BOOM!!!!!
A thunderous collision tore through the air and nearly ruptured eardrums.
First, an enormous beam of laser light struck the dragon's head and forced it slightly off course. Then a black tiger-shaped sword aura infused with overwhelming gravity slammed into Kaido like the weight of a mountain. The black tiger collided with the flaming azure dragon, and shockwaves roared outward.
The slash did not truly injure Kaido, but the force behind it was irresistible and smashed him sideways.
The massive dragon body crashed into the ground and rolled. Its sweeping tail carried blades of compressed air sharp enough to cut skin as it passed beside Law and struck the earth.
The island, already on the verge of sinking, split into several massive pieces under the impact as seawater surged inward and the roaring sound became deafening.
Law's body slackened, and the long blade in his hand retracted, more than half of it already shattered.
The surge of adrenaline still had not faded as he gasped heavily.
"Hu… hu…"
Issho flew in close to the sea surface and landed beside Law.
"We were still a step too late."
The shattered island and the scattered corpses of Marine soldiers were all within Issho's Observation Haki.
Kaido's sudden assault had caught everyone off guard. No, perhaps they had anticipated it, but they had not expected the Emperor's bottom line to be so low.
He had bypassed Borsalino and Issho, who were guarding the front, and attacked an island defended only by a Rear Admiral at highest command.
The unspoken rule between top tiers not to slaughter ordinary pirates and soldiers had been completely broken.
By the time Borsalino and Law arrived, a third of the island had already been destroyed, and they had struggled for a long while just to evacuate most of the remaining personnel.
Only now had Issho finally arrived as well.
Law exhaled in relief. The losses were heavy, but the surviving personnel had nearly all withdrawn.
Amid the dust filling the sky, Kaido's dragon body slowly shrank and shifted into his human-beast form.
On this side, Issho turned toward Law.
"Rear Admiral Law, leave this to us. Take everyone and withdraw immediately."
Borsalino's figure condensed atop a nearby boulder. He said nothing and simply looked into the thick dust ahead.
Law nodded lightly, and his left hand rose as he activated his ability.
Shua!
He vanished instantly.
* * *
At the harbor, all the ships that had already set sail suddenly rose from the sea and began floating.
Law stood atop the central warship, controlling his ability as he guided the massive fleet in low flight toward the next base.
* * *
Within the dense dust.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed as the ground trembled.
Kaido's several-meter-tall human-dragon body emerged from the haze with Hassaikai in hand. His vertical dragon pupils shifted slightly as he looked at the two before him and grinned viciously.
"Marine Admiral Fujitora… how interesting…"
Issho remained expressionless.
"As one of the Four Emperors, attacking ordinary soldiers is somewhat against the rules."
Kaido's dragon mouth twisted into a savage smile.
"Wororororo! This world has always been survival of the fittest. You can try to leave me here. The premise is… If you are capable of it."
His legs bent slightly as Conqueror's Haki coiled around Hassaikai and lightning crackled along its surface.
Zeng!
He vanished and appeared instantly before Issho.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Clang!
Issho's cane blade was already raised before him as the pitch-black blade collided with the lightning-wreathed kanabo, forcing Issho backward.
His feet carved deep trenches into the earth as he stepped back with his right foot and stabilized himself. His pale eyes lifted slightly.
"I was just thinking of testing you."
His aura erupted as externalized Armament Haki intertwined with the power of the Press-Press Fruit and pushed back against Kaido.
Boom!!!
Under the combined force of Issho's gravity and repulsion, Kaido was blasted away.
Issho leaned slightly forward as his Observation Haki surged skyward. The cane blade drew back to his left abdomen while his fruit ability activated.
A purple ring of power shot straight into the clouds, pulling something from above.
On the other side, as Kaido was sent flying backward, particles of light condensed behind him and Borsalino appeared, his voice calm and lazy.
"Speed is power~"
Whoosh!
The sound of a laser rang out.
Boom!!!!!
A massive explosion detonated behind Kaido, and the force sent him hurtling back toward Issho.
Issho, still in his poised draw stance, slashed outward as a twisted black gravity blade shot toward Kaido.
Kaido grinned as he gripped Hassaikai with both hands and watched the incoming slash.
He spun violently once, and thunderclouds in the sky responded to his call.
"Conquerer of Three Worlds… Ragnaraku!"
A bolt of lightning descended and linked with the kanabo. The two merged and smashed down toward the black gravity blade and Issho's position.
Boom!!!!
Shockwaves blasted everything off the ground, sweeping away debris and shattered stone until only the two figures locked in struggle remained.
The impact traveled through their bodies into the earth.
The land beneath them softened and began sinking as the ground below completely fractured and collapsed, no longer able to support itself while it slowly submerged.
Kaido's arms bulged as he pressed down on Issho's cane blade with a savage grin.
"Not enough."
Crackle!
Conqueror's Haki's lightning intensified along the kanabo, increasing the pressure on Issho.
Issho ignored the taunt. "Is that so?"
Kaido's eyes narrowed slightly as he suddenly looked up.
Above, Borsalino hovered in the air with golden light flowing around his leg as he aimed at Kaido.
Kaido's dragon pupils shifted, and he abruptly withdrew his force, allowing Issho's gravity to send him flying backward.
Borrowing the momentum, he shot upward and transformed into a massive azure dragon mid-flight as he lunged toward Borsalino with Blast Breath gathering in his mouth.
Borsalino sounded mildly troubled.
"Honestly~ Can't you just stay down there?"
His charged right leg kicked out, and a laser fired toward Kaido's head.
Whoosh!
It struck directly between Kaido's brows.
Kaido's expression did not change as he endured the laser and continued charging toward Borsalino.
Then suddenly, Kaido's dragon pupils contracted sharply.
Several small red dots appeared high above, descending rapidly as a sense of danger flooded his mind.
Meteors?
Below, Issho gripped his cane blade and activated his ability.
"Trip to Hell!"
Kaido, who had been rushing toward Borsalino, suddenly stalled as his entire body seemed to lose control and plummeted toward the ground at extreme speed.
He twisted midair and glanced at Issho.
'That man…'
Boom!!!
The island's surface shattered and formed an enormous crater.
Within the crater, Kaido returned to his human-dragon form as he shook his head and stood up. It was nothing more than a scratch. The only truly irritating part was…
Rip!
The smoke was torn apart, revealing Kaido's figure.
Issho stood not far away facing him, while Borsalino hovered in midair. Above them, several meteors were now visibly enlarging as they descended toward the already collapsing island.
Kaido's bloodthirsty dragon eyes lifted emotionlessly toward the sky.
"Annoying ability."
Conqueror's Haki wrapped around Hassaikai again as lightning exploded outward.
**
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