...
Outside the light screen, the young Kaido watched the childish "fireball stubbornness" farce between Luffy, Law, and Kid...
The corner of his mouth curled into an extremely disdainful arc, and a muffled cold snort came from his nose.
"Hmph... Just these three snot-nosed brats who can even have internal conflicts during battle..."
Kaido shouldered his spiked club, his tone filled with condescending contempt: "Just with them, they think they're qualified to drag me and Linlin, who have dominated the seas for decades, into the water? What a huge joke!"
Seeing Luffy as an opponent, Kaido did not believe for a second that his future self had any chance of losing.
In his eyes, the gap in strength was a chasm that could never be crossed by a bit of cleverness, unexpected growth, or childish unity.
However, standing beside him, Charlotte Linlin's beautiful face, which usually wore a cold smile, now rarely showed a trace of seriousness.
Her huge eyes stared at the light screen, then glanced at the confident Kaido beside her. She spoke in her unique tone: "Mam-ma-ma-ma~ Kaido, don't underestimate people too much."
Big Mom's voice lacked its usual playfulness and carried a rare note of caution: "Although these three brats look pretty stupid right now...
Have you forgotten that brief white form the straw hat brat transformed into during the 'Red-Haired Diva' scene?"
Big Mom's words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing part of Kaido's contemptuous flames.
Kaido's brows suddenly furrowed tightly!
Reminded by Linlin, he suddenly recalled that detail he had almost overlooked!
During the light screen playback of the Uta Incident, Luffy had indeed displayed a strange form where his entire body was covered in pure white, with an extremely pure aura!
That form had not even been explained in detail by the light screen itself regarding its origin and name. It had only flashed by briefly.
More importantly, at that time, many important figures both inside and outside the light screen had lowered their voices in shock, guessing that this posture was related to a certain name passed down among a few races and in ancient legends... the "Warrior of Liberation."
"I remember the Five Elders said that guy is called Nika..."
Kaido muttered this taboo-like name in a low voice, his eyes becoming sharp.
If that straw hat brat was truly connected to the legendary "Sun God"...
Then the nature of the matter would be completely different!
"Although old man still doesn't know what kind of damn thing that specifically is right now...
Kaido fell silent for a moment. His voice became low and heavy. He once again gripped his spiked club tightly, his gaze turning toward Luffy's figure on the light screen: "But if... old man really loses to this white brat in the future...
He paused. His massive body seemed to radiate a decisive aura: "Then it means that in that future era, old man's life... ends here!"
"If your skills are inferior, losing is losing. There's nothing more to say!"
This realization was unexpectedly straightforward.
Kaido believed in the supremacy of power and that the winner takes all.
If a stronger existence defeated him in the future, he would accept that outcome and acknowledge that he had reached the end of the road toward becoming the strongest.
Seeing Kaido so serious, Linlin shrugged her broad shoulders indifferently: "Mam, as long as you have that realization, it's fine. Who knows what will happen in the future?"
She said no more and refocused her attention on the light screen. A trace of inquiry and wariness toward that "white form" also hid deep within her eyes.
On the light screen, the brief farce had ended, but the battle had not stopped.
Seeing their captains resolve a crisis in such a "childish" manner, Zoro and Killer, the core officers of their respective pirate crews, felt it necessary to somewhat salvage their crews' "professional image."
Zoro silently tied his green headband on his forehead. His eyes instantly became as cold and sharp as unsheathed blades.
He slowly drew his three swords — Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Enma...
The blades gleamed coldly under the dim light of Oni Island.
On the other side, the eyes beneath Killer's mask flashed red. He silently unfolded his pair of scythe-like rotating sickles. The blades spun at high speed, emitting a "buzzing" sound as they cut through the air.
Without a word, the two moved almost simultaneously!
Zoro charged straight at Kaido's lower body!
Killer's spinning sickles drew deadly arcs, aiming directly at Kaido's joints and vital points!
Faced with this coordinated assault from two top officers of the "Worst Generation," powerful enough to easily sever anything, Kaido did not dodge or evade!
He did not even specifically gather Armament Haki. He only slightly tensed his bronze-colored, scar-covered, terrifying muscles!
"Clang! Clang! Shhh——!"
The slashes landed!
However, what shocked them was that their full-powered strikes could barely even break through Kaido's normal physical defense?!
This monster's physical constitution once again refreshed their understanding of "strength"!
"Hmph... Tickling me?"
Kaido lowered his head and glanced at the marks on his leg. His tone was calm, even carrying a trace of boredom.
However, in the instant when Zoro and Killer's attacks had just ended and their old strength was spent while new strength had yet to arrive...
"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!"
Three figures flashed out like ghosts from the smoke and dust of the earlier fireball explosion, appearing right in front of Kaido!
It was Luffy, Kid, and Law!
