Red Line!
Battleships soared in the sky like relentless harbingers of doom.
A beam of light from Uranus descended, covering a vast area with a radius of ten kilometers. Pure energy poured out, radiating a sense of inevitable destruction that engulfed the world below.
In the blink of an eye, a deafening explosion followed. The shelling obliterated the island, its impact echoing across the four seas with an earth-shattering roar.
"What is that noise?"
"The sky itself is roaring?!"
The sea below the Red Line was chaos. Ships scattered as massive boulders crashed down from a height of 10,000 meters. Many vessels were shattered into pieces, their crews scrambling to avoid the deadly debris.
Those who came to witness the battle were now desperate to flee, not ready to throw their lives away.
Hearing the roar, everyone looked up at the Red Line, only to find their view obscured by thick layers of clouds and mist, hiding the chaos above.
"Is it Leno and Kaido fighting up there? That's terrifying!"
"No, it doesn't seem like a mere fight."
"Could it be... the gods are angry?"
"The gods are angry?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Gods? Where would they come from?"
"Have you never heard the legend?"
"What legend?"
"Long ago, there was a kingdom ruled by a tyrant. He angered the Celestial Dragons, and in a single night, the entire island vanished without a trace!"
"The fishermen nearby only heard the sky's roar and saw a white beam of punishment descend from above!"
"They say that's the god of the Celestial Dragons, protecting them from harm!"
"Kaido and Leno must've angered those gods with their battle!"
The blue sea was filled with whispers of speculation, each person offering a different theory.
The Marines, too, were watching in awe, most of them bewildered by the phenomenon. Only Sengoku the Buddha kept his eyes fixed on the sky, recognizing the terrifying force in action.
He'd seen it before—this power that could wipe out everything, even destroy the Valley of Gods. If the Four Emperors up there weren't killed, they'd surely be severely injured.
Because that kind of bombardment wasn't just a single hit—it was a relentless, continuous onslaught that even the strongest Haki struggled to deflect.
"Ugh!" Kaido grunted. "You brat, I'm heading down!"
Under the bombardment of Uranus, Kaido, in his dragon form, was barely holding on. Leno was gripping his head, trying to flee from the danger zone.
Kaido unleashed wave after wave of Haki, but his injuries were severe. Blood streamed from his massive body, his scales shattered.
Leno tightened his grip. "Hold still, I'm saving you!"
"$?!"
Kaido coughed up blood, glaring at Leno. "Saving me? Or using me as a meat shield?!"
Leno shot back, "Of course, I'm saving you! If I hadn't stepped in, you'd already be dead!"
Uranus continued its attack, firing laser-like beams at the speed of light. Even for someone as sharp as Leno, evading it entirely was impossible.
Determined not to let Kaido die in such a pitiful way, Leno kept holding onto his head, shielding him.
"Wake up?! You call this 'saving me,' huh?" Kaido snarled, his dragon eyes blazing with anger.
Leno's focus didn't waver. "Hey, you should be grateful! You call yourself immortal, right? Then what's a little pain?"
Suddenly, a massive boulder, blown away by the explosion, hurtled toward them. Without a second thought, Leno smashed Kaido into it.
Boom!
The rock shattered, and Kaido spat out more blood. "You brat! Stop using me as a shield!"
"Sorry, sorry," Leno said, a mischievous grin on his face. "Besides, aren't you the indestructible Kaido? A little knock won't hurt you!"
Kaido bared his fangs, resisting the urge to crush Leno right there.
With a grimace of pain, Leno flapped his wind-like wings and tried to escape the explosion's radius. But the energy waves were relentless, making it hard to move forward.
"If we don't make it out soon, I'm going to be toast!" Kaido growled.
"Relax," Leno said, teeth gritted, "You brought this on yourself when you chose to fight here. See, even the Celestial Dragons are furious."
Kaido, bleeding and battered, finally calmed down. "Do you think I chose this place?"
"What do you mean?" Leno asked, narrowing his eyes.
Kaido replied, "The World Government chose it! They said you've been toying with Kuzan, playing games with the World Government and the Marines, making them look weak!"
"They made a deal with me. In exchange for me dealing with you, they'd give me access to a scientist researching artificial Devil Fruits!"
"So, you were their real target all along!"
A storm of anger surged in Leno's chest. So, this was all a setup, and he had been their pawn in a much larger game.
"That Imu on the throne must be behind all this," Leno thought, his rage bubbling beneath his calm exterior.
With a final burst of energy, Leno dragged Kaido out of the shelling zone. They reached the edge of the Red Line, where the cool wind instantly refreshed him.
"Huff... huff..." Leno panted, sweat and blood mixing on his face. "Barely made it... Every second in that blast felt like an eternity."
Uranus's bombardment was just as powerful as a full-strength attack from the Four Emperors. The difference was that Uranus could maintain that level of power, without tiring or faltering.
Leno glanced at Kaido. His once fearsome form was now charred and scorched, almost unrecognizable. The dragon's aroma wafted up, making Leno's stomach growl.
"Man, I'm starving," Leno muttered, wiping away the drool.
Puff!
Leno pulled out the two swords that had been embedded in Kaido's body, and his blood felt like it was draining out of him.
"There's no blood in this wound?" he muttered.
Kaido didn't stir, he was still unconscious, the only thing confirming his survival was a faint, weak heartbeat.
