Armament Haki! Emission / Defeated and Fleeing ...

With a dull thud, Akainu's Armament Haki pierced straight through Kaido's defenses and struck his eyeball. Even the formidable defenses of a Mythical Zoan could not protect such a vulnerable spot. Pain stung Kaido's eye, his vision went black on the right, and he nearly lost his balance and plunged into the sea!

"Damn Marine!"

Enraged, Kaido immediately shifted into his hybrid form. His Azure Dragon Form possessed immense strength and could fly, but its enormous body presented too broad a target. Against opponents of his own caliber, it was practically a living punching bag.

"Thunder Bagua!"

Kaido drew his spiked club. Powerful lightning instantly coiled around it as he swung the massive weapon so fast it barely left an afterimage.

"Hell Hound!"

Akainu's magma arms shot forward, meeting Kaido's club head-on!

Bzzzz!

A tremendous shock wave radiated from their point of contact!

"Akainu! Come on! Kill me! Hahahahaha!"

Kaido bared his teeth in a savage grin, laughing wildly as he taunted Akainu.

"Hmph! Evil pirate!"

Refusing to back down, Akainu raised his fist and attacked again. Both were monsters among monsters, but Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form was practically a cheat in the pirate world. He would not even drown if he fell into the sea! Add his absurd toughness to that, and Akainu was at a real disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Atlas, who had already steered the warship clear of their battlefield, quietly used Geppo to circle behind Kaido...

Armament Haki! Emission

"Iron Body Fist: Armament: Chaos!"

Atlas had long since assumed her two-meter-tall combat form. Dense Armament Haki enveloped her body, mysterious markings winding across her skin. As she developed Life Return and deepened her Haki training, her mastery of this form had reached an impressive level.

A barrage of fists rained toward Kaido's back, but he paid them no mind. His Observation Haki had already detected Atlas behind him, yet compared with Akainu's attacks, her punches were little more than an itch against his physique!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Atlas's Armament Haki-coated fists hammered Kaido's back in a dense barrage, producing a series of dull impacts.

"Kid! Not a bad massage! You've loosened me right up! Hahahahaha!"

Kaido turned to Atlas with a vicious grin, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Is that so?"

Atlas curled her lip, drew Sandai Kitetsu, and coated it in Armament Haki.

One-sword style: Martial God Arm: Dragon-Slaying!

Two slashes crossed into an X as they flew toward Kaido. Naturally, Akainu seized the opening from the other side, sending a Hell Hound straight at Kaido's face.

Kaido remained as reckless as ever, but he had no intention of taking a Hell Hound to the face. He might not make a living off his looks, but that did not mean he wanted to be disfigured. He chose to ignore Atlas's slashes and focus on Akainu.

Slash!

The enormous blood-red slashes actually cut through Kaido's dense scales, leaving two shallow lines of blood, though they vanished a moment later. It seemed his defenses had not yet reached the terrifying level they would possess over a decade later. This was the absurdly tough tank whom even the Fifth Emperor's full strength could barely sober up!

"Damn ant!"

Atlas's slashes had barely hurt him, but he, a mighty overlord of the New World, had just had his defenses breached by some Marine brat. For someone as proud as Kaido, that was infuriating.

Kaido immediately turned sideways and swung his spiked club, sending a powerful shock wave hurtling toward Atlas! Its overwhelming force and terrifying speed seemed ready to burst the very air!

"Hey, hey! Isn't that a little excessive?!"

Atlas hastily gripped Sandai Kitetsu with both hands and held it horizontally before her, bracing to defend.

BANG!!!

Sandai Kitetsu blocked Kaido's enormous fist. Veins bulged in Atlas's neck, her teeth clenched, and her body was hurled helplessly backward!

After swinging his club, Kaido watched Atlas fly away and prepared to follow up. Akainu was not about to let him have his way. An enormous magma fist thundered toward Kaido, its rapidly rising heat almost boiling the air.

Bang!

With no other choice, Kaido coated his body in Armament Haki and took Akainu's punch head-on. At the same time, his head rapidly transformed into an enormous dragon's head, and he opened his mouth to unleash several blasts of Bolo Breath.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Akainu immediately turned into magma. Bolo Breath and molten rock clashed furiously, showering the sea with fire and magma and raising the temperature of the surrounding waters considerably.

Whoosh!

Atlas, who had been knocked away by Kaido's club, swiftly rushed back from the distance. A battle of this caliber was tremendously beneficial to her growth. Where else could she find such a perfect opportunity? With one top-tier fighter keeping another occupied, all she had to do was jump in and harass him now and then.

"Kaido!!"

