"Hmph! Long before you caused all those incidents across the world, I had a premonition that you would definitely come to Wano Country eventually," Kaido growled, his mind flashing back to that experience from several years ago. He remembered leading his forces on a distant expedition, only to return and discover his home base had been infiltrated while he was away. Even then, he'd felt an inexplicable intuition that Jerry and his crew would inevitably return for a rematch.
Although this feeling had no logical basis and Kaido had never shared it with anyone, the certainty had been deeply engraved in his heart.
After Jerry's spectacular incident on Treasure Island some time ago, Kaido's seemingly irrational premonition had grown even stronger. This intuition was also a major reason why he hadn't rushed out to participate in the Treasure Island battle himself.
"Oh, is that your Observation Haki at work?" Jerry asked casually, leaping backward to release the pressure from their locked weapons before suddenly thrusting his fishing rod forward. "Can you really predict events that far into the future?"
Jerry certainly knew that Kaido couldn't rely on Observation Haki to predict exactly when he and his crew would arrive in Wano Country. If the Emperor truly possessed such powerful precognitive abilities, the entire world would probably be under his rule by now.
"Everything has its destined time and place," Kaido replied with a knowing grin. An image of a certain man from nearly twenty years ago flashed through his mind, along with memories of that individual's cryptic remarks about fate and prophecy. "There aren't nearly as many coincidences in this world as people believe!"
Then his expression hardened with renewed battle fury as he suddenly rose to his full height, spinning and brandishing the massive kanabo in his hands while roaring: "So tell me, little brat! Do you really think you can defeat me?"
Advanced Conqueror's Haki manifested as black lightning, spreading outward from Kaido's rapidly rotating weapon and causing violent winds to howl while the very air trembled from the supernatural pressure.
"Raimei Hakke!"
Hearing Kaido's confident declaration, Jerry's eyes flashed with a strange light as he responded with obvious defiance: "What's this? Are you saying only some specifically chosen person can defeat you? Well, I don't believe in that kind of destiny!"
With that declaration, Jerry raised his left foot and took a thunderous step forward. The impact created a small explosion as he gripped his fishing rod with both hands, advanced Armament Haki crackling around the weapon like twisted black lightning as he rose to meet Kaido's challenge without showing the slightest hesitation.
Invisible pressure waves took visible form, coiling around Jerry's body like a protective dragon.
"Water Blade: Sky Piercer!"
In a brilliant flash, the distance between both fighters vanished instantly as they collided with equally devastating Haki-enhanced attacks.
As the violent aftermath of their clashing Conqueror's Haki spread outward in rippling waves, both figures were launched in opposite directions, leaving behind a deafening roar that echoed across the entire battlefield.
Jerry twisted his body with fluid grace while airborne, adjusting his trajectory so that when he touched down, his landing was controlled. Although he inevitably created a sizeable crater where his feet impacted, and despite looking somewhat disheveled, the damage was clearly manageable.
Correspondingly, Kaido's massive hybrid form had been blasted straight upward into the sky, but he descended just as rapidly as he'd been launched.
Looking at the completely uninjured Emperor, Jerry casually swung his fishing rod to dispel the residual kinetic energy from their devastating collision.
Then he suddenly extended his left index finger, pointed directly at Kaido, and shouted with theatrical flair: "Hey! Prepare yourself for my legendary technique!"
Before he finished speaking, Jerry's form vanished like a ghost. The next moment he materialized directly in front of Kaido, swinging his left palm—now wreathed in violent Haki—toward the Emperor's face, as if he genuinely intended to deliver a devastating slap.
Seeing this unexpected assault, Kaido didn't fully understand Jerry's tactical objective, but he certainly had no intention of allowing himself to be struck without retaliation. Fury blazed in his eyes as he swung his weapon in a crushing arc, attempting to swat his opponent like an annoying insect.
Another tremendous impact erupted in the air above Onigashima. The intertwining Haki of both combatants made the surrounding atmosphere increasingly unstable, filled with supernatural phenomena that defied conventional physics.
In the airspace directly in front of the skull fortress, Cavendish looked upward at the tremendous battle unfolding in the sky above, his eyes filled with obvious excitement and competitive spirit.
