Chapter 95: Battling Kaido!
Doflamingo raised his head to speak but suddenly noticed a black dot appearing in the sky.
The black dot grew larger and larger until Doflamingo could clearly see what it was.
"Fuffuffuffuffu!"
"Sanders!"
"Soon, you'll understand why I'm so afraid of Kaido! From this moment on, the Beast Kaido will become your worst nightmare as well!" Doflamingo laughed loudly.
Sanders glanced upward, his eyes narrowing.
In the sky, the descending figure became clear within his vision.
Horns on his head, long black hair flowing over his shoulders, and a massive, burly frame clad in a purple fur cloak.
Who else could it be but Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors?
Sanders licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with intense fighting spirit.
Among the Four Emperors, the one Sanders most wanted to fight was Kaido.
Kaido possessed an unbreakable physique, the ability to foresee the future through advanced Observation Haki, Armament Haki strong enough to cause pain even to Luffy's hardened punches, and the exceedingly rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Kaido was like a perfectly balanced warrior with no weaknesses—a six-sided powerhouse.
In Sanders' eyes, Kaido was a treasure trove waiting to be plundered.
If Sanders had chosen to become a pirate instead of joining the Marines, he would have sought to join the Beasts Pirates from the start.
As Sanders looked up, so did the crew aboard the Thunder God.
"What's that? Something's falling from the sky!" Someone asked in confusion.
"That's... Kaido of the Beasts?!" Robin gasped, her eyes widening.
"So that's one of the Four Emperors, Kaido, huh?"
"He looks terrifyingly strong! But... why is he just jumping down like that?" Nami commented while watching Kaido descend.
"One of the Four Emperors, Kaido..."
"Doflamingo actually managed to call in such a powerful ally," Law murmured, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
His gaze shifted to Sanders, filled with concern.
Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, a veteran powerhouse who had dominated the New World for years. Could their captain really take him on?
If Sanders couldn't win, wouldn't this mean that Law himself had brought disaster to his captain and the Thunder God Pirates?
At that moment, Law's heart was filled with guilt.
Sensing Law's unease, Nami spoke in a lighthearted tone:
"Don't worry. The captain will handle everything. If it really comes down to it, we still have Issho, don't we?"
Nami understood Law's concerns. After all, he hadn't truly witnessed Sanders' and Issho's strength firsthand. His impression of them came only from newspapers.
Seeing Nami, who was younger than him, so composed, Law let out a self-deprecating chuckle, his tension easing slightly.
The figure in the sky fell rapidly, and with a deafening crash, Kaido of the Beasts landed heavily on the ground.
The earth trembled violently, and the impact sent up a mushroom cloud of dust and debris, obscuring the view.
"Uworrororo!"
"Finally, I'm here!"
Amid the swirling dust, Kaido's massive form loomed indistinctly.
As the dust cleared, a massive crater was revealed in the ground.
Kaido stood in the middle of the crater, shaking his head before resting his enormous spiked kanabo on his shoulder. He slowly stepped out of the pit.
His entire being exuded an overwhelming aura, like a primordial beast from ancient times.
Without utilizing any external power, simply standing there, Kaido emanated a suffocating sense of dominance.
Like a raging sea, waves surged violently.
"Eh? Already defeated, Doflamingo? What a bunch of useless trash."
Kaido glanced at the defeated members of the Donquixote Family, speaking without hesitation.
"You must be that guy called Sanders, right?"
"I heard you defeated Golden Lion Shiki?"
"Pretty capable, kid!"
Kaido turned his gaze to Sanders, who was floating in mid-air.
"Finally, you're here, Kaido!"
Looking at the Beast Emperor standing before him, Sanders' eyes gleamed with excitement.
He had already switched his Deriving abilities to the Azure Dragon Fruit, his physical traits to Kaido's indestructible body, and his Haki to future-sight Observation Haki!
If he could fully Derive all these abilities, his strength would reach a whole new level!
"Ohohohoho! So, you're planning to challenge me?"
Kaido, noticing the battle intent brimming in Sanders' gaze, laughed heartily.
That kind of look—he had seen it countless times over the years in the eyes of those pirates who sought to challenge him.
