Even Ashveil, standing nearby, showed no intent to strike again. Instead, he remained still, curious about the "weakness" Sengoku claimed to have found—a weakness he himself was unaware of.
Could it be that this group of old warhorses understood him better than he did?
Sengoku adjusted his cracked glasses, the lenses glinting faintly.
"Based on my analysis," he said firmly, "each time Ashveil unleashes Shinra Tensei, the Conqueror's Haki barrier within his body vanishes momentarily."
He paused, his expression sharp.
"Though the time frame is short, if we can seize that window, we can defeat him."
Hearing that, Ashveil blinked, then gave a faint smirk. For all Sengoku's supposed brilliance, was that truly the grand secret he had uncovered?
Kaido frowned, his heavy breath steaming in the cold air.
"But if he doesn't use Shinra Tensei," Kaido said, his voice deep and irritated, "then we can't do anything to him either…"
Sengoku nodded gravely.
"There's another point. That kid's Conqueror's Haki barrier might be terrifying, but it's not absolute. The Admirals already tested it before this battle. If we focus all our strength on one point, we can pierce through and reach Ashveil's main body."
He raised a golden finger, glowing with divine energy.
"If that happens—whether he's maintaining his barrier or activating Shinra Tensei—we can wound him!"
Ashveil gave a slow clap, his voice calm, almost amused.
"Good analysis," he said evenly. "My Shinra Tensei does indeed release every bit of Conqueror's Haki stored within me for maximum destructive output."
He tilted his head, a grin spreading across his face.
"But… do you really think you can beat me just because you figured that much out?"
The faint taunt sent a chill through Kaido's chest. His heart pounded against his ribs, his instincts warning him of the overwhelming gap in power.
"Don't get drawn in, Kaido!" Kong barked, his tone commanding. "He's trying to break your will!"
"Attack again, Kaido!" Sengoku added sharply.
Kaido's expression twisted in annoyance. "Damn it, again?!" he muttered under his breath. "Always the first to charge. These bastards just want to use me as their shield."
Sengoku's voice rang out again.
"Don't hesitate! He won't risk using Shinra Tensei immediately after! Your defense is the toughest here, so you're the best one to push through."
Kaido's jaw tightened. He cursed under his breath. "Damn Marines, damn Ashveil—none of you are any good!"
Still, he had no choice. Even now, his freedom was granted only by Kong's pardon. Compared to the Commander -in-Chief and Sengoku, his position was the lowest. He had to move first.
Recalling all the humiliation Ashveil had dealt him earlier, Kaido roared in frustration. His body began to shift, muscles expanding, scales rippling across his skin.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, thunder booming across the sky as his hybrid dragon form took shape. The Club in his hands pulsed with coiling black lightning as his Conqueror's Haki surged.
"Descent of the Three Worlds — Guide to Naraka!" Kaido bellowed, leaping high into the storm.
Purple-black lightning rained down upon his weapon, merging into it until the club burned with blinding force. He swung it downward with both hands, the air itself tearing apart from the pressure.
Nearby, Whitebeard, locked in combat with Garp, glanced at the attack and frowned.
"That technique," he muttered. "Descent of the Three Worlds … his Haoshoku strike has grown even stronger."
A thunderous roar followed. The sky cracked open as the attack crashed into Ashveil's barrier. Ripples of pure energy pulsed outward like expanding rings on water.
The land outside the barrier erupted into chaos—cracks spreading like spiderwebs, dust and lightning exploding across Marineford.
Kaido's Club pushed 25 centimeters into the barrier, the pressure immense. Even that small progress took every ounce of his strength; the recoil made his arms tremble uncontrollably.
But this time… Ashveil didn't retaliate with Shinra Tensei.
Kaido's heart leapt. That meant Sengoku's analysis was correct.
"Now! Attack together!" Kaido shouted hoarsely. "I can't hold this for long!"
Behind him, Sengoku and Kong sprang into motion. Their combined auras flared like miniature suns.
"Great Buddha Form!" Sengoku's golden giant body expanded again, and he unleashed another shockwave directly at the same point Kaido had struck.
The blast tore through the battlefield, pulverizing everything around them except for the shimmering sphere protecting Ashveil. The ground beneath him collapsed, forming a massive crater.
Sengoku's shockwave dug 60 centimeters into the Conqueror's Haki barrier, stopping only a few decimeters from Ashveil's face.
The barrier trembled violently, ripples distorting the air around it.
"Just a little more, Fleet Admiral Kong!" Sengoku shouted, his voice filled with fierce excitement.
Their combined assault had pierced more than half the barrier's depth. With Kong's final strike, they might actually break through.
Kong's expression hardened as he stepped onto the air with Moonwalk, his massive frame glowing with pitch-black Haki.
Every muscle flexed. His Armament Haki flowed deep into his bones, merging seamlessly with his physical power and Observation Haki. This was the strength of the man who once commanded legends.
"Black Bone Dragon!" Kong roared.
His Armament Haki erupted outward, forming a spectral dragon of pure darkness. Black lightning arced along its scales as it spiraled toward Ashveil.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed. "So he's using it again… the ultimate form of Armament Haki."
From a distance, Garp murmured in awe, "Even after all these years, his power hasn't faded. That's the same technique that inspired me long ago."
He remembered the first time he'd seen Kong's mastery—how it had guided both him and Sengoku toward greatness.
Whitebeard, locked in combat with Garp, let out a low whistle.
"So that's the legendary technique… Ultimate Armament Haki—Armament strengthened beyond even Ryou."
Nearby, Douglas Bullet and Byrnndi World, engaged in their own clashes, momentarily stopped to watch.
"Armament Haki at that level…" Bullet muttered, eyes glinting with admiration. "It's almost absurd."
World smirked faintly, his gaze fixed on the center of the chaos.
"Kong's still a
s sharp as ever. Let's see if even that can break through Ashveil's ultimate Conqueror's Haki…"
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