Vic naturally wouldn't let Kaido's Conqueror's Haki run rampant. This was his territory, so he also released a powerful Conqueror's Haki. A crimson hemispherical Conqueror's Haki field rapidly expanded, forcefully resisting the Conqueror's Haki pressing down from the sky!
Two powerful Conqueror's Haki collided in mid-air, creating a massive Conqueror's Haki storm that affected areas outside the range of the two Conqueror's Haki.
Many unconscious fish of various kinds floated ashore in the waters surrounding the island, and birds flying overhead also fell with their eyes rolled back. In contrast, those within Vic's Conqueror's Haki range were unaffected.
The two Conqueror's Haki clashed and collided fiercely, but Kaido's Conqueror's Haki couldn't advance an inch, and Vic's Conqueror's Haki only held its own territory, without any aggression. The only ones who suffered were the fish and birds that passed by.
Kaido was slightly surprised that Vic could withstand his Conqueror's Haki. Although he had only used 30% of his power, it was still a level that only a few people could achieve.
Noticing that Vic below remained expressionless, calmly watching him, Kaido felt a surge of anger. "I only released 30% of my Conqueror's Haki, what are you pretending to be, some kind of master?" So he increased the release of his Conqueror's Haki.
No matter how much Kaido strengthened his Conqueror's Haki, Vic's Conqueror's Haki remained steadfast, and he appeared calm and collected, as if he were under no pressure at all.
This performance made Kaido take Vic seriously. Even Kaido himself found this level of Conqueror's Haki confrontation difficult, with beads of sweat appearing on his head. Yet Vic remained completely at ease, which was no small feat!
The fact that he possessed such Conqueror's Haki at such a young age was beyond Kaido's comprehension. He had already acknowledged Vic's achievement of defeating the old woman head-on and regarded Vic as an opponent of the same level.
"That's Kaido!"
Just as Kaido was about to retract his Conqueror's Haki, Vic's calm voice reached his ears, and then Ryugan saw a blade of light flying towards him, the dazzling light making his eyes narrow.
The blade was too fast; by the time Kaido realized the danger, it was too late to dodge. However, the blade only grazed his dragon head and flew away without striking his dragon body.
When Kaido opened his eyes, he found that the Conqueror's Haki he had released had dissipated, and Vic's Conqueror's Haki had also disappeared. Then, he felt a slight stinging sensation on a spot on his dragon head. Turning his dragon eyes to look at the stinging spot, he discovered a small wound there.
However, the place where he was injured felt somewhat familiar to Kaido; it was as if he had seen it somewhere before. Kaido blinked his dragon eye, reminiscing about the past, and his appearance was quite comical.
Kaido quickly regained his composure, and even a hint of seriousness could be seen on his dragon-like face. Kaido remembered that this wound was exactly the same as the large gash Vic had inflicted on Vic when they first met.
The same location, the same size wound! Even the pain is almost identical—what kind of insane attack speed is this? What kind of insane control is this? Who's really trying to intimidate whom? Can Yamato still take it back?
Not to mention that Kaido was already somewhat bewildered in mid-air, in the eyes of Rebecca and the others, Vic's sword light only reached Kaido after tearing through Kaido's Conqueror's Haki.
The slash was incredibly sharp, but judging from Vic's move, there was only one word to describe it: ordinary, just like drawing a sword as casually as eating or drinking.
However, its power was exceptionally astonishing, just like the feeling of returning to simplicity that Vic mentioned. It was no longer on the same level as them. It was just a pity that this slash did not hit Kaido!
" Kaido! Stop dazed! If you're going to fight, come down here. Do you feel a sense of accomplishment from intimidating ordinary people? Surely one of the Four Emperors isn't such a shallow person?"
Vic hadn't expected Kaido to put on such a show before their final battle, alarming the people living on several nearby islands. He had originally intended to deal with Kaido quickly and discreetly, but now it was clear he couldn't do that.
There are World Government agents stationed on the surrounding islands. With Vic's Observation Haki and Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities, he has already thoroughly investigated the people on these islands and knows exactly which factions they belong to.
However, there are always people like this to eliminate, so he's too lazy to alert them. Keeping them around can lull the enemy into a false sense of security and transmit misleading information, which is more cost-effective than killing them outright. This is also why Vic hasn't taken action much over the years.
The power level of an Emperor is already the highest level of power that the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons can tolerate. If he were to easily defeat Four Emperors, it would definitely put him in danger.
Therefore, to outsiders, Vic rarely leaves Titan Island, and hasn't even left since returning from Whole Cake Island. He always leaves things to the other members of the pirate crew, and the new crew members are all brought back by others when they go out, giving people the illusion that he was injured on Whole Cake Island.
Of course, Vic has gone out over the years, but each time he leaves, he travels alone like Inazuma, disappearing silently from Titan Island. Since the spies outside can't reach Titan Island, they naturally can't detect Vic's departure.
He doesn't wander around outside. Once he's done what he wants to do, he disappears like Inazuma. He also has Observation Haki, Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability, and the ability to create illusions. If someone tries to spy on him, he can detect it in advance and deal with it. So his whereabouts have never been leaked outside.
To everyone else, Vic had become a shut-in, always holed up in his own little world, somewhat like Moonlight Moria.
Kaido was awakened by the voice transmitted to his mind by Vic. He did not answer, but simply twisted his huge dragon body and flew towards Titan Island. He quickly arrived above the island and was then pulled by a force of gravity.
Kaido moment but didn't resist much. He landed not far from Vic and the others, transforming into a tall human figure upon landing.
Although Kaido has never been to Titan Island, the gravity at the edge of the island is nothing to him. Although he is no longer a dragon, Kaido's tall and strong physique and rugged and ferocious appearance still give people a sense of pressure.
Especially the few girls behind Vic, they subconsciously hid behind Vic, secretly sizing up the Four Emperors who had come to provoke them.
The men were alright, but they still stared at Kaido with serious expressions and became wary. Compared to Big Mom, the plump female Four Emperors, Kaido was more intimidating just by his appearance. This was due to the visual impact, as well as the added effect of his dragon body.
"Kid! Hurry up and fight. After we're done, I need to take Yamato back to Wano Country, so I won't be eating here anymore."
Seeing the fear and wariness in Vic's crew, Kaido's confidence returned. Could his own crew, who didn't even have faith in their captain, really be as powerful as he'd thought? It was probably just a matter of luck, right?
You should know that those pirate crews with strong cohesion have crew members who are die-hard loyal to their captain. They all firmly believe that their captain can overcome anyone and any difficulty, and finally seize the One Piece and become the Pirate King!
When their captain is fighting, aren't they all supposed to be cheering and shouting with fervor? The behavior of these people only proves their insecurity. What could they possibly be insecure about? It's just that Vic might not be as strong as them. What else could they possibly have to worry about in this battle?