But without exception, all of them ended up having their dreams shattered under his spiked kanabo.
"Sanders, show me what you've got! Let me see the strength that defeated Golden Lion!" Kaido bellowed.
As his words fell, a terrifying aura erupted from within Kaido.
Conqueror's Haki!
It surged like wild ocean waves, an unstoppable force sweeping in all directions.
On the Thunder God ship, the members of the Divine Guard—except for Vappa—rolled their eyes and passed out one after another.
Peckham and Shachi suffered the same fate.
Facing the Conqueror's Haki of the Four Emperors, they didn't even have the ability to resist.
The others weren't faring much better.
Law hunched over, as if bracing against a powerful gale, unable to open his eyes.
"So this is the aura of a Four Emperor?!!"
Nami, suppressing the fear in her heart, steered the Thunder God to a safer distance.
No wonder Sanders had told her earlier to move the ship farther away.
Just the overwhelming aura of a Four Emperor was enough to incapacitate them.
Sanders squinted his eyes, and his own Conqueror's Haki exploded outward in response.
Two supreme forces collided in mid-air.
Invisible power crashed against each other, twisting and tearing at the space between them.
The surrounding air distorted.
The sea surged violently beneath them.
Even the clouds in the sky were shredded, churning endlessly.
The Donquixote Family members, who were the closest, trembled as they watched the clash unfold.
They had seen Conqueror's Haki before. Their young master, Doflamingo, possessed it.
But compared to a Four Emperor, Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki was like a lone leaf in the vast ocean—insignificant and fragile.
What shocked them even more was that Sanders' Conqueror's Haki could match Kaido's, blow for blow!
"This guy's not even twenty years old, yet how does he possess such dominance?"
Doflamingo stared at Sanders with eyes full of unwillingness.
"Ohohohoho!"
"Not bad, Sanders!"
"Your Conqueror's Haki has reached such a level!"
"I admit, I underestimated you before!" Kaido laughed loudly, his voice booming.
"Come on, let's see if you truly have what it takes to survive in a world ruled by the Four Emperors!"
Kaido hoisted his spiked kanabo onto his shoulder, his gaze locking onto Sanders, who had now landed on the ground.
At that moment, Sanders was surrounded by crackling lightning.
His eyes were sharp and unwavering as he stared back at Kaido.
The two stood on the coastline, their Conqueror's Haki continuing to clash fiercely.
The terrifying aura forced the members of the Donquixote Family to retreat even further.
In Sanders' hand, the Thunder Blade materialized.
In an instant, Sanders made his move.
His entire figure vanished from sight, reappearing instantly in front of Kaido.
The terrifying speed was utterly beyond the naked eye's ability to track.
Kaido's pupils contracted slightly as his Observation Haki detected Sanders' presence.
"Zzzt... crackle...!"
"Buzz~~ buzz!"
The spiked kanabo in Kaido's hands, Hassaikai, crackled with electricity as he swung it fiercely, colliding with Sanders' Thunder Blade.
Lightning flashed brilliantly, illuminating the battlefield.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as their weapons clashed. The shockwave sent ripples through the air, and then—
The ground beneath their feet shattered into countless fragments, sending rocks flying in all directions.
With just one blow, the area surrounding them had been reduced to ruins.
"Not bad at all, Sanders!"
Kaido wasn't surprised that Sanders could withstand a strike from him. After all, Sanders had defeated Golden Lion Shiki, a former legend of the seas.
Even though Shiki had aged and declined, he was still among the top-tier powerhouses in the world.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido roared, his towering seven-meter frame looming over Sanders like a giant, exuding an overwhelming presence.
The pitch-black spiked kanabo, already imbued with Armament Haki, now crackled with arcs of purple lightning.
Kaido swung the weapon with astonishing speed, a blur to the human eye, aiming directly at Sanders.
The sheer velocity of the attack made dodging nearly impossible.
"What incredible speed!"
Sanders' heart pounded.
Even though his Observation Haki had caught the movement, he still couldn't avoid it in time.
No wonder Monkey D. Luffy, even with future-sight Observation Haki, had been unable to evade Kaido's Thunder Bagua.
