"Ughahaha, this is what war truly is!"
The fires of battle ignited Kaidou's excitement. A stream of hot breath spewed downward towards the palace. Even though his own officers were inside, he believed they could handle the shockwave.
However, Kaidou's attack didn't incinerate the entire palace because Oden counterattacked. Though he had become somewhat naive after going out to sea, he remained among the top three strongest in Wano Kuni at present.
"Oden's Two-Sword Style: Hishabo!"
Enma and Ame no Habakiri seemed to be entwined with water, slicing Kaidou's hot breath in half. Though he couldn't fly, he used his jumping ability to reach the sky.
"Kaidou, are you really unwilling to leave here voluntarily?"
"At a time like this, you're still spouting such nonsense? Is this what you learned from Roger and Newgate?"
Those were people he encountered during the Rocks era. He admitted both Roger and Whitebeard were strong, but also thought they were naive. Now, it seemed Kozuki Oden surpassed them in this regard.
"Then there's no other way..." Oden's arms were enveloped in a dense Haki, and both Enma and Ame no Habakiri were wrapped in powerful Haki. Though Enma had already become a Black Blade, it didn't affect this matter, as Enma demanded much from its user.
This sword would autonomously unleash the user's Armament Haki, which, while capable of great power, would also draw out excess portions if not used skillfully, draining the user's Haki.
Releasing Haki also required stamina. The result of this could be dying from exhaustion. As a famed sword crafted by Shimotsuki Kozaburo before leaving Wano Kuni, Kozuki Oden was the only one who had tamed it.
As Kozuki Oden and Kaidou began their battle, Queen also got up from the ground.
"Damn bastard, someone actually poisoned me..."
He indeed had a self-made antidote mechanism within him, but modified people had a drawback: the equipment for their mechanical modifications had a chance of malfunctioning. Just now, his antidote release mechanism jammed, causing his body to stiffen, allowing the opponent to seize the chance and kick him out.
His opponent was the Daimyo of Kibi, Fugetsu Omusubi, a somewhat short and stout samurai. The Daimyo of Wano Kuni were no weaklings. Although Shimotsuki Yasuie was lacking in terms of martial prowess, the remaining three were seasoned sword masters.
For them, Iron Cutting was fundamental. Looking at his nearly severed mechanical hand, Queen's expression was unpleasant. Adding to this was the mockery he heard around him.
"You useless fool are such a burden."
"Don't say it like that. It's already impressive to take a kick from someone else, considering it's Lord Queen we're talking about~."
Since Queen gradually became resistant to Shaina's foul language, Shaina learned a new tactic, sarcasm. She found it inflicted more harm on Queen.
"...Stop underestimating me!" Under the verbal attacks of his peers, Queen transformed into his Human-Beast Form, unleashing the full firepower of his modified devices, and charged toward Fugetsu Omusubi once again.
...
In the sky, the battle between Kaidou and Kozuki Oden had just begun, with Kaidou still in his giant dragon form.
For Zoan-type Ability Users, the Human-Beast Form was considered the strongest stance. Unless facing certain specific targets, the Beast Form and Human Form carried a sense of contempt.
"I can't believe you actually danced for so many years. I thought you'd stop after a few days, but I didn't expect your persistence. Do you really think I'd look down on you for this?"
"Was it noticed from the start..."
"Indeed, if this were another country, we might have completed our conquest by now. Unfortunately, this is Wano Kuni, where the people hold a mysterious reverence for the Kozuki Clan, all thanks to you for squandering your own reputation."
"It seems today is the day for a decisive battle."
He didn't think the opponent was kindly explaining these things to him, likely trying to shake his spirit.
"Indeed, a dead Kozuki Oden is the best Kozuki Oden. But don't worry, the blame will be laid at the hands of Kurozumi Orochi, which might as well avenge your father's death."
Several wind blades were spewed by Kaidou towards Oden, neutralizing his Flying Slash.
"I have one more question: why not choose a reign of terror? With Orochi's name and your strength, there's no need for appeasement, is there?"
"I don't like such things. It's just that others do. Seeing as it works better, I naturally followed. Kozuki Oden, since you've danced for five years, I might as well show you another dance."
As he spoke, Kaidou's massive frame began to sway. The cyan dragon's body became faintly visible among the clouds. He had mastered the Dragon Dance after acquiring the Draco Plate.
The power of Dragon-type Pokemon was closely tied to the Dragon Dance. Some Earth Dragons that couldn't perform the Dragon Dance were exceptions; after all, those who couldn't perform the Dragon Dance were already formidable.
Compared to the Sword Dance, which only boosted attack, the Dragon Dance slightly reduced attack enhancement but also increased speed.
After performing the Dragon Dance, Kaidou didn't seem to change much, yet Kozuki Oden's Observation Haki alerted him of the impending danger.
Soon after, Kaidou's massive body lunged at him with an incredible speed. Naturally, Arceus stood to gain the most from the Draco Plate, followed by Kaidou.
Without modifications, using Pokemon abilities consumed more energy, but his stamina was massive, making it insignificant. The reason he hadn't undergone modifications was that Divine Beasts differed from ordinary Pokemon.
Nevertheless, this didn't matter. Kaidou's Dragon-type skills elevated his prowess by more than one level. His right claw glowed with a cyan-green light as the Dragon Claw lunged towards Kozuki Oden.
"Dragon Claw!"
Kozuki Oden hadn't expected that after such a so-called dance, Kaidou's speed would increase by a whole level. Faced with the sudden massive claw, he had only enough time to raise his dual swords before being slammed to the ground.
Under the immense impact, a deep furrow was gouged into the ground. Oden's regard for Kaidou deepened; this was likely the strongest adversary he had ever faced.
Kaidou in the sky dived towards the ground, but Kozuki Oden was no weakling. With his dual swords slightly drawn back, he assumed an iaijutsu stance and swung towards Kaidou in the sky.
"Oden's Two-Sword Style: Tougen Shirataki!"
Kozuki Oden's arms erupted with unimaginable power. The claw that Kaidou swung from above was deflected by Oden, and there was even enough strength left to slash at Kaidou's body. However, his blade was ultimately blocked by a transparent barrier...