Life Return: War God Body!

Atlas's body abruptly swelled in midair. Her height shot upward until she became a five-meter-tall giant. The markings on her face grew clearer, and the power surging through her body seemed almost impossible to contain.

"Wororororo! What an interesting brat!"

Kaido turned toward Atlas at her shout. Her dramatically altered appearance stunned him for a moment before he burst into wild laughter.

"Marine brat, how about joining me?! I'll save the Drought position for you! Hahahahaha!"

"What a tempting offer. Unfortunately, I refuse!"

"Ah, what a shame. Then you'll just have to... die!"

Thunder Bagua!

Wind and thunder roared. Violent lightning wrapped around the spiked club, its chilling aura warning Atlas of the tremendous power behind this blow!

BANG!!!

Fist met club, and two immense forces collided. For one brief instant, Atlas actually held her ground against Kaido's Thunder Bagua, but then she was sent flying again. She felt like a cannonball fired from a gun, tracing an almost perfect arc toward the distant sea.

Of course, that left Kaido open to a righteous stab in the back from Akainu. Against pirates, Akainu had always been willing to use any means necessary. As long as he won, there was no such thing as a dirty trick.

Kaido might seem bold and straightforward, spending every day either trying to die or on his way to another attempt, but that was only because he knew no one could kill him. Otherwise, he would run faster than anyone. Kozuki Oden was a perfect example.

"What an annoying little pest!"

Kaido was growing irritated. Akainu kept him occupied on one side, while that Marine brat clung to him like gum on the other. No matter how hard he hit her, she would not die, and she kept giving Akainu chances to land a few punches.

"Gundari: Ryuseigun!"

Kaido suddenly rose higher into the air, spinning his massive club at tremendous speed. Conqueror's Haki rapidly coiled around it, black-and-red lightning crackling into existence. Using his higher position, he brought the club crashing straight down at Akainu.

"Dog Biting Crimson Lotus!"

A vicious magma hound's head instantly formed. Its gaping maw seemed to lead into an abyss as it snapped at Kaido's club. The mist around them scattered abruptly, as though fleeing something terrifying.

BOOM!!

An enormous explosion rang out. Even Atlas, far away after taking Kaido's Thunder Bagua, was badly shaken by its sheer force.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

The violent sounds of close combat erupted. Akainu and Kaido abandoned their clash of Devil Fruit abilities and went straight into a brutal exchange of flesh-and-blood blows. The two physical monsters fought in midair for an entire day and night. Atlas jumped in every so often to hit Kaido a few times, only to be knocked flying by his club each time.

Yet with the support of her three talismans, Atlas kept attacking Kaido as though nothing had happened. At first, her terrifying recovery and stamina had astonished him. By now, he had grown numb to it.

As Atlas repeatedly clashed with Kaido, she felt both her physique and her assimilation of the Rabbit Talisman advancing at an incredible pace. She was like a sponge, constantly absorbing water and expanding. But the most delightful surprise was this.

She could now project her Armament Haki outward!

Fleeing in defeat

Bang! Bang!

Hiss!

Mist shrouded the sea, lending everything an air of mystery. An enormously burly creature fought two figures, one large and one small.

Scorch marks covered Kaido's body, and purple lightning coiled around him. His enormous dragon's head spat Bolo Breath from time to time. Hassaikai, coated in Armament Haki and bolstered by Conqueror's Haki, carried an intimidating force with every swing. Anyone weak-willed enough to be there would have foamed at the mouth and fallen headfirst into the sea from the pressure of his presence alone.

Akainu and Atlas flanked Kaido from the front and rear. Akainu kept both arms transformed into enormous masses of magma, as though terrifying explosive power were brewing within him, and sent Hell Hounds hurtling at Kaido at intervals.

Atlas, meanwhile, was covered from head to toe in Armament Haki and had shrunk back to roughly two meters tall. Her Haki had grown deeper and darker. Black markings curled from the corners of her eyes and spread across her forehead. Her arms had swollen grotesquely, and her punches were so fast that they struck showers of sparks from the air.

Fed up with Atlas's harassment, Kaido roared and spun around to swing his club, only to strike an afterimage. Her two-meter frame moved with astonishing speed, twisting and darting through the air with incredible agility.

Atlas's nerves were stretched taut, her Observation Haki pushed to its limit. Even with Akainu keeping Kaido busy, she dared not take his club-swinging addiction lightly.

Kaido did not seem particularly proficient with Conqueror's Haki Infusion yet, but the occasional blow still left Atlas's mind reeling.

"Hell Hound!"

