Facing Teacher Kai

Not long after lunch, Ian had just woken from a nap and was preparing to train when Teacher Kai's roar came from above.

Like a thunderclap, it echoed clearly throughout all of Onigashima.

"Ian, Dad is calling us!"

Rapid footsteps drew closer. The door was yanked open, and Yamato poked her adorable little face inside, dragging a long spiked club behind her.

"Yeah."

Ian looked troubled. "Let's go."

Whenever Teacher Kai called him up to the top of the skull, it was only ever for one reason.

Together with Yamato, he went up to the terrace on the top floor of the main building. Brilliant golden light bloomed, and Ian instantly transformed into a massive Golden Flying Dragon.

"Ian!"

Yamato stared brightly at Ian as he flapped his wings and slowly rose into the air. "So cool!"

"Get on."

Ian merely held out a claw toward Yamato.

Yamato happily leaped up. Her tiny body sprang high into the air before landing directly in Ian's palm.

Then Ian spread his wings and took off from the terrace, flying out through the skull's eye socket before turning around and heading toward the top of the skull.

Ian flew rather fast. In less than half a minute, he had reached the peak of Onigashima and flown all the way to the central area atop the skull.

Teacher Kai was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground, drinking as he waited for the two of them.

He looked up at Ian slowly descending with flapping wings. Guzzling wine, he swayed to his feet. "Worororororo! Brats, ready to begin?"

Could they refuse?

Ian grumbled inwardly.

"Yeah!"

Yamato jumped down from Ian's hand and confidently raised her spiked club. "I've gotten stronger!"

"Then come on, brats! Just like before, attack as much as you want before I finish my booze."

Kaido beckoned to them. "With the resolve to kill me!"

"Kill you? How could I possibly do something like that?"

Ian said so.

Then he opened his mouth.

"Divine Flame Cannon!!"

Scorching flames became a destructive breath attack.

This was the Winged Dragon's Roar—no, Divine Flame Cannon!

The pillar of fire engulfed Teacher Kai in an instant.

Boom!!

A massive explosion erupted atop the skull. Dazzling flames shot dozens of meters into the air, and the searing temperature warped the air over this summit.

"Brat! Are you trying to evaporate all my booze?"

Teacher Kai's furious roar came from within the roaring flames.

Even his roar became a gale that blew the flames away.

He had not defended himself at all. Only his wine gourd was coated in Haki.

"I'm going!"

Yamato rushed out like a gust of wind. Dragging her spiked club behind her, she leaped into the air and swung it with both hands, her momentum imposing. "Thunder Bagua!!"

The spiked club inherited from her father, covered in sharp iron studs, smashed heavily into Teacher Kai's face.

Yet Teacher Kai did not even budge. Yamato, on the other hand, was sent flying.

"Are you scratching an itch for me, Yamato?"

Teacher Kai sneered as he drank. "And you dare say you'll surpass me with that?"

"You're looking down on me too much, Dad!"

Yamato shouted angrily. "I'll beat you flat!"

"If you can do it, then come on!"

Kaido was unconcerned.

Yamato charged again.

It had to be said that Yamato was in an entirely different dimension from an ordinary five-year-old.

Her speed, strength, agility, and even her techniques far surpassed those of adults. It would not be an exaggeration to say that many lower-ranking pirates in the Beasts Pirates were no match for her.

But unfortunately, the one standing before her was Teacher Kai. None of her attacks could even make him move.

Rather than a battle, it looked more like a child throwing a tantrum at her father.

Teacher Kai raised his head and looked at Ian floating in the sky. "What are you waiting for, brat?"

Ian took a deep breath.

The huge Golden Flying Dragon landed on the ground, his body rapidly shrinking.

In the blink of an eye, Ian had become a gleaming golden humanoid.

Beastman Mode!

Just like his beast form, his entire body glimmered with golden light, as though cast from gold itself, carrying a powerful metallic texture as if he wore golden armor.

