Urouge stood at the edge of the deck, telescope in hand, his face clouded with unease as he watched the fight unfold.
"What… what's going on? Why isn't Captain Ashveil making a move?"
The unease in his voice was obvious. He knew a man like Kaido of the Beasts was never to be trusted. Someone as brutal and cunning as him would seize any opening, no matter how slim.
Urouge remembered the rumors from Wano, the whispers that Kaido had killed Kozuki Oden with underhanded tricks. The thought made his grip on the telescope tighten.
High above, a reporter from the World Economic Journal pushed his glasses up as the reflection of light flashed across the lens. His brows furrowed in confusion.
Could it be that Ashveil was deliberately giving Kaido a chance?
To grant an Emperor of the Sea a moment to recover was to dance on the edge of death itself. But Ashveil, with his reckless boldness and unmatched talent, seemed unbothered by such risk.
What he thought was simple—if Kaido died too quickly, the rest of his time on this sea would be unbearably dull.
Meanwhile, Kaido used every second Ashveil allowed him. His great chest rose and fell as he gulped in oxygen. Zoan users already possessed monstrous recovery, and Kaido, as the Azure Dragon, recovered ten times faster than most. With every breath, his stamina surged back. Even his blood seemed to replenish itself.
This was Kaido's terrifying physique—the reason why he had endured countless battles and survived enemies like Whitebeard. Defeat was possible, but death? No one had managed that.
The uneasy stalemate stretched for five minutes.
Urouge, tense on the warship, didn't blink. The reporter above remained equally baffled, waiting for the inevitable storm.
At last, Kaido sat upright, still gasping, but regaining strength.
Ashveil clicked his tongue. He had almost wanted to praise Kaido's durability, but now it seemed unimpressive. Beyond the superficial scarring, Kaido's body was already near its peak again.
"Kaido, my time's up," Ashveil said flatly. "What? Five minutes isn't enough? I don't have time to waste with you."
Kaido only grunted, still breathing heavily.
Ashveil lifted his hand, ready to unleash another hundred cuts, but Kaido suddenly sprang up, moving with terrifying speed. One moment he was across the battlefield, the next he was right beside Ashveil.
Ashveil's eyes narrowed. Without Observation Haki, even he hadn't seen that coming.
The skies darkened. Clouds rolled and lightning split the heavens. Bolts danced down into Kaido's massive kanabo, charging it with destructive force.
Then Kaido roared, his veins bulging with fury.
"Thunder Bagua!"
His strike ripped through the air, so fast it seemed to erase the distance.
The blow shook the very foundations of Kuraigana Island, sending tremors through the ground and waves surging across the sea. Urouge staggered on the ship, horror twisting his expression.
"Captain… Captain was ambushed by that despicable monster!" he shouted, rage boiling in his chest. "Damn you, Kaido!"
The World Economic Journal reporter clenched his jaw as he scribbled.
"So the rumors were true… Kaido's brutality isn't in his strength alone, but his treachery."
He remembered Morgans once telling him about Oden's fall, how Kaido had staged a kidnapping to strike Oden from behind. And now, here it was again—proof of Kaido's dishonor.
Bikley's face fell. "What a waste… Could such a genius as Ashveil really fall to that beast?"
For weeks now, Ashveil's exploits had dominated headlines. Many whispered his name alongside legends like Rocks. To Bikley, it was tragic to think such a rising star might be extinguished here.
Then, a cry broke the tension.
"Wait! Look!" an intern shouted, eyes glued to his telescope. "It's not over—the battle's still raging!"
Bikley hurriedly looked again.
On the battlefield, Kaido's Thunder Bagua collided with something unseen. The strike penetrated only ten centimeters before stopping, blocked by Ashveil's overwhelming willpower—his Conqueror's Haki barrier.
Kaido's eyes widened.
He didn't hesitate. Leaping high, he shifted into his fearsome dragon-hybrid form, kanabo whirling in his grip. His Conqueror's Haki erupted, black lightning crackling violently across the sky. The weapon itself seemed cloaked in darkness.
"The Barrier Fruit may be tough," Kaido growled, "but let's see how you handle this in my Dragon-Human form!"
He spun his kanabo, his voice booming like thunder.
"Do you know, brat, that there are attacks only the true rulers of the sea can wield? This is one of them! Descending Three Worlds—Naraku!"
The massive weapon slammed downward, tearing the air apart as a shadowy phantom trailed its path.
The strike landed with earth-shattering force.
Black lightning ripped through the barrier as Kaido's kanabo forced its way in, trembling against Ashveil's defenses. Two decimeters of ground were crushed inward, but no further.
Kaido's arms shook violently, dragon scales rattling, sweat pouring down his forehead.
"This… this isn't the Barrier Fruit!" he gasped. "My Conqueror's infusion—it can't break through!"
Panic crept into his eyes.
Ashveil's calm smile never wavered.
"I never said my defense was the Barrier Fruit. That was your assumption," he said evenly. "But Kaido, you've impressed me. Your recovery, your cunning, your Haki-infused techniques… You've proven yourself worthy of your title."
Then his voice dropped, almost mocking.
"But now, it's my turn. Let's see if you can withstand me."
His words carried the weight of inevitability, as though he were an adult humoring a child's efforts.
And Kaido, for all his might, felt that truth pierce deeper than any weapon.
_____
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