Leno let a drop of his own blood fall onto the wound where Kaido had been stabbed by Muramasa, the talent Infection activating with a shimmering glow.
"Let's wrap this up."
With a decisive kick, Leno sent the unconscious Kaido plummeting off the Red Line, watching as he fell ten thousand meters from the sky.
"Live or die, it's all up to your fate now," he said coldly.
Leno took a deep breath, turning his gaze towards Mary Geoise. His eyes were filled with a chilling determination and a ferocious, unyielding resolve.
"You want to come after me?" he challenged. "Fine, then let's see who comes out on top!"
Even though his Sulong form would gradually consume him, Leno still retained his sanity, resisting the madness.
The Five Elders, and that enigmatic figure, Imu, had clearly set their sights on him, orchestrating this confrontation. For some reason, they were all intent on this fight.
Well, there must be something brewing in the East Blue, something to set the stage.
If he didn't stand his ground now, the threat posed by Uranus could spell disaster for Ellegia.
In his current invincible state, Leno planned to confront the Five Elders head-on, to make them feel his wrath.
As for his battle with Kaido, Leno felt no regret...
He knew there was no turning back.
Running wouldn't help, the World Government had its schemes, its countless plots ready to be set in motion.
If Fisher Tiger dared to wage war in Mary Geoise, why shouldn't Leno, who just defeated Kaido, follow suit?
The Five Elders, Imu... weren't they responsible for Fisher Tiger's death in the first place?
Whatever their motivations, Leno's heart harbored no fear.
All he could feel was the heat of his blood, his fighting spirit burning like a firestorm, driving him to pierce the heavens.
He was ready to push himself to the limit.
Leno narrowed his eyes, checking the system prompt.
[Ding! You've defeated your opponent. Scanning for talents: Overlord Body (SSS level), Azure Dragon (SSS level), Conqueror's Haki (SS level), Armament Haki (SS level), Observation Haki (SS level), Physical Art (SS level), Yulei (SS level), Yuhuo (SS level), Wind's Blessing (S level), Cloud Walking (S level), Strategy (S level)...]
"Hiss! As expected of Kaido! That strength is unreal!" he thought.
"Even so, Kaido once claimed his talent wasn't all that special? Compared to Charlotte Linlin, maybe, but still!"
[Please choose a talent as soon as possible!] the system urged.
Leno pondered for a moment.
Which of these SSS-level talents should he choose?
[Azure Dragon]?
It was clear that this was Kaido's most powerful fruit ability, a defining element of his strength.
Or [Overlord Body]?
Was this the name of Kaido's most formidable physique, a pirate's treasure in itself?
Both were extraordinary talents!
After a brief hesitation, Leno made his choice.
"Choose, Overlord Body!"
The [Azure Dragon] form might be mighty, but it didn't align with Leno's fighting style.
Besides, [Azure Dragon] was merely one form of the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, there were other powerful Zoan forms he could seek.
[Ding! Talent copied successfully: Overlord Body]
[Talent description: Overlord Body grants invincible power, making you immune to 50% of physical, elemental, and spiritual attacks!]
[Strength: SSS level]
"Immunity to 50% of all attacks?" Leno gasped.
That didn't just sound impressive—it was game-changing!
In a battle against the strongest foes, being able to negate half of their attacks was a tremendous advantage.
His resilient physique made him nearly untouchable.
Ordinary attacks might as well be gentle taps against his skin.
Indeed, Kaido's defense was legendary, immune to all but the most powerful assaults.
With the fusion of these talents, Leno's skin began to radiate a distinct energy, transforming right before his eyes.
[Ding! The system detects related talents: Gluttony Demon King and Overlord Body. Seek similar talents to merge and elevate!]
"What's this?" Leno wondered.
The system's prompt left him puzzled.
[Gluttony Demon King] and [Overlord Body] were indeed both talents tied to physical prowess.
But why couldn't they merge into a higher form despite their similar nature?
Unlike his Conqueror's Haki, which had fused seamlessly, these talents remained distinct.
"Is it because they differ fundamentally?" he mused, shaking his head. He'd deal with it later; there were more pressing matters at hand.
Suddenly, in a flash of movement, he vanished, reappearing outside the shelling range like a bolt of lightning.
High above Mary Geoise!
Pangaea Castle loomed large, but the destructive power of[Uranus had finally ceased.
The Five Elders watched through their monitors, surveying the aftermath with grim expressions.
Sacrifices were made, but to them, it was all a necessary part of keeping history on its predetermined course.
"Extinguishing that flame disrupting Lord Imu's prophecy is what matters most," they whispered among themselves, believing they'd succeeded.
The battlefield was nothing but scorched earth, a silent grave of heat and ash, and the aftermath of devastation.
Yet, despite their confidence, the atmosphere shifted.
"Whitebeard, Dragon, Garp, Charlotte Linlin, all vanished into the chaos," one Elder noted. "But could Leno and Kaido truly be gone?"
As they speculated, a figure burst through the sky.
With his silver hair flowing like a tempest, Leno stood above Mary Geoise, a menacing aura radiating from his very being. He held two swords, eyes blazing with a golden light that scattered like lightning.
"Five Elders, I heard you were looking for me," he growled. "Well, here I am. Let's talk!"
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg