"What a monstrous creature!" someone shouted.
"After all, it's something that neither Kaido nor the Marines could ever put down!"
"Hahaha, that's right! Hit it, crush that bug!" came another excited voice.
On the screens, the Celestial Dragons watched the battle between Kaido and Leno unfold. The destruction across the Grand Line was nothing short of spectacular.
The ground cracked wide open, deep pits formed, and the canyon cliffs crumbled, leaving the landscape utterly razed.
The scene had them thrilled.
It was as if they were watching the most epic action movie, but in real-time. The intensity of the fight sent chills down their spines, making their blood pump faster.
"A true warrior must be forged in the fires of battle to reach their true potential!" Garp declared, his eyes blazing with determination.
Whitebeard nodded solemnly. "Indeed, for one's Haki to grow stronger, it must clash with an equally powerful force. Only then can it truly evolve!"
Amid the battlefield's chaos, Kaido, now in his hybrid form, floated in mid-air. His massive, scaled body seemed to defy gravity as he stood firmly on the air itself.
The blue dragon could indeed fly.
Kaido knew that his hybrid form provided the perfect balance between power and agility, unlike the full dragon form, which was too large and made him an easy target for Leno's attacks.
Gripping his mace tightly, Kaido's wounds began to heal slowly, his durability and self-regeneration kicking in—a gift of his Mythical Zoan fruit. Even the Mythical Beast's power made him nearly indestructible compared to ordinary Zoan types.
In the battle at Wano, Kaido had endured endless waves of attacks. It wasn't a lack of strength that wore him down—it was the relentless onslaught that chipped away at his stamina.
His fierce gaze locked onto Leno, who was standing unwavering in the midst of the battlefield.
"It's been ages since anyone pushed me to this point," Kaido said with a wide grin, his voice filled with a thrill only true warriors understand.
"The more I'm pushed, the more I relish the fight!"
Sweat and blood trickled down his face, but his eyes were still filled with a blazing spirit. The battle had rekindled his desire for combat, fueling his Haki even further.
Kaido's laughter echoed through the battlefield as he tightened his grip on his mace, his battle spirit surging.
"I've fought countless battles on the brink of death just to make myself stronger," Kaido growled. "Every desperate struggle only sharpens my fangs."
Leno's calm smile didn't falter as he faced Kaido's powerful declaration.
"You think this is your moment, Kaido?" Leno asked, his voice steady. "Sorry to disappoint, but your time is up!"
Leno took a deep breath, steadying himself. His training at the Isshin Dojo had taught him the importance of controlled breathing—how calm breaths could enhance clarity and focus in the heat of battle, keeping his Observation Haki sharp.
Observation Haki thrived on a composed mind. The moment panic set in, the skill's accuracy waned, as seen in Luffy's battle against Katakuri.
Leno's eyes locked onto Kaido's, Haki radiating from his body.
"I didn't choose this night by chance," he said. "Tonight is special."
Leno lifted his gaze to the sky where the full moon hung, glowing like a beacon.
"The moon is up!" he said, a grin spreading across his face.
The power of his Gluttony Demon King talent began to awaken, drawing in the moon's energy. Leno's Mink Bloodline, activated under the moon's light, merging with the Gluttony Demon King power coursing through him.
The transformation was fierce. Leno's muscles rippled and grew, tearing through his clothes as his hair lengthened, shining with a silver tint. Golden light flickered in his eyes, spreading like lightning across his pupils.
A surge of energy burst from his body, creating shockwaves that rippled outwards, stirring up dust and debris.
"What... is this?" Kaido's eyes narrowed, struggling to see through the storm of power swirling around Leno.
As Leno absorbed more moonlight, a ferocious aura surrounded him, causing the very earth beneath their feet to tremble. The wind howled like a storm, masking the view with sand and stone.
A deep, primal fear gripped the onlookers. Even Kaido, the so-called strongest creature, felt a shiver run down his spine.
"That kid... what is he turning into?" Kaido muttered, eyes wide with disbelief.
He focused, pushing his Observation Haki to its limits to glimpse the future, yet what he saw left him stunned.
Kaido watched himself falling in battle.
But the most unsettling part was that he couldn't see how it happened.
"What... what is this?" Kaido whispered, his voice tinged with the rarest hint of uncertainty.