Then he turned his attention back to King, who was also maintaining aerial position, and rubbed his forehead with visible frustration: "This is really getting annoying. The defensive power provided by those flames of yours is incredibly strong—how did Jerry manage to repel this birdman so easily before?"
"But as long as I can knock you down, I'll be the one who..." At this point, Cavendish shook his head violently, as if attempting to dispel the sudden fantasy that had entered his mind. He muttered to himself: "Really, I almost got carried away there... wait, what?!"
Seeing Cavendish momentarily distracted by his own thoughts, King would never miss such a perfect opportunity to strike.
However, the Wildfire understood perfectly that his opponent was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. If he relied on long-range energy attacks, he might not be able to harm even a single hair on the prince's head.
King naturally chose close-quarters combat instead. He suddenly extinguished the flames on his back, and his speed seemed to transcend the very limitations of space as his figure disappeared in an instantaneous blur.
Even so, this brief moment still provided Cavendish with sufficient time to react. As his mastery of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had become increasingly sophisticated, his own reaction speed had improved dramatically.
In terms of pure reflexes alone, Cavendish was confident he ranked among the absolute best in the world.
In a lightning-fast response, he swung his sword with tremendous speed and blocked King's powerful blade strike on the spot.
A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air, and Cavendish's confident expression suddenly froze. His entire body transformed into pure electricity as he was driven toward the ground with a tremendous crash.
"Ahem! Damn it!" Cavendish spat as he climbed from the small crater his impact had created. "Thank goodness none of my fans witnessed that humiliation. How dare you knock down someone as magnificent as me? Just wait until I get serious!"
As he spoke, he noticed a small section of his precious hair had been severed during the exchange, further intensifying his wounded pride.
Obviously, reaction speed alone wasn't sufficient to allow him to fight however he pleased. In that desperate moment, he'd only managed to swing his sword defensively, unable to gather enough power to properly counter King's prepared assault.
After finishing his complaint, lightning flashed in Cavendish's eyes as his entire body began radiating brilliant electrical energy.
When the blinding light faded slightly, a magnificent set of blue and white armor had materialized around his form.
At first glance, the luminous armor didn't appear particularly unusual, but closer inspection revealed that lightning periodically danced across its surface like living serpents seeking prey.
This was precisely the Lightning Armor that Cavendish had developed through extensive training. The entire protective suit was constructed from high-voltage electricity generated by his Devil Fruit powers, shaped and compressed into physical form. It provided tremendous defensive capabilities against both physical and energy-based attacks.
Combined with his ability to move at extreme speeds whenever necessary, this enhancement eliminated many tactical concerns during combat while making him significantly more dangerous.
"I don't care what secrets your body and those flames might possess," Cavendish declared, his face set in grim determination. "You've managed to thoroughly piss me off, and that's never a wise decision!"
His figure suddenly twisted and transformed into a streak of pure lightning before vanishing from his previous position.
"Beautiful Sword: Lightning Storm!"
Wind and thunder surged across the battlefield as countless sword strikes manifested in brilliant flashes of light.
Under the influence of Cavendish's righteous fury, blade-light wove together like an intricate web, instantly covering the vast space where King hovered and creating a deadly field of electrified steel.
However, even facing such a dense and devastating rain of enhanced sword strikes, King remained completely calm.
He methodically maintained the protective flames burning behind his back, and when attacks drew near, he extended his massive wings forward to cover his body, forming what appeared to be an impenetrable barrier that deflected every assault.
For what felt like an eternity, the sound of blade meeting wing rang out continuously, yet not a single drop of blood was spilled.
The countless sword beams continued their brilliant display for an extended period before Cavendish's form suddenly reappeared in mid-air. He stared at his opponent—who remained curled defensively within his wing-shield—and gasped for breath while narrowing his eyes with grudging respect.
"Hah! So this is the legendary toughness I've heard so much about," he observed with obvious frustration. "You really are incredibly difficult to deal with, aren't you?"
The aerial duel between the Beautiful Prince and the Wildfire was far from over, and both combatants were beginning to understand they would need to push their abilities to entirely new levels if they hoped to achieve victory.
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