The three of them still bore scorch marks from the flames. Wisps of heat rose from their hair and the edges of their clothes. They looked somewhat disheveled.
But their eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit and desperate resolve!
The previous "internal conflict" and "stubborn pride" seemed to have never happened. In their place was an aura of being completely enraged and ready to fight with everything they had!
The three captains clearly had no intention of holding back or playing around anymore.
They were going to... reveal all their trump cards!
"Gear 4·Bounce Man!"
Luffy let out a low roar. His arms suddenly sucked in air toward both sides of his body. His entire upper body rapidly expanded and deformed like a balloon being inflated!
His skin turned red and was covered in pitch-black Armament Haki. Steam gushed out from his joints like white smoke!
He had entered a new form that combined power, speed, and Haki!
Eustass Kid laughed wildly as he spread his arms. The scattered metal debris on the battlefield instantly gathered. Countless metal fragments spun at high speed around him, combining and condensing into a "magnetic monster" that controlled metal!
"ROOM·Slaughterhouse!"
Trafalgar Law's expression was cold and stern. He pointed "Kikoku" forward!
Everything within the space — rocks, broken wood, even the flow of air...
Everything seemed to be under his control!
Watching these three brats whose auras had suddenly climbed to their peak and who were each revealing astonishing trump cards, Kaido did not panic. Instead... he burst into loud laughter!
"Worororo!! Hey hey hey... You brats...
Kaido's laughter was filled with wildness and joy. Excited flames burned in his eyes: "This aura... this appearance... is just like real 'monsters'!!"
He felt that long-missing fighting spirit that could make his blood boil and even excite this body of the "strongest creature"!
This feeling of facing unknown power and a true challenge intoxicated him more than drinking!
"Come on! Let old man see!! Just how big of a wave can you so-called 'new era' stir up!!!"
Kaido excitedly spread his arms, as if wanting to embrace the incoming violent attacks. His muscles bulged.
His Conqueror's Haki uncontrollably overflowed and fiercely clashed with the auras emanating from the three captains, causing the black clouds in the sky to roll even more violently!
Without any unnecessary words, at the exact same instant Kaido spread his arms and let out his challenging roar, the three captains' attacks had already been launched!
"Gomu Gomu no... King Kong Gun!!!"
Luffy was the first to move!
In his Gear 4 Bounce Man state, his speed surged!
His rubber fist, covered in pitch-black Armament Haki and red patterns, suddenly stretched backward like a spring compressed to the extreme, then shot out with a boom!
The fist tore through the air, emitting a sonic-boom-like shriek. With unstoppable force, it accurately smashed into Kaido's completely unguarded abdomen!
"Boom!!!!!"
A solid hit. The muffled sound was like a heavy cannon blast!
Kaido's abdominal muscles instantly caved in, forming a clear fist imprint!
The immense impact force caused his massive body to stagger backward several meters for the first time, completely out of control!
The ground was left with deep craters from his heavy footsteps...
The wild laughter on his face slightly froze. Clearly, the power of this punch far exceeded any previous attack!
"Eustass captain! Cover!"
Law's calm voice rang out. The Kikoku in his hand moved slightly.
"Do I need you to tell me?!"
Kid roared wildly. His two giant steel hands, formed from countless metal fragments, had already been raised high!
"Turn into a meat patty for me!!"
The two giant steel hands carried the whistling wind and the ear-piercing noise of metal friction. Like two iron mountains falling from the sky, they slammed down from left and right toward Kaido, whose stance had just been destabilized by Luffy's punch!
Judging by the posture, he really intended to crush this Emperor alive in his palms!
Kaido's eyes sharpened. His arm muscles bulged as he prepared to exert strength to block or dodge.
But in the instant before he exerted his strength...
"ROOM·Baton!"
Law's command was like a cold judgment!
Within the massive "ROOM" space he had expanded, those scattered rocks on the ground, originally harmless, seemed to instantly gain life and lethal will!
They shot toward Kaido's vital points from all directions and from incredibly cunning angles, like arrows controlled by an invisible hand...
Even toward vulnerable areas such as his eyes, raining down like a violent storm!
Although the power of individual rocks was limited, their sheer number and cunning angles were meant to interfere and restrain, creating perfect conditions for Kid's "giant demon hands" to land cleanly!
With Luffy's heavy punch impact still lingering in front, Law's controlled rocks raining down from the sides to interfere with vision and movement, and Kid's sky-blocking giant steel palms closing in from above...
The three captains of the "Worst Generation" had, for the first time, displayed a truly exquisite and lethal coordinated combination attack!
Kaido was completely enveloped within this wave of combined attacks where all trump cards had been revealed!
Inside and outside the light screen, everyone held their breath.
Could this wave of attacks... succeed?
Could it injure, or even... defeat that "strongest creature on land, sea, and air"?
...…