The moment Kaidou transformed into his dragon form, the atmosphere across the entire island and even the surrounding sea shifted dramatically. The sky suddenly darkened, as if even the sun had fearfully retreated behind the clouds. The sea surface grew restless with turbulent waves, and the air became thick with a suffocating pressure.
His massive Azure Dragon form coiled high in the sky, its shadow eclipsing the sun and causing Moria and the others below to instinctively hold their breath. The dragon scales shimmered with a metallic luster under the dim light, each one resembling meticulously forged armor. The dragon whiskers danced in the wind, while golden vertical pupils gleamed with dangerous light.
Moria stared wide-eyed at the legendary creature, trembling uncontrollably as he witnessed Kaidou's transformation for the first time. He felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart, making even breathing difficult.
Not only Moria, but even Bullet, Urouge, and Sebastian—who had seen Kaidou's transformation before—couldn't help showing expressions of awe. Though this wasn't their first time witnessing it, Kaidou's overwhelming presence in his beast form never failed to instill terror.
Bullet clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, excitement flashing in his eyes; Urouge unconsciously retreated half a step, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead; Sebastian adjusted his glasses, attempting to conceal his inner shock, but his slightly trembling eyes behind the lenses betrayed him.
On the distant sea, similar commotions erupted aboard the navy and Flower Country warships.
Soldiers crowded the decks, gaping speechlessly at the coiling Azure Dragon in the sky. Some even felt their legs weaken, nearly collapsing to their knees.
"Is... is this the legendary King of Beast, Kaidou?" a navy soldier stammered, his voice trembling with unconcealed fear.
His companions also turned pale, their hands shaking uncontrollably around their weapons.
"Wororororo..." Kaidou chuckled darkly in his dragon form, savoring the terrified reactions of the crowd. A flicker of amusement passed through his golden draconic pupils before they returned to their cold expression. His slightly parted jaws revealed rows of sharp white teeth, with faint traces of blazing fire dancing deep within his throat.
Kaidou opened his massive maw as scorching energy gathered within, distorting the surrounding air with intense heat.
Sea spray evaporated into a hazy mist across the water's surface.
"Heat Breath—!"
With an earth-shaking roar, a superheated flame vortex spanning several kilometers shot from Kaidou's mouth, streaking toward Garp's dog-head warship like a fiery dragon. Wherever the flames passed, the sea instantly boiled, sending massive clouds of steam billowing upward.
This destructive attack carried overwhelming force, as if intending to incinerate the entire sea.
The fiery glow painted half the sky crimson, dyeing even the distant clouds blood-red.
"Puhahaha! Is this how you say hello!"
Garp watched the approaching flame vortex, the ease vanishing from his expression though not a trace of fear appeared.
Garp stood at the prow of the dog-headed warship and leaped with tremendous force, the powerful recoil sinking the bow of the massive vessel over a dozen meters. The navy soldiers aboard swayed and staggered from the sudden motion but quickly regained their footing.
"Galaxy Impact!" Garp's figure instantly appeared before the pillar of flames at a speed barely visible to the naked eye, his fist wreathed in crimson Conqueror's Haki colliding directly with the fiery column.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still. Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed intently on the scene.
"BOOM—!" In a deafening explosion, the pillar of flames was completely shattered by Garp's punch.
Scorching fragments of fire scattered in all directions, hissing as they fell into the sea. The water surface immediately erupted with countless plumes of white steam, forming a hazy wall of mist.
"What!"
"Is this the power of the Navy Hero?" Onlookers including King, Bullet, and Queen showed expressions of shock.
King's pupils contracted violently as he stared in disbelief; Bullet excitedly licked his lips, battle lust burning in his eyes; Queen unconsciously took a step back, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Well done, Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Long live Vice Admiral Garp!"
The navy soldiers on the warship cheered exuberantly, having witnessed the legendary Navy Hero neutralize a terrifying attack capable of destroying their entire vessel with a single punch.
The sea breeze swept through, dispersing the lingering steam, revealing Garp's figure standing particularly tall in the sunlight.
Before the shattered pillar of flames had fully dissipated, Garp crossed several kilometers and appeared directly before Kaidou. His speed was astonishing, leaving an afterimage in the air.
The soldiers on the sea surface couldn't even track his movement, only feeling a gale force wind brush past.
"Wororororo, Garp! You kept me waiting! Ruinous Wind!" Kaidou laughed uproariously at the approaching Garp before opening his dragon mouth again, releasing a barrage of sharp wind blades directly toward him. These blades were so keen they sliced through the air with piercing shrieks, their rotation causing slight distortions in space itself.
Facing the overwhelming wind blades, Garp remained composed. He stomped mid-air, and his figure vanished without a trace.
"Shave!"
This masterful application of the Navy Six Styles technique appeared as if he had perfectly predicted Kaidou's attack trajectory.
In an instant, Garp reappeared directly above Kaidou.
"Galaxy Impact!"
Garp's fist gleamed with crimson light as he struck downward toward Kaidou. The punch concentrated his full power, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki that made the surrounding air tremble. Before the fist even landed, the powerful wind pressure already caused Kaidou's dragon scales to vibrate faintly.
The Executives of the Beasts Pirates, the navy soldiers, and the pillars of Flower Country all watched with bated breath, their eyes locked on this earth-shattering moment.
At this critical juncture, a flicker of alertness passed through Kaidou's draconic pupils. His massive body suddenly twisted, attempting to evade the fatal blow.
But Garp's speed was simply too fast—his fist was already within striking distance. Everyone held their breath, awaiting the impact of this world-shaking attack.
Boom—! Kaidou was directly struck by Garp's attack, his nearly kilometer-long dragon body instantly slammed into the ground by Garp's terrifying force. Immediately, mountains and rivers on the island shattered, the earth trembled, and the dust kicked up soared at least several dozen meters high.
The shockwave spread outward from the impact point, stirring colossal waves on the sea. Warships in the distance rocked violently, forcing soldiers to grip the railings tightly to maintain their footing.
As the dust gradually settled, a brief silence fell over the battlefield. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see the outcome of this earth-shattering clash.