Kaido: This Guy Was More Free

Sure enough, he still lacked combat experience.

Lin Ye gripped Welcoming Snow's hilt in reverse and drew the Skillful Grade Blade. Its snow-bright blade looked exceptionally sharp.

But Welcoming Snow, which had not been forged into a Black Blade, was not even as durable as his previously forged saber.

Lin Ye now understood that his Haki did not lose to Kaido's, but his combat experience was a notch behind Kaido's.

In the end, he had simply had too little time.

Although he had fought many battles, large and small, over the past year, he had never encountered a true opponent.

Even Kozuki Oden before him had been the same.

But now that he was fighting Kaido, he had come to understand what he needed to strengthen.

Entries like Haki could be raised to their maximum level, but entries could not grant him combat experience or adaptability.

He still needed to temper himself through battle.

"Phew!"

He exhaled softly, and a puff of white vapor left Lin Ye's mouth. He looked calmly at Kaido.

[Destroy Divine Departure Level 10?]

"Yes!"

[Divine Departure Level 10 destroyed. You have obtained 1022+200 Blank Entries. Current Blank Entries: 1225]

Divine Departure alone broke down into a full 200 Blank Entries, showing just how precious that move was.

But Lin Ye did not feel the slightest regret.

What belonged to someone else would always belong to someone else.

When he used that move, he was completely Roger's shadow.

One day, he would have his own Divine Departure.

That was what Lin Ye believed.

There were not many people on these seas qualified to serve as his sparring partners, and Kaido before him was definitely one of them.

[Raise Conqueror's Haki to Level 10. Cost: 512 Blank Entries. Proceed?]

"Yes!"

[Raise Armament Haki to Level 10. Cost: 512 Blank Entries. Proceed?]

"Yes!"

[Raise Observation Haki to Level 8. Cost: 128 Blank Entries. Proceed?]

"Yes!"

Lin Ye directly upgraded all Three Types of Haki.

[Lin Ye]

[Eleven years and one month old]

[Abilities: Term Pickup, Term Shatter]

[Conqueror's Haki: Level 10]

[Armament Haki: Level 10]

[Observation Haki: Level 8]

[Mighty Physique: Level 9]

[Calm: Level 6]

[Mighty Arms: Level 7]

[Cat-Cat Bounce: Level 7]

[Time Travel: Level 1]

[Resurrection: Level 1]

[Lunarian Flame: Level 1]

[Survival of the Fittest: Level 9]

[Blank Entries: 76]

Kaido watched as Lin Ye's aura grew still, resting his spiked club on his shoulder.

Kaido was actually deeply shocked.

He had joined the Rocks Pirates in his youth and swept across the seas with that pirate crew.

He had seen countless geniuses upon the seas.

Some possessed astonishing talent, while others had astonishing comprehension.

But not one of them could compare to the guy before him. Even aboard that ship back then, he had never seen a Monster like Lin Ye.

His Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki were no weaker than Kaido's. At his age, that was simply unbelievable.

Both his strength and speed were equally outrageous.

He had even mastered Roger's slash, yet Kaido truly could not see through how Lin Ye had mastered it.

Even if Roger had personally taught him, how could he have grasped it to such a degree? It was practically a replica of Roger's strike.

Fortunately, though, he lacked combat experience.

Kaido had also noticed Lin Ye's lack of combat experience.

"Was it because his strength had grown too quickly, so he had never encountered an opponent?"

Kaido guessed inwardly.

He had been the same in those days. Before joining the Rocks Pirates, he had rarely encountered opponents. Other than his physique constantly improving, everything else had progressed slowly.

Only after joining that pirate crew and fighting and killing more powerful opponents had his strength advanced by leaps and bounds.

But if possible, this little Monster before him could not be allowed to leave Onigashima alive. He might become an obstacle in Kaido's path.

Having realized this, killing intent surged from Kaido's body.

He swung his spiked club in a wide arc and stomped forward with his right foot. The ground exploded beneath a single step as his body swept toward Lin Ye like a hurricane.

"Great Virtue: Thunder Bagua!"

Kaido moved so fast that even his body seemed distorted, but the spiked club wreathed in violent thunder and Conqueror's Haki was too fast for the naked eye to follow.

Boom!

The spiked club wrapped in lightning and Haki smashed into Lin Ye's cheek.

Haki flowed across Lin Ye's face, Armament Haki protecting half of it completely.

Lightning engulfed Lin Ye entirely.

Lin Ye's body was sent flying sideways, every inch of him tingling and numb.

This was lightning's erosion of the body.

But before Level 9 Survival of the Fittest, his body quickly adapted to the sensation.

Having landed a blow, Kaido's lightning-wreathed body became even faster.

Seeing Lin Ye get hit, Kaido did not understand why he had not dodged. Yet Kaido's body shot into the air, appearing above the sideways-flying Lin Ye.

With both hands, he swung his spiked club into a blur.

"Three Realms: Ragnarok!"

Lightning and Haki crashed down once more.

Boom!

The spiked club struck the sideways-flying Lin Ye dead on, slamming his body into the ground.

The space seemed to fall silent for an instant. All of Ringo shook violently, the ground split apart, and underground water burst forth.

Steaming water rose into the air as white vapor spread outward.

After two consecutive attacks landed directly, Kaido descended and stared at where Lin Ye had been smashed down.

His eyes were filled with vigilance.

Although both full-powered blows had struck their target, his Observation Haki sensed that the other's aura had not weakened in the slightest.

What exactly was going on with this guy?

Kaido remained highly alert.

Just then, the ground shifted, and a hand reached out from the rubble of the crater, grabbing the edge of a bluestone slab.

Crack!

The bluestone was crushed by that hand, and Lin Ye used the force to fling away the rubble burying him.

His clothes had been somewhat torn by the earlier attacks, but Lin Ye's raised eyes remained calm.

So this was what it felt like to get beaten.

Lin Ye looked at Kaido standing at the crater's edge, then suddenly smiled.

"Ha ha ha! Hahahaha! Again!"

Boom!

As Lin Ye spoke, his entire body shot out like an arrow released from its bow. Only after his figure burst from the crater did the ground beneath where his feet had been explode with a roar.

His extreme speed dragged a long trail of dust behind him.

Kaido widened his eyes and watched helplessly as Lin Ye's fist arrived before his face.

Boom!

The fist wrapped in Two Types of Haki smashed viciously into Kaido's left cheek.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Kaido's head snapped back. His feet heavily stamped the ground, and he staggered back more than ten steps before finally stopping.

Raising a hand to rub his numb, swollen face, Kaido fixed his eyes on the charging Lin Ye.

This brat seemed somewhat different.

This guy seemed to have broken free of some kind of restraint and become more free.

He still had a sword in his hand, yet he had not swung that slash just now. Instead, he had used his fist.

"Kaido, let's fight to the death!"

Just as Kaido sensed the change in Lin Ye, Lin Ye pointed his sword at him and spoke with an unrestrained grin.