I'm Not Afraid of You Anymore

"Don't... don't hit my face!"

Kaido couldn't take it anymore. His face felt like it had been beaten swollen, and his enormous dragon body was about to be pummeled to pieces. He covered his dragon head with both claws and instinctively cried out,

"Were you wrong or not?"

Oak paused slightly upon hearing that. His roar made Kaido tremble faintly.

"I was wro—"

That roar awakened Kaido's distant memories. Decades ago, whenever Oak beat him up to the end, he would always ask that question. And once Kaido obediently admitted his mistake, Oak would usually stop. So without even thinking, he almost blurted out that he was wrong. But he stopped halfway through, forcibly swallowing the rest of the sentence.

"I wasn't wrong!"

He craned his neck and shouted back.

I just wanted to be the big brother. What was wrong with that?

Kaido came to his senses. This wasn't decades ago. He was no longer that young Kaido, but one of the Four Emperors, standing at the pinnacle of all pirates alongside his former big brother Newgate. He felt ashamed that he had nearly admitted fault as readily as he had decades ago.

I'm not the Kaido I was back then. Why should I admit fault like I did back then?

Kaido, pull yourself together. Don't lose face!

I absolutely can't let this guy keep suppressing me!

He encouraged himself inwardly.

So what if he hit me in the face? It's not like he can beat me to death. Besides, I haven't even unleashed all my strength yet.

The more Kaido thought about it, the more confident he became. What did he have to fear? This had only just begun. Oak had yet to witness his true strength. Once he unleashed everything, Oak definitely wouldn't be his match.

"Don't