The heavens and earth abruptly changed color as three overwhelmingly powerful waves of Conqueror's Haki violently collided.
The three auras intertwined and clashed, tearing the air with piercing shrieks. The sea surface cracked like a spiderweb, and shattered stones floated in the air before being ground into dust by an invisible force.
This scene instantly stunned everyone present.
The crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates all paled drastically, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Ivan actually possessed Conqueror's Haki as well—and its intensity was so immense that it could contend head-on with Old Man and Kaido without showing any sign of weakness!
One must know that Old Man was the world's strongest man, and Kaido was the strongest creature!
Both stood at the very pinnacle of the seas. Among the Whitebeard Pirates, no one was worthy of being their opponent.
They were the pillars of the Four Emperors' crews, their true souls!
Now, suddenly, someone had displayed Conqueror's Haki comparable to that of a Four Emperor right before their eyes—how could they not be shocked?
But the most shocked were not the many observing Whitebeard Pirates members, but the two involved parties themselves—Whitebeard and Kaido!
"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri tightly, throwing his head back in his signature hearty laugh. His eyes blazed with admiration and astonishment. "You brat, you truly are a monster of the new era!"
Across from him, Kaido's pupils abruptly contracted. The casual disdain vanished completely from his dragon-like face, replaced by a gravity as deep as an abyss.
His muscles tensed, fully on guard, the crimson lightning around him growing even more violent.
Although Conqueror's Haki did not equate to strength, it was absolutely proportional to it.
Only power sufficient to stand above all others could nurture such formidable Conqueror's Haki!
This Azure Dragon was even more terrifying than he had imagined.
Kaido was not simply a fool; he had enough brains to immediately decide to test the Azure Dragon's strength.
If the Azure Dragon truly possessed the power of a Sea Emperor, then he would decisively flee!
After all, though he was hailed as the world's strongest creature, the immortal Kaido, he was not truly undying.
Facing Whitebeard alone already placed immense pressure on him. Adding the Azure Dragon to the mix, he might very well be left dead on the spot!
With this thought, Kaido transformed into his hybrid form mid-air and roared at Ivan, "So you're the one who killed Jack? Bastard, take this hammer—Thunder Bagua!"
Conqueror's Haki erupted, coiling around the pitch-black spiked club. For a moment, electric bolts danced wildly, tearing through the air.
A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard tightened his grip on Murakumogiri, instinctively preparing to block this strike, but in the blink of an eye, he found the Azure Dragon appearing before him.
Ivan stood with his back to Whitebeard, facing Kaido's Thunder Bagua alone. "Whitebeard, don't interfere. This is my fight! I will use my strength to prove the power of the Shadow Garden!"
Hearing this, Whitebeard withdrew, ready to see whether the Azure Dragon's strength truly reached the level of a Sea Emperor!
Besides him, the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates were also watching the Azure Dragon's back.
They held their breath, staring intently at the two sides about to collide.
Could it be that another powerhouse capable of dominating the entire sea was being born at this very moment?
Under the gaze of Whitebeard and his crew, Ivan drew an ordinary longsword!
The next moment, Hyper-Speed Computation greatly enhanced Ivan's processing power. The previously wild and unruly Conqueror's Haki obediently submitted under this computational force, successfully mastered by Ivan!
Boom!
Conqueror's Haki materialized into tangible lightning, wrapping around an ordinary longsword. At the same time, the power of Technique: Unbind and Black Flash was also infused into the blade!
In an instant, the longsword in Ivan's hand clashed with Kaido's spiked club!
The moment the two supreme forces collided, black lightning tore through the entire sky, forcibly ripping a massive gap in the thick clouds!
The previously churning clouds were cleanly split, dividing the nearby sea and sky into left and right halves, as if a deity had swung a blade to cleave the heavens!
Moreover, the residual shockwaves from their collision crashed onto the sea surface.
Hundreds-meter-high waves rolled into the distance, while some seawater was directly flung aside, revealing the dark reefs beneath!
Shockwaves swept in all directions, the lingering might of Conqueror's Haki intertwining with the electric flashes of Black Flash, enveloping the entire battlefield under a terrifying oppressive aura.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates stared at the split sky, their breaths catching in their throats.
This was no longer a battle between mortals, but a collision powerful enough to reshape the very heavens and earth.
Without a doubt, the Azure Dragon's strength had undoubtedly reached the level of an Emperor of the Sea!
With Hyper-speed Calculation enhancing him, Ivan felt his body completely under his control. Whether it was the flow of Haki or the precision of Observation Color, everything was refined to the extreme.
In this state, his stamina was rapidly depleting, yet his power had simultaneously reached an unimaginable level!
After another clash, the longsword and spiked club did not physically touch mid-air, yet tangible thunder roared between them.
The aftershocks continuously devastated the seawater within a radius of several thousand meters. If not for the protection of Whitebeard and others aboard the Moby Dick, the ship likely wouldn't have lasted long under such terrifying battle shockwaves.
Boom!
After this attack, Kaido was sent flying uncontrollably as if struck head-on by a primordial beast, his massive body hurtling backward.
Ivan remained standing in place, maintaining a calm expression as he turned to Whitebeard and said steadily:
"Whitebeard, now's our chance. Let's join forces and keep Kaido here forever!"
Whitebeard glanced at Kaido, who was struggling to rise in the distance, a glint flashing in his eyes.
The Whitebeard Pirates and the Beast Pirates had deep-seated enmity. If they could kill Kaido here today, his sons' situations would become far safer!
Without the slightest hesitation, Whitebeard tightened his grip on Murakumogiri and laughed heartily:
"Gurararara! Good, that suits me just fine!"
But just as the two prepared to encircle Kaido, in the distant sky, Kaido wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Seeing the overwhelming aura of Ivan and the battle-hungry Whitebeard, his pupils constricted sharply.
He knew all too well that facing two opponents of the same level, continuing to fight would mean certain death today!
A flicker of fear passed through his eyes. Kaido lost all will to fight, transforming into a cyan dragon silhouette and soaring into the sky without looking back, fleeing in utter disarray.
He still had dreams to fulfill—how could he die so easily here?
Witnessing Kaido's escape, neither Whitebeard nor Ivan had any intention of pursuit.
With the power of the Azure Dragon Fruit, once Kaido decided to leave, no one could stop him. Such was the terror of the world's strongest creature.
Even after the battle ended, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates still stared at Ivan in disbelief.
They never imagined Ivan's strength could reach such a terrifying level.
Now, they felt even more confident about cooperating with Shadow Garden.
With such a powerful organization as an ally, overthrowing the World Government might just be possible in the future!