"Fire Dragon Torch!"
Chenlong's fiery form coiled in the air, his body cloaked in a blazing fire dragon as his massive, gaping jaws lunged forward. Kaido stared in shock, witnessing his own signature move being replicated with terrifying precision.
"Don't look down on me!" Kaido roared, his body igniting in response. Flames erupted around him as he prepared to counterattack, but before he could fully charge, Chenlong struck. The clone's fangs sank into Kaido's scales, eliciting a roar of pain that echoed through the sky.
Despite their mutual resistance to fire, Chenlong's attack was fierce enough to break through Kaido's hardened dragon scales. In retaliation, Kaido lunged, his sharp teeth tearing into Chenlong's blue scales, drawing blood. The two fire dragons clashed violently, their colossal forms intertwining in a brutal contest of strength and ferocity.
Edie, observing from above, descended quietly to the rooftops of the Flower Capital. In a flash, he returned to his human form, his white coat billowing as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets. He watched with keen interest as the clone and the original battled ferociously.
The dragons continued to brawl, their massive tails whipping through the air with incredible force. Chenlong's tail came crashing down on Kaido's head, but Kaido met the blow head-on with his own tail, the impact resonating like thunder across the city.
Boom!
The clash of their Conqueror's Haki was immense, causing a shockwave that rippled through the entire Flower Capital. The sheer force of their wills colliding was enough to demolish buildings and send the very streets into upheaval. The skies above tore open as their combined power rent the clouds, creating a deep, dark chasm in the heavens, into which storm clouds began to surge.
The pirates of the Beasts Pirates trembled in fear, their knees buckling under the oppressive weight of the Conqueror's Haki. They watched in disbelief as Chenlong fought Kaido on equal footing.
"They're fighting Kaido-sama to a standstill!" one pirate shouted, his voice tinged with terror. "The Flower Capital is doomed!"
"Two monsters... The air is so hot... I can hardly breathe!"
The intense heat from the two dragons battling overhead was suffocating, making the air nearly impossible to inhale.
"Oh, giggle, your murderous intent is palpable. Do you really intend to kill me?" Kaido laughed amid the chaos. "But you can't kill me!"
Kaido's voice was filled with a twisted delight. "You're strong. Your abilities, your Haki—everything is perfect. But it won't be enough! Our strengths are too evenly matched!"
Their tails remained locked in a stalemate, with Conqueror's Haki rapidly draining both combatants. But Chenlong had no interest in exchanging words. With a fierce determination, he lunged again, sinking his teeth into Kaido's neck. The clone's jaws clamped down with relentless force, dragging Kaido through the air.
The two dragons plummeted towards the outskirts of the Flower Capital, their combined weight and heat causing the ground to crater upon impact. The surrounding earth began to melt, turning to magma under the intense heat generated by their bodies.
As the ground beneath them sizzled and bubbled, Kaido and Chenlong found themselves in a landscape transformed into a fiery hellscape, the earth itself unable to withstand the ferocity of their battle.
"Kaido-sama!"
King's eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of the fierce battle between Kaido and Chenlong. His momentary distraction proved costly.
"Don't lose focus, half-blood," a taunting voice echoed, snapping him back to reality. King swiftly raised his sword to block the incoming attack.
As their blades clashed, Zishu's strike unleashed an overwhelming surge of mysterious flames. The sheer force behind the blow sent King crashing to the ground.
"Damn it... are pure-blooded Lunarians really this powerful?" King muttered, struggling to comprehend the vast difference in their abilities. Although they shared the same Lunarian heritage, Zishu's command over the mysterious flames was far superior, leaving King questioning the significance of his own bloodline.
He couldn't be entirely wrong; after all, Although the "Pureblooded" Stuff is Nonsense—Zishu also carries Roger's blood.
King staggered to his feet, but before he could steady himself, Zishu was already in front of him. The blade in Zishu's right hand tapped lightly against his own shoulder, his tone almost playful as he said, "You seem to have misunderstood something, half-blood."
Zishu's expression was relaxed, even smug, as he continued, "The difference between us isn't about pure blood or mixed blood. You're already quite strong for a mixed blood."
His tone grew more mocking as he went on, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "See that fool Chenlong over there? If I got serious, I could hack him to death."
King's pupils constricted in disbelief. How could this be possible? Among the twelve earthly branches, Chenlong was considered the strongest, yet Zishu was claiming he could kill him with ease? The notion seemed absurd.
But the reality before him was undeniable—Zishu was incredibly powerful. Could it be that the twelve earthly branches were all pure-blooded Lunarians with the same level of strength as Chenlong? King hesitated before asking, "Are all of you in the twelve earthly branches pure-blooded Lunarians? Do you all have the fighting power of Chenlong?"
Zishu chuckled, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Not exactly. Shenhou, for instance, seems pretty weak. I've never bothered to fight him."
King's gaze shifted to Shenhou, who stood in the distance, sword pointed at Queen, ensuring he dared not move. Was this the one Zishu considered weak?
"You're so strong—why do you follow Edie's orders?" King pressed, a flicker of defiance in his voice.
Boom!
