Battle

"This brat’s physique… something about it is completely off!" Kaido frowned slightly as he looked at Yota.

It was not as though Kaido had never seen anyone with a physique as strong as Yota’s. After fighting across the seas for so many years, he had encountered all kinds of powerful warriors. Although Yota’s body had become incredibly abnormal after multiple modifications, it had yet to be fully developed. In Kaido’s eyes, among all the opponents he had faced, Yota would only rank around the top five.

But the speed of his improvement was somewhat wrong. It had been less than a year since their last battle with the Whitebeard Pirates. Back then, Yota’s physique had been impressive, but he had only been slightly stronger than the Tobi Roppo level, still inferior to Kaido’s three All-Stars.

Yet in that brief clash just now, Yota’s physique had felt no weaker than that of the Four Emperors. How could he have improved so much in less than a year?

"Could it be a Devil Fruit awakening? Was the fruit this guy ate not actually the Munch-Munch Fruit he claimed it was, but some kind of Mythical Zoan?"

Those thoughts flashed through Kaido’s mind. Then he stopped thinking about it altogether, raised his spiked club, and smashed it at Yota’s head.

"Thunder Bagua!"

A metallic gleam instantly flashed across Yota’s body as he activated the Munch-Munch Fruit’s modification ability. His iron fist, wrapped in Haki, met the blow without hesitation.

With a thunderous boom, the air shook violently and tiny bolts of lightning flickered. Yota stumbled back several steps and frowned.

Without Conqueror’s Haki, fighting was simply too disadvantageous.

But Kaido pressed his advantage, whirling his spiked club like a windmill before smashing it down again.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Yota’s fists collided with Kaido’s spiked club, unleashing terrifying blasts of air.

Although Yota had no weapon and was using only his flesh to