"One-Sword Style: 200 Million Volts – Thunder Slash!"
Rather than attempting to dodge, Sanders decided to meet the strike head-on.
His Thunder Blade, charged with Armament Haki, shone brilliantly as it clashed against Kaido's Thunder Bagua.
BOOM!
Thunder roared, lightning cracked, and electrical charges filled the air, sizzling and crackling loudly.
The devastating power of their clash caused the coastline beneath them to collapse. Massive chunks of land plunged into the sea, triggering towering waves that rolled across the water.
"Armament Haki projection?"
Kaido raised an eyebrow, feeling Sanders' Haki transmit through the Thunder Blade and onto his spiked kanabo.
"To think you've refined Armament Haki to such a level," Kaido remarked with genuine astonishment.
"No wonder you were able to defeat Golden Lion!"
Kaido burst into laughter.
"What a frightening talent you possess!"
"When I was your age, I didn't have Armament Haki of this caliber—not to mention mastering projection and internal destruction techniques!"
"Enough chatter, Kaido!" Sanders said coolly.
"Not using your hybrid form—is that your way of looking down on me?"
Kaido's Thunder Bagua was indeed formidable.
Its speed was nearly impossible to track, and its raw power was immense.
What made it truly terrifying was the Armament Haki it carried, capable of breaking through defenses and dealing internal destruction upon impact.
No wonder many had been taken down in a single strike.
"Ohohohoho!"
"You want to see my hybrid form? Let's see if you can force it out of me first!"
Kaido laughed heartily, his kanabo spinning in his hands as he closed the distance between them.
Sanders' Thunder Blade crackled with electricity as he stepped forward to meet Kaido head-on.
Haki, strength, and technique collided repeatedly.
Kaido unleashed his ferocious strength, showcasing the raw power of a Four Emperor.
Even in his base form, Kaido demonstrated the capacity to annihilate most opponents effortlessly.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The clash of metal echoed relentlessly across the battlefield, sparks flying with every strike.
During the battle, Sanders began to notice something troubling: Kaido's spiked kanabo could accurately predict his every move.
Sanders realized this was due to Kaido's ability to foresee the future, a pinnacle of Observation Haki that only a handful of the world's strongest could wield.
Although Sanders' own Observation Haki was formidable, bolstered significantly by his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, allowing him to cover a vast range, he lacked the ability to foresee the future.
BOOM!
Another clash sent Sanders flying, slamming heavily into the ground.
"Sanders got hit!"
Nami's face was filled with worry as she exclaimed.
From their vantage point high above, aboard the floating ship, they watched the battlefield unfold.
In this brief confrontation with the Emperor Kaido, their seemingly invincible captain appeared to be at a disadvantage.
"Kaido seems to be predicting Sanders' movements," Nami said with concern.
"Is it Observation Haki? But Sanders' Observation Haki is also incredibly powerful," Robin murmured thoughtfully from the deck.
"One of the ultimate abilities of Observation Haki is the power to briefly foresee the future," Issho , the seasoned warrior, explained calmly.
"Foreseeing the future?!"
"Observation Haki can be trained to such a level?" Nami gasped, staring in awe at the towering, imposing figure of Kaido.
"Kaido is indeed formidable, but it won't be long before our captain reaches such heights as well," Issho said with a serene smile.
Issho's reassurance seemed to lift the heavy tension from Nami and Robin's faces.
Yes, Kaido was a monster.
But wasn't their captain one as well?
They had witnessed with their own eyes how Sanders had risen step by step to become a master swordsman and how he had meticulously learned everything Golden Lion Shiki had to teach.
If Sanders set his sights on mastering the ability to foresee the future, it was only a matter of time before he achieved it.
From the rubble, Sanders pushed himself to his feet.
Dust and debris clung to his body, leaving him looking somewhat battered.
Yet, there wasn't a hint of frustration or defeat in his eyes—only unbridled fighting spirit and a deep desire for Kaido's ability.
The power to foresee the future…
It was overwhelmingly strong.
Had it not been for the incredible speed granted by his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Sanders would have been in an even more embarrassing state during their warm-up exchanges.