Even without relying on Observation Haki, Leno's vision was sharp, capable of tracking even the fastest of movements.
Even if his opponent moved at lightning speed, the moment they made a move, Leno would catch it—no matter where they were.
Where?!
Kaido's Conqueror's Haki, armored scales, and dragon scales formed a three-layer defense, with his Observation Haki extending across the area. His grip on the mace tightened as he positioned it defensively, his eyes darting around, anticipating the incoming strike.
Suddenly, a sonic boom ripped through the air.
Before Kaido could react, his airborne stance faltered as a powerful force slammed into him.
"Wha—?!"
Kaido's face twisted in agony as his cheek caved in from the impact, a gush of blood erupting from his mouth. His body, still suspended in mid-air, was battered by another unseen blow, launching him backward.
Kaido's expression shifted instantly, his entire body contorted in pain as he was tossed around like a ragdoll.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Blow after blow landed on Kaido, each hit piercing through his Haki and scale armor. Nothing seemed to stop the relentless assault.
Every strike forced more blood from Kaido, each one met with a sickening thud.
The onlookers were stunned. Mouths gaped open, eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Kaido is getting beaten like a sandbag?!"
Charlotte Linlin paled.
These Homies, born of Charlotte Linlin's own soul, were sensitive to shifts in the aura of power. Right now, they felt a fear that even outweighed that of their creator.
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. "What's happening to Kaido's Haki?!"
Garp's eyes widened in shock. "It's Leno's speed—it's too fast to track!"
Garp was reminded of Kizaru, with his legendary speed that could outrun Observation Haki. But even Kizaru had admitted that such speed couldn't be sustained for long.
"Not just speed, Leno's strength and Haki have also reached new heights!" Whitebeard remarked, his gaze sharp.
"Could it be the Mink Tribe?" he wondered aloud, exchanging a quick glance with Garp.
"Even if it's a power boost, it can't last forever, right?"
In the pirate world, many forms, like Luffy's gears or the Mink Tribe's Sulong, temporarily enhance strength. But they all come with a price—whether it's exhaustion, a toll on the body, or even madness.
"Leno's power-up has its limits," Garp said, his eyes glued to the battlefield. "Let's see how long he can keep this up."
Boom!
At last, Kaido's battered form slammed into the ground with a force that shook the Red Line itself. Mary Geoise trembled as if caught in an earthquake, the ground cracking and splitting open like a spiderweb.
A massive crater spread beneath Kaido, his bruised and bloodied body embedded at its center. Above him, Leno stood tall, his knee pressed into Kaido's chest, Haki blazing like a golden fire around his hardened armor.
Leno had silver-white hair, a towering frame over four meters tall, and an aura that radiated raw power. His Conqueror's Haki surged, wrapping around his body like an inferno.
Leno felt an overwhelming strength coursing through him, a force capable of crushing anything in its path. But he knew the price—this power came with a cost that threatened to consume his very soul.
His breathing steadied, yet the desire for destruction gnawed at his mind, making him clench his fists in restraint.
"Kaido... Is he dead?" one of the Homies whispered, trembling.
Charlotte Linlin's eyes were wide with shock, her hand covering her mouth. "No way... Did Leno really defeat Kaido?"
Whitebeard and Garp exchanged tense looks. Could it be that Kaido had truly lost this fight?
Above them, a massive shadow loomed—like a ship, yet grander and more ominous, similar to Enel's Ark Maxim but the size of an island.
A voice echoed from the darkness. "Lord Imu, the energy is charged and the parameters are set. Shall we fire?"
"Do it," came the cold reply, devoid of emotion.
A brilliant light flared from the ship, expanding rapidly. The faces of Whitebeard, Dragon, and the others turned pale with horror.
"Damn it! That's one of the Ancient Weapons—Uranus! What are the Celestial Dragons planning?!"
Panic rippled through the battlefield as a beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping Mariejois in a blinding white light. An energy shield materialized, protecting the city from the destructive force.
Within moments, the entire area was engulfed in chaos. Cracks spread across the ground, rocks shattered, and the air was filled with the sound of devastation.
Leno's gaze turned to the sky, his eyes narrowing as he watched the spectacle unfold. His grip tightened as he braced for what was to come.
The Celestial Dragons' weapon had been unleashed, and the world of pirates would never be the same again.
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg