" Blazing Flame Slash--!"
With a stomp of his foot, the ground cracked, and Kin'emon faced the Fire Pillar that descended from the sky.
His body appeared as small as a moth before the massive Fire Pillar, yet his gesture of raising his knife showed no hesitation.
The long sword was raised high above his head, and the foxfire on the blade burned to its peak in that instant.
He cleaved down with a single stroke.
Sword energy, carrying foxfire, flew from the blade and struck the center of the pillar of Fire Pillar with pinpoint accuracy.
Kin'emon swung his sword again, and several more flashes of light appeared, the crisscrossing sword energy cutting the Fire Pillar into countless small pieces.
The shards of flame that had been cut apart burned up in mid-air, turning into countless sparks that drifted down.
Kaido's first wave of attacks was completely neutralized.
Kin'emon landed on the ground, his katana pointing diagonally at the ground, the foxfire still burning on the blade.
His breathing was a little rapid, but his square face carried a long-lost sense of joy.
"I am Kozuki Oden of the Foxfire Kin'emon."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
"Today, we will surely avenge Oden!"
The samurai in the square watched Kin'emon's retreating figure, and the foxfire still burning on his sword, and their eyes regained their light.
They remembered.
Kin'emon is still alive, Lord Denjiro is still alive, and the legend of the Nine Red Scabbards is not over yet.
Twenty years ago, they failed to protect Oden, but twenty years later, they still have a chance to atone for their sins.
Hyogoro gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the veins bulging on his aged arm.
As he watched Kin'emon cleave the Bolo Breath with a single stroke, tears welled up in his cloudy old eyes.
Hyogoro raised his katana high and let out a hoarse battle roar towards the samurai behind him.
"Following the Straw Hat Lord—to defeat Kaido!!!"
Five hundred warriors responded in unison, the sound so powerful that the pebbles on the square seemed to vibrate.
Luffy grinned.
He looked at the azure dragon in the sky, bent over, supported himself with one hand on the ground, and glanced back at his allies.
" Straw Hat Alliance - Attack!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Luffy soared into the sky.
His legs, propelled by the elasticity of the Gum-Gum Fruit, unleashed astonishing speed, transforming him into a thin red streak in mid-air as he hurtled towards Kaido.
Zoro drew all three swords simultaneously, the black sheen of Armament Haki instantly covering the blades.
Sanji's right foot burst into flames, and the intense heat of the Diable Jambe distorted and blurred the surrounding air.
Kid's massive metal arm slammed into the ground, using the recoil to propel him into the air, leaving a trail of metal debris drawn up by the magnetic force behind him.
Luo's Operating Room expanded to its limit, and a semi-transparent light shield enveloped him and the other Supernovas simultaneously. Then, a spatial displacement occurred, and everyone appeared in mid-air at the same time.
Apoo's arms transformed into musical instruments, Hawkins became a giant scarecrow, Bege opened his suit to reveal dozens of cannon barrels, and Drake transformed into Allosaurus Form.
The Nine Red Scabbards followed closely behind, each of them stepping on the Geppo, their katanas reflecting nine cold rays of light in the moonlight.
The other members of the Straw Hat Pirates were not to be outdone.
Nami gritted her teeth, her Clima-Tact tracing an arc in the air.
Her Geppo was still not very skilled, and the sound of her feet stepping on the air was much louder than others, but she still managed to rise steadily into the air.
After two years of training, she was no longer the navigator who could only hide behind others.
Usopp, with several newly developed projectiles strapped to his slingshot, silently chanted "He can't see me" as he performed Geppo.
Chopper transformed into his reindeer form, his hooves making a series of crisp sounds as he trod through the air.
Brook moved with the elegance of a gentleman, his Geppo graceful.
Franky was the most outrageous; his mechanical feet were equipped with jet propulsion devices, and with Geppo combined with jet propulsion, he charged forward like a cannonball.
Even Bepo and the Heart Pirates followed behind Law using Geppo, their movements a bit wobbly, but at least they didn't fall behind.
Roy's decision to publicly reveal the Six Powers and the Haki training method was like throwing a fire into a pile of dry tinder.
Two years is enough time for these already gifted individuals to undergo a complete transformation.
In the plaza, Hyogoro led his samurai and Mink Tribe warriors in a continued battle against the remaining forces of the Beasts Pirates.
He looked up at the figures rushing towards Kaido in the sky, a smile playing on his lips.
"Young people—go and make history!"
·······
Luffy took the lead.
His rubber body bounced through the air, each bounce producing a sonic boom.
His figure tore open gaps in the clouds, and moonlight streamed through them, leaving dappled shadows in the night sky.
In just a few breaths, Luffy had already rushed to the top of Kaido's dragon head.
Immediately afterwards, Luffy's body began to swell, his thin body expanding several times its original size in an instant.
The jet-black sheen of Armament Haki covered the entire area from his fist to his shoulder.
The muscle lines were clearly visible beneath the black, hardened layer, and large amounts of white steam gushed from the body surface.
Gear Fourth - Boundman.
"Is it this again?"
Kaido certainly remembered this form—back in the Flower Capital, this kid had used the same move to punch him.
That punch had decent power, but that's about it.
However, the aura emanating from Luffy now seems to be much stronger than last time.
" Kaido!"
Luffy's voice boomed from the sky, carrying a battle cry that exploded from the depths of his chest.
I'm determined to defeat you this time!
"Dog Model Dog Model-- King Kong Gun!"
Luffy's right fist began to swell.
A massive, black and red Armament Haki Haki-infused fist slammed down, while Luffy's legs in his Boundman form continuously compressed and released.
The massive King Kong Gun descended rapidly; even before the punch was thrown, the sheer force of the blow shattered the surrounding clouds.
Kaido raised his dragon head, the Flame Clouds swirling around him dancing wildly, and the massive blue dragon coiled up before crashing headlong into Luffy's fist.
"Bang--!!!"
The dragon's head and fist collided violently in mid-air.
A circular shockwave exploded from the point of impact, spreading wildly in all directions.
The surrounding clouds were torn open by the shockwave, creating a huge gap hundreds of meters in diameter.
Moonlight poured down through the gap, illuminating the soldiers still fighting in the square below.
Several nearby Beasts Pirates were blasted away by the shockwave, crashing into the wall and losing consciousness.
Luffy's fist and Kaido's dragon horns were locked together, their forces clashing in mid-air.
Kaido's dragon head was many times larger than Luffy's entire body; from a distance, it looked like an ant struggling against a whale.
"Aaaaaaahh...
A series of roars exploded from Luffy's throat.
His feet compressed rapidly back and forth in the air, each compression creating a circular shockwave. These shockwaves overlapped, pushing his fist forward.
A hint of surprise flashed in Kaido's vertical pupils.
This kid's strength is several levels higher than when he was in the Flower Capital.
How could he have made so much progress in such a short time at Udon Prison?
"Hoo hoo hoo--"
Kaido's mouth opened wide, about to say something, when a new burst of power exploded from Luffy's fist.
Luffy pressed his right fist against Kaido's dragon horn, slowly pushing it down.
One inch, two inches, three inches.
Kaido's dragon head began to sag under the pressure of this continuous force.
"Aaaaaahh...
Luffy's roar grew louder and louder, and the frequency of his leg compressions increased.
The air behind him was stomped out in a series of visible white rings.
Each time a ring explodes, it pushes his body forward a little further.
Finally, Kaido's dragon body lost its balance.
The enormous dragon head was pushed downwards by Luffy's fist.
The enormous dragon's body was also swayed off course.