Kaido: Damn It, What the Hell Is This Thing?! Why Is It So Hard?!

If it were a complete Droplet, the tip of its tail would generate an extremely bright blue halo, accompanied by intense electromagnetic interference and ultra-high temperatures like the core of the sun.

The halo's thrust was the Droplet's true source of power.

Its acceleration was roughly 85 kilometers per second squared. What kind of terrifying figure was that? Of course, that was for a complete Droplet.

The Admiral-level Droplet Lynn created was not so perfect. Only at full power would its propulsion produce even a faint blue power halo.

Now, Kizaru was using the Controller to push the Droplet to its ultimate speed for an attack, unleashing its full power!

The impact force an Admiral-level weapon could deliver was terrifying enough.

In the blink of an eye, it reached Kaido!

Kaido was no pushover either. As one of the strongest figures in the Pirate World, he swung his attack with perfect precision and smashed directly into the charging Droplet!

"Roaring Thunder Bagua!"

Before the echoes of Kaido's roar had faded, a tremendous explosion erupted!

The clash of force against force produced a horrifying circular shockwave that spread in every direction!

The already ruined ground of the Plaza heaved like a churning sea, while lightning carried by Haki crawled across the Droplet's smooth surface!

Everyone widened their eyes, frozen by the intensity of that moment!

Kaido knew exactly how much power he had used. That single blow should have smashed straight through the Plaza itself, yet he was stunned.

The Droplet's exterior remained completely unscathed. His attack had not left even the slightest mark on it.

At the same time, the Droplet was ultimately a weakened version and could only reach Admiral-level. Even with its acceleration, under Kaido's explosive force, it lasted less than three seconds before being knocked off course. It shot directly into the inner bay wall, blasted through it with a boom, plunged into the sea, and exploded into spray!

Watching this scene, the Navy soldiers shrank their necks amid the shockwave gale and swallowed hard.

It was too astonishing!

Garp, Sengoku, Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji were not surprised. Instead, the Droplet's toughness once again shocked everyone.

Even Kaido himself was somewhat stunned.

"It's way too hard..."

After taking a Roaring Thunder Bagua head-on without showing even the slightest mark, this droplet-shaped thing could only be suppressed by him, and its power was merely a little weaker than Akainu's methods!

What... exactly was this thing?

"Lynn said this was an Admiral-level Droplet, right?!"

Delight flashed in Garp's eyes as he hurriedly sought confirmation from those beside him.

It was comparable to an Admiral, yet its performance had far exceeded the limits of Admiral-level!

"In a sense, the Droplet's usefulness may even surpass an Admiral's combat power itself."

Sengoku was delighted as well, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. The headache he had felt earlier had long been tossed somewhere out of sight.

"The Droplet is quite obedient too."

Kizaru laughed aloud.

Then, a thought sent a command through the Controller.

The Droplet that had flown into the sea in the distance shot back out. Under Kizaru's control, it circled through the air, its surface still showing no trace of damage.

As Kaido watched the intact Droplet reappear, his eyes widened involuntarily. He then turned toward the Marine Fleet Admiral by the fortress and said, "What's going on? What is this thing you made?!"

It was droplet-shaped, fast, powerful in attack, and unbelievably hard!

An inexplicable gloom rose within Kaido's heart.

"You felt it, didn't you? This is the Navy's secret weapon."

Sengoku sneered and casually bluffed Kaido.

But overall, it really did count as a secret weapon.

"A weapon... a product of technology!"

Unease flashed through Kaido's eyes as he thought of a certain terrifying fellow with an abnormally developed head.

But so what? A weapon was ultimately just a weapon. Whatever its origins, it was not human. Kaido, who trusted in his own strength and worshipped a world of violence, believed that such a weapon could only be useful for a while.

"Did you only realize that now?"

Kizaru Borsalino smiled. Fighting Kaido with the Droplet was genuinely rather fun.

Since when could an attack controlled by a single thought leave one of the Four Emperors so shocked?

As he thought that, the Droplet circling in the air suddenly moved, charging toward Kaido again at terrifying speed!

The Droplet possessed an intelligent system that balanced its own energy. Lynn had said that even if they controlled it nonstop for an entire lifetime, they would never exhaust its energy, because it could replenish itself with solar energy and air energy!

Therefore, Kizaru held nothing back as he drove it. Its power was maxed out, and the Recoil Engine's blue propulsion halo flashed brilliantly into existence as it accelerated.

"Thunder Bagua!"

Kaido's eyes widened as he immediately swung Hassaikai, the massive Kanabo in his hand. Lightning flickered around it.

In an instant, it collided with the Droplet again!

Boom!

Under Kizaru's control, the Droplet did not take the blow head-on. After the collision, it followed the direction it had been knocked aside, changed its angle, and charged at Kaido once more!

"What?!"

That sharp-angle turn again! Kaido's eyes shifted slightly as he swung another backhanded strike.

Clang!

The Droplet now refused to clash head-on with Kaido at all. Once it was knocked aside, it used that force to change its trajectory before making another miraculous turn!

"This is really..."

Aokiji opened his mouth, unable to think of words to describe the sight before him.

The Droplet flew nimbly, constantly attacking Kaido from all around—sometimes evading, sometimes borrowing force, sometimes clashing head-on.

It had to be said that Kizaru's method of control was truly effective. At the very least, the Droplet did not appear to be getting crushed too badly by Kaido. It merely seemed slightly weaker.

Kaido likewise maintained astonishing speed, shifting and turning on his feet as he swung his Kanabo at the incoming Droplet in counterattack.

However, judging from Kaido's expression, he was clearly growing impatient, his anger rising as his drunkenness gradually faded.

"I refuse to believe I can't smash it!"

With a furious roar, Kaido truly drew upon even greater strength.

He had even decided that, even if the Navy became enraged and surrounded him to capture him, he would still shatter this Droplet. Otherwise, as an Emperor of the Sea, if he could not even deal with a weapon made by technology, it would become a complete joke if word got out!

But gradually, beneath the gaze of the Navy High Command and countless soldiers, Kaido attacked the Droplet with all his strength—once, twice, three times...

He repeatedly knocked the Droplet off course. His Kanabo, infused with Haki, landed solid, heavy blows against it, yet the Droplet stubbornly showed no sign of damage. Its power remained unchanged, and so did its agility!