Teacher Kaido and Carl's Challenge
Teacher Kaido?
Kaido, now completely sober, darkened his expression.
These pirates were treating him as a free sparring partner and hoping to learn advanced Conqueror's Haki coating from him—truly audacious and bold.
Yet, he found their approach somewhat amusing.
It reminded him of his early days on the Rocks Pirates' ship, when he was just a rookie crew member, equally reckless and eager to learn.
These youngsters—the Straw Hat boy and this Carl—seemed to understand this fundamental aspect of growing stronger. Not bad at all.
Still, this boy who claimed he would become the Pirate King needed to be taught a lesson first. How could Kaido accept someone like that as his subordinate?
"I feel like I almost understood it from that last attack," Luffy said breathlessly. "Mr. Carl, let me fight one more time. I'll be able to grasp it!"
Carl shook his head firmly. "Luffy, your physical strength and Haki are completely drained—you shouldn't continue fighting now. I'll take over here. Go back to the ship and eat some meat. Think about what you felt during the battle. Once you've recovered, you can come back and continue learning."
"But, Carl..." Luffy protested.
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance at Kaido again. This is your first time facing an Emperor—you need to pace yourself. Training properly is crucial; avoid being hasty!"
Carl's words reassured Luffy, who finally agreed.
Using his black blade sword as a platform, Carl helped transport Luffy back to the Going Merry. Surprisingly, Kaido made no move to stop them.
The Straw Hat crew was shocked when they saw Luffy's battered condition. They had heard Usopp's description of Luffy being struck down by Kaido, but hadn't expected him to be in such terrible shape.
"Meat! Sanji, meat!" Luffy called out weakly.
"Coming right up! Don't worry, there's plenty!" Sanji rushed to the kitchen and quickly returned with heaping platters of meat.
Luffy immediately began devouring it with his usual enthusiasm, despite his injuries.
Chopper examined Luffy's wounds and soon sighed with relief. "The injuries aren't too serious—he's mostly suffering from exhaustion. He just needs to replenish his energy and rest."
Everyone relaxed at this news.
However, their attention quickly turned toward the crumbling island, concern for Carl evident on their faces.
Luffy, seeming to sense their worry, spoke between mouthfuls of meat. "Don't worry about Mr. Carl, he'll be fine. I'm just taking a brief break, and I'll switch places with him once I've eaten enough. As for the Conqueror's coating, I already got some insight from Kaido's club attack. I'll definitely master it!"
The crew fell silent, but their expressions showed slight relief.
Zoro and Law weren't particularly worried about Carl. His strength was at least equal to Luffy's, and he could hold his own for quite some time.
Besides, if the situation became truly critical, Carl could always rely on his Devil Fruit powers—enough to send Kaido fleeing if not defeat him outright.
Back on the island, Carl continued to face Kaido.
"The Emperor is truly gracious, not stopping us from retreating," Carl remarked casually.
"WORORORORO! There's no need to stop you—you can't escape anyway. Kid, give up quickly. You have no chance of winning," Kaido declared with dominance, resting his club on his shoulders.
"Hey, we haven't even fought yet. How do you know I'll lose?"
As he spoke, Carl drew his obsidian blade.
Electric arcs danced densely across the obsidian surface, and his Armament Haki gave the blade a jet-black appearance. Carl gripped the sword handle with both hands and slashed forward.
"Black Blade: Lightning Strike!"
"Raimei Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido countered by wielding his club with both hands.
CLASH! The space between them exploded.
The island beneath their feet instantly shattered into gravel. The air split in two, and even the black clouds in the sky were severed, as if the heavens themselves had been cleaved.
The two warriors—one massive, one comparatively small—remained deadlocked in midair, their Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki surging wildly, continuously tearing apart the surrounding space and ocean.
Shock waves rippled outward one after another. Purple-black thunder enveloped the area, eventually forming a massive whirlpool and towering tsunami on the sea's surface.
"This is like a natural disaster!"
Everyone watching from the Going Merry and Law's submarine observed the distant battle with horror.
It was impossible to imagine this was merely two people fighting—it resembled divine punishment from above. The battle's impact directly affected the weather across a vast stretch of ocean. "Horror" barely described what they were witnessing.
BANG! Carl was sent flying backward by the force of the clash.
Kaido didn't fare much better, forced to retreat several steps himself.
Looking at the weapon in Carl's hand, Kaido's eyes widened. "Well done! You've mastered the Giants' unique sword techniques and incorporated them into your own style. You truly are a genius. Would you like to join my Beast Pirates? I'll give you a position among my commanders!"
There he goes again with his recruitment attempts!
Carl flatly refused: "A commander's position is too low. If you offer me the captain's seat of the Beast Pirates, then I might consider it."
Hearing this, Kaido's face immediately darkened. He transformed into his dragon form and exhaled a devastating blast of wind toward Carl.
This dragon breath was terrifying—filled with countless razor-sharp wind blades that could shred thick armor instantly. Anyone caught in its path would be cut to pieces, with nothing left to bury.
Carl remained unfazed. He used his returning sword as a platform beneath his feet, constantly dodging the attacks.
With sufficiently powerful Observation Haki and quick enough movements, these wind blades posed little threat.
However, Kaido's attack was far more complex than it first appeared. He rapidly spun his dragon body, creating violent air currents that formed several temple-sized tornadoes within seconds.
The already broken island was completely swept away by these tornadoes.
Carl found himself caught in one of the vortexes but showed no panic. With a single slash, he cut through the tornado surrounding him.
But Kaido had already reverted to his human form without Carl noticing and swung his massive club once more.
"Divine Thunder Bagua!"
"Lightning Sea Splitter!"
BOOM! Carl hastily countered, but his Sea Splitter technique was instantly shattered. His body was thrown violently into the air.
Fortunately, he wasn't knocked unconscious. His black blade appeared behind him, successfully halting his backward momentum before propelling him forward again. Carl managed to counterattack just as Kaido was recovering from his previous swing.
"Nani?!" Kaido exclaimed in surprise, quickly raising his club to defend.
But Carl moved faster. His blade was now covered in dense electric arcs, and the black sword had somehow split into smaller fragments, forming an electromagnetic rail before Carl's eyes.
"Hey, Kaido, experience the power of advanced technology! Black Blade: Railgun!"
BOOM! The black blade slashed along the electromagnetic track, instantly transforming the electric energy into a scorching beam. Combined with the Black Blade's shockwave, it struck Kaido's right chest.
The attack pierced straight through!
Kaido let out a roar of pain, raising his arm to slam Thunder Bagua down on Carl. The impact sent Carl flying like a cannonball.
The fragmented black sword quickly reassembled into its complete form behind Carl's back, catching him before he could crash. However, Carl was in rough shape—blood streaming down his face, his mind disoriented and dizzy.
Raimei Thunder Bagua was indeed a Conqueror's Haki-infused attack with devastating effects on both body and spirit.
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