Claudius' slash had sent Kaido flying, and the clash of Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki had caused an immense shockwave, shaking even the tsunami-formed glaciers around them.
Naturally, this dramatic exchange caught the attention of everyone present.
Crocodile and the others froze momentarily, their gazes shifting to the "Kaido" figure stiffening in the distance.
Inwardly, they all cursed.
"If it weren't for Claudius, this would've been an embarrassing disaster," Crocodile muttered coldly.
A flicker of shame crossed Sakazuki's usually stern face.
Damn it.
Four of the strongest fighters had been relentlessly chasing a fake Kaido, while the real one nearly escaped.
Had this news spread, their reputations would have been tarnished beyond repair.
Thankfully, Claudius had exposed the trick before it was too late.
Yet, what stunned Sakazuki even more was the sheer dominance Claudius had displayed—he had overpowered Kaido head-on.
But after a moment, Sakazuki understood.
First, Kaido was already severely weakened from their relentless siege.
And second, Claudius' true strength had always been an enigma, even to those closest to him.
No one truly understood his limits.
Perhaps it was due to his status as a Celestial Dragon and leader of the World Government.
It made no sense for someone of his position to fight constantly. After all, that was what subordinates were for.
Whenever Claudius did take action, it always shocked people, and this time was no different.
To this day, no one had forced him to reveal his full strength.
It wasn't that no one was strong enough to push him, but rather, no one had ever gotten the chance.
Since the "Kaido" they had been chasing was fake, there was no reason to waste time on it.
Without hesitation, Sakazuki and the others turned back and rushed toward Claudius' side.
—
At this moment, Kaido lay buried beneath the glacier, his chest still bleeding profusely.
Pain surged through his body, blood trickling from his mouth and nostrils.
His superhuman resilience fought desperately to heal the wounds, but then—
Something was wrong.
His self-healing ability… wasn't working properly.
A deep sense of unease filled Kaido's mind.
"The hell… is this a curse?!" he thought, shocked.
Struggling, he pushed aside the glacier fragments and forced himself to stand.
In truth, it wasn't a curse—at least, not in the way Kaido assumed.
Even Claudius himself didn't fully understand what had happened.
His blade Shindō had always been a hidden gem.
First, because Claudius rarely fought personally due to his status.
And second, because he was not a true swordsman, his technique was mostly brute force, overwhelming his opponents with raw power rather than refined skill.
As a result, he had never fully explored Shindō's abilities.
Yet, Shindō wasn't just any sword.
It was a demon blade, carrying a powerful curse, one that could hinder its opponent's recovery.
It could even curse its own wielder, though Claudius rarely suffered from this drawback since he seldom relied on the blade.
Kaido had grossly underestimated the demon blade Shindō.
Claudius' strike had ripped open his chest, and his body—normally capable of miraculous regeneration—was struggling.
Kaido had heard whispers about Shindō before, but he had never paid them any mind.
After all, he wasn't a swordsman.
But now?
Now, as his blood continued to spill, he found himself remembering something.
The legend of the blacksmith who forged Shindō over a century ago.
A notorious pirate, one so dangerous that even his name had been erased by the World Government.
No records remained—only rumors.
Shaking off the thoughts, Kaido gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet.
Dragging his half-broken kanabo, he locked eyes with Claudius.
By now, Claudius had been joined by five others—Sakazuki, Borsalino, Enel, Crocodile, and Fujitora.
Kaido's blood continued to flow.
His wounds were severe, and he could feel that his regeneration was failing.
But even now, he refused to fall.
A cornered beast is always the most dangerous.
And Kaido, the King of Beasts, was no exception.
Realizing that escape was impossible, Kaido let go of all hesitation.
If he couldn't run, then he would fight to the death.
Despite his wounds, Kaido's aura flared violently.
Then, gripping his broken kanabo, he let out a mighty roar.
"I want to be the Pirate King!!!"
Claudius' gaze darkened, his voice filled with cold mockery.
"How delusional."
As he spoke, Borsalino stepped forward.
Bringing his hands together, he materialized a golden energy blade.
"Ame no Murakumo!!!"
With a swift motion, Borsalino slashed at Kaido, intercepting his broken kanabo.
Though Kaido's raw power overwhelmed Borsalino, shattering the glacier beneath them, the Marine Admiral had done his job—he had stopped Kaido's charge.
At that moment, Sakazuki struck.
A massive magma fist shot forward, aiming directly for Kaido's chest.
"Great Eruption!!!"
Kaido reacted instantly.
"Dragon Horns!!!"
His neck extended like a serpent, his body twisting unnaturally.
Two massive dragon horns sprouted from his head, and he lunged forward, impaling both Sakazuki and Borsalino.
Neither had anticipated that Kaido would counterattack in this way.
Kaido's head smashed into them, sending both Admirals flying.
But even as they flew backward, Borsalino retaliated.
His golden sword dispersed into countless light bullets, exploding directly on Kaido's skull.
Sakazuki, mid-air, launched a vicious counterattack.
"Hellhound!!!"
A gigantic, snarling magma hound erupted from his fist, clamping its burning jaws onto Kaido's head.
Before Kaido could shake it off—
"Desert Spire!!!"
Crocodile struck next.
A colossal pillar of sand surged upward, swallowing Kaido whole.
But Crocodile wasn't done.
Within seconds, the sand compressed, transforming into a massive pyramid, sealing Kaido inside.
Claudius watched with interest, then smirked.
"Crocodile… ever considered carrying a sand gourd?"
Crocodile furrowed his brows, clearly confused by the bizarre suggestion.
But before he could reply.
"Raigo!!!"
From above, Enel descended.
A titanic sphere of lightning formed in his hands.
This was one of his strongest techniques, capable of destroying entire islands.
However, this time, he condensed its power, making it smaller—but far deadlier.
He slammed it down.
Lightning surged into the pyramid, obliterating everything within.
For a moment, there was only blinding white light.
Claudius listened carefully.
Did he hear a roar within the explosion?
Or was it just his imagination?
As the blue-white lightning consumed the battlefield, one thing was clear.
Even Kaido, the so-called "Strongest Creature," could not withstand this onslaught.
(To be continued.)