As soon as the words fell, Ailik's expression sharpened, and he stepped forward first without hesitation.
He possessed the power of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, and his strength was on par with Kaido's at that moment; both had only just reached Admiral level.
Ailik stamped both feet hard against the ground with a bang.
The ground instantly cracked, and he used the recoil to shoot toward Kaido like a bolt of black lightning.
At the same time, a faint red glow rose around Ailik, a sign that his Bomb-Bomb Fruit power was about to activate.
Using the high-speed movement of Soru, Ailik closed in beside Kaido in an instant.
He raised his right arm high, his fist coated in Armament Haki so dense it seemed almost tangible.
It also concentrated his own immense brute strength, along with the explosive power faintly building within the Bomb-Bomb Fruit.
His entire arm was enveloped in a dazzling red glow, like a miniature sun on the verge of erupting.
Then he drove his fist swiftly toward Kaido with overwhelming force.
Sensing the movement beside him, Kaido turned sideways and threw a punch without a second thought.
His punch likewise carried tremendous force, as though the air could not bear its weight.
It blasted the air into a piercing crack, as though a sharp blade had sliced it open.
Their fists collided in an instant, and for that moment, time itself seemed to pause.
A terrifying storm of energy suddenly erupted from the point where their fists met.
The surrounding air twisted and shook wildly, as though struck by an invisible earthquake.
The Bomb-Bomb Fruit power contained in Ailik's fist detonated instantly.
The powerful impact spread outward like a surging tide.
Cracks rapidly spread across the ground like a spiderweb.
The surrounding rocks split and shattered,