The So-Called Shadow

A head-on clash.

Hakoku: Barrier Break had the upper hand.

Its power had been proven, and it had likewise demonstrated the late-stage abilities of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.

Facing the Kazeblades Kaido sent slashing through the air, Maud easily dodged several of them as he twisted and shifted.

If he could dodge them, there was no need to waste energy blocking.

"Shadow Flow, Twin Fish Flow."

Maud stepped forward. The Shadow Clone following behind him instantly transformed into a wave of shadows, like viscous liquid, spreading across his back.

Sss—

Amid barely audible noises, the seemingly viscous wave of shadows tightly covered every part of Maud's body.

In that instant, Haki established a connection with the awakened Shadow ability.

On his pitch-black body, red shadow patterns rapidly emerged.

By covering his body in shadows, he increased his strength and speed.

This ensured that he would hold a certain advantage in close combat.

And the key to victory in this battle was ultimately... Conqueror's Haki Coating in close combat!

Aside from that, clashes like their long-range exchanges could at most cause Kaido a tiny bit of trouble.

That much—

could be seen from the fact that Kaido had been able to get back up unharmed after taking Hakoku: Barrier Break.

Against a monster with such a powerful physique, only Conqueror's Haki Coating at close range could produce any real effect.

In addition, Shadow Slash, which belonged to the Shadow ability system, could also injure Kaido.

As for control methods like Shadow Step, they were basically ineffective against Kaido's top-tier Haki.

Maud understood that the key to victory was the clash of Conqueror's Haki Coating in close combat. Kaido naturally understood this as well, which was why he had never even considered transforming into a dragon since the battle began.

The strongest aspect