Kaido's hassaikai, wreathed in black and crimson Haoshoku lightning, carrying all the power and towering rage of him as the worlds strongest creature, slammed squarely into Satan Saint's bizarre body!
Boom—!!!
Space seemed to collapse at that instant, and the shockwave transformed into solid, circular ripples, tearing up the surrounding ground layer by layer and grinding it into dust.
Satan Saint's body, more than half of which symbolized supreme divine authority, shattered on the spot like broken porcelain under such pure violence. Broken limbs and thick, black liquid splattered everywhere.
However,
Almost simultaneously, the grotesque spider phantom behind Satan Saint trembled violently, and several sharp leg-like appendages, entwined with an ominous black-purple aura, pierced out as if breaking through the limits of time and space, at a speed beyond visual capture!
Kaido, having landed a blow, with his old strength spent and new strength not yet generated, despite twisting his body to the limit, a particularly thick spider leg, like a fated venomous spear, 'pfft' it went, fiercely piercing through his chest, which was covered in hard dragon scales!
"Ugh ah—!"
Kaido let out a muffled groan mixed with pain and fury. Hot dragon blood dripped from the dark chitinous leg, scorching pits into the scorched earth beneath his feet.
He staggered backward, his massive body shaking the ground with every step. He looked down at the gruesome 貫穿傷 on his chest, his eyes not entirely filled with physical pain, but rather with an incredulous shock and anger.
Right before his eyes,
That unbelievable scene unfolded!
Satan Saint's mangled half-body was seen with countless flesh tendrils writhing and intertwining like living things. Broken bones and tissues forcibly reorganized under an invisible rule-based power, and viscous dark matter surged from the void, rapidly filling in the deficiencies.
In the blink of an eye, that body, symbolizing absolute authority, had completely recovered, without even a single scar remaining, as if Kaido's full-power strike, capable of shattering mountains and splitting seas, was merely a clumsy illusion.
"How is this possible...?! "
"Damn it, I can't believe after all these years, he's still so disgusting!"
Kaido's pupils suddenly constricted, and the scene of that bloody purgatory in God Valley decades ago resurfaced clearly before his eyes like a nightmare.
Back then, he was also like this, pouring out all his strength, yet only able to feel a deep sense of powerlessness and despair in the face of these "gods'" immortality.
That nauseating feeling of being unable to budge him an inch, no matter the cost, once again tightly gripped his heart across decades.
"Hmph..."
Satan Saint moved his newly regenerated neck, emitting a bone-grinding sound.
His emotionless gaze fell upon Kaido, as if he were inspecting an animal about to be executed.
"Kaido... decades ago in God Valley, you narrowly escaped like a stray dog. Today, you will have no chance."
His voice was cold and flat, yet carried an absolute confidence, like a pronouncement of fate.
"Your life, your arrogance, everything about you... it ends here. Insects should know their place!"
"Tsk... these old immortals who have lived for several eras are truly as disgusting as they were decades ago!"
Kaido endured the sharp pain and a strange corrosive sensation from his chest, his dragon eyes blazing with a mix of fury and apprehension.
Satan Saint's almost unresolvable immortality instantly brought back the terrifying memory of being dominated by absolute power at God Valley.
But this time, unlike the Rocks Pirates, who were fighting individually and were a disorganized mess back then, he wasn't without a backup plan.
In a flash of lightning,
Kaido's thoughts suddenly connected to the secrets revealed in the latter half of the "Pirate King" manga—about the origin of the "God's Knights," and the cost and flaw of the "immortal blessing" bestowed upon the Gorosei by Imu!
Roger Pirates, that old man named Jabba, once revealed after drinking that this rule-level immortality was not perfect; it was closely linked to some kind of "faith anchor" or "soul contract"!
"That's right... Jabba... and... Shanks!"
Kaido's gaze shot like lightning towards Red-Haired Shanks, who had remained still.
As Roger's direct descendant, and possibly having intricate ties to the "God's Knights," there was no way he wouldn't know this secret!
This guy had been slacking off from the start, clearly waiting for the best moment to act, or rather, forcing him, Kaido, to reveal more of his trump cards first!
"Red Hair!"
Kaido's voice was like thunder, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression, "My patience is limited! If you keep hiding things, don't blame me if I abandon this mess and leave you to deal with this unkillable monster yourself!"
His words were half threat, half test.
At their level, some things didn't need to be explicitly stated; whether they cooperated to defeat the enemy or went their separate ways depended on the other's single thought.
Shanks, who had been observing silently, finally curved his lips into a knowing smile upon hearing this.
He placed one hand on his famous sword, gryphon, and stepped forward, his previously mountain-like composure suddenly becoming incredibly sharp, like a divine weapon about to be unsheathed, severing causality.
"I originally wanted to watch the 'worlds strongest creature' in action for a bit longer..."
Shanks' tone was relaxed, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, locking onto the fleeting energy fluctuation at the core of Satan Saint's regeneration.
"But since you put it that way..."
Boom—!
A wave of Haoshoku far exceeding anything before erupted, no longer mere deterrence, but carrying a power of judgment and definition that caused the surrounding space to subtly warp!
"It's also time to end this boring farce."
Shanks took a step, and the aura around him dramatically shifted.
It wasn't just an expansion of Haki, but more like the awakening of an authority.
He stood between heaven and earth, his eyes sharp as ancient cold steel, his red coat wildly fluttering without wind, like a banner reversing destiny.
For the first time, clear cracks appeared on Satan Saint's placid face—gravity, and a hint of dread buried by the dust of ages.
He stared intently at Shanks' face, that countenance, blindingly familiar in their long, almost eternal lives, like an echoing nightmare.
"That face..." Satan Saint's low voice held a hint of imperceptible wavering, "It really is similar!"
Before he finished speaking, Satan Saint launched his attack first!
The colossal spider phantom behind him let out a silent shriek, and several legs entwined with ominous black-purple rules tore through space!
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