Kaido's Azure Dragon form vanished into the thunderclouds, merging seamlessly with the storm-dark sky. Shanks finally found a sliver of breathing room.
This guy really is troublesome. He still hasn't used Armament Haki.
Their battle had reached a fever pitch, yet only now did Shanks realize the fatal truth.
From the moment he blocked Kaido's Thunder Bagua, he had relied on Armament Haki. When he resisted the Blast Breath, he used it again. To Shanks, Armament Haki was the most basic combat instinct. No fighter at their level would ever neglect it.
That sentence made the entire world fall silent.
Kaido had not used Armament Haki at all?
Against a Yonko like Shanks, he had relied purely on his physical toughness?
Even now, Kaido's body didn't show a single injury.
At Marineford, inside the strategy hall, Sengoku and Garp listened in disbelief. The carefree grin on Garp's face vanished. He moved beside Sengoku, expression sharpening.
Thunder rolled above the clouds. Firelight flickered as if the sky was about to detonate.
What? Kaido has fought Shanks this long without using Armament Haki? How is that possible?
Even Garp, who rarely took anything seriously, could not stay seated.
Every anime fan knew the title he carried: the strongest Armament Haki in the world. His fists were Iron Fists in every sense. To fight Roger, he literally punched mountains flat. His Armament Haki evolved through relentless combat.
So hearing that Kaido was fighting a Yonko without it was something he could not accept.
Kaido was too arrogant.
That was Garp's first thought. But Kaido had the strength to justify that arrogance. So far, he had taken zero damage.
No one else in the world could accomplish something this insane.
It was another form of power.
This monster is far beyond what we imagined.
Sengoku drew a deep breath, unwilling to acknowledge the truth but forced to.
The pirates of the new era were reclaiming the peak strength of the old.
Shanks!
Luffy watched Shanks fall into disadvantage, tears streaming uncontrollably. Against Luffy right now, Kaido was simply too overwhelming.
Shanks is in danger.
Shanks! Don't die! I promised to meet you in the New World! Shanks! Waaaah!
Luffy broke down in sobs.
On the battlefield below, Shanks' crew clashed furiously with Orochi's forces. The tide was deadlocked until the Yamata-no-Orochi suddenly lifted its massive heads toward the sky.
Every serpent head trembled. Terror filled its eyes.
Kaido is serious. All units retreat. Get out of this area now.
Its roar shook the ground. Shanks' crew immediately covered their ears. Both sides instinctively pulled away from the fight.
Benn Beckman had been monitoring the battlefield closely. The longer the fight dragged on, the more ominous it felt. Now even Kaido's subordinates were fleeing.
That confirmed his suspicion.
We retreat. Now.
But Captain is still fighting Kaido. Can he handle him alone?
Right now, the best thing we can do is get out of their way. The Captain's strength is far beyond what you think.
Lucky Roux gunned down a few retreating Beast Pirates and sprinted out first. The rest followed immediately.
The moment they cleared the danger zone, lightning filled the sky. Kaido's enormous shadow blanketed the entire island like a true dragon descending upon mortals.
Shanks tensed. He could feel it. Kaido had lost all rationality. His next move would destroy everything, even the island beneath their feet.
Kaido finally reappeared. From the thunderclouds, a dragon head several times larger than before emerged.
He had devoured countless thunderbolts. His body had swollen to monstrous proportions. Lightning slithered like colossal serpents between his blackened horns.
Kaido's predatory gaze locked onto Shanks.
His roar killed every beast on the island out of sheer terror.
Dragonfall.
The next moment, the entire world froze.
What is that…
A colossal crimson-black dragon claw descended from the heavens. It was brighter than the sun. Shanks looked tiny before it. His entire body could not compare to a single one of Kaido's scales.
Kaido's target was not Shanks.
It was the island itself.
He intended to stomp the entire landmass into the ocean.
And no one doubted he could do it.
The claw was wrapped in Armament Haki, black and blood-red. It was the most terrifying image the world had ever seen.
What?! That thing is bigger than both of my meteors combined! He dropped the moon!
Madara Uchiha had maintained a mask of superiority. But even he stood frozen. If that claw landed in the Shinobi World, the entire Allied Army would be annihilated instantly.
He wondered, briefly, whether his Susanoo could survive such an impact.
The cold sweat on his forehead already answered that.
At the Revolutionary Army headquarters, Sabo stared at his own hand. Armament Haki gathered. His fingers merged into three.
A dragon's claw silhouette appeared.