Crackling—
Dark clouds in the sky, splitting with lightning.
As Kaido and Sakazuki's Conqueror's Haki collided, a restless energy surged.
Quinn was breathing his last, and Sakazuki, in his lava giant form, pressed his hand downwards, his Armament Haki surging outwards.
Crack—
The head of the colossal Brachiosaurus was severed.
Boom!!!
Kaido's club, entwined with lightning, struck. The lava giant swung a fist forward, while the other hand held the Brachiosaurus's head, its long neck dragging on the ground.
"Did you think your encounter with that fool back then was fate?"
Kaido's draconic pupils constricted as he grappled with the lava giant. Veins bulged on his arms, and he stomped his feet several times, forcing the lava giant to retreat.
Facing Kaido's furious outburst, the lava giant stumbled back several steps, unfazed. Sakazuki's indifferent voice echoed:
"Have you ever wondered why, out of so many people, only he happened to fall before you?"
Crack—
Several bolts of lightning struck the lava giant in succession.
Kaido's expression darkened, unwilling to ponder, and he intensified his power, pushing against the lava giant.
Sakazuki sneered:
"And he just happened to be able to modify his body, capable of repairing your burned-out, pathetic internal organs..."
"Was it truly a coincidence?"
Kaido looked up sharply, his aura surging once more, his dragon head ferocious.
"Roaring Thunder Eight Trigrams!!!!"
Boom—
The island trembled.
The lava giant seemed to finally collapse, disintegrating...
Revealing Sakazuki within, who was sent flying backward.
Kaido stomped his foot and pursued, appearing above the horizontally flying Sakazuki, gripping his Hachizakari tightly, and smashing it down.
Bang—
Sakazuki's form exploded, turning into lava and merging with the ground.
The Hachizakari, having lost its target, struck the ground, creating a massive crater, with dust and black mist swirling everywhere.
Within the black mist.
A point of light appeared before Kaido.
Sakazuki's indifferent voice rang out:
"Meigo."
Riiip—
A magma dog head tore through the smoke.
Extending infinitely from Sakazuki's arm, it struck Kaido's head, forcing him to stumble back several steps.
Kaido stabilized himself, one hand gripping the magma dog head on his face, the other raising his Hachizakari towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki's left hand, coated in Armament Haki, blocked upwards diagonally.
Boom!!!
Sakazuki glanced indifferently at the blocked club and spoke:
"I beat you like a dog back then."
"What do you think you are?"
"To break free from the Armament chains I used to bind you."
Sizzle—
Fists and the club grappled, sparking wild lightning.
Sakazuki's words, like a demon's, struck directly at Kaido's mind, causing him to falter:
"Because you, such a fool, are easy to control."
Giant magma fists rose from the ground around them.
Boom!
Kaido was sent flying:
"Talented..."
Bang!
"Strong..."
Crack—
"Possessing a formidable Devil Fruit..."
An infinitely extending Meigo struck Kaido's chest again:
"And yet, you harbored that ridiculous dream..."
Sakazuki's indifferent voice echoed:
"How easily a fool like that is controlled, just look at you and Charlotte Linlin..."
Kaido's expression was as dark as pitch, his features unreadable. Sakazuki did not press his attack further, the magma in his hands slowly dripping onto the ground:
"You think the two of you became the strongest among the Four Emperors because you were formidable?"
"That was the result of my constant scheming against Hell Nocturne..."
"That was the result of my constant suppression of Shanks..."
His indifferent voice was sharp:
"Otherwise, do you possess Hell Nocturne's business acumen, or Shanks' abnormal talent?"
"Two fools like yourselves, why should you be able to suppress them?"
"Because with fools like you as Emperors, it provides greater peace of mind."
"Otherwise, if they were all like Shanks..."
"I would have trouble sleeping..."
Bang—
Sakazuki's right fist turned molten red, emitting flames and billowing black smoke:
"So you see..."
He slowly raised his right fist, aiming at Kaido, whose expression was dark and his emotions unclear:
"A fool like you, who has been under my control from beginning to end..."
"How dare you flip my table..."
His right arm swung out fiercely, the magma fist growing in the wind.
In an instant, it transformed into a magma giant fist dozens of meters tall, coated with dense, dark Armament Haki, like a small mountain, smashing directly at Kaido.
Boom!!!!
The magma giant fist, with extreme speed and violence, smashed Kaido into the ground.
Kaido, his mind reeling from Sakazuki's words, did not even imbue himself with Haki to resist. Pain shot through his entire body, snapping him back to awareness:
"Sakazuki!!!!"
As if sensing Kaido's emotions, the heavens and earth changed with that roar.
Kaido tore through the magma giant fist, and with utter irrationality, lunged at Sakazuki.
Crack—
Lightning exploded in the sky.
Sakazuki's left hand firmly gripped the attacking club, while his right hand collided with Kaido's fist:
"Already enraged?"
"Think again about what you possess..."
Sizzle—
The colliding lightning flickered, illuminating their faces beneath the dark clouds.
Kaido looked up sharply, meeting Sakazuki's gaze, daring not to dwell further.
He saw Sakazuki smile lightly:
"You possess..."
"Wano Country..."
"That is the foundation where your dream is placed..."
"Your kingly ambition... your hegemony..."
"Rebellious family ties..."
"All reside there..."
"Then guess..."
"How much remains... at this very moment?"
Boom!!!
Kaido could bear it no longer and exploded, his body continuously expanding, forcing Sakazuki to retreat repeatedly. But instead of attacking, he turned...
And fled.....
He could not imagine the destruction of Wano Country, nor dare to envision losing everything he possessed.....
He only wished to return to Wano Country quickly to see all that he had.....
Sakazuki on the island did not pursue. This made the Kaido flying into the sky look back slightly. His colossal draconic eyes clearly saw.
Sakazuki standing in place on the island, looking up diagonally, a mocking smile on his lips.
Kaido's heart turned cold, his thoughts plummeting.
A single thought echoed in his mind: he had been deceived.....
He wanted to charge back and fight again, but his body involuntarily accelerated his flight speed, escaping.
He knew it was too late.....
If Sakazuki was not dead, then his entire life would be capped here.....
But he did not look back.....
He ran.....