With a single strike—Ice Time Capsule—Kaido was instantly encased in a towering ice sculpture.
If he didn't possess any special resistance, the fight should've already been over.
But this was Kaido—one of the Four Emperors. Even if Aokiji had landed a surprise attack, it was unthinkable that he'd be taken out so easily.
Aokiji understood that all too well.
Freezing Kaido's body wasn't meant to end the battle—it was a move to seize the initiative.
As he stared at the frozen Kaido, Aokiji raised his arm, and frigid air surged outward, quickly condensing into dozens of thick ice spears, suspended midair.
Just a rough count showed there were at least several dozen.
Among Aokiji's techniques, the Ice Block: Partisan was one of the most penetrating.
Technically speaking, in terms of raw offensive power, Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit placed him in an awkward position among the original three Admirals.
For sheer destructive potential, Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit and Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit far surpassed his.
While the Ice-Ice Fruit certainly projected a strong visual presence, the elemental devastation from light and magma abilities was equally overwhelming.
Against a monster like Kaido, ice didn't have much of an edge—unless Kaido lacked the power to break free.
With the spears formed, Aokiji shot backward and gave a sharp wave of his hand, commanding the frozen weapons.
Shwoom—!
The spears, hovering from all directions, tore through the air in unison, all aimed at the frozen Kaido.
But just before impact, the surface of the ice sculpture suddenly bloomed with crimson Flame Clouds.
In the blink of an eye, intense heat melted the ice, and the unleashed clouds surged outward like a living inferno, lashing at the incoming ice spears.
Those Flame Clouds carried heat on par with Kaido's Bolo Breath—they instantly vaporized the spears.
"Ara ara…"
Aokiji narrowed his eyes, retreating swiftly to evade the scorching wave.
A Zoan-type user with elemental powers—wind, fire, and even lightning.
That's what made Mythical Zoan so troublesome.
Kaido stood amid the Flame Clouds, the sheer heat radiating off his body melting the ground around him into puddles that evaporated seconds later.
Clearly, ice wouldn't be enough to stop Kaido.
Just as Aokiji was forced to retreat by the firestorm, Maude made his move.
Shadow Bullet – Shadow Kill!
Dozens upon dozens of shadows rushed to Maude's call. Under his will, they splintered into over a thousand needle-sharp shadow pillars, each tip infused with Armament Haki.
Whoosh!
With a deafening roar, the barrage of shadow pillars rained down from above like a living storm, targeting Kaido below.
The surrounding Flame Clouds were pierced through by the shadows—unaffected by the heat.
Once through, the mass of shadows slammed into Kaido's body like a raging Gatling gun.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Kaido was battered from every direction, the crushing force driving him into the ground.
There was no pause—strike after strike after strike—the barrage came with relentless precision.
Crack…!
The earth trembled violently beneath the storm of Shadow Kill strikes. Thick clouds of dust and shattered stone erupted skyward.
At the heart of the onslaught, Kaido was being pushed deeper into the ground, inch by inch.
The sheer spectacle of a thousand shadow pillars hammering away struck fear and awe into all who watched.
Anyone else caught in that storm would've been torn to shreds in seconds.
"No way Kaido's getting up from that… right?"
Urouge, who had arrived at the edge of the battlefield, stared wide-eyed at the destruction.
"You're underestimating him," Shiryu said coldly, eyes burning with killing intent. He stepped past Urouge without a glance, heading toward Maude.
The blade of Raiu, the sword he carried, was dripping with venom. Every drop that hit the ground hissed into smoke.
As Shiryu entered the battle, others followed, regrouping at Maude's side to observe Kaido, pinned and pummeled by the shadows.
"The attack's powerful… but it's not enough,"
Gaya said quietly, glancing at Maude.
Her Observation Haki told the truth—Kaido's overwhelming presence hadn't diminished in the slightest, even under that savage assault.
"Yeah," Maude nodded calmly. "With someone like Kaido, you can't break through unless your Haki is stronger than his."
"Even if we manage to wound him," he added, "with his awakened regeneration, the damage won't stick."
"Yohohoho… what a monstrous creature."
Brook raised the Soul Mourner blade to his ribs, intrigued by the thought of testing his new sword on Kaido himself.
Aokiji appeared beside them in a shimmer of frost, the icy air clinging to his cheek.
"The key to victory," he said coolly, "is endurance."
