Fist to Fist
Buzz--!!
Two domineering wills clashed violently.
In an instant, black and red Inazuma danced wildly throughout the space, Sea Cloud churned violently, and terrifying explosions spread in all directions.
The sea below suddenly went from extremely still to extremely turbulent, with giant waves hundreds of feet high shooting into the sky, and the rolling thunder in the sky becoming even more violent!
"Really..."
"That's quite Haki, hahaha!"
Kaido let out a wild laugh, then suddenly pulled out a huge, spiked mace from behind him, with purple electricity surging wildly across it.
[The Hassaikai!]
"However, if that's all..."
Kaido spoke, he raised the Hassaikai in his hand, and a howling wind arose, with electricity flowing rapidly around it. The originally unremarkable spiked club instantly became majestic.
"It's still not enough!!"
"Thunder... Bagua!"
Do you think... I'm still the same person I used to be?
He was indeed badly knocked away by Kaido's Thunder Bagua back then, and at most he could barely withstand it without falling. But things are different now!
Atlas sneered, suddenly looked up, and his right fist, coated with Explosive Flame, swung out horizontally!
"Blast Fist!"
Boom!
The fist clashed with the spiked club, and the terrifying force spread outwards in all directions from the point of contact, accompanied by the continuous roar of thunder and fire.
"No Conqueror's Haki is present..."
Atlas's pupils contracted, veins bulged on his arm, his entire right arm suddenly swelled, and his Back Muscles rippled.
Are you looking down on me?!
Bang!
The powerful fist sent the Hassaikai flying, and struck Kaido squarely on the cheek with Explosion force!
Ta-da!!
Under this immense force, Kaido couldn't help but stagger backward. Layers of fiery clouds beneath his feet helped him regain his footing, and he prepared to swing his spiked club again.
But Atlas wouldn't give him that chance. The battlefield is always unpredictable, and weaknesses often appear in an instant. So even if Kaido to regain his footing in time, he's bound to get a beating from Atlas.
Bang bang bang--!!
Atlas lunged forward, his fists flying like wound-up springs, unleashing a barrage of punches that instantly engulfed Kaido.
Atlas's fists took over Atlas's face, throat, and chest, leaving charred fist marks on every dragon scale. Kaido's massive body was now like a toy in the palm of his hand, being hammered without any power to fight back.
Sudden!
Kaido's eyes snapped open, his right hand tightened, gripping the massive Hassaikai tightly. His arm muscles bulged, and black and red Inazuma with intense activity, mixed with purple plasma.
"Thunder... Bagua!!"
This attack was extremely fast. Thunder Bagua is a technique known for its speed and power. With the added mental intimidation of Conqueror's Haki, the Hassaikai slammed into Atlas's forehead!
Bang!
Even though he managed to defend himself with Armament Haki in time, the brain is, after all, the place that controls the nerves. Under the dual paralysis of electric current and Conqueror's Haki, Atlas couldn't help but shudder, and his whole body plummeted towards the sea below at an extremely fast speed!
"Kid, you're still... too green!"
Kaido looked down at the sea where huge waves were splashing, and couldn't help but sneer. The burns on his body were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, but the remaining bloodstains still indicated that the punch he had just received was not as easy as Kaido said.
"Um?"
Just as Kaido relaxed, his Observation Haki failed to detect any movement coming from Atlas below, and sensing something was wrong, he immediately became alert.
"Yeah?"
Suddenly, an extremely cold voice came from behind Kaido.
Swish!
Kaido instinctively retreated, and the blue-faced, fanged creature instantly turned around, staring incredulously at the suddenly appearing Atlas.
Aside from the constant steam rising from his body, he was completely unharmed, without even a trace of blood!
Haven't you eaten?
"Kaido!!"
Atlas sneered, clenching his fists again. His body suddenly grew larger, and a rich Armament Haki enveloped him. His muscles, clearly defined and textured, stood out, with mysterious patterns that moved like dragons and snakes. The intense Impact of his power even created the illusion of distorting the air.
[Life Return - War God Body!!]
"With that little strength, even Conqueror's Haki Infusion is nothing special!"
"Little brat..."
Don't be too happy yet!
Kaido grinned, revealing his fangs, and once again raised the Hassaikai in his hand to meet the black and red fist. After a few seconds of stalemate, their eyes met, and they raised their legs to kick in perfect unison!
Boom!
Two powerful bursts of Armament Haki clashed violently, their disproportionately long legs colliding fiercely.
Roar--!!
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a gigantic Illusory Beast made of seawater lunged at Kaido from behind, its gleaming fangs seemingly capable of tearing Kaido's flesh apart!
Chapter 196 Fist to Flesh
Clang!
Kaido's Dragon Tail rapidly coiled with Armament Haki, straining with all its might to desperately block the sharp fangs coming from behind!
"Navy brat, not bad strength, you've already..."
"You're qualified to make me take this seriously!!"
With a roar, Kaido's form shifted, his swollen body instantly pushing Atlas aside to launch an attack, and the enormous Azure Dragon coiled out once more.
In terms of pure strength, the Zoan-Hybrid Form is obviously no match for the Azure Dragon Form, and only Kaido in his Azure Dragon Form can forcefully break through this predicament.
