"Boom... Boom... Boom!"
A massive, one-hundred-meter-wide pit, forty to fifty meters deep, lay in the ground, as if a meteorite had struck. Thunderous roars echoed, causing the surrounding air to vibrate violently and cracks to constantly spread across the plaza's surface.
Kaido looked at Garp, who was radiating fury as his punch was blocked by the Hassaikai, and laughed loudly.
"Navy Hero: Iron Fist Garp, is your Iron Fist only this strong?"
Gazing at the mocking face so close to him, Garp's rage surged.
"Kaido, do you think mere words are enough to defeat this old man?"
Garp's left fist rose high, meeting the descending Hassaikai. In this battle, neither of them used flashy techniques; it was a simple clash between an iron fist and an iron club. Although Kaido had the advantage of a weapon, the power of their clashing Haoshoku Haki made the difference negligible.
"Old man, you won't know if you can win until you actually fight!"
Boom!Boom!Boom!
Another series of violent impacts resounded. Both fighters were unleashing their full strength.
As the battle continued, the Haoshoku Haki wrapped around their iron fist and iron club visibly changed, shifting from pure red to black-red. This was an unavoidable necessity. Haoshoku Haki, the rarest of the three types, has a unique characteristic: it can only be controlled, not traditionally trained. Its only way to improve is through the enhancement of the user's spirit and will. This means it cannot be carelessly squandered like Armament Haki. Therefore, apart from special, ultimate attacks, using it in conjunction with Armament Haki (Busoshoku Haki) is the most effective way to unleash its power.
Just then, the immense energy from their continuous battle finally caused the ground beneath them to crack completely, and seawater began gushing up from the fissures. Seeing this, Garp's expression darkened. He knew they couldn't continue fighting here. If the foundation of Marineford Island was completely destroyed, the headquarters would be lost forever.
Thinking quickly, he pushed off the air, flying directly upward. "Brat, if you dare, follow me!"
"As you wish!" Kaido leaped immediately, matching his speed and flying toward the sky.
Their ascending figures instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Kaido of the Beasts..."
Excited and fearful voices rose simultaneously. For powerhouses of their level, the sky and the ground were essentially the same. Even without the ability to truly fly, their sheer physical strength allowed them to fight in the air as if they were standing on solid ground.
As they flew higher and higher, the vast sky once again became their arena.
Boom!
"Brat, go repent in the Underworld! Fist Bone Impact!"
"The Underworld? Worororo! Even if I reach the Underworld, I'll be the king who rules there! Thunder Bagua!"
Their powers collided once again. This time, the powerful force directly changed the world around them. Thick clouds parted above their heads, and a golden light shone down.
This was not the sun's light, but the golden, splendid Great Buddha form of Sengoku.
"Garp, I'll help you!"
"Buddha Impact!"
At that moment, a flicker of memory crossed Garp's eyes, and a slight smile played on his lips. The last time the two had joined forces was twenty-two years ago, when the Golden Lion attacked Marineford.
Looking at Kaido, who had just been struck by Sengoku's Buddha Impact, Garp, filled with renewed fighting spirit, shouted, "Kaido, you should be proud that you made us two old men join forces! Now, let us send you to Impel Down to spend the rest of your life!"
"Fist Bone Crash!"
The immense power of the two Marine legends, Navy Hero Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku, simultaneously assailed Kaido. For a moment, the world's colors seemed to dim, and thunderclouds roared in the distance.
Seeing this two-on-one attack, Kaido merely curled his lips.
"Worororo. Justice in a two-on-one fight? How interesting. In that case, let me show you, Marines, just how fragile your justice truly is!"
As his words ended, an aura that neither Sengoku nor Garp had ever witnessed before erupted from Kaido. It was a golden aura. Even the golden light emitted by Sengoku's Great Buddha form seemed pale in comparison. While Sengoku's light was merely dazzling, Kaido's golden aura made them feel a sense of grandeur, majesty, and endless vitality—as if it were utterly unconquerable.
Simultaneously, the golden aura wrapped around Kaido's Hassaikai, transforming the red-black Haoshoku Haki into a brilliant, three-colored light: golden-red-black.
In an instant, an extremely dangerous feeling arose in the hearts of both Sengoku and Garp.
But it was too late to react.
After breaking through the second layer of "Refining Qi to Transform Spirit" in the "Greater and Lesser Heavenly Cycle Self-Rotation Method," and with the accompanying strengthening of his spirit or soul power, Kaido could now autonomously control the Qi within his body. This meant he could actively use the Qi for direct combat, rather than relying on the new Haki that was simply infused with Qi, as in his previous "God's Advent" technique.
This new move, which combined Qi, Haoshoku Haki, and Armament Haki, was:
"Divine Dragon Hassaikai!"
Boom!
As Kaido swung his Hassaikai, the three-colored aura merged and transformed into a dragon head shining with brilliant golden-red-black light. It erupted from Kaido's body, acting like a shield that immediately blocked Sengoku's Buddha Impact and Garp's Fist Bone Crash.
"!!!"
Sengoku's and Garp's expressions became utterly incredulous. What kind of power was this? Kaido had directly blocked their combined ultimate attack.
Everyone below watched the scene with shocked eyes. Although many were unsure of Fleet Admiral Sengoku's full power, Vice Admiral Garp was the Navy Hero who had repeatedly cornered the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Their combined attack was still ineffective against Kaido?
Of course not!
However, it wasn't Sengoku or Garp who spoke the denial; it was Kaido. Because the full power of the Divine Dragon Hassaikai was not just defense.
Accompanied by a high-pitched dragon roar, the massive dragon head opened its mouth, using its sharp teeth to directly bite through the two huge impact energy balls that were blocking its path.
"Roar!"
After neutralizing their attacks, the counter-offensive did not stop. A giant dragon flew out from Kaido's body, attacking Sengoku directly.
Seeing this, Garp's expression grew anxious. "Watch out, Sengoku!"
But once again, it was too late.
Gah!
A shattering sound rang out.
This was not Kaido deliberately bullying Sengoku, but simply a result of the Fleet Admiral being the weakest of the three on the battlefield at the moment. Bitten by the giant dragon, Sengoku was worse off this time. His golden Great Buddha body shattered again, and he completely reverted from his Devil Fruit form.
Seeing his friend fall, Garp's eyes turned bloodshot, and he immediately attacked the giant dragon.
"Get out of my way!"
The highest-tier, pure-red Haoshoku Haki erupted, shattering the giant dragon with a single punch and saving Sengoku. All the Marines below were stunned by the sequence of events.
"How is this possible? Are even Vice Admiral Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku combined unable to defeat Kaido?"
"This... this is impossible..."
And just then, another arrogant voice rang out.
"Zehahaha, old man, your power is mine..."
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