His overall build was slender. His lower limbs had reverse-jointed structures, and his feet were clawed, sharp and elongated like blades.

His arms were not especially muscular, but his claws were equally sharp. His elbows bore wing-like ornaments, and raised shoulder guards even protruded from his shoulders.

Behind his head, a golden ring connected his rear shoulders on both sides. Like Enel's thunder drums, it was carved with strange patterns. Below the ring, golden wings spread from his back, so broad they seemed capable of blotting out the sky.

It was worth mentioning that, like Yamato's future Okuchi no Makami Beastman Mode, Ian's face was not a mask-like structure like Kaido's, but a perfect fusion of a human face and the face of the Winged Dragon of Ra.

His nose and mouth protruded slightly. His entire body was gold, with only his eyes crimson. Patterns extended backward from his eyelids, and a blue gemstone was set into his forehead. Overall, he looked magnificent and solemn.

Ian clenched his fists.

The power surging through his body now seemed capable of shaking heaven and earth!

Aside from controlling flames, the Golden Flying Dragon form had no special abilities. It simply enhanced all his basic attributes.

Its boost far surpassed that of ordinary Mythical Zoans.

Other than defense, his strength, speed, and reactions had all risen to an outrageous degree.

If Ian without his abilities was merely a talented child, then Ian now possessed the power to contend with natural monsters like Teacher Kai or Charlotte Linlin at the same age.

"Oh! Ian!"

Yamato even stopped attacking, her eyes shining as she watched Ian. "Super cool!"

"Cool?"

Teacher Kai snorted.

At that moment, flames erupted beneath Ian's feet. His wings flapped, and he became a golden flash, shooting before Kaido in an instant. His right fist slammed into Kaido's stomach like a meteor.

The moment his fist collided with Kaido's stomach, flames exploded. Golden fire swallowed Kaido whole.

This was—

Winged Dragon's Iron Fist!

The reason they called him Teacher Kai was because these were their current lessons: practical combat classes.

There was no fixed schedule. Whenever Teacher Kai was in the mood, he would summon Ian and Yamato to the top of the skull and teach them a harsh lesson. There was usually at least one session a week, and sometimes two or three.

But this class was far from easy. It was not merely about using Teacher Kai as a punching bag.

Powerful force and scorching flames erupted against Kaido's stomach at once. Amid the violent explosion, even Teacher Kai staggered back two steps.

After all, he had not resisted at all.

Ian pressed the advantage. Flames spewed from beneath his feet, behind his back, from his elbows, and from every major joint.

This was a simple technique that used the recoil from erupting flames to increase speed and power.

Empowered by flames, he was already fast, but now he was swift as lightning. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on Kaido and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks at his chest.

Flames wrapped around his foot as he kicked Teacher Kai's chest with all his strength—Winged Dragon's Claw!

Flames burst beneath his feet, and he rammed his head into Teacher Kai's stomach like a rocket—Winged Dragon's Sword Horn!

Flames enveloped the wings behind him. As his body spun, they slashed across Teacher Kai's neck like blades—Winged Dragon's Wing Strike!

His right arm bent as flames blasted from behind him. He drove a rapid elbow into Teacher Kai's face, taught by Prison Master himself—Winged Dragon's Elbow Strike!

He sprang backward and leaped into midair, raising both arms. Golden flames gathered in his palms, then abruptly swelled into a fireball several times larger than he was.

Gaia Energy—no, Winged Dragon's Blazing Flame!

The massive fireball crashed down toward Teacher Kai, and another astonishing explosion erupted atop Onigashima.

"Whoa!"

The incredible blast wave hit her head-on. Yamato's hair whipped wildly as she staggered back again and again. "Ian! You're super strong!"

"Whew—"

Ian slowly let out a breath as well.

"You damn brat!"

Teacher Kai stepped out from the flames, his clothes somewhat tattered, his hair and beard slightly singed. "The flames are a lot hotter than before. You really did evaporate all my booze!"

But it had done absolutely nothing.