"Hahahahaha! What a powerful breath you have there, Kaido!"
Shirogai Yamikuro stood his ground against the searing Dragon's Breath that tore through the sky.
The torrent of flame devoured everything it touched — yet even as his body was burned away, what remained was a storm of black Eternal Demonic Flames, drifting defiantly in the inferno.
Kaido's vast dragon form coiled among the storm clouds, glaring down at him with a feral grin.
"Gah! Kid, your power's a strange one!"
He let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens, the air trembling from the pressure of his voice.
"What was that just now? The Mera Mera no Mi? But that should belong to one of Whitebeard's sons!"
A low hum rippled through the sky as the black flames swirling around Shirogai began to reshape.
The fire condensed, rebuilding his body — his form, his clothes, even his expression — all perfectly restored.
"Close guess," Shirogai replied with a faint smile. "You've heard of the Talent Fruit, right? I can learn and replicate other Devil Fruit abilities."
He thrust both arms forward. A massive black fireball ignited between his palms, pulsing with violent energy.
"Fire Fist!"
Boom!!!
The sky split open as a colossal black flame fist rocketed upward toward the dragon above.
Kaido's eyes widened in disbelief before a furious grin split his face.
"You little punk! You dare spew flames at me!?"
He inhaled deeply, the storm clouds around him swirling faster as the air crackled with energy.
Then he roared:
"Destructive Gale! — Bad Wind!!"
A barrage of razor-sharp wind blades spiraled from his maw, slicing through the air like invisible scythes.
They collided with Shirogai's Fire Fist, shredding it apart layer by layer until the black flames dispersed into waves of blistering heat.
When the last gust faded, the sky had fallen silent.
Kaido's dragon eyes narrowed in contempt.
"Too weak! Too weak! Is this pitiful strength what made the Gorosei hold you in such regard?"
He lifted his head and inhaled once more, his voice rolling like thunder.
"Show me your true power, boy! You're standing before—"
Boom!!!
A second Dragon's Breath erupted from his maw, a roaring inferno that vaporized everything in its path.
"—the Strongest Pirate in the World!!"
The beam ripped through Shirogai and slammed into the sea below.
Szzzz—BOIL!!
The sea exploded into steam. Entire stretches of ocean churned like boiling oil, and marine beasts floated lifeless to the surface — a grotesque seafood stew born from Kaido's fury.
Kaido exhaled heavily, twin plumes of fire curling from his nostrils. "Honestly… who do you think you're facing? You're holding back, aren't you?"
"Heh heh…" Shirogai's voice rose from within the flames.
"So, you noticed."
Anaterasu erupted once more, rebuilding his charred frame. He floated above the molten sea, eyes gleaming crimson as his aura swelled.
"Fine then," he said, cracking his knuckles, "since you asked for it…"
He clasped his fists together, his voice booming across the burning sky.
"Ox-Ox Fruit: Model — Bison!
Demonic Modification — Fifth Form: Awakened Form — Ox King Demon!"
A thunderous roar tore through the heavens.
Shirogai's body swelled, his frame expanding from a man's height to nearly ten meters tall. His muscles bulged with monstrous power; two thick, curved ox horns jutted from his skull, while his hair grew wild and long, flowing down to his waist. A black ox tail lashed behind him, slicing the air with sonic booms.
"Mooooooo!!!!"
Black clouds gathered beneath his hooves, lightning sparking through them as his body radiated terrifying heat. His crimson eyes glowed brighter, and his skin was tattooed with glowing ox-shaped totems that flickered between white and shadow.
"Awooo-roar!!!!!!"
His roar shattered the dark clouds above, and the sea itself trembled.
Even from afar, the Zoan users on Onigashima felt their hearts seize in fear.
"T-That roar… it's not human!"
"That's the dominance of an awakened Zoan…!"
Kaido's eyes narrowed. "An awakened Animal-type… Bison form?" He scoffed, thunder rumbling from his chest. "Do you really think such a common awakening can defeat me?"
Shirogai sneered, his massive form blazing with black fire. "You think this is all?"
Anaterasu surged, devouring the air around him.
"Mera Mera no Mi! — Demonic Fifth Form Modification: Awakened Form — Flame Pluton!!"
The black flames inhaled into his ox nostrils, flooding his body with energy.
"MOOOOOOOO!!!!"
His colossal body expanded again — thirteen meters, maybe more. His entire ox form was now wreathed in churning black flames that scorched the sky. Beneath his hooves, clouds of living flame spread like molten thunder, while above him, black fire contended with Kaido's thunderclouds.
"Immortal Ox Demon!!"
He gripped a staff forged from condensed Eternal Flames, its length stretching across the heavens. With one mighty swing, he pointed it at the dragon above.
Kaido's grin faded slightly. "He's using two Devil Fruit powers… simultaneously?"
He coiled his body tighter, lightning crackling along his scales. "Then take this!"
Kaido surged forward, his enormous form charging through the clouds like a thunder god.
"Thunder Roar — Charge!!!"
RUMBLE!!!
Purple lightning poured from his mouth, surrounding his body in a destructive halo. The massive dragon descended like a living storm.
Shirogai slammed the butt of his flaming staff into the air and spun.
"Ox Demon — Spinning Flame Swing!!!"
The Ox Demon spun wildly, creating a tornado of black fire that howled through the sky.
The two forces collided — thunder and flame, beast and beast — with a cataclysmic explosion.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
The world turned white.
A blinding flash engulfed the heavens, the shockwave flattening everything below.
For a moment, the entire Wano Sea fell silent — only the faint buzzing in the ears of every living thing remained.
"Bzzzz… bzzzz…"
Then came a voice, distant and awestruck.
"Whoa… who is that guy?"
On a rooftop far away, a white-haired boy covered his ears, grinning as he watched the clash of titans paint the sky.
"He's amazing! He looks like someone worth calling… a friend!"
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