Fierce winds howled, dark clouds pressed down from above.
Kaido's Azure Dragon form circled over Punk Hazard. His golden slit-pupiled eyes looked down upon the tiny human figure below, a ferocious grin splitting his mouth. "Brat, if you dare block my path, be prepared to die!"
Before the words even faded, violent Conqueror's Haki surged out like a tsunami, instantly knocking unconscious most of the researchers and Marines on the island. Within the entire research facility, only a handful remained conscious.
Setsuna calmly tossed the Den Den Mushi in his hand to Ace behind him.
He lifted his gaze. Pitch-black pupils suddenly erupted with crimson Conqueror's Haki, clashing head-on with Kaido's oppressive aura!
Boom!!!
The moment the two supreme Conqueror's Hakis collided, the dark clouds in the sky were torn open into a massive vortex. Violent air currents swept out in all directions.
The entire research facility's structures shook violently. Spiderweb-like cracks crawled across the walls. Glass windows shattered into pieces one after another. Even the battleships anchored on the distant sea surface were rocked fiercely by the shockwave.
"Clash of Conqueror's Haki?!" Sentomaru struggled free from the rubble, looking towards Setsuna in disbelief. "This guy... actually possesses Conqueror's Haki on par with Kaido's?"
A clash of Conqueror's Haki was only possible when the levels were not vastly different.
Hope flickered in Doll's eyes. "He might actually be able to hold off Kaido, at least until Admiral Kizaru arrives."
Kaido's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Wororororo! Interesting, brat. You have the qualifications to make me get serious."
Kaido suddenly opened his maw wide. A blazing Bolo Breath condensed within. The surrounding air distorted from the intense heat, like a miniature sun scorching the space around it.
"Bolo Breath!"
A crimson beam instantly tore through the sky, shooting straight towards Setsuna!
This dragon breath was in a completely different league from the one he used earlier against Sentomaru. Kaido, now fully worked up, had long since tossed thoughts of Vegapunk aside. He was clearly aiming to raze the entire island to the ground.
Setsuna naturally couldn't dodge. He brought his hands together, unleashing a Kamehameha that surged upward to meet it.
The blazing white light column and the crimson heat breath exploded mid-air. A visible shockwave rippled outwards like a solar halo.
Even though the explosion's epicenter was still dozens of meters above ground, the terrifying shockwave uprooted buildings across the island. Rubble and debris flew in all directions like rain.
"Not good!" Doll's face changed drastically. The debris kicked up by just the shockwave alone was enough to utterly annihilate the defenseless researchers.
Fortunately, Ace spread a net of flames above the research facility. Stones flying their way were instantly vaporized.
Within dust cloud all over the sky, Kaido foresaw a certain future. He violently twisted his massive body, his giant dragon tail sweeping out horizontally!
Setsuna's figure appeared out of thin air behind Kaido. His right fist, enveloped in pitch-black Armament Haki, smashed viciously towards the back of Kaido's neck!
Bang!
Fist met dragon scale, unleashing an ear-shattering shockwave.
Kaido's dragon body was rocked slightly forward by the punch, but he grinned ferociously, turning and lashing out with a tail whip! The thick dragon tail tore through the air with a piercing shriek!
Setsuna crossed his arms to block. The impact sent him flying, crashing through three heavy alloy walls before he managed to stop.
Yet, the moment he landed, he shot into the air again, as if completely unharmed.
"Wororororo! Brat, you've got a sturdy body," Kaido said, his hunting instincts roused again. "Want to become my subordinate?"
"Stop spouting nonsense. You just got lucky with that Future Sight and caused me a bit of trouble," Setsuna cracked his neck.
It had to be said, the advantage of Future Sight in combat was simply too great.
Kaido was nothing like Scopper Gaban. His body was in its prime. Even if the future he foresaw wasn't as far ahead as Gaban's, the threat he posed to Setsuna far exceeded Gaban's.
Setsuna didn't dare be careless. He instantly entered his Seven Gates state and Sage Mode.
"Brat, your Conqueror's Haki is strong, but your Observation and Armament are too immature," Kaido laughed loudly. "Haki reigns supreme over all, but only when all three types of Haki reach their peak!"
"Then I'll make sure even your Future Sight can't help you dodge!" Setsuna activated his [Prince-Style Battle Technique], firing off hundreds of small energy bullets from his hands, converging on Kaido from all directions.
Kaido spewed another Bolo Breath, but it only neutralized some of the energy bullets. Over half of them struck Kaido's body, eliciting a roar of pain.
"You damn brat!" Kaido abandoned his dragon form, shifting into his human form.
His body was a mass of bulging muscles. The kanabo, Hassaikai was entwined with black-and-red lightning of Conqueror's Haki.
"Wait, where did you pull that kanabo from?" Setsuna looked at him suspiciously.
Kaido simply ignored this ill-timed question, laughing maniacally. "Less talk! Let me see just how hard your fists are!"
Setsuna clenched his right fist. Crimson lightning of Conqueror's Haki crackled around it.
Their fist and kanabo collided mid-air. A terrifying shockwave exploded out like a nuclear blast. The sea surface below was instantly pressed into a bowl-shaped depression a kilometer in diameter, sending up waves dozens of meters high.
The battleships anchored in the distance were tossed up and down like toys.
As his fist held against Kaido's club, Setsuna violently twisted his torso, a whip-like kick sweeping towards Kaido's abdomen.
Kaido's abdomen caved in from the kick, but he roared with laughter, swinging the club backhanded. Setsuna crossed his arms to block and was sent flying.
Setsuna adjusted his posture in mid-air, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, 'With Kaido's Future Sight, he should have been able to dodge that kick in advance.'
'Was it because his Future Sight can't be active constantly, or is he inherently inclined to trade injury for injury?' Setsuna couldn't be sure. But if it was the latter, he truly wouldn't mind comparing whose health bar was thicker with Kaido.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido's roar shook the world. The kanabo, entwined with black-red lightning, came crashing down from above.
Setsuna didn't dodge or evade. He took the blow squarely on his shoulder. Simultaneously, his right elbow shot out like a cannonball, smashing heavily into Kaido's chin.
Boom!
Setsuna plummeted into the sea like a meteor, raising a hundred-meter-high column of water. Kaido spat out a mouthful of blood-flecked saliva in mid-air, but his eyes shone with unparalleled excitement.
It was the first time he had encountered an opponent who dared to trade blow for blow with him, injury for injury.
Setsuna, submerged in the sea, also felt exhilarated. He wanted to test the true potential of his Namekian cells in a battle to the limit.
Seeing Setsuna shoot out from the sea surface like an arrow from its bow, Kaido laughed excitedly.
"Hahaha! What a rush! More!"
To thoroughly enjoy this exhilarating fight, Kaido's body rapidly transformed, shifting into his hybrid, half-human, half-dragon form.
His muscular body was wrapped in black-and-red Conqueror's Haki. The kanabo in his hand carried an aura of devastating power, descending with the force of a thunderbolt.
"Destroyer of Death, Thunder Bagua!"
Setsuna used his Namekian cells to proliferate an extra pair of arms on his back. These weren't the low-grade imitation [Four Arms] created by energy, but genuine, authentic [Four Arms].
Setsuna's four arms simultaneously assumed combat stances.
"Spear of Elbaf: Hakoku Sovereignty!"
The moment the two supreme forces collided head-on mid-air, it seemed as if the entire sky was torn asunder.
Even though the two were battling in mid-air, the terrifying shockwave still caused nearly half of the island below to instantly collapse. Seawater rushed in madly, forming massive whirlpools.