Chapter 251: The Straw Hat Pirates vs. Kaido!
Luffy's eyes were firm, unwavering.
This was his responsibility as captain, his belief and determination to protect his crew.
No matter how much the Nika Fruit's will tried to interfere,
this was something that could never be changed—
it was carved into his very bones.
"Don't say stupid things. How could we ever let you fight alone?"
Sanji stubbed out his cigarette, exhaling a final puff of smoke.
After everything they'd faced in the Reincarnation Game and the battles in the East Blue,
he had come to fully acknowledge this seemingly goofy captain.
"My blades haven't slain a dragon yet!"
Zoro took a deep breath and clenched the hilt of his sword.
Ghostly energy surged from his body, summoning multiple demonic phantoms.
His aura manifested into three heads and six arms.
"You idiots! Can't we all just run together?"
Nami shed her usual gentle demeanor.
With sharp teeth bared, she punched all of them in the head three times,
kicked their butts, and grabbed the unconscious Usopp by the collar, dragging him like a mule as she bolted.
"Seriously, a bunch of muscle-brained meatheads. Is running away really that shameful?"
She grumbled the whole way.
A former thief,
Nami was a master of escape.
When faced with a foe they couldn't beat, the right move was always retreat.
These idiots from the Straw Hat crew clearly needed to learn that running wasn't a disgrace.
BOOM.
A bolt of purple-black lightning crashed down from the sky.
Kaido had already transformed into his giant azure dragon form.
He coiled above Syrup Village like a mountain,
his glowing yellow eyes shining like twin moons.
"You've got to be kidding…"
"There's no way we're getting out of this."
Forget everything else—
just the sheer presence of Kaido, powered by the Azure Dragon Fruit,
was utterly overwhelming.
His body alone blotted out the sky, and as he looked down on them,
some weaker souls couldn't even muster the courage to fight.
"Heat Breath!"
The massive dragon opened his jaws, unleashing a torrent of searing heat like a laser beam onto the earth below.
The Azure Dragon Fruit granted control over flame, cloud, wind, and lightning—
disaster-tier powers.
In this form, even a mountain could be vaporized in seconds.
"Get behind me!"
With no way to dodge, Zoro drew his sword.
Ghostly flames erupted from his body. He summoned the strongest demon he could handle at his current level—
Karlo of the Underworld Flame!
He slashed upward, sending waves of black-purple ghost fire into the sky.
They clashed with Kaido's heat breath.
Compared to Kaido's breath,
Zoro's flame attacks were small.
They were quickly engulfed.
But they didn't vanish.
Instead, they acted like rocks in a stream—anchored, unmoving.
They slowed and disrupted the breath's impact.
"Well, now.
That's a new kind of flame. Never seen one that could resist my breath before."
Kaido was intrigued.
The more troublesome these players were,
the more interested he became in the Reincarnation Game.
Although to say Zoro's attack was "resisting" was a stretch—
those flames were strange.
Their temperature and aura were far beyond normal,
and they were sticky—corrosive.
If Kaido hadn't stopped his breath in time, the fire might've reached his body.
Still, no matter how odd they were,
the strength gap was too big.
These skills couldn't make up for it.
It was like a child with a divine sword fighting an adult—one mistake, and they'd lose.
BAM.
Kaido swung his massive body.
His tail, thick as a mountain, slammed into the ground like an earthquake.
Luffy slammed his straw hat to the ground and leapt high.
His fists gleamed with blue light, and as he punched, a storm formed around him.
Hurricane Fist of the Blue Flame!
A core move of the Blue Fist class.
Even the largest Sea Kings would be reduced to pulp.
But this wasn't a Sea King.
It was Kaido—the strongest creature the Marines couldn't even execute.
BOOM.
The ground caved in.
A massive crater formed.
Luffy lay at its center, unconscious, his eyes rolled back.
One hit and he was out.
"What a letdown, 'King' Luffy."
Kaido looked at him with disdain.
He had fought countless fools with delusional dreams.
This was nothing new.
"Luffy!"
His crewmates cried out.
Just moments ago, Luffy had used his holy hurricane punch to blow them out of Kaido's range,
saving them.
Now, they didn't even know if he was alive.
"Punches, huh?"
Kaido glanced at the unconscious Luffy.
Many in this world used fists,
but few could ever break his defenses.
This one?
Not worth recruiting.
He turned to Zoro and Nami—the swordsman with strange flames and the woman with odd gadgets.
"Surrender. I'll overlook your captain's nonsense."
"It's Pirate King Luffy!"
Zoro's eyes flared with killing intent, like a beast about to pounce.
He didn't know why—
but lately, Luffy had felt… strange.
Like something was puppeteering his thoughts.
But one thing hadn't changed:
Luffy was still his captain.
Pirate King, Adventure King—whatever.
His captain's dream was sacred.
No one could mock it.
He'd figure out what was wrong with Luffy later.
First, this dragon needed to go.
"Pluton's Corrosion!"
"Blade Soul: Kazan!"
"Dark Moon Descent!"
Multiple demonic formations spread across the ground.
Sanji's eyes widened.
"You're summoning how many ghost lords at once, you green-haired idiot?! You trying to die?!"
Nami shouted in panic too.
They had seen Zoro use these powers in the Reincarnation Game.
The class Ghostblade controlled demons.
But only if you could dominate them.
Summon too many,
and the demons would eat your mind and body.
In the game, death meant respawn.
Here, death meant death.
Zoro clenched his jaw.
"If we don't risk our lives, you think Kaido's letting us live?"
"You know this dragon?!"
Sanji and Nami were stunned.
Zoro didn't answer.
He used to be a bounty hunter.
Of course he'd seen bounties for top-tier pirates.
Kaido of the Beasts—Emperor of the Sea.
Bounty: 4.6 billion.
If they didn't give it everything, they wouldn't stand a chance.
"Excellent.
These strange abilities are just what I've been looking for."
Kaido, circling above the ghost formations, felt his defense slightly weaken.
He had survived over forty execution attempts.
Not a single weapon had ever harmed him.
He knew his body better than anyone—
and right now, it had weakened slightly.
Only a little,
but enough to shock him.
"Gale Breaker!"
Kaido didn't care.
He still attacked with full force.
Even if weakened, the green-haired swordsman couldn't pierce his hide—
unless he used that special purple fire again.
But it looked like the kid was charging up some big move.
What an idiot.
Winds howled around Kaido's dragon body.
Green blades of wind formed in his mouth like scythes, slashing through the air.
"Perfect timing!"
Zoro roared.
Empowered by his ghost formations, his stats spiked.
He charged, sword drawn.
His body vanished.
When he reappeared—
He was already at Kaido's side.
Ghost Step Slash!
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