Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Thunder and lightning seemed to rage wildly atop the Red Line, the deafening roar echoing across the sea, shaking the entire world.
After all, the battlefield where Leno and Kaido clashed was where the four seas converged, and their battle was nothing short of cataclysmic.
Spectators who rushed to the nearby waters, their eyes glued to the Red Line through binoculars, desperately tried to make sense of what was happening.
But alas! The Red Line stood too high, its peak shrouded in clouds and mist, blocking the view.
They could only hear the thunderous clash, unable to witness the fight itself.
"What's happening up there? Shouldn't Kaido have wrapped this up already? I mean, we're talking about Kaido here!"
"Right? Why is the battle still raging? With Kaido's strength, I expected it to be over in a flash."
"That's what the news said too, didn't it? No one's betting on Leno. I put everything on Kaido!"
"Wait, don't tell me you went for a time-based bet?"
"Of course! Kaido's odds are only 1.01. What's the point in betting otherwise?"
"Right! Timing is everything."
"I've got my money on Kaido wrapping it up in under half an hour!"
"Well, you're out of luck. It's already past the half-hour mark!"
"Impossible! This has to be rigged! Kaido's clearly holding back, like he's playing with his food."
"It's not just holding back, it's like he's holding back the whole ocean!"
The clash between Leno and Kaido had captivated the entire world, and naturally, betting shops around the globe jumped on the chance, opening the odds on this monumental duel.
According to rough estimates, a staggering 800 billion Belly was wagered on this fight—an amount equivalent to the bounty of two hundred Four Emperors-level pirates!
Now, the heavy bettors and the ones facing bankruptcy were screaming in disbelief.
Beyond the gambling crowd, there were those who came simply to marvel at the spectacle, shaking their heads in awe.
"Can you believe it? Kaido hasn't won yet? That Leno guy must be tougher than he looks!"
"Who would've thought Leno could stand up to Kaido like this?"
New World
Boom!
Garp and Whitebeard clashed, neither going all-out, their attacks tempered, playing more like sparring partners than mortal enemies.
Whitebeard wasn't looking for a full-scale war with the Navy. He was just here to witness the battle on the Red Line.
And Garp's goal was simply to keep Whitebeard from interfering—not to defeat him outright.
It was an unspoken agreement between old rivals.
But the skirmish between Sakazuki and the BIG MOM Pirates was a whole different story.
Sakazuki's body radiated molten lava as he faced off against Charlotte Linlin, the heat so intense it evaporated the sea beneath them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lava chunks splashed into the sea, sending steam and waves crashing all around.
"Mom, leave this to us!"
Katakuri, Smoothie, and Cracker leapt forward to intercept Sakazuki.
"Mom-mom-mom! I just want to get to the top of the Red Line! Why can't I go where Kaido goes?" Charlotte Linlin laughed as she rode on her cloud, Zeus, soaring skyward.
"Hmph, I'm not letting you go up there!" Sakazuki roared, lunging forward.
In an instant, Katakuri's Haki-infused leg struck Sakazuki's arm, halting his advance.
With a cold stare, Katakuri declared, "Akainu, you're not getting past us to disturb Mama's party!"
"You think you can stop me?" Sakazuki sneered, eyes blazing with determination. "You're all staying here today!"
"Don't count on it!" Cracker retorted, his biscuit armor bristling with Armament Haki as he spun his massive sword towards Sakazuki.
The sword's slash cleaved through the air, aiming for Sakazuki.
Katakuri raised his trident, its spikes glowing with Haki, ready to strike.
Smoothie grew to an enormous size, her sword slashing out waves of pressurized juice.
Against the BIG MOM Pirates' relentless assault, Sakazuki unleashed his own power without hesitation.
"Great Eruption!"
Meanwhile, Garp and Whitebeard continued their duel, both grinning as they traded blows.
"Gu-ra-ra-ra! Garp, you haven't changed one bit!" Whitebeard laughed.
"And neither have you!" Garp replied, his hardened fists meeting each strike with equal force.
