Luffy vs. Kaido: The Clash of Conquerors
Shock waves burst outward, triggering tsunamis in all directions. The ground shattered beneath their feet, causing the entire island to shake violently.
The Going Merry and Law's submarine had retreated to a safe distance, but were still being pushed back by the tremendous force of the clash.
Tashigi, Nami, Chopper, Robin, and the others suddenly felt a dull pain in their heads, nearly passing out. Had they been closer, even Zoro might not have been able to withstand it.
"What a terrifying battle!" someone exclaimed, earning nods of agreement from everyone.
Usopp and Zoro's eyes widened in amazement. Even though they had witnessed Carl fighting Admiral Akainu before, they couldn't help being shocked by this encounter.
Battles between powerful warriors were rarely earth-shattering, but this confrontation between Kaido, the Beast King of the sea, and Luffy, a rookie pirate on the verge of claiming the throne, was devastatingly intense.
"HAAA!" Luffy roared, increasing his Conqueror's Haki output.
"WORORORORO!" Kaido laughed, reinforcing his own Conqueror's Haki in response.
The two Haki auras crossed and collided midair, constantly vibrating the void between them. The atmosphere itself seemed to split under their power.
After what felt like an eternity, both fighters withdrew their Conqueror's Haki and resumed their physical battle.
Luffy's feet pumped like rocket launchers, allowing him to perform twenty-one rapid movements through the air.
Meanwhile, Kaido stood his ground with his club, waiting patiently for Luffy to make the first move, appearing utterly relaxed.
"Gomu Gomu no Rhino Schneider!" Luffy shouted.
His legs contracted and then shot forward with incredible elastic power, aiming straight for Kaido.
Kaido simply swung his club to counter. Dense electric arcs covered the weapon—his famous Thunder Bagua technique that had become infamous throughout the world.
BOOM! Their attacks collided violently.
"Gomu Gomu no Leo Bazooka!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
Luffy unleashed a barrage of powerful techniques, one after another.
Kaido, however, never changed his approach, countering all of Luffy's attacks with the same move—a display of overwhelming skill and confidence.
The two fighters moved constantly across the battlefield as they exchanged blows. The small deserted island couldn't withstand their power, and soon began breaking apart.
Fortunately, it hadn't completely sunk; otherwise, they would have had nowhere to stand.
Luffy had taken significant damage from Kaido but remained determined. He remembered Carl's advice and tried to perceive the technique behind Kaido's Conqueror's Haki coating.
However, the Thunder Bagua was merely a standard technique, not yet revealing the advanced Conqueror's Haki application Luffy needed to witness.
To force Kaido to use his Conqueror's coating, Luffy realized he needed to demonstrate greater power.
Recognizing this, Luffy stopped holding back. He activated Gear Fourth again, but this time he infused even more air into his arm, making it colossal.
"Gomu Gomu no Kong Gun!" he shouted.
His oversized fist nearly surpassed Kaido's entire body in size. Kaido confidently countered with Thunder Bagua again.
This time, however, the power of Luffy's attack had doubled compared to before. It instantly overpowered Kaido's club, driving it back before slamming into Kaido's body and smashing him into the ground.
"Amazing! That punch could sink the entire island!" Usopp yelled excitedly.
"Hey, Usopp! Let us use the binoculars—we can't see anything!" the others complained.
Everyone was frustrated because the Merry and the submarine were so far from the island that they could only see the ripples of battle, not the specific details.
Only Usopp with his goggles and Mihawk's extraordinary eyesight could make out what was happening, and even then, just barely.
Zoro couldn't help punching the mast in frustration. "Damn it! I'm still too weak! If I can't even watch the battle properly, how can I help Luffy in the future?"
A heavy silence fell over the crew.
It was true—Luffy and Carl were incredibly strong, allowing the Straw Hats to challenge the Four Emperors. However, the other crew members were comparatively weak. If they were to truly confront an Emperor's full forces, the Straw Hats would certainly be overwhelmed.
At that moment, everyone felt a burning desire to become stronger. Even Tashigi, who was initially an undercover agent, found herself infected by their determination and unconsciously identifying with the Straw Hat crew.
Law also clenched his fists, his heart filled with frustration at the enormous gap in power that still existed.
A few moments later, Kaido burst forth from the ground, rubbing his neck and grinning wildly.
"WORORORORO! That was an impressive punch—it actually broke through my Thunder Bagua! Straw Hat boy, I'll acknowledge your strength. Why not join my Beast Pirates? I'll give you a place among my commanders."
The Beast King extended his invitation, clearly impressed by Luffy's abilities.
Luffy shook his head decisively. "No way! I'm going to defeat you and become the Pirate King!"
Pirate King...
Kaido fell silent, then gripped his club firmly with both hands.
The weapon was still covered with dense electric arcs, but this time it gave off a completely different aura.
"Gomu Gomu no—"
"ROAR! THUNDER! BAGUA!"
Kaido swung his club with devastating force, shattering Luffy's giant fist and striking him directly.
Luffy crashed into the ground and slid across the entire island, carving a deep ravine before finally stopping at the coastline.
He had nearly been knocked straight into the sea!
Luffy was in terrible shape. Gear Fourth had been forcibly deactivated, blood covered his body, and his vision swam with dizziness.
"Boy, what kind of king did you say you were going to be?" Kaido's classic question carried an unmistakable aura of dominance.
Luffy supported his exhausted body, finally standing up again. "I'm going to be the Pirate King!" he shouted.
Kaido burst into laughter. "WORORORORO! If that's the case, try standing up to me again. Let's see if you still want to be Pirate King after that!"
He charged toward Luffy, preparing another Thunder Bagua.
Luffy was exhausted and about to activate Gear Fourth again when he suddenly stopped.
As the club approached, a black blade appeared out of nowhere, successfully blocking the weapon. Carl had somehow appeared in front of Luffy, gritting his teeth as he pushed the club back.
Kaido was forced several steps backward, looking at Carl with curiosity.
He was surprised. He had thought Luffy, the Straw Hat captain, was impressively strong, but he hadn't expected another powerful fighter in the crew. How could a mere rookie pirate group have so many formidable members?
"C-Carl..." Luffy struggled to stand straight.
"Well, Luffy, was Teacher Kaido's lesson interesting?" Carl laughed. "Have you learned anything about Conqueror's coating yet?"
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