Another Hell Hound slammed into Kaido's chest, instantly tearing his flesh open, only for the wound to begin healing at a visible rate. The same scene had played out countless times over this day and night of battle. An awakened Zoan's powers were terrifying enough already, and Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit was an even more powerful awakened Mythical Zoan.

What drove Kaido mad was that Atlas seemed just like an awakened Zoan user herself. With her horrifying regeneration and seemingly bottomless stamina, she was an outright monster.

"Kid! I'll give you one more chance! Become my subordinate!"

Kaido truly was a shining example of a pirate who valued talent. He cherished capable people and tried to recruit practically everyone he encountered. What? You would not join? One Thunder Bagua to knock you out, and off to the mines you went.

"Kaido!! You think you're worthy of that?! I'm going to become the strongest in the world!"

Atlas stared straight into Kaido's eyes without flinching. A formidable presence surged from her body and soared into the heavens!

"Whitebeard?"

Kaido froze for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. "Hahahahaha! Now that's... a powerful spirit!"

"Great Eruption!"

An enormous magma fist hurtled toward Kaido once more, its terrifying heat almost warping the air. A wave of scorching heat washed over him. Not daring to be careless, he swung Hassaikai in a sweeping strike.

"Vajra Arrow!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The tremendous impact sent both men staggering backward!

The instant Kaido steadied himself, Atlas's fist was already bearing down on him with perfect precision. Before it even fully touched him, blood-red Haki burst outward, knocking him off balance and nearly sending him into the sea.

He would not drown immediately like other ability users if he fell in, but he would barely be able to move his limbs on the seabed. Fighting would be out of the question.

"Not enough, brat! You think that kind of strength can knock Whitebeard off his throne as the World's Strongest?"

Kaido was not afraid of Whitebeard, but the man as he was now genuinely possessed the power to kill him. The terrifying destructive force of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit made even Kaido wary. Of course, escaping would still be easy if he chose to run.

Soon, Akainu and Kaido were locked in battle once more. Fights between the pirate world's top powerhouses came down to who could outlast whom. There might have been a gap between Akainu and Kaido, but it was nowhere near enough for either to defeat the other in a single blow. The difference was extremely small.

Huff... huff...

Several hundred exchanges later, Kaido and Akainu were gradually beginning to feel the strain, though they were certainly nowhere near exhaustion. Their earlier barrage of powerful attacks had consumed tremendous stamina, but both were seasoned veterans who knew exactly how to pace themselves.

What astonished both Akainu and Kaido, however, was how relaxed Atlas still looked. She might not have been the main combatant, but she had taken more attacks from Kaido than anyone could count, both large and small. Her stamina consumption should have been no less than theirs. It was one thing for her aura to keep growing stronger, but had she barely used any stamina either? That was downright terrifying.

"Fist Bone Meteor!"

Suddenly, an enormous cannonball shot up from beneath the three of them, aimed straight at Kaido in midair!

"Garp!!??"

Kaido was surprised. He had not expected Garp to come as backup. The soldiers aboard Akainu's ship had probably called him for help over a Den Den Mushi. Kaido immediately transformed into an enormous azure dragon, clouds gathering beneath his four claws. He spat a blast of Bolo Breath downward, then soared away and vanished into the clouds.

Kaido was shrewd. If Garp joined the battle, it would turn completely one-sided, and he really might fall into Marine hands. This was a crucial stage in the struggle for supremacy over the New World. Being captured now would spell serious trouble. By the time he escaped, someone might have wiped out his home base.

Neither Akainu nor Atlas tried to stop him. If Kaido wanted to flee in his Azure Dragon Form, there was practically no one who could hold him back.

"Hahahahaha! Atlas, you brat! It's only been a few years, and you've gotten this strong already!"

As Akainu and Atlas descended onto Garp's flagship using Geppo, Garp immediately strode over and began enthusiastically pounding Atlas's shoulder. He was still chewing a donut, and he wiped nearly all the grease on his hand onto her tattered Justice coat.

"Hehe, you're too kind, Vice Admiral Garp. I only lasted this long thanks to Vice Admiral Akainu."

Beside her, the wounded Akainu could not help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

With so many outsiders present, Atlas respectfully addressed him as Vice Admiral Garp while subtly shifting her body to evade his greasy hand.

"Sakazuki! Let's head back to the G-5 base before we discuss this battle. Oh, right, Tsuru's there too!"

Garp turned to Akainu as he spoke.

Garp was currently the commander of the G-5 base! He was effectively the commander-in-chief of this operation in the New World. Of course, he only handled the fighting. Vice Admiral Tsuru took care of the thinking.

A clash of wills! Conqueror's Haki awakens