"Hey, Pops! The balloon's ready! Let's get you to the top!" Marco called out.
"Let's go help Pops!" Jozu, Vista, and Thatch rallied around Whitebeard.
Whitebeard nodded with a broad grin. "Gu-ra-ra-ra! Don't waste your strength on the Marines!"
He leapt lightly onto the giant hot air balloon, ascending toward the sky.
"Don't think you're getting away that easily!" Garp shouted, launching himself at Whitebeard.
"Stop him!" Jozu, Vista, and Thatch moved to intercept Garp's furious charge.
"Diamond! Flower Sword! Slash!"
Garp punched back, each blow shaking the battlefield.
Even as he was being held back, Garp's ferocious strikes shattered diamond, cut through rose petals.
"That's Garp for you," Vista said, admiration in his voice. "His Armament Haki is as monstrous as ever."
As the Whitebeard Pirates pulled back, Vista glanced at the battlefield. "Stick to the plan! No point in dragging this fight out. We just needed to get Pops up there."
"Right!" The pirates began their orderly retreat.
"What are they up to?" a Marine Rear Admiral muttered, puzzled.
"You wouldn't understand," one pirate responded. "It's not just for show."
"Kaido's making his move on the Red Line. If the other Four Emperors don't respond, it's like admitting they're weaker. In the pirate world, that's a death sentence."
"Ah, these pirate politics. Are we really chasing after their crazy ambitions?" the Rear Admiral asked.
"Of course!" Sakazuki growled as he continued his relentless pursuit of the BIG MOM Pirates.
"Sakazuki, fall back!" came the stern command from Sengoku.
"Don't worry about the retreating Emperor pirate group! Keep the formation and don't let any other pirates get through!"
Sengoku glanced at the sky, noting that Big Mom and Whitebeard had joined the battle, but it was still within the range that the Marines could handle.
The Five Elders had even said that if they showed up, they could be dealt with all at once.
"Do we really need to use that kind of power?" Sengoku wondered.
The memory of the explosion that destroyed the Valley of Gods flashed through his mind—the real, devastating power.
Boom!
In the sky, Haki clashed fiercely.
Light flickered and flared, dazzlingly bright.
Lightning, fire, wind, and ice collided, interweaving and triggering a massive explosion.
The Celestial Dragons watched in excitement, clapping their hands as if they were enjoying the best special effects of a grand film.
"Excellent! These two pests from the blue sea are quite entertaining! Can we make them our slaves?"
"Damn, I want one too!"
Several Celestial Dragons were eyeing Kaido and Leno, whose immense strength and physique were displayed on the screen, drooling with desire.
"If I had a slave like that, I'd be the champion of the Native Hunting Competition for sure!"
Their housekeepers quickly intervened. "No, my lord, those kinds of slaves are far too dangerous, and even the explosive collars are ineffective on them."
"Yeah, they're too wild and could easily injure their masters. They're the hardest kind of slaves to tame!"
The Celestial Dragons backed down at the thought of getting hurt.
After all, they valued their lives above all else.
It was like admiring tigers at the zoo—they found them fascinating to look at, but who would dare to raise them as pets?
Unless tamed from a young age by the likes of CPO, even Celestial Dragons feared the likes of Kaido and Whitebeard.
In a hidden corner of the battlefield, obscured by clouds, Dragon folded his arms as he watched the fierce fight.
Red Line—more than one entry point to scale. As expected, the Marines blocked this one, so Dragon chose a different path to reach there.
He didn't need to appear in the spotlight like Whitebeard or Big Mom.
"Hey, Dragon, how's the battle going? Leno-Boy isn't down for the count, is he?" Ivankov asked with concern.
Holding a transponder snail, Dragon replied, "I thought it would be a one-sided beatdown, but he's grown so much in just over a year!"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"He and Kaido... they're evenly matched!"
"Eh? Eh!!!!" Ivankov and the people nearby gasped in shock.
"What? Leno-Boy is holding his own against Kaido?"
