Kaido: This Guy Was Freer Now

Sure enough, he still lacked combat experience.

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

Yet Yingxue, which had not been forged into a black blade, was not even as durable as the saber he had forged before.

Lin Ye now understood that his Haki was no weaker than Kaido's, but Kaido surpassed him in combat experience.

In the end, there had simply not been enough 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.

Traits like Haki could be raised to their maximum level, but traits could not grant combat experience or adaptability.

He still needed to temper himself, temper himself through battle.

"Phew!"

He exhaled softly, a stream of white vapor escaping Lin Ye's mouth as he calmly looked at Kaido.

[Destroy Divine Departure Level 10?]

"Yes!"

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

Divine Departure alone had broken down into a full 200 Blank Traits, showing just how precious that move was.

But Lin Ye felt not the slightest regret.

What belonged to others would always belong to others.

When he used that move, he was entirely Gol D. Roger's shadow.

One day, he would possess his own Divine Departure.

That was what Lin Ye believed.

There were not many people on this sea qualified to serve as his sparring partners, and Kaido before him was certainly one of them.

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

"Yes!"

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

"Yes!"

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

"Yes!"

Lin Ye directly upgraded all three types of Haki.

[Lin Ye]

[Eleven years and one month old]

[Abilities: Trait Pickup, Shatter Traits]

[Conqueror's Haki: Level 10]

[Armament Haki: Level 10]

[Observation Haki: Level 8]

[Strong Physique: Level 9]

[Calm: Level 6]

[Mighty Arms: Level 7]

[Cat-Cat Leap: Level 7]

[Time Travel: Level 1]

[Rebirth: Level 1]

[Lunarian Flame: Level 1]

[Survival of the Fittest: Level 9]

[Blank Traits: 76]

Kaido watched as Lin Ye's aura became tranquil and rested his spiked club on his shoulder.

Kaido was actually deeply shocked.

He had joined the Rocks Pirates in his youth and roamed the seas with the crew.

He had seen countless geniuses across the sea.

Some possessed astonishing talent, while others had astonishing comprehension.

But none 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 unimaginable.

Whether in strength or speed, he was equally outrageous.

He had even mastered Roger's slash, yet Kaido simply could not understand how Lin Ye had learned it.

Even if Roger had personally taught him, how had he mastered it to such an extent? It was practically a replica of Roger's slash.

Fortunately, 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 never encountered any opponents?"

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 more powerful opponents did his strength advance 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 that, killing intent surged from Kaido's body.

He swung his spiked club in a full arc and violently stepped forward with his right foot. As he took that step, the ground exploded, and his body swept toward Lin Ye like a gale.

"Great Virtue: Thunder Bagua!"

Kaido's body warped slightly from his extreme speed, but the spiked club wrapped 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, his Armament Haki shielding half of it completely.

Lightning swallowed Lin Ye whole.

Lin Ye's body flew sideways, numbness spreading through him.

It was lightning invading his 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 moved even faster.

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

He swung the spiked club with both hands until it became an afterimage.

"Falling Three Worlds: Ragnarok!"

Lightning and Haki crashed down again.

Boom!

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

The world seemed to fall silent for an instant. All of Ringo trembled violently, the earth split open, and underground water burst forth.

The heated water rose into the air, white steam spreading everywhere.

After landing two direct hits in a row, Kaido landed and stared at where Lin Ye had been smashed down.

His eyes were filled with vigilance.

Though both of his full-power attacks had struck his opponent, his Observation Haki sensed that the other's aura had not weakened in the slightest.

What the hell was going on with this guy?

Kaido remained highly alert.

At that moment, the ground shifted, and then a hand emerged from the rubble within the crater, gripping the edge of a bluestone slab.

Crack!

The hand crushed the bluestone, and Lin Ye used the force to fling away the debris burying him.

His clothes had been torn somewhat by the previous attacks, but the eyes he raised remained calm.

So this was what it felt like to get beaten.

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

"Ha ha ha! Hahahaha! Again!"

Boom!

As Lin Ye shouted, his entire body shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow. Only after his figure burst out of the crater did the ground beneath where his feet had stepped 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 reached his face.

Boom!

The fist wrapped in Two-Color Haki slammed viciously into Kaido's left cheek.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

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

He raised a hand to touch his somewhat numb, swollen face, his eyes fixed on Lin Ye charging toward him.

This brat seemed somewhat different.

It seemed as though he had broken free of some kind of restraint and become freer.

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

"Kaido, let's kill each other!"

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