"Exactly," Maude's eyes narrowed.
Their clashes had revealed plenty already.
Beyond Kaido's near-impenetrable defenses, the real headache was his Zoan awakening—it granted not only monstrous strength, but unholy regeneration and stamina.
Unless they dealt a truly fatal blow…
Kaido was an unkillable cockroach.
Still, with numbers on their side, and powerhouses like Aokiji and Maude, it wasn't impossible to wear him down eventually.
The problem was—Maude didn't have that kind of time.
His mind was still on the safety of their elders. He couldn't afford a ten-day war of attrition with Kaido.
"Little Maude," came a soft voice beside him, "don't let your concerns steer you from what your heart truly wants."
Shakky had appeared silently by his side.
As an old pirate who'd sailed the seas for decades, she'd immediately sized up the situation—and knowing Maude's nature, she spoke to ease his burden.
She wanted to find Rayleigh quickly too, but not at the cost of throwing this younger generation into danger they didn't need to face.
"Aunt Shakky," Maude replied solemnly, "beating Kaido isn't what matters most right now. I have to find Uncle Rayleigh."
Shakky gave a warm, approving nod.
Just then, Shiryu spoke up: "If I can get my poison into Kaido's body, even the world's strongest creature will feel the effects."
"Hoho, easier said than done," Lafitte added, giving Shiryu a side glance.
Kaido's absurd defense made poison a tricky play—but it was still a solid tactic.
"Let's give it a try."
Maude glanced at Shiryu, then swept his eyes across his companions.
"Listen," he warned, "Kaido's Raimei Hakke isn't something you want to get hit by. Even I'd take serious damage from a clean shot. So don't let him counter—stay sharp and strike smart."
"Understood."
Everyone's expression turned grim.
Even without Maude's warning, they'd seen what Raimei Hakke could do. Taking even one hit could be the end.
"Go. Help Shiryu get that poison into Kaido."
With that, Maude made a gesture—and the relentless Shadow Kill barrage finally stopped.
At his command, the thousand shadow pillars retreated and coalesced midair, forming a massive, obsidian-black curtain overhead.
From a distance, it looked like a guillotine suspended in the sky.
Veil Blade – Execution!
The shadow curtain snapped downward.
Kaido, lying motionless in a crater, looked up as it fell. His eyes turned pitch-black.
"Worororo…"
He laughed gleefully.
And then—impact.
BOOM!
The Veil Blade struck like a god's wrath.
The ground split open with a thunderous crack, forming a colossal rift that cut across the entire island.
Kaido's body was smashed deep into the earth below.
"Ice Age."
Aokiji followed up instantly, unleashing a wave of freezing cold that froze the entire canyon solid in seconds.
But the next moment…
Cracks began to spider across the thick ice layer sealing the rift.
CRACK!
Kaido, now transformed into his Azure Dragon form, shattered the ice beneath him and soared into the sky.
"Only a death of true significance can complete a perfect life. I do hope you all manage to 'join forces' and kill me—Wororororo..."
High above, dark clouds gathered in thick clusters. Lightning danced within the churning skies as the enormous dragon laughed thunderously, exhilarated by the chaos.
"Tatsumaki (Twisters)!"
Kaido's roar echoed across the heavens. In the air around his winding form, three massive tornadoes crackling with lightning erupted out of nowhere.
Such cataclysmic phenomena—disasters that plagued the New World—were conjured effortlessly by Kaido's power.
The giant twisters radiated a suffocating aura of dominance. Yet Kaido stood unshaken within them, completely unaffected.
"You've gotta be kidding me... This isn't even a technique anymore—it's a full-on natural disaster!"
"..."
Everyone looked on, eyes wide with shock, as the monstrous cyclones spiraled violently around Kaido.
Nearby, Maude recalled a swarm of shadows, readying a defense against the oncoming twisters.
At that moment, Aokiji launched himself into the air. From his body surged a torrent of chilling cold, crashing down upon the raging tornadoes beneath the storm clouds like a tsunami.
Crack! Crack!
Before the lightning-laced twisters could fully manifest their might, they were flash-frozen into massive blocks of solid ice by Aokiji's devastating chill.
Aokiji had just demonstrated his overwhelming power.
Perhaps the true strength of the Ice-Ice Fruit lies in its ability to instantly halt an enemy's most destructive offensives.
