The two briefly exchanged glances again, Sage instinctively crouched low, getting into a charging posture, while Kaido gripped the Wolf Fang Club tightly, pulling it back in a swinging position.
Thud!
Both simultaneously stepped forward charging at each other. Sage moved faster, crossing the midpoint first; however, Kaido's rapid explosive attack was quicker to strike.
Boom!!
Supreme King's Entanglement and Haki coiled in their hands, one punching, the other swinging the club, created a dark purple ball of light where the fist and club met, irregularly compressing and expanding, then erupted into a larger shockwave, cracking the ground rapidly from their center and blowing both away.
Bam!
As they separated, Sage fiercely rose into the sky, his coiling Haki materialized as black flames, fiercely slamming downward.
"Vajra Continent Splitting Slash!"
At a speed almost invisible, one could only see a ball of black flames rapidly smashing down. Kaido's eyes widened as he shouted, the Wolf Fang Club in his hand rapidly spinning twice, swinging like a bolt of lightning, directly smashing into that ball of black flames.
"Thunder Wheel Hakke!"
Boom!!
Another shockwave spread out, causing the air to tremble violently. Though it was blocked, that impact also swiftly shattered the ground beneath Kaido's feet, forming a massive crater.
"Hot Breath!"
As the blow was deflected, Kaido opened his mouth and spouted a flame ray. Sage in mid-air created a smoke ring with a quick maneuver, narrowly dodging the flames while slightly adjusting his posture, transforming hand into foot, instantly striking down.
"Celestial Piercing Sea-Sharp Blade!"
Kaido stepped back half a step, creating some distance, the Wolf Fang Club spinning again, crashing down on Sage's foot, their Haki constantly clashing, releasing shockwaves, causing both to be blown apart.
Kaido retreated several steps in succession, then leapt quickly from his final step, attacking right in front of Sage who had just landed, the Wolf Fang Club surging with even more terrifying Supreme King, slamming directly down.
"Thunderous Hakke!"
Bam!
The iron club penetrated directly from above Sage's head into the ground, causing Ghost Island to tremble momentarily, cracks spreading from beneath the club across its surface.
Sage's body flickered like an afterimage, leaving Kaido's attack to strike empty air.
The moment that afterimage appeared, more afterimages surrounded Kaido, simultaneously raising their hands and launching an attack at him from all directions.
"Hundred Ghosts Assault Purgatory!!"
"Even faster, there's still only one of you, Sage!"
Kaido shouted loudly, swinging the Wolf Fang Club once more.
Bam bam bam!
Thud!
The sound of impact was clearly heard from Kaido's left side, but it lasted only a brief moment. The Wolf Fang Club directly hit one of the afterimages, creating an even louder thud.
The surrounding afterimages vanished, and Kaido's Wolf Fang Club struck Sage's face directly, sending him flying away.
"Cough!"
But at that moment, Kaido spat out a mouthful of blood, his massive body slightly hunched.
The flying Sage spun mid-air, landing again. He wiped the blood from his face and, as he let go, his entire face emitted white steam, healing his wounds, then looked at Kaido with a sinister smile.
"Heh..."
Kaido wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, grinning fiercely as well: "Good fight, getting hurt like this."
"Spare me."
Sage crouched his body again, "If you lost your combat ability due to being injured, it would actually be easier to deal with."
Rumble!
Kaido slammed the Wolf Fang Club onto the ground, a torrent of purple-black energy surged upward, exploding in the air like a detonation.
"Ohrohohohoho!"
He tilted his head back, laughing: "Preparation is over, Sage! It's been a long time since I've fought with all my strength..."
In his body, swollen from transforming into the Human-Beast Form, grew even larger at this moment, making the thick Wolf Fang Club now appear slender.
A Dragon Man face, with its eyebrows suddenly thickened, turning into flame-like clouds, and the brows showing a spiral pattern.
"Get ready, Sage!"
Kaido moved his legs, instantly teleporting over like a bolt of purple lightning, reaching Sage. The Wolf Fang Club was already swung towards his face.
"Thunderous Hakke!!"
The speed and explosive power, along with the Haki felt...
It was on a completely different level from before!
Sage's pupils constricted, in that moment even feeling a sense of being unable to react, forced to cross his arms to block.
Bam!
The Wolf Fang Club smashed into his arms, knocking him airborne, and as Kaido swung the club aside, he swiftly spun it around, forming it into a thrust, instantly producing numerous club shadows, locking in all of Sage's movement space.
"Army Dreadnought · Dragon's Conquering Army!!"
With the teleportation and explosion-like movements, the opponent was completely locked in, entirely inescapable.
Sage had no intention of dodging!
"Hundred Ghosts Assault Thunder!!"
Amidst the club shadows, he quickly adjusted his body, his hands and even feet danced into afterimages, colliding with the incoming Wolf Fang Club.
Clang clang clang!
Bam bam bam!!
Black-red thunder and purple-black lightning intertwined and collided, with interspersed flashes of sparks appearing around Sage, creating continuous shockwaves that widened the ground cracks around him, lifting up splintered stones which shattered mid-air and blew away.
"Hot Breath!"
In the midst of continuous rapid thrusts, Kaido suddenly opened his mouth, shooting a flame ray from the center of the club shadows.
"Wind Strike!"
Sage's swinging hands suddenly brought up a whirlwind, blocking Kaido's attack, then punching straight into the ray, causing the flame ray to spray outward from the front of the fist, forming a flaming barrier.
Whoosh!
But soon, that flame barrier was turned into sparks, and the moment the club shadows disappeared, Kaido's body exploded from the barrier, the Wolf Fang Club swung horizontally like a purple lightning bolt, heavily striking Sage's chest.