Chapter 137: Hashirama VS Kaido!
"Pfft...!"
The sound was wet and heavy, like a sack of wet cement hitting the pavement from a skyscraper.
Beast Kaido, one of the Four Emperors who ruled the New World like a god, tumbled over a dozen times in mid-air. His massive, indestructible body smashed through three layers of the wedding cake decorations, shattered a fountain of juice, and finally crashed heavily onto the ground.
BOOM!
The entire Whole Cake Chateau trembled violently. Debris flew into the air—shards of hardened biscuit, clouds of flour, and broken candy glass. A giant, human-shaped crater was instantly stamped into the earth, deep and terrifying.
Silence.
For a few heartbeats, only the sound of settling dust and the whistling wind could be heard.
Then, a hand gripped the edge of the crater.
Kaido shakily stood up. His massive chest heaved, his breathing ragged. He looked down at his own fist, which was trembling slightly. The skin was reddened, the knuckles white.
His golden eyes, usually filled with drunkenness or boredom, were now dilated with pure, unadulterated disbelief.
"This... how is this possible?"
Kaido muttered to himself, his voice vibrating with a low, dangerous growl. He clenched his fist, feeling the lingering phantom pain.
"This man's physique... is actually not inferior to mine at all?"
Kaido's mind raced. He had fought Whitebeard. He had fought Roger. He had fought Garp. He knew what "strength" felt like. But this was different. This man, Hashirama Senju, didn't seem to be using a Devil Fruit to enhance his strength. He felt... naturally powerful. Like a tree that had roots deep in the earth, immovable and ancient.
"Even... stronger?"
The thought was blasphemy. He was Kaido! He was the recognized "Strongest Creature in Land, Sea, and Air"!
On this vast sea, in terms of physical resilience and raw muscular strength, he was the absolute pinnacle! He was the survivor of a thousand tortures. Even those monsters at Marineford, the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral, using all sorts of methods—magma, light, ice—couldn't leave permanent scars on his body!
Yet, this unknown newcomer, this man in the strange red armor, in pure hand-to-hand combat, had suppressed him?
Thrown him like a ragdoll?
"Roar...!!!"
An unprecedented sense of humiliation rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull. It burned his veins like magma. Kaido completely lost control!
He threw his head back and let out an earth-shattering dragon roar towards the sky.
The sound wave alone shattered the remaining windows of the Chateau.
"I am Kaido!!!"
His body began to rapidly expand and deform. The sound of bones cracking and muscles tearing filled the air.
Snap! Crack! Crunch!
Azure dragon scales furiously erupted from beneath his skin, tearing through his clothes, covering his entire body in impenetrable armor. His neck elongated, thick muscles bunching up like steel cables. Ferocious, sharp dragon horns grew from his temples, spiraling upwards. A thick, scaled dragon tail violently lashed out behind him, whipping the air with such force that it created a sonic boom.
Bang!
Human-Beast Form! The Hybrid Form!
This was the form that combined the toughness of the Azure Dragon with the agility and combat versatility of a human. It was Kaido's true combat stance, a nightmare that had ended the lives of countless challengers.
"Oh?"
Hashirama stood amidst the rubble, dusting off his shoulder armor. He looked at Kaido, who had transformed into a terrifying half-dragon monstrosity, with an expression of genuine curiosity.
There was no fear in his dark eyes. Only the delight of a child seeing a rare beetle.
"Hahahaha! Incredible! Not only can he transform into a full dragon, but he can also take on this half-dragon man form?"
Hashirama laughed heartily, slapping his thigh.
"This is truly too interesting! It reminds me of the Tailed Beasts back home, but more... compact!"
Even as he laughed, Hashirama's aura changed. The playful atmosphere evaporated, replaced by a deep, resonant connection with the earth.
He clasped his hands together in a prayer seal. He closed his eyes for a split second, and when he opened them, the air around him seemed to sing.
Buzz.
Strange, red pigmentation appeared around his eyes, extending down his cheeks. A black circle appeared on his forehead. His pupils transformed, becoming horizontal bars.
"Sage Mode · Activate!"
He whispered the words, but the power behind them was palpable. Natural energy from the atmosphere flooded into his body, enhancing his physical parameters to a level that defied logic.
"Die, insect!"