"He even froze that?"
Kaido raised a surprised brow as he looked at Aokiji suspended in midair.
Having his freshly summoned twisters nullified in an instant, Kaido's laughter faded. He opened his jaws and unleashed a blast of scorching heat toward Aokiji.
A pillar of fire engulfed Aokiji in the blink of an eye before crashing into a distant mountaintop.
BOOM!
The explosion was deafening. The entire summit evaporated in a flash of blistering flame.
Yet Aokiji reappeared beside Maude, his body reduced to shards of ice that quickly reassembled into his human form.
While Aokiji's ice was ineffective in controlling Kaido directly—especially against someone who could manipulate fire at will—it was capable of sealing Kaido's disaster-level techniques.
Even the overwhelming twisters had been neutralized by ice.
Maude, seeing this, shifted his strategy. The shadows he had gathered for defense transformed into a massive shadow net, descending from above to ensnare Kaido.
"Get down here!"
With a sharp gleam in his eye, Maude manipulated the shadow net, forcefully yanking Kaido's colossal dragon form down from the sky.
Kaido's heavy body slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash.
"Go!"
Seizing the opportunity, the others—who had already prepared to strike—rushed in without hesitation.
"Soul Mourner– Blizzard Slash!"
Light as a feather, Brook dashed in. His longsword carved a straight arc of gleaming blade light, slashing across the scales of Kaido's neck.
"Hakoku."
Gaya swung her single-handed axe, releasing a cylindrical shockwave that hurtled toward Kaido's dragon face.
"Trihorn Bash!"
Jim, now in his Triceratops form, rammed his Armament Haki-coated horn fiercely into Kaido's abdomen.
"Requiem."
Lafitte's face twisted into a devilish grin. His cane-sword swept across Kaido's eyes, a glimmer of blade light flashing as an eerie melody faintly echoed, disorienting the senses.
"Karma Fist."
Urouge drove a heavy punch into Kaido's lower jaw.
"Goma no So – Cursed Blade!"
Hawkins, transformed into his "Devil Conquering" form, wielded a jagged sawblade made of straw that showered sparks as it tore across Kaido's serpentine body.
Each attack struck Kaido in rapid succession.
"RRAAAAAHH—!"
With multiple blows landing at once, Kaido's dragon head reeled back in pain.
Spotting his chance, Shiryu's eyes flared with murderous intent.
SWOOSH—!
He vanished in a blink.
The next moment, Shiryu appeared right in front of Kaido, swinging his venom-coated blade, Raiu, in a powerful, leaping slash toward Kaido's open maw.
If he could get that concentrated poison—extracted via the powers of the Venom-Venom Fruit—into Kaido's body, it would surely weaken his monstrous resilience.
"ROAR!"
But Kaido's eyes flashed with contempt. With his mouth still agape, he let out a thunderous roar.
That roar transformed into a surge of violet lightning, shattering Shiryu's poison-laced slash and slamming directly into him.
The lightning blasted Shiryu away. His front was charred black, and he appeared badly wounded.
With Shiryu repelled, Kaido—still wrapped in the shadow net—began spinning like a giant top.
"Kaifu!"
His whirling dragon form unleashed huge, slicing wind blades that shredded the shadow net and surged outward toward Brook and the others.
"Room!"
Just as the slicing wind—sharp enough to cleave through blades imbued with Armament Haki—was about to strike, Law stepped into the battlefield. With a flick of his fingers, he expanded a hemispherical space around them.
"Shambles."
The power of the Op-Op Fruit activated. In an instant, Brook and the others were teleported away from Kaido's radius and reappeared beside Law.
Against the strongest support ability in the world, Kaido's counterattack was effortlessly foiled.
After pulling the team to safety, Law smirked defiantly and didn't close the Room. Instead, he raised his blade and slashed at Kaido from afar.
Sshhk—!
The spatial slash, imbued with dissection properties, swept cleanly across Kaido's dragon head—yet left not even a scratch.
"Just as expected."
Law wasn't surprised. He calmly retracted the Room.
Their joint assault hadn't produced the desired effect.
Maude watched the still-intact Kaido break free from the shadow net, unscathed, and gave a small shake of his head.
"Enough… let's wrap this up another way."
Defeating Kaido in a single thunderous strike clearly wasn't realistic.
Maude didn't want to waste any more time.
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