Chapter 399: I Heard Your Thunder Eight Trigrams Is Super Powerful
Rumble, rumble!
In the deep chasm carved into Onigashima by the devastating impact, Kaido struggled to rise from the rubble.
He reached up and wiped the liquid from the corner of his mouth. It was his blood.
Moments ago, he had coughed up blood like a geyser, as if his very life were spilling out.
After wiping his mouth, he touched his chest, where a large dent marred his flesh.
Hiss!
Even with his iron will, Kaido could not help but wince.
He lowered his hands and waited for his body to heal.
His eyes flickered as he recalled the woman's punch.
Brutal—unbelievably brutal!
That was his first thought.
It felt as though a mountain, or something even heavier, had crashed into him. The overwhelming force left him defenseless.
The Scarlet Queen possessed terrifying power.
It far surpassed that of Whitebeard in his prime.
Such strength should not belong to her!
Kaido's mind drifted to the white, translucent, circular array that had appeared behind her before their battle began.
He had sensed that her attacks never truly touched him.
Instead, a small circular formation appeared around her fist, and the devastating force struck him through it.
It was impossibly solid and heavy.
That woman was beating him to the brink of death!
He had been foolishly pleased earlier.
Kaido's thoughts wandered back to the moment the Scarlet Queen arrived.
"Are you Kaido of the Beasts? I heard your Thunder Eight Trigrams is super powerful."
Those were her first words.
Hearing them, Kaido had felt a surge of pride.
The Scarlet Queen was a figure of immense renown.
Her acknowledgment of his reputation, and specifically his Thunder Eight Trigrams, made him think his fame had reached even such a formidable figure.
Her polite words, spoken by someone so powerful, had filled him with satisfaction.
He had even considered inviting her to join his pirate crew.
But he had rejoiced too soon.
After he agreed enthusiastically and praised her discernment, the beating began.
It was rhythmic, relentless.
The defenses he prided himself on were useless.
If not for his extraordinary vitality, he would have died several times over.
Now, if given the chance to do it again, Kaido would say, "Rumors are just rumors."
Whoever spread the tale of his Thunder Eight Trigrams' might had exaggerated terribly!
Da da!
Whoosh!
In the darkness, Kaido took several deep breaths, exhaling heavily as he prepared to leap back into the fray, his expression grim.
He loved battle, but this one-sided, defenseless pummeling was not what he enjoyed.
He picked up his mace, its familiar weight reassuring in the dim light.
The weapon, his companion through countless battles, was slightly bent.
He suspected another blow from that woman might shatter it.
Truthfully, he had no desire to continue this fight.
But the choice was no longer his.
Boom!
Kaido slung the mace over his shoulder.
He could not delay any longer.
If he lingered, he feared the woman would demolish his island to force him out.
Boom! Boom!
Transforming into his beast form, Kaido leaped upward, smashing through the earth and rocks in his path.
Soon, his massive figure emerged once more on the ravaged surface of Onigashima.
Surveying the devastation, Kaido felt a pang of sorrow.
This base, the stage for so many life-or-death battles, was on the verge of collapse.
As Kaido lingered in his melancholy, a figure swiftly appeared before him.
It was the Scarlet Queen, Giada.
She wore a flowing white dress, its fabric elegant and luxurious.
Beneath it, she donned white high-heeled shoes with two straps criss crossing her calves.
Her attire exuded refinement and grace.
Here, her appearance differed from how she presented herself around Kai.
There, she favored a lighter, more youthful white dress and went barefoot, her delicate feet on display for Kai to admire.
Outside, she was reserved, her beauty reserved for those closest to her.
Buzz… buzz…
Behind Giada, translucent circles of light hovered, trailing her like a shadow.
The rings overlapped, emitting a strange, vibrating hum.
This was Giada's Familiar Beast, named Angel's Melody.
Its primary ability was to amplify Giada's strength and skills, a versatile and powerful asset.
When Giada attacked, the degree of amplification depended on her intent.
So far, the boost she had used against Kaido was relatively modest.
Giada already possessed the Power of the Mountains, and her reputation, exceeding two million points, had allowed her to enhance two abilities to S-level.
Both her Familiar Beast and Power of the Mountains had reached this rank.
She had chosen to upgrade the Power of the Mountains over her Blood True Ancestor ability because the latter was already S-level.
Before setting out, Giada had consumed much of Kai's blood, which, with Kai's help, she had absorbed to elevate her Blood True Ancestor ability.
This had enabled her to fight Artoria so fiercely early in her journey.
Beyond Artoria's Avalon ability not being attack-focused, Giada's Blood True Ancestor power was crucial.
With the Blood True Ancestor already at S-level, the Power of the Mountains reached the same rank thanks to her vast reputation points.
The Power of the Mountains alone was enough to overwhelm Kaido.
With the slight boost from Angel's Melody, Kaido was left questioning his very existence.
"Kaido, is it? You have taken quite a beating. Now, prepare for my final strike!"
Giada extended her fist, her tone lazy as she addressed the battered Kaido.
The fight had sated her, and she had little interest in continuing.
She had come to challenge Kaido partly for reputation and partly because Kaido had mentioned him often, especially when playing games.
Giada had remembered the name and decided to pay him a visit.
Sometimes, a girl's whims need no further justification.
Kaido's eyes widened as he stared at the translucent white formation materializing around the girl's fist.
A tremor ran through him.
He had noticed that the more magic circles appeared on her fist, the more devastating the blow.
The punch that had shattered Onigashima had carried three circles.
But now—one, two, three, four… ten?!
This was a punch meant to end him!
Gulp!
Kaido's throat bobbed as his eyes bulged.
Was it too late to surrender?
After this, she would likely move on to others, perhaps targeting the West Blue near Amazon Lily.
As Kaido's unease grew, Giada's thoughts wandered briefly.
Then, as Kaido's pupils contracted, the magic circles enveloped her fist.
With a casual swing, she unleashed a light punch toward him.
The sky seemed to collapse, and the earth trembled beneath its might.
( End of this Chapter )