Kaido didn't wait. He stomped the ground, shattering the earth, and vanished.
"Thunderous Eight Trigrams!"
In his human-beast form, Kaido's strength and speed soared to a whole new level! He was a blur of blue scales and black lightning.
The spiked club, Hassaikai, was gripped in both hands. It was once again enveloped in thick, purple-black Conqueror's Haki lightning. The electricity crackled wildly, disintegrating the dust in the air.
This strike was faster. Heavier. More lethal.
It struck down at Hashirama with several times the previous speed and power!
"Die!"
Facing this violent blow that could split an island in half, Hashirama, who had entered Sage Mode, merely raised one hand.
He didn't dodge. He didn't block with a weapon.
He spread his five fingers open and thrust his palm upward.
Boom!
The collision was silent for a microsecond, and then the sound caught up.
A terrifying shockwave radiated outwards in a perfect white ring from the point of impact between the flesh of the palm and the spiked steel of the club.
The ground beneath Hashirama didn't just crack; it pulverized into fine sand instantly, creating a crater ten meters wide.
"Ugh!"
"Run!"
Those underground magnates who were too close—Du Feld, Umit, and the others—were directly sent flying by the compressed air current. They tumbled like bowling pins, spitting foam, their eyes rolling back into their heads. Their fate was unknown.
However, at the center of the storm, the impossible happened.
Kaido's destructive spiked club, wrapped in the highest level of Haki, was firmly caught by Hashirama with just one hand!
The club hummed and vibrated, trying to push forward, but Hashirama's arm was like an iron pillar rooted in the center of the earth.
"What?"
Kaido's vertical dragon pupils constricted violently. He felt like he had hit a mountain made of diamond.
The next second, Hashirama's five fingers exerted force.
"Hah!"
Hashirama shouted, and an unimaginable, immense physical power surged through his arm!
Kaido only felt an overwhelming force coming from the club—a force that exceeded his own leverage. His grip loosened slightly, and his massive body was once again uncontrollably lifted off the ground.
"Get away!"
Hashirama swung his arm, and Kaido was sent flying backward like a baseball!
"Damn it!!!"
Being sent flying repeatedly drove Kaido into a complete frenzy!
He refused to believe it! He absolutely refused to believe it!
He was an Emperor! He was the nightmare of the New World! How could he not even take down an unknown newcomer? How could he be overpowered in strength?
"Descent of the Three Worlds · Ragnaraku!"
Kaido forcibly stabilized himself in mid-air by spinning his tail. Then, defying gravity, he suddenly leaped high into the sky, disappearing into the dark clouds he had summoned.
He reached the apex of his jump and began to spin.
The spiked club in his hand spun at high speed, entraining the wind and the thunder. Entwined with purple-black Conqueror's Haki, he transformed into a destructive meteor that descended from the heavens!
"Hell's Descent!"
He crashed down, aiming directly for Hashirama's head.
This strike was enough to completely shatter the foundation of Whole Cake Island!
However, Hashirama's Sage Mode allowed him to sense the attack's trajectory perfectly. He merely tapped his toe on the ground.
Whoosh.
He moved with the fluidity of water, easily leaping backward out of the attack range just as the club smashed into the ground.
CRASH!
The earth exploded. A shockwave tore through the venue, toppling pillars and sending cakes flying.
"It's not over yet!"
Kaido roared from the dust cloud. He used the impact of his descent to stomp the ground, his knees bending like springs.
Bang!
His body bounced up like a cannonball, instantly appearing beside Hashirama, who had just leaped away and was still in mid-air!
"Roaring Thunder Eight Trigrams!"
Kaido swung. He gripped the club with both hands, muscles bulging to the point of tearing. He swept it horizontally towards Hashirama.
Hashirama was in mid-air. He had nowhere to leverage. Nowhere to dodge.
The club approached at a speed faster than all his previous attacks!
"In the air, let's see how you dodge this time!" Kaido's face showed a ferocious, victorious grin.
However, facing this attack that sealed off all escape routes, Hashirama's expression remained calm.
"Wood Release."
He calmly clapped his hands together in mid-air!
Clap.
The sound was crisp and clear.
Roar...!
Life exploded from nothingness.
A ferocious small dragon, entirely made of hardwood, grew out of thin air in front of Hashirama's torso. It twisted and coiled instantly, opening its giant wooden mouth.
