The battle at the heart of God Valley had reached its peak.
Rocks, Roger, and Garp—three men standing at the pinnacle of their era—were engaged in a fight that completely defied common sense. Every collision sounded like two islands crashing into each other, and every release of Haki made the sky and earth seem to cry out in pain.
"God Avoidance!"
"Haki Domain!"
"Fist Bone: Starfall!"
Three colors of Conqueror's Haki lightning twisted and tore through the air. The aftershocks alone formed a tangible storm that flattened everything within a radius of several kilometers.
Kyle, hiding behind a large, sheared-off rock, felt like a tiny ant watching three giants fight in the middle of a typhoon. It was thrilling, but he knew one wrong move could get him blown away to God-knows-where.
"These three are monsters," Kyle muttered, his eyes wide. Their fighting styles were simple and direct, relying on the purest forms of swordsmanship, brute strength, and the most refined applications of Haki. This was the true meaning of overwhelming power. No matter how flashy the abilities of his Wave-Wave Fruit were, they seemed almost useless against such unreasonable and absolute strength.
Just as Kyle was lost in the spectacle, a bolt of black-red Haki suddenly shot out of control, flying right past the rock he was hiding behind.
Boom!
A small hill about a hundred meters behind him simply vanished, as if it had been wiped away by an eraser. Kyle stood frozen for a second, a cold sweat dripping down his forehead. This was no place for a spectator. If he stayed any longer, he was going to get himself killed.
He immediately gave up on watching the rest of the fight. Stomping his foot to create a shockwave, he prepared to make a quick escape. However, as he moved toward a safer position, he heard a rough roar and the chaotic sounds of fighting not far away.
Hmm? Are there still some small fry left?
Kyle followed the sound and saw an exceptionally large young man with two horns on his head. He was wielding a massive spiked club, charging through a group of pirates at the edge of the main battlefield. Parts of his body were covered in blue scales, and small, uncontrolled flames occasionally escaped from the corners of his mouth. His eyes were fierce and wild, filled with the aura of a beast.
"Wororororo! All of you, get out of my way!" he bellowed.
With a single swing of his club, he smashed a pirate, along with his sword, into a bloody pulp. His power was completely overwhelming.
Kyle stopped in his tracks, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the young man. That iconic spiked club, the horns, those incomplete dragon scales…
"So, you finally ate the Fish-Fish Fruit, huh?" Kyle stroked his chin, a smile spreading across his face. It was the future "Strongest Creature in the World," Kaido of the Beasts.
From his current state, it was clear that Kaido had only recently eaten the Devil Fruit. His power had surged, but he couldn't fully control it yet. His half-dragon form didn't look mighty; it looked more like a muscular man with a strange skin disease. His swings with the spiked club were wide and clumsy, relying purely on brute force.
Big Mom was kind enough to look after you, Kaido. She even gave you the Fish-Fish Fruit, but after the God Valley incident, you disappeared without a word, Kyle thought to himself with a smirk. Pirate Lesson One: Loyalty! Pirate Lesson Two: Forgetfulness! It seems my teachings are quite effective.
A mischievous idea began to form in his mind. Beating up a future Yonko… that sounded like a lot of fun. Besides, this whole trip had been a bust so far. He might as well have a little fun to make up for it.
"Hey, you with the horns!" Kyle called out, swaggering over with his naginata resting on his shoulder. "Are you supposed to be a minotaur or something? Your moves are so weak. Didn't you have breakfast?"
Kaido, who had been rampaging, froze. He whipped his head around, his fierce eyes locking onto Kyle. "What did you say, you little brat!"
"I said," Kyle began, casually picking at his ear, "I'm a warrior of pure love, and I specialize in cutting down minotaurs."
"Wororororo! You're asking for death!" Kaido was completely enraged by the nonsense Kyle was spouting. He roared and charged, his spiked club tearing through the air as it came crashing down on Kyle.
Facing the powerful blow, Kyle didn't dodge or move away. He simply raised his right hand and formed a gun shape with his fingers. With a soft poof, an invisible, compressed shockwave shot out, striking the ground directly in Kaido's path.
Boom!
The ground beneath Kaido's feet exploded, and the violent gust of air made his massive body stumble. His powerful attack went completely off course, crashing heavily into the empty ground and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
"What?" Kaido grunted, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Before he could react, Kyle's figure had split into three identical images in front of him.
"Light Illusion Mirage."
The three Kyles stood in different spots, each wearing the same mocking smile. "Which one of me are you going to hit?" one of them asked.
"Stop playing tricks!" Kaido roared. Without thinking, he swung his spiked club horizontally at the illusion in the center. The club passed right through it without any resistance. The real Kyle had already appeared like a ghost at Kaido's side. The hilt of his naginata shot out like lightning, tapping precisely on Kaido's wrist.
Buzz!
A high-frequency vibration traveled up the weapon. Kaido's spiked club let out a pained groan, unable to withstand the force. Kaido felt his wrist go numb and a sharp pain shot through his hand, forcing him to let go of his heavy weapon.
The moment his club left his hand, Kaido instinctively sensed danger. He opened his mouth, and a scorching ball of fire began to condense in his throat. "Heat…"
Before he could shout the word "Breath," Kyle had already closed the distance. He delivered a clean, decisive chop to the back of Kaido's neck, his hand coated in Armament Haki.
"Be quiet."
Bang!
The future "Blast Breath," a move that would one day strike fear into countless powerful warriors, was slapped back down his throat. It turned into a muffled, disgruntled burp. Kaido's eyes rolled back into his head. His massive body swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground, completely unconscious.
The entire fight, from the first taunt to the final blow, had lasted less than twenty seconds.
Kyle blew on his hand as if dusting off something, then looked down at the unconscious Kaido and pouted. "That's it? The future strongest creature? You still need a lot more training, buddy."
He gave Kaido a light kick, but the big man didn't move. Kyle's eyes darted around, and he chuckled as an even bolder idea came to him. He squatted down and extended his index finger. A faint, almost invisible red light glowed at its tip.
"Heatwave Breath," he whispered.
He focused the infrared waves into an extremely thin beam, like an invisible branding iron, and carefully began his artistic creation on Kaido's broad back. The lines were smooth, the composition was perfect, and every stroke was filled with soul.
"Splendid! I truly am an artistic genius!" A few seconds later, Kyle retracted his finger with a look of pure satisfaction and clapped his hands together. On Kaido's sturdy back, a perfectly branded, vivid pattern now appeared—a small turtle with its head tucked into its shell.
"Hmm, perfect," Kyle said, examining his masterpiece with a nod. "You're welcome. This is art!"
With his work done, he shouldered his black and gold naginata. He took one last look at the distant battlefield where the heavens and earth were still being torn apart, and then at the future Yonko lying unconscious on the ground. This trip to God Valley may not have earned him any treasure, but in a way, it felt even more profitable.
Kyle whistled a cheerful tune, his figure flickered, and he vanished completely into the chaos of the battlefield. It was time to go hunt some Celestial Dragon pigs.
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