BOOM!
Rosinante's blade collided with Kaido's colossal kanabo, sending out a thunderous shockwave that split the air. The force was so immense that the ground beneath them cracked apart, shattering into countless fissures. The earth itself seemed to sink under the crushing pressure of their clash.
When Rosinante unleashed the full might of his Body Restriction—Silent Mode, Doflamingo's smug composure evaporated. His face froze, his trademark grin faltering for the first time. The aura radiating from Rosinante was suffocating—pure, oppressive power that made even the ruthless Heavenly Yaksha's heart tremble.
He finally realized… he had underestimated him.
Despite all the intelligence he'd gathered, all the reports he'd analyzed, Doflamingo had believed he understood Rosinante's strength. He knew Rosinante could fight evenly with a Marine admiral—perhaps even defeat one under the right conditions.
But even then, he had thought that was Rosinante's limit. That the man's abilities—his strange powers, his secret techniques—only allowed him to barely reach that level.
Even with his most generous estimation, Doflamingo believed Rosinante stood at the threshold of admiral-level strength… not beyond it.
And to challenge Kaido—the Beast who had fought Whitebeard for three days and three nights—was, in his eyes, sheer madness.
Ordinary admirals couldn't match that monster. Facing Whitebeard at his peak meant near-certain defeat, not parity.
So when Rosinante chose to fight Kaido instead of retreating, Doflamingo had judged him a fool—an inexperienced leader who still didn't understand how to weigh risk against responsibility.
But now, as that overwhelming aura erupted from Rosinante like a silent storm, Doflamingo's eyes widened.
He had been wrong. Completely, utterly wrong.
Rosinante's unleashed power… wasn't beneath Kaido's at all. It matched it.
It was the aura of someone who stood at the very summit of the world.
And those who stood at that height no longer needed to question themselves. They didn't need validation, permission, or approval. Their will was law. They could be ruthless or kind, cruel or noble—it didn't matter. The world would bend to them.
They were kings. The ones who shaped the rules, not the ones who followed them.
"Fufufu… I really did underestimate you, didn't I, Rosinante?" Doflamingo chuckled darkly, excitement flickering in his eyes. "This is getting more and more entertaining…"
"So this is him after releasing his Body Restriction," Kizaru murmured, his usual lazy tone breaking into genuine awe. "What a monster."
Rosinante's next strike was deceptively simple. No flashy arcs of flying sword energy, no explosive lights—just pure, concentrated power. His blade, heavy with compressed energy, clashed head-on with Kaido's iron club.
Even Kaido's eyes flickered in surprise. The force that surged up his weapon was so immense that he involuntarily took a step back—the impact forcing his kanabo to recoil.
For the first time, Kaido truly looked at Rosinante. Not as a toy, not as a sparring partner—but as a worthy adversary.
"You've really surprised me," Kaido said, grinning like a beast delighted by the scent of blood. "You've gotten much stronger. Good! Don't die on me, Rosinante! I'm counting on you… maybe one day, you'll be the one who finally kills me!"
With that, he swung his club again—this time with full power.
The air howled as the kanabo swept through it, its sheer force creating a hurricane before it even struck.
Rosinante didn't move to dodge. Instead, he raised his hand—his bare hand.
Gasps erupted across the battlefield.
Was he seriously planning to block Kaido's strike with his arm?!
Rosinante knew if he clashed head-on with his sword, their battle would obliterate Sabaody entirely. He couldn't afford that. So he enveloped his arm in Armament Haki, and from his palm emanated a strange, tranquil power—the power of ultimate silence.
CRACK!
Kaido's kanabo slammed down with the might to crush mountains—yet Rosinante's arm held firm. A violent shockwave rippled out, tearing through the ground… but the attack didn't break through.
Instead, that serene, still force spread from Rosinante's palm, like calm water soothing raging waves. The destructive energy of Kaido's blow was swallowed—its fury smoothed away, its roar turned to stillness.
The hurricane stopped. The world quieted.
"He… he blocked it?"
"He blocked Kaido's strike—with his hand!?"
Cries of disbelief echoed from Marines, reporters, and civilians alike. No one could believe what they were seeing.
They had seen Rosinante's swordplay before—his slashes that split ships and shattered mountains. If he had countered Kaido's strike with one of those, it would've made sense. But to use bare flesh against Kaido's club? Even with Haki, it was beyond reason.
And yet, he stood there, unmoving.
"Release—Heaven-Shattering Limit Slash!"
Rosinante's eyes flashed. While his right hand held Kaido's weapon in place, his left gripped his sword high above his head.
Kaido's pupils shrank. His instincts screamed danger. The dragon scales along his body flared with light as his muscles bulged and his veins surged. He poured everything he had into defense.
Because even he could feel it—this strike carried the scent of death.
The moment stretched thin… and then—
SHING!
Rosinante's blade descended.
A blinding arc of energy ripped through the air, twisting space itself. It struck Kaido square in the chest—hard enough to warp the atmosphere around it.
At first, the blow seemed to leave no mark. Kaido frowned slightly, almost disappointed. "Tch… that all you got?"
Then—
BOOM!
The blade's power detonated. The suppressed force surged outward with terrifying magnitude, multiplying dozens of times in an instant.
Kaido's eyes widened as the energy ripped through him, driving him backward across the battlefield. The earth split beneath his feet as he skidded, his massive body carved by the relentless slicing energy.
The air itself screamed as the sword's aura continued to cut through him—over and over—until even Kaido's near-invincible hide began to tear. Cracks appeared in his skin. Then blood. Then whole chunks of muscle burst open under the relentless assault.
The spectators could only gape in silence.
Even Doflamingo stood frozen, his trademark grin replaced by a look of utter disbelief.
Kaido—the creature the world called unkillable—was bleeding.
Rosinante lowered his blade, his expression calm and cold.
"Kaido," he said softly, his voice cutting through the stunned silence like a knife. "You still haven't put me on your level. You never saw me as your equal."
He sheathed his sword with a soft click.
"If you don't fix that… you're going to die."