"His Haki is strong enough to rival Kaido's, and his Armament Haki seems even stronger. Plus, his unique sword technique is a serious threat. After taking a hit from Leno's blade, Kaido hesitates to face it again."
Dragon couldn't hide his surprise.
"Damn, I wish I was there! But it's too far, and the signal's weak."
Ivankov was frustrated.
"Kaido! Are you really being held back by some brat? That's so not you!"
Amid the clouds, a massive face emerged, and Charlotte Linlin, riding her cloud Zeus, ascended to the peak.
Gu la la la!
Amid loud laughter, a hot air balloon burst through the clouds.
Whitebeard jumped down, flanked by Marco and Vice Admiral Garp, who was clinging to the base of the hot air balloon.
"It's the Emperors! Big Mom and Whitebeard are here!"
"Stay on guard!"
"Don't panic!"
The CPO agents and Mary Geoise guards tightened their formation.
At Pangaea Castle, the Five Elders were unfazed by the arrival of Big Mom and Whitebeard.
Sengoku had already updated them on the situation via the Den Den Mushi.
"The Four Emperors... not one of them is falling behind!" one Elder remarked.
"Is this really wise? Allowing them up here could damage our dignity."
"No, everything is proceeding under Lord Imu's plan."
"The prophecy has shifted, the future is in flux, and some unstable elements are emerging."
"Lord Imu still isn't sure what's causing these changes."
"That's why we staged this battle—to observe and gather data."
"In any case, if they all die here, it will only strengthen our power."
"And if we can eliminate them, not only will it preserve our dignity, but it will restore order across the world."
"How much energy does Uranus have left?"
"It's almost ready, though Fisher Tiger's slave rebellion delayed the full recovery."
"But it's sufficient for our needs now."
The Five Elders conspired, plotting to crush anyone daring to ascend the Red Line.
Back at the Red Line battlefield:
"One-Sword Style: Blaster of Absolute Breath!"
Boom!
The cliffs crumbled, rocks tumbling as the entire canyon seemed to collapse.
Both Kaido and Leno wielded their elemental attacks with devastating range, preventing anyone from approaching their battle.
Boom!
Kaido's massive mace clashed against Leno's sword waves.
As a Sword Master, Leno's attacks were amplified, and when infused with Armament Haki, the strikes became deadly enough to make Kaido wary.
Slash!
A sword wave swept through, severing a hundred-meter cliff from the canyon.
Kaido, in his beast form, launched into the air, spinning his iron club wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, ready to strike.
Conqueror's Haki radiated from his weapon, able to strike enemies without direct contact—a technique mastered by only the strongest.
As Kaido's assault came down, Leno, standing in the canyon, took a slow breath and closed his eyes.
After hours of fierce combat, his upper body was bare, revealing his muscular frame, marred with wounds from Haki attacks that were slow to heal.
On Kaido's chest, another scar now joined the "X" left by Oden, bleeding afresh.
Images flashed rapidly through Leno's mind.
Observation Haki—predicting the future!
As Kaido's mace hurtled down, Leno's eyes snapped open, and he moved like a blur, darting past Kaido's guard.
"One-Sword Style: Divine Moonless!"
In an instant, Leno slipped past Kaido's defense, his blade gleaming with black and purple Armament Haki and golden Conqueror's Haki.
The two forces merged, forming a radiant purple-gold aura.
Haki fusion!
Last year, during his training on Ruskaina Island, Leno sensed this potential. He'd mastered both Armament and Observation Haki, but blending them was the real challenge.
Leno had reached the pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki and after countless trials, he'd finally made progress.
In a heartbeat, Kaido's attack smashed into the ground, sending shockwaves rippling through the canyon, creating a spiderweb of cracks.
At the same moment, Leno's sword Dragon Sparrow cleaved through Kaido's chest, his purple-gold Haki radiating a deadly aura.
Even with Kaido's Armament Haki shielding his chest, the blade cut through effortlessly.
Awrrr!
Kaido let out a roar of agony as blood sprayed into the air, glinting in the light of the sword.
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg