Heroes Can't Run Away at the Crucial Moment!
"What?!"
Kaido's pupils suddenly contracted.
That's impossible!
He had only just learned the Overlord's Entanglement technique, how could he possibly use it again in such a short time?!
And this is under these circumstances!
Faced with his deadly attack, there was no fear, no retreat; instead, he precisely unleashed the "Domineering Entanglement"!
What terrifying mental strength would that require?
What incredible combat talent would that require?
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Kaido's mind.
He thought of Roger.
It reminded me of Roger, who fought Rocks in God Valley.
I recalled Roger's almost unreasonable, terrifying talent for constantly pushing his own limits in battle.
The young man in front of him, named Akuta, gave him the exact same feeling as Roger back then.
"Boom!!!"
The Akuta's right fist met Kaido's spiked club head-on.
The moment the two forces, "Domination" and "Flowing Cherry Blossoms," came into contact, the world seemed to freeze for a split second.
All the rubble on the roof of Ghost Island was suspended in mid-air, the air seemed frozen, and even sound disappeared.
"Bang!!!!"
The explosive shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact.
At the center of the collision, the Akuta's fist firmly blocked Kaido's spiked club.
Black and red lightning exploded wildly between the two forces, and Kaido's eyes trembled once again.
His Observation Haki clearly told him what the young man had just used.
In such a short time, this young man actually used Conqueror's Haki Entanglement again!
Moreover, this time the entanglement was more refined, more precise, and more lethal than the last.
If the first time was a potential unleashed by the pressure of death, then this time it is proof that the Akuta has truly mastered this technique.
Kaido has roamed the New World for decades, encountering countless geniuses and defeating countless powerful figures.
But he had never seen anyone like that before.
A young man who had just mastered the art of Overlord Entanglement used it for the first time, and then immediately used it a second time.
Moreover, the second instance of entanglement was stronger, more stable, and more precise than the first.
This can no longer be described as "genius".
This is a fucking monster!
An absurd thought even flashed through Kaido's mind.
Could this kid have been hiding his true strength all along?
Hahahaha!!
Kaido laughed a few times and raised his spiked club again.
"Let's see how many times you can block!"
He refused to believe that the Akuta could use "Dominating Entanglement" a second time, let alone a third or fourth time.
What do you mean by "tyrant"?
Is it a stray dog by the roadside? You can have one whenever you want!
Kaido's spiked club slammed down once more. This time, he didn't use any fancy moves; it was simply a full-force attack using pure Armament Haki.
He wants to try.
He wanted to see just how many times this young man named Akuta could withstand the "Dominating Entanglement" technique!
The Akuta's Observation Haki was screaming wildly.
The spiked club, carrying the force of a cataclysmic event, slashed down at him from the upper left, blocking all conventional dodge routes.
Kaido's combat experience was too rich; he didn't give Akuta no chance to create distance.
Left with no other option, Akuta once again raised his fist to meet the attack.
"Bang!"
The two forces collided again, and the rubble from the roof of Ghost Island, which had just fallen back to the ground, was swept into the sky by a new shockwave.
Kaido's pupils contracted again.
It's that "persistent entanglement" again!
He clearly felt that the Conqueror's Haki emanating from the Akuta Fist was even more solid than the previous strike.
It felt like someone who had just learned to hold a knife; their second strike was already three times more steady than their first.
This defies common sense. The Conqueror's Haki entangling is an extension of will; each use is an act of burning one's spirit.
It's impossible for someone who has just grasped the essence to be able to summon the same level of Overlord Entanglement again so quickly, let alone stronger.
But the facts were right in front of him.
"Kid, you've surprised me." Kaido retracted his spiked club, the tip tracing an arc to the side as he swept away the rubble. "But do you think you can beat me like this?!"
He gave Akuta no time to catch his breath.
Before he finished speaking, the spiked club was swung out again, this time smashing down from above with the force of splitting the entire roof of the ghost island in two.
The domineering aura swirling around the staff brought a visible pressure; even before it landed, the rock beneath the Akuta's feet had already been forced to cave in by that pressure.
Although his Observation Haki told him that this attack was more devastating than any of the previous ones, he had already given up on dodging.
He had a vague feeling that Kaido seemed to be at odds with him.
If I were to back down now, wouldn't that mean I'm afraid of him?
Akuta's grin widened, and a glint of light flashed deep in his pupils once more.
"Mirror replica!"
The feeling of being entangled and possessed returned like a tidal wave.
"Boom!"
This time, the sound was even more muffled than the previous two combined.
Two opposing forces of dominance clashed violently at the point of contact, the black and red lightning like two giant pythons devouring each other, intertwining, tearing, and crushing.
The ground at the impact center completely collapsed, revealing a dark, hollow rock layer underneath.
Kaido's vertical pupils suddenly contracted.
"Here we go again..."
For the first time, his voice carried a hint of disbelief and solemnity.
A person who had just learned the art of binding was able to use it three times in a row, and each time it was more consistent than the last!
This cannot be explained by talent alone.
What the hell is this thing?
Kaido abruptly pulled back his spiked club, leaping several meters backward and landing on a stone platform on the other side of the roof that had not yet collapsed.
He didn't attack again immediately. Instead, he carried his spiked club and stared intently at the Akuta with the same look he had when examining an unknown creature.
"Your aggressive tactics aren't something you just learned."
His tone carried a suppressed rage.
"You're lying to me. You knew it from the beginning, deliberately pretending to have just figured it out, just to make me lower my guard."
Akuta stretched his sore and numb arm, looked up at Kaido, and gave a somewhat helpless smile.
"Kaido-sensei, what you're saying is a bit unreasonable."
"When you first started pestering me, you almost killed me with that stick. Was that an act?"
"I'm just a little more talented than others."
Kaido fell silent.
He recalled what had just happened.
When Akuta first used the Overlord's Entanglement technique, the sense of impending doom and explosive power it exuded truly didn't seem like a disguise.
But that's precisely why it's even more terrifying.
A young man who had just grasped the essence of the Overlord's Entanglement technique on the verge of death honed it to the point where he could use it consistently and reliably in just a few dozen breaths.
He had never seen, let alone heard of, such a rate of growth.
Who exactly are you?
Akuta chuckled and gave himself a thumbs-up.
"I'm just a player passing by."