Facing an opponent who could predict his every move made every action feel restricted.
"Kaido!"
"The warm-up is over!"
Sanders shouted, his body crackling as lightning began to gather around him.
"500 Million Volts: Thunder God's Descent!"
Lightning danced wildly as Sanders transformed.
His hair turned blue and stood on end, crackling with electricity.
His entire form radiated a terrifying aura, as if he had become a living embodiment of destruction.
The lightning around his body grew denser, almost becoming tangible in its intensity.
At this moment, Sanders stood silently, his presence exuding the majesty of a thunder god descending to the mortal world.
"So this is the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit?" Kaido said, watching Sanders' transformation with interest.
"A Devil Fruit that can control lightning... truly fascinating."
For the first time, Kaido's expression grew serious as he gazed at Sanders' new form.
The brief exchange earlier had allowed Kaido to grasp a good understanding of Sanders' abilities.
Defeating this opponent while staying in his human form was almost impossible.
"Come then, Sanders. Let me show you my true power!"
Kaido's body began to change.
Two sharp horns began to grow from Kaido's forehead.
Shimmering azure scales emerged across his face and arms, each gleaming with a metallic luster.
A massive tail unfurled from his back, swaying ominously as his body morphed into a fearsome half-human, half-dragon form.
"Diamond Smash!"
Kaido roared, swinging his spiked kanabo with immense force.
The air itself compressed into a perfect spherical shockwave, an unstoppable projectile hurtling toward Sanders.
Sanders raised his thunder blade to block, but the attack felt unyielding, as if forged from pure diamond.
The destructive power contained within the shockwave was overwhelming, forcing Sanders to tap into the terrifying strength inherited from his Giant lineage.
With every muscle in his body surging with power, Sanders deflected the attack, shattering it mid-air.
After deflecting Kaido's assault, Sanders unleashed a massive lightning-infused slash.
The bolt-like attack soared toward Kaido, but Sanders didn't wait for the outcome.
He launched himself forward at incredible speed, closing the gap in the blink of an eye.
"Thunder Flash!"
Sanders' form blurred as he reappeared before Kaido, arriving simultaneously with his flying slash.
But now, the thunder blade in his hand had vanished, replaced by fists crackling with ferocious lightning.
Sanders unleashed a relentless barrage of punches.
Each strike carried the destructive force of weaponized thunder, a mix of raw power and deadly precision.
"If I can't predict the future like you can, then I'll drag you into a brawl!" Sanders shouted mid-attack.
"No matter how far ahead you see, can you handle dozens of strikes per second?"
Kaido found himself on the defensive.
Even with his formidable Observation Haki and legendary durability, Sanders' relentless attacks were overwhelming.
His iron kanabo met most of the blows, but some still slipped through, landing on his body.
Despite Kaido's immense resilience, the devastating combination of Armament Haki and thunder-infused punches began to wear him down.
The wild lightning danced around his body, tearing through his dragon hide and reducing his fur cape to charred remnants.
"You little...!"
Kaido bellowed, swinging his kanabo with raw fury, sending Sanders skidding backward across the battlefield.
For the first time in the fight, there was a flicker of irritation on the Emperor's face.
"Now I'll show you the true power of Haki, Sanders!"
"Supreme Might: Thunderclap Eight Trigrams!"
Red lightning crackled wildly around Kaido as he imbued his kanabo with an extraordinary concentration of Conqueror's Haki.
The weapon hummed with destructive energy as Kaido gripped it with both hands and charged at Sanders with terrifying speed.
The condensed lightning surrounding the weapon erupted like a nuclear blast, its raw power obliterating everything in its path.
"You think only you can wield such power, Kaido?" Sanders shouted back, his voice steady amidst the chaos.
"500 Million Volts: Spear of the Thunder God!"
Lightning surged around Sanders as a massive spear formed in his hands.
The weapon pulsed with an immense charge, radiating lethal energy that threatened to rival Kaido's overwhelming attack.
The two titanic forces hurtled toward each other, the clash promising devastation unlike anything the battlefield had seen before.
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T/N:
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