...
"Kaido, you bastard! I'll kill you!"
Big Mom's furious roar shattered several windows inside the treasure vault.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared fixedly at the Devil Fruit in Kaido's hand—already missing a huge bite. Her chest heaved violently, and the terrifying aura radiating from her caused the temperature in the entire space to drop sharply.
Two top-tier Devil Fruits had been right within her grasp. She had schemed meticulously and put in immense effort, only for someone else to reap the benefits!
This sense of frustration combined with the rage of being ambushed by Kaido gnawed at her sanity like a venomous snake.
Kaido's throat bobbed as he swallowed the incredibly delicious mouthful of fruit. A strange, hot current instantly surged through his limbs and body.
He could even clearly feel some dormant power awakening deep within his blood.
Facing Linlin's predatory, devouring gaze, he gave an awkward grin: "Wororororo~ Linlin, don't be so stingy.
I really have this feeling… this Devil Fruit… it's like it was calling out to me in some fated way…"
This wasn't entirely an excuse. The moment he ate the fruit, a bloodline-like palpitation had truly gripped him.
"My blade is calling out to you too!"
"BOOM!"
Her response was the explosive sound of air being torn apart!
Big Mom had no patience for his nonsense. In her towering rage, the massive blade Napoleon in her hand erupted with unprecedented, ferocious cold light. With the simplest and most brutal downward vertical slash, she chopped straight toward Kaido's head!
This strike held nothing back—carrying her monstrous strength capable of shattering mountains and seas, along with her boiling killing intent.
Kaido's pupils contracted sharply. Linlin was serious this time!
The last trace of levity vanished from his face, replaced by solemn focus.
Almost on pure instinct, his right arm—muscles bulging—swung up the heavy kanabo "Hachisai Kai."
Pitch-black Armament Haki surged over it like a tide, and he met that lethal slash head-on!
"CLANG!"
When blade met club, the sound was no longer metallic collision but a terrifying boom like two meteorites smashing into each other!
Two domineering waves of Conqueror's Haki—different in nature yet equally supreme—clashed violently. Black-red lightning-like energy ripples exploded outward from the two of them, scattering wildly!
The solid ground cracked inch by inch, spreading like a spiderweb. Mountains of gold, silver, and treasures piled around them were hurled away by the invisible shockwave, clattering and smashing into the walls!
The entire treasure vault shook violently, as if on the verge of complete collapse.
Blocked in one strike, the madness in Big Mom's eyes intensified.
"Zeus! Prometheus!" she shrieked.
"Yes, Mama!"
The thundercloud Zeus above her head swelled instantly. Blinding lightning gathered into searing white thunderbolts. Beside her, the sun Prometheus danced with raging flames, expanding into a scorching miniature sun!
Flames, thunder, combined with Napoleon's blade—capable of slicing through giant warships—three forces each powerful enough to annihilate an entire fleet poured down from three different directions toward the still-young Kaido!
Where the flames passed, air warped and pure-gold treasures melted. Thunder roared, arcs of electricity leaping wildly, scorching the ground black!
Even before the slash arrived, its razor-sharp edge already made Kaido's skin sting.
The Kaido of this time was far from the future monster dubbed "the Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air" and "impossible to kill."
Right now, though immensely talented and powerful, he was ultimately still a "brat" in rapid growth—his full potential yet to be fully realized.
Facing Big Mom's furious, all-out encirclement, he felt a threat unlike any before!
"You've gone too far, Linlin!!"
Kaido let out a roar, ferocity flashing in his eyes.
His arm muscles swelled to their limit. The kanabo whirled like a storm in his hands as he pushed Observation Haki to its extreme, capturing every trace of the incoming attacks.
The kanabo, wrapped in shockwaves, first smashed apart the blazing fire pillar spat by Prometheus.
"Thunder Bagua: Remnant!"
The club spun again, using skillful redirection to deflect Zeus's thick bolt of lightning.
Finally, he twisted his body violently, planting the kanabo horizontally in front of him to once more clash head-on with Napoleon's slash!
"BOOM!"
This collision's power far surpassed the previous one!
The specially reinforced dome of the treasure vault was torn off like paper, revealing the gloomy, oppressive sky outside.
