Kaido felt a sudden surge of pain in his back, and before he could react, he was blasted away, his body hurtling like a cannonball and crashing into a distant cliff with a resounding impact.
"Ugh…!" Climbing out of the large crater in the cliffside, Kaido coughed up blood; he felt his spine shattered. If not for his devil fruit awakening and mastery in life return, he doubted he'd even be able to stand.
What truly stunned him, though, was the sight of Shin standing unscathed in his previous position.
Shin was not only unharmed, but his strength also appeared to have significantly increased. Kaido would have struggled to withstand the force of that last blow even at his peak.
Shin gave a slight shake of his hand and glanced over at Ace and Yamato, who were staring at him in amazement. "What's with the looks? Did I scare you?"
"Shin, you're alive!" Yamato's usual jovial nature broke through, a broad smile crossing her face.
Ace, however, seemed almost skeptical. Moments earlier, he had seen Shin's charred body—an undeniable sign of death. It wasn't just a matter of tenacious vitality; Shin had been beyond saving.
As Ace wrestled with his disbelief, Kaido's sense of dread grew.
He had poured his full strength into that attack, finally killing the persistent Shin—or so he thought. Yet, here Shin was, alive and even stronger than before. It was as if he'd resurrected with newfound power.
Kaido, his curiosity piqued despite his injuries, glared at Shin. "Just what devil fruit did you eat?"
Shin smirked. "What's it to you? If you're done talking, I'm ready to keep going."
With his recent close call, Shin decided to release the seals on his chakra, empowering him even further. He also opened the third gate of the Eight Gates, boosting his physical prowess to a terrifying degree.
Shin wasn't a Saiyan, capable of getting stronger through near-death experiences. But releasing his limits and engaging in intense battle was still enough to sharpen his abilities, giving him an edge.
Kaido let out a disdainful grunt. "So, you think that devil fruit of yours makes you invincible?" Despite recognizing the disadvantage, he showed no signs of retreat.
"Don't think any devil fruit can grant true immortality. There must be a flaw in your resurrection!"
Kaido's suspicion wasn't unfounded. No fruit should enable infinite resurrection, and most had strict limits. But Shin, with his unique abilities and three different fruit powers, was prepared to test those limits against Kaido.
"Flaws? Why don't you ask my fists!" Shin let out a loud battle cry, his chakra radiating outward. Golden energy surged around him, cracking the ground beneath as stones lifted, drawn up by the sheer force. His hair spiked upward, infused with power.
"Eight Gates—Sixth Gate, Open!"
A dark, metallic armor emerged across Shin's body, creating a fierce, almost divine appearance. Dark golden wings sprouted from his back, giving him a look of terrifying strength. It was his Susanoo armor, a technique perfected through compression and fusion.
"Full-body armor—Susanoo!"
The explosive aura around Shin was now palpable, even for Yamato, Ace, and Kaido, who lacked chakra-sensing abilities. Yamato and Ace's faces lit up joyfully, while Kaido's expression turned grave.
Shin propelled himself forward with a powerful thrust of his wings at unimaginable speed. The combined effects of the Ultra-Lightweight Rock Jutsu and the gravitational ability from the Rinnegan allowed him to close in on Kaido almost instantaneously.
Even with his future sight, Kaido barely had time to register the attack before Shin's fist connected with devastating force, sending him hurtling skyward, a trail of blood marking his path.
As Kaido reached the peak of his ascent, Shin appeared beside him, clasping both fists and smashing them down with immense force. Kaido plummeted back to the ground, hitting with enough impact to form a massive crater.
Shin followed immediately, landing beside the battered Kaido and unleashing a relentless barrage of punches. "Ora ora ora ora!"
Kaido was left sprawled on the ground, his limbs splayed and blood pouring from his wounds. Each successive blow from Shin left his bones shattered, his spirit wavering under the relentless assault.
Ace and Yamato, standing on the battlefield's edge, felt the earth rumbling beneath them as they watched in awe. Seeing Shin press Kaido down with such force, they couldn't help but feel like they were witnessing a legend unfold before them.
After nearly two minutes of sustained blows, the ground finally stilled. Shin emerged from the massive crater, gripping Kaido's limp form, a broken shell of his former self.
Kaido, known as the strongest creature in the sea, land, and sky, had withstood the unimaginable attacks. But even he was nearing his limit, his breath shallow, his body broken.
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