any urgency, he kicked Kaido's arm, knocking him off balance. Then he followed with a brutal uppercut that smashed directly into Kaido's chin.
Kaido's head snapped backward.
Blood sprayed out like a fountain.
His massive body staggered backward uncontrollably.
Lucien pressed forward.
He appeared beside Kaido and unleashed a storm of fists, elbows, and knees.
For several seconds, Kaido could do nothing but take the beating like a living sandbag.
Then Kaido felt it.
A crisis.
A deadly, instinctive sense of danger.
Lucien stepped forward, the ground collapsing beneath his feet. His entire right arm swelled violently, veins bulging, blood vessels twisting like serpents. A faint dragon roar echoed through the air.
"Bold demon, you dare show such a pathetic trick before me."
Lucien's voice was low and cold.
"Great Might Heavenly Dragon."
A terrifying storm erupted instantly.
Lucien's right palm transformed, forming the head of a ferocious dragon. The dragon extended along his arm, rapidly growing into a massive body that stretched thousands of meters across the sky.
With a deafening dragon roar, Lucien slammed his palm straight into Kaido's stomach.
The impact sounded like the world itself shattering.