Roar--!!
The Azure Dragon roared, lightning struck the earth, and a surge of light and shadow appeared. In an instant, Kaido transformed back into his Zoan-Hybrid Form, wielding the Hassaikai.
"Descending three times..."
Kaido suddenly leaped onto Atlas's head, his Hassaikai spinning wildly in his hands, Conqueror's Haki coating him, countless black Inazuma emanating from him, and a powerful Impact distorting the surrounding space.
"Draw Naraku!"
Atlas clenched his fists, and Armament Haki began to flow, neither too much nor too little, like blood flowing smoothly beneath the fascia, yet fierce and domineering!
Kaido calls himself the Guardian King of Wano Country, and the Three Kings of the Three Realms is one of the Five Great Kings, meaning he subdues the three poisons and the three realms. Although the iron rod in his hand is not that exaggerated, its power should not be underestimated after being wrapped with Conqueror's Haki.
"Rokushiki Ogi: Thunder and Fire - Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel"
With the same enhancement of thunder and fire, top-tier combatants like them can use both heavenly thunder and earthly fire to their advantage, as long as their abilities are developed properly!
Boom!
Before fists and iron bars even touched, their domineering Haki began to clash. Explosions roared from all around, the dark clouds churned, and the rising air currents seemed like a sharp blade slicing through the sky!
"Kaido..."
"Your magnanimity is nothing special!!!"
A powerful surge of Conqueror's Haki coursed through Atlas's mind. Atlas eyes widened, and he lunged forward, veins bulging, aiming a straight kick at Kaido's ribs.
Kaido neither dodged nor evaded, and met the attack with a straight kick of his own.
Bang!
The two men's legs collided head-on, creating a terrifying shockwave that spread wildly in all directions, causing massive waves to surge in the sea below.
Some Sea Kings that happened to pass by were almost instantly killed by the shockwave, and countless Sea Kings corpses floated on the surface of the sea before being pulverized.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Separated once more, Kaido shoved the Hassaikai behind him and lunged at them again, the sounds of flesh colliding with flesh rising and falling like a symphony.
Both were strong individuals who pursued the ultimate physique. The exhilarating feeling of each punch landing on the skin filled their minds and bodies. With each Haki clash, a deep fist mark would be left on the other's body, only to disappear in an instant.
Every punch lands with a visceral impact! That's the romance of men!
Thump!
With a muffled thud, the two were thrown backward, taking several steps in mid-air before finally coming to a stop.
In terms of sheer power, Atlas undoubtedly has the upper hand. However, Kaido's Conqueror's Haki Infusion is no longer as rusty as it was a few years ago. He can now use it on any part of his body, not just his weapons!
If his Armament Haki hadn't been so flawless in both quality and technique, he wouldn't have been able to fight Kaido to this extent.
G-5 base port.
Glug--!!
Francis swallowed hard. Every commotion from afar made his heart pound. Having infiltrated the Beasts Pirates for a time, he knew very well the terrifying strength of Kaido, the Emperor of the Sea.
"Or..."
"Should we retreat first, Rear Admiral Maynard?"
Francis asked the Rear Admiral beside him with a worried tone.
"Ah--!?"
"What did you say? Are you asking us, the navy, to desert?"
Maynard glanced at Francis with a hint of disdain in his voice, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
This was a muscular, broad-chested man with black hair tied in a ponytail that extended to one side. He had a thick black beard on his cheeks, a white baseball cap with a naval seagull pattern, and a pair of light-colored sunglasses hanging on his nose.
He was the highest-ranking officer in the entire G-5 base besides Atlas, so the decision of whether to retreat or hold out was entirely up to him.
G-5, located in the New World, could not possibly be guarded solely by soldiers from the Atlas Fleet. There was a resident navy there, and Maynard held the second-in-command position at the base.
Even if Smoker was trusted by Atlas, he was only a lieutenant colonel and was clearly not qualified to temporarily take command of G-5 base.
"You..."
Francis was speechless. There were only naval warships present, and he obviously couldn't leave without Maynard's permission, even though he was much stronger than Maynard.
After all, if he were to forcibly seize it, the retaliation from the navy would be something he couldn't afford.
Now we can only pray that the Vice Admiral White Hou can defeat Kaido...
Blu-blu--!
Suddenly, Maynard paused, pulled out Den Den Mushi from his shirt pocket, and picked up the receiver without hesitation.
"Hello, this is Maynard."
"I am Sengoku. Did Vice Admiral White Hou manage to intercept Kaido?"
Sengoku's low voice came through the microphone, clearly indicating that he was in a bad mood.
"Vice Admiral White Hou is currently engaged in battle with Kaido. There are currently no casualties among the naval forces at G-5 base."
Maynard glanced at the distant battlefield, where the wind was howling and the waves were crashing, and said calmly.
Where is Francis?
"All is well and safe."
"Phew~ Good, Garp is on his way to provide support. Let White Hou hold on a little longer, and we'll capture Kaido right away!"
Sengoku breathed a sigh of relief and said with a sense of relief.
"Yes! Admiral of the Sengoku!"