Conqueror's Haki Infusion, in the eyes of all strong fighters, is absolutely the most powerful attack method—there is no second place.
But…
Right now, Kaido felt his entire worldview was undergoing yet another round of cleansing.
The spiraling sword aura with which Michael shattered his Conqueror's Haki Infusion—
Flowing across it… was actually the advanced application of Armament Haki…
What people commonly call "Ryuo."
Ryuo indeed is one of the standard marks of a powerhouse.
But logically speaking, it shouldn't even be on the same tier as Conqueror's Haki.
"You… how did you even do that?"
Kaido, blasted away by Michael's Starfire Blade, looked down at the mark-like wound on his chest and stared at Michael in disbelief.
That move just now not only broke through his Conqueror's Haki Infusion but also struck Kaido right in the chest.
Though the injury was almost nothing to Kaido, it was impossible to comprehend.
"You want to know?" Michael revealed a meaningful smile. "But the truth is… that move I used just now was stronger than yours. It's that simple."
"…Are you mocking me?"
"No no no, Kaido, I'm only stating a fact… If you had used a stronger move instead of this, of course it wouldn't have been broken by my Ryuo."
Michael waved Myōjō, and the straight blade was still flowing with that purple-black Armament Haki.
"You really are… arrogant."
Kaido, who had already entered a drunken state, almost had his drunkenness suppressed by Michael's display.
"The one who used a probing move is the one at fault, you know."
Michael squinted his eyes with a smile and pointed through the air at Kaido.
"I told you… our fight should be more direct. More sincere."
As he spoke, Myōjō swept horizontally in front of him, and white Holy Light flame, pale-blue Judgment Flame, and red Flame of Wrath slowly seeped from Michael's wings, coiling around him.
"But since you made the first move just now… does that mean it's my turn?"
Michael's aura grew even more monstrous.
The tri-colored angelic flames made the air around him swell and distort, and from afar, even space looked faintly warped.
"Three flames? What is this Mythical Zoan of yours anyway?"
After a brief moment of shock, Kaido's curiosity rose again.
Michael—be it in raw combat ability, or in the bizarre nature of his fruit—was someone Kaido had never seen before.
In his mind, Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion were simply pure "strong."
Charlotte Linlin, who to him was practically like a sister, relied on the strongest body in the world of pirates, plus the Soul-Soul Fruit, to barely reach the pinnacle.
But Michael…
Seemed like a fusion of both types.
"You want to know that badly?" Michael tilted his head at Kaido. "Well, telling you is fine. The fruit I ate is the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Seraph… In a sense, you could say it's related to old man Sengoku's line."
"Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Seraph? Seraph…" Kaido repeated the fruit's name over and over. "So this 'Seraph' represents these three flames?"
"If that's how you insist on interpreting it." Michael shrugged. "I prefer to classify these abilities as the… authorities of a Seraph."
After speaking, Michael waved Myōjō, leaving behind a long trail of lingering flame.
"So then, Kaido—take my next attack…"
"Starfire Blade… Hell!"
...
"Hey hey hey, isn't this thing way too big!?"
Right now, Rosinante was standing on the sea…
To be precise, he was standing on a platform extending from the base of the robot multiplied a hundredfold.
Right now, Bullet himself was a steel island.
Originally, he thought he would have to lead the group into a rotation battle against Ochoku…
But the thunder was loud and the rain tiny—before the real fight even began, Ochoku was smashed head-on by one of his own side.
Rosinante didn't even know whether Ochoku had been blasted away or smashed into pieces…
Although he was one of the top fighters of the previous era, without the support of a Devil Fruit, relying only on Haki and physical ability, it was doubtful he could withstand a blow from Bullet like this.
"Rosinante… what do we do now?"
Sandersonia looked up, her usually calm eyes now completely overtaken by the sight of Bullet.
"Something this huge… can we even kill it?"
"How do you know if we don't try?"
Marigold rolled up her sleeves, without a trace of the cuteness she had in front of Michael.
"Let me try flipping him over!"
"You have the Power-Power Fruit, not the Wish Fruit," Jack muttered under his breath. "In this state… Bullet really is no joke."
"Enough. Arguing about how strong the enemy is does nothing now."
T Bone gripped Kalavinka, his expression grave.
"Strong or weak, we must be ready for a fight to the death."
Rosinante nodded at that, then turned to Shu.
"Well? Any way to rust the metal while it's under the control of the Clank-Clank Fruit?"
"Do you think I'm some kind of god?" Shu wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I ate the Rust-Rust Fruit, not the Make-Your-Dreams-Come-True Fruit… Sorry, but with both the Clank-Clank Fruit and Armament Haki reinforcing it, he can even absorb seawater temporarily as part of the combined robot… I can't rust Bullet's steel at all right now."
And in the gap of their conversation, they suddenly felt a quake-like tremor.
Rosinante jerked his head up.
Bullet had begun moving.
Meaning…
Even the four Logia types were starting to fail at stopping him frontally.
And in truth, that was exactly the case.
Even with Stella leading in her Cloud-Cloud form, Bullet was now simply…
Too big.
Although the big techniques of the four Logias could break through his defense…
Even breaking through barely counted as the equivalent of a mosquito bite.
The only difference might be…
These mosquitoes could talk?
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in Rosinante's arms rang.
"Bluru bluru bluru… clack."
"Hello!"
"Rosinante, it is I!"
"Hancock? You're okay?"
"I was never not okay… Listen. Full retreat! Defend the mainland of Wano!"
Hancock's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"The Clank-Clank Fruit's movement speed is extremely slow, so…"
"First, take out the Beast Pirates who are circling around to attack Wano from behind!"
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Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg