Karl quickly pulled Ann out of the blast zone. Quinn and King had already retreated from the area where Kaido's club had smashed down.
"Ughhh—who hit me!?" Kaido roared, rubbing his head. His mind was spinning from the blow.
"Bastard Kaido! I'm right here! Divine Step—White Serpent Drive!"
Yamato's figure flashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. Her kanabo came crashing down again and again onto Kaido's skull.
For a moment, Kaido was dumbfounded. Someone actually dared to hit him—on Onigashima? Is this brat tired of living!?
The next instant, his Conqueror's Haki exploded outward. Black and crimson lightning arced through the air as he flew upward, glaring down at Yamato.
"Heat Breath!" he bellowed, unleashing a blazing column of fire toward her.
Yamato didn't dare hesitate. Transforming into her beast-human form, she countered with a freezing blast—
"Nameless White Fang!"
The collision of scorching flame and freezing wind triggered a massive explosion. Both combatants were thrown apart by the shockwave. Yamato coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, while Kaido shook his head and slowly rose again.
Then Kaido shifted into his hybrid form, gripping his kanabo tightly. Conqueror's Haki coiled around the weapon like black lightning.
"Drunken Dragon—Thunder Bagua!!" he roared, swinging down with devastating force.
Yamato barely had time to react, throwing up her strongest defense—
"Mirror Mountain!"
But it wasn't enough. Kaido's club smashed through her guard, sending her flying like a ragdoll.
"Kaido, stop!!" King shouted.
This was no longer a sparring match—it was an all-out brawl. He rushed forward to block Kaido's next attack.
"Army of Drunken Dragons!!" Kaido ignored him completely, his club once again wrapped in black lightning as he swung at King.
King couldn't even react in time—Kaido's blow sent him hurtling through the air.
"King!" Quinn shouted and rushed to stand between them, ready to intercept Kaido's next strike.
But Kaido was in no state to listen to reason.
When Kaido drank, he went through seven drunken moods—Drunken Rage, Drunken Melancholy, Drunken Tears, Drunken Cuddling, Drunken Mimicry, Drunken Fury, and Drunken Slaughter.
Right now, he was firmly in Drunken Fury mode. Seeing Quinn step up only made him angrier.
"Drunken Thunder—Hell's Descent!!" Kaido's club crackled with lightning and Conqueror's Haki, ready to come crashing down.
Karl frowned. He's actually using that move?
Without hesitation, Karl transformed into his beast-human form, drawing Xinting Marquis. Flames and Haki intertwined along the black blade.
"Howling Sky Art—Dragon Roar Slash!!"
In a flash, Karl appeared in front of Kaido, intercepting the blow. Their Conqueror's Hakis clashed violently, sending everyone nearby flying. Both men were blasted backward dozens of meters by the sheer force.
"Wororororo! I remember you now—Tiger God Karl! Let's have a proper fight this time!" Kaido bellowed, his fury far from subsiding.
He transformed into a massive azure dragon, coiling in the sky. Flames swirled around his body, forming a colossal fire dragon—his technique, Flame Dragon Torch!
Karl didn't back down. His body shifted fully into the form of a fiery Pixiu, his mane blazing like molten gold. Fiery clouds spiraled around him as hellfire gathered in his jaws.
"Rising Dragon—Flaming Bagua!!" Kaido roared, charging down with Conqueror's Haki-imbued fire.
"Hellfire Roar!!" Karl unleashed his own breath attack, his Haki-infused inferno clashing with Kaido's in midair.
The two torrents of flame met and locked. The air boiled. The entire sky shimmered with heat.
"Boss Kaido!!"
"Uncle!!"
Those watching from below could only scream in terror. The scene looked like the end of the world itself.
The space between them twisted violently, unable to withstand the sheer energy. Then—BOOM!—a cataclysmic explosion. Entire chunks of Onigashima vanished; the nearby sea boiled into steam.
"Kaido! You sober yet!?" Karl called out, reverting to hybrid form, gripping his blade tightly, battle spirit surging.
"Wororororo~! One more round! Roaring Bagua!!" Kaido charged again, both hands gripping his club, Conqueror's Haki crackling.
Karl raised his black sword, no hesitation in his eyes. "Howling Sky Art—Galactic Reversal!"
Wind energy surged around him, merging with Haki as he unleashed a massive, sky-splitting slash.
The two attacks collided, tearing through the heavens. A typhoon-like shockwave swept across the island, sending debris and pirates flying in every direction. The beach beneath their feet disintegrated into nothingness.
When the dust settled, both warriors were gasping for breath, standing battered but unbroken.
"Wororororo… Karl, let's call this one a draw! We'll settle it next time!" Kaido grinned, dropping heavily onto the ground. He uncorked his giant gourd and started chugging.
"Forget it," Karl said, sitting down as well. "Fighting you's too exhausting. Try my brew instead—it's better than that swill you're drinking."
He tossed over a barrel. Kaido caught it, cracked it open, and drank deeply. The next second, tears streamed down his face.
"Uuuuhhh… I've never tasted such good sake!"
Karl blinked. Wait, shouldn't he be thanking me instead of crying?
Oh well. He sighed, sat cross-legged, and started eating from his pack.
Before long, the others ran up.
"Big Brother Kaido!"
"Uncle! Are you alright?" Ann cried, rushing to Karl's side. The explosion she'd seen earlier had terrified her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just worked up an appetite, that's all," Karl said between bites.
"That's good… Uncle, was that the power of the strongest in the world?" Ann asked, her eyes blazing with determination.
"Pretty much," Karl said with a smile. "Took me over ten years of training to reach this level. You're only thirteen—keep at it, and you'll surpass me someday."
"I will!" Ann said firmly.
——
"Bastard Kaido! Were you seriously trying to kill me just now!?" Yamato stomped over, kanabo slung over her shoulder, blood crusting the corner of her mouth. Her body was covered in bruises, but she still stood tall. The Oni bloodline truly was monstrous.
Come to think of it, both Kaido and Yamato were absurdly lucky—possessing terrifyingly strong bodies and each having eaten a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, even rarer than Logias. Their already formidable constitutions had been pushed to godlike levels.
"Uuuhhh… my son, why won't you stay on Onigashima and help me?" Kaido sobbed into his sake, completely ignoring his injuries. His child idolized his enemies and even wanted to kill him. Where could a father go to complain about that?
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