This clash between the two also drew the attention of the other powerhouses in God Valley. Their gazes all turned toward the treasure vault.
"Not good! That's where the prizes are stored—Sommers, hurry and provide support!"
Seeing the direction, Saint Garling felt a chill. He immediately ordered Saint Sommers to lead some Marines rushing that way.
"You bastards—what the hell have you done!?"
Saint Garling drew his sword and pointed it toward Roger and Rocks, his tone and eyes making it clear he was extremely displeased right now.
"Wuwuwu!"
Little Shanks, seeing Saint Garling draw his sword, burrowed fearfully deeper into Roger's arms. Shamrock looked equally panicked.
Teach was also startled by Saint Garling's action and rubbed fearfully against Eris, trembling all over.
"Hey, you punk—you scared my son! Do I need to give you face?!"
Seeing his own son frightened, Rocks instantly flared up. The Conqueror's Haki unique to a king instantly poured out!
Rocks's Haki was overwhelming—even some Marine officers' bodies began to tremble.
…
Over at the treasure vault now—
Under the violent energy impacts, the surrounding walls groaned unbearably and began collapsing in large sections. Bricks, stones, melted gold, and jewels rained outward in all directions.
"You sneaky bastard! Spit that fruit back out for Mama!!"
Through the swirling dust, Big Mom locked onto Kaido with an icy glare—as if staring at a dead man.
The angrier she got, the more she thought about the fruit she had dreamed of—the one that could change the future strength of her pirate crew—being stolen by the "brat" in front of her!
Boundless rage transformed into tangible power. Veins bulged on the hands gripping Napoleon…
Her slashes grew stronger with every wave, forcing Kaido to retreat again and again. Deep craters exploded open beneath his feet.
"How the hell could I do something like that?! Aren't you an ability user too!?"
Kaido gritted his teeth and roared while desperately blocking the storm-like barrage.
He could feel the newborn power inside him accelerating its fusion, but he couldn't yet call on it immediately. Linlin gave him no time to breathe or adapt.
Every clash between kanabo and giant blade numbed his tiger's mouth and churned his organs.
"I don't have time to play with you anymore!"
Just as Big Mom knocked Kaido's kanabo aside and her long blade tore through the air, descending toward his head with the force of ten thousand jun—
Kaido suddenly threw his head back and let out a long howl!
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
The roar shook the heavens, like the furious bellow of an ancient primordial beast.
With that roar, an unprecedented, majestic power surged and boiled within him.
Kaido's muscles swelled violently. Azure scales burst through his skin, gleaming with cold light under the sun.
Under Big Mom's horrified gaze, his massive body shot skyward, coiling and stretching among the clouds.
When the smoke and clouds cleared, a sky-blotting azure dragon spanned the horizon. Every scale shimmered with chilling azure radiance!
The sinuous dragon body flickered in and out among the drifting clouds, its shadow blanketing the entire battlefield.
Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type: Azure Dragon Form!
Kaido saw himself flying and felt incomparably excited. This scene was perfectly witnessed by the arriving Saint Sommers and the group of Marines.
Saint Sommers's eyes nearly popped out seeing the colossal creature in the sky. Some Marines, witnessing a legendary dragon, trembled so hard their legs gave out—many simply plopped down on their backsides!
"Linlin—I'm heading out first, bye-bye!"
Kaido quickly adapted to his new ability. He shouted provocatively toward the rear, then began riding the clouds and mist, heading straight toward the center of God Valley.
"Zeus—we're giving chase!"
Seeing Kaido trying to escape, Big Mom snapped out of her daze. Grinding her teeth, she called Zeus and accelerated after him.
Watching Kaido's massive, power-packed body, Big Mom's eyes were filled with pure envy.
Though she had obtained Devil Fruits, if she had given this one to her child to eat, it would have become a mighty asset for her pirate crew in the future.
But that hope was now completely gone. Both fruits were lost—the first eaten by a little brat who then ran off, the second stolen and eaten by Kaido in the ambush…
Big Mom really ended up with nothing!
(I think Big Mom truly developed killing intent here, so I personally described a simple battle scene between the two! Not sure if you all enjoy reading this kind of thing |･ω･｀)
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