Zishu suddenly unleashed a burst of Conqueror's Haki, and the air around them crackled with tension. King could feel cold sweat dripping down his face beneath his mask. The sheer power radiating from Zishu's Conqueror's Haki was even more terrifying than Kaido's.
As quickly as it appeared, the Haki dissipated, leaving only Zishu's cold voice lingering in the air. "Then let me ask you, why do you take orders from Kaido?"
"Kaido-sama is kind to me!" King responded without hesitation.
"It's okay to lie to others, but don't lie to yourself," Zishu replied, shaking his head in amusement. "The weak obey the strong. It's a natural law ingrained in the human soul!"
"You serve Kaido because he's kind to you? That's a joke. That's only part of the reason. The real reason is that Kaido is stronger than you!"
King's grip tightened around his katana as Zishu's words sank in. If what he said was true, then Edie must be stronger than the twelve earthly branches. A grim understanding settled over King, and he took a deep breath, steeling himself.
"It seems we all have something we can't give up on," King said, determination burning in his eyes. "Zishu, if you want to kill Lord Kaido, you'll have to go through me first!"
With that, King spread his wings and launched himself at Zishu, prepared to fight with everything he had.
Zishu smirked, curling his lips in amusement. "You're not strong enough to make me go all out. I won't kill you—Heavenly Father wouldn't allow it."
And so, the fierce battle between the two resumed, each clash of their blades echoing through the battlefield.
On the Rooftop of the Flower Capital
Edie stood facing the wind atop the roof, his gaze fixed on the distant battle between Chenlong and Kaido. The clash between the two titans had raged on, moving from the skies to the underground, from the heart of the city to the outskirts. They had shifted between dragon form, human form, and even their hybrid forms. The battle spanned from night to the early hours of the morning.
As the first light of dawn touched the Flower Capital, the two warriors finally collapsed to the ground, their heavy breaths the only sound breaking the silence.
Still, there was no victor.
Edie, observing the scene, rotated the power ring on his finger and transformed into a majestic green dragon. In an instant, he descended to the outskirts, hovering above the exhausted combatants.
"I'm sorry, Heavenly Father..."
Chenlong, breathing heavily, knelt on one knee, his mask torn and his voice tinged with shame as he apologized to Edie.
Kaido, on the other hand, struggled to his feet, still panting. "You can continue!" he barked, defiance in his eyes.
Edie's massive dragon eyes swept over both fighters. He knew they still had the strength to continue, possibly for days, until one finally emerged victorious. Given Chenlong's Lunarian blood, Edie calculated that he had a greater chance of outlasting Kaido in the end.
But before Edie could contemplate further, Kaido's voice cut through the air. "Edie, you've been watching long enough. Why don't you join in the fun?"
Without warning, Kaido unleashed a fiery breath toward the blue dragon hovering above.
"Ah..."
With a nonchalant gesture, Edie shifted to his human form, his dragon claw effortlessly blocking Kaido's attack. He clenched his fist, extinguishing the flames as if snuffing out a candle.
"Kaido, are you trying to light birthday candles for me?" Edie mocked, his tone dripping with disdain. As a blue dragon, Kaido's feeble flame attack was nothing more than an itch to him.
Kaido's eyes darkened with frustration. Before he could respond, a shadow streaked toward him with blinding speed.
A flash of a sword, followed by a spray of blood.
Kaido's chest split open with a deep wound, hot blood pouring from the gash. He staggered, shocked by the sudden and precise strike.
"So fast!" Kaido's mind raced as he found himself staring down the tip of a samurai sword.
Zishu, standing lazily before him, spoke with a relaxed, almost bored tone. "Father, Chenlong isn't up to the task. Let me finish him off instead. Hey, Kaido, hurry up and recover—I'll wait for you!"
Kaido's eyes widened. This was Zishu! He remembered Queen's words from the night before, warning him of the twelve earthly branches. He had barely held his own against Chenlong, and now Zishu claimed he could kill him effortlessly. And there were eleven more like Zishu...
"Zishu! Stay out of this!" Chenlong growled, his voice seething with anger. "I'll finish him off!"
"Didn't you have all night? I watched you struggle—you're out of time," Zishu retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's my turn now. That half-blood King wasn't even worth the effort."
The two warriors quarreled over who would have the honor of killing Kaido.
Kaido, still clutching the bleeding wound on his chest, felt a wave of humiliation wash over him. It had been a long time since anyone dared treat him this way—as prey to be hunted, as a weakling to be toyed with. Memories of his time on Rocks' pirate ship, where he was once looked down upon as a "little brother," flooded back, fueling his rage.
"Hehe..."
A chuckle broke through the tension, and Edie finally spoke, his tone calm and almost dismissive. "Little Guy, I don't really want to kill you. After all, our cooperation over the past two and a half years has been quite... enjoyable."
Little Guy?
Kaido's eyes twitched in anger. Hadn't Edie once called him Mr. Kaido? The sudden shift in tone was a deliberate insult.
"What are you getting at, Edie?" Kaido demanded, his voice a low growl, his pride stung by the condescension in Edie's words.