Crunch!
The wooden dragon bit down on Kaido's unstoppable spiked club just inches from Hashirama's ribs!
"Break apart, you bastard!!"
Kaido unleashed all his strength and violently struggled! The Haki flared wildy.
Crack!
With a loud snap, the wooden dragon's head shattered into thousands of splinters!
But that split second of obstruction was enough. The momentum of the swing had been halted just enough.
Hashirama used the recoil to flip backward, adjusting his posture. He landed lightly and steadily on the ground, his feet making no sound.
Thud.
Kaido followed closely, landing heavily on his feet, his chest heaving violently. Steam rose from his scales.
He stared intently at the man in front of him. Hashirama stood tall, the red markings on his face glowing slightly. He had maintained a relaxed expression throughout the entire exchange.
For the first time, besides anger, Kaido's eyes held a hint of excitement. The thrill of the hunt.
The feeling of a worthy opponent!
"Worororo..." Kaido started to laugh, ready to engage in a death match that could last for days.
However, this newfound excitement was mercilessly extinguished by an extremely impatient voice.
"Hey, Hashirama!"
The voice cut through the tension like a sharp knife. It came from not far away, clearly echoing in everyone's ears.
Uchiha Madara stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a broken pillar. He looked bored. Disappointed, even.
"How long are you going to keep playing?"
Madara's voice carried a hint of arrogance and disdain that froze the blood of everyone present.
"You're just wasting time! If you can't do it, step aside and let me handle it!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue once again fell into a dead silence.
The wind seemed to stop blowing.
If earlier, when Suzaku called Hashirama a "newcomer," everyone thought he was arrogant, then now... the context had changed.
The person who spoke these words was that dangerous-looking man, Uchiha Madara, whose strength had already been proven by his clash with Charlotte Linlin yesterday.
"What?"
Perospero dropped his candy cane.
"He said play... play?"
The Charlotte Family's Sweet Commanders could hardly believe their ears.
Smoothie's hand on her sword hilt trembled slightly. Her legs felt weak.
And the usually calm Katakuri, standing atop a mound of mochi, felt a chill run down his spine. His lower face was covered by his scarf, but for the first time, his eyes showed undisguised astonishment.
Fighting "Beast" Kaido to this extent... forcing the Strongest Creature into his hybrid form... surviving the Thunder Bagua...
And you call this... playing?
"If this is playing," Katakuri thought, sweat dripping down his temple, "then what would it look like if he got serious?"
"Mamamama!"
Charlotte Linlin's extremely penetrating laughter broke the silence.
She looked in Uchiha Madara's direction. She wasn't angry. Her huge eyes were gleaming with an unprecedented brilliance, a mix of greed and realization, as if she had discovered a treasure more delicious than the ultimate wedding cake.
"So that's it... so that's it!"
She understood. These people weren't just strong. They were from a different dimension of power.
"Since that man said it, then the credibility is very high!"
She turned to look at her strongest son, her smile deepening into something grotesque.
"Katakuri, do you see? This is still far from their full strength! We must get them!"
In the arena, hearing his best friend's—and rival's—"urging," Hashirama scratched the back of his head a little sheepishly.
"Ah? Was I being too slow?"
He laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, sorry, Madara! I just haven't seen a creature like this before. I got a bit carried away observing him! I'm coming!"
He turned his head back to look at the furious Kaido.
The gentle, goofy smile on Hashirama's face slowly receded. It was like the sun setting behind a mountain, casting a long, dark shadow.
It was replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and seriousness. The aura of the First Hokage.
"Mr. Kaido, it seems my companion is impatient."
Hashirama bowed slightly, his tone sincere and polite, which only made the situation more terrifying.
"Then... the warm-up ends here."
The moment the words fell!
BOOM!
It wasn't a sound. It was a pressure.
An aura far more immense, vast, and terrifying than at any previous moment erupted from Hashirama's body!
It rolled out like a tsunami, crashing against the mental defenses of everyone on the island. The sky turned dark purple. Red lightning crackled from his body, tearing the ground apart without him even moving.
It was no longer just a simple aura. It was the will of a conqueror.
It was the king's disposition that reigned over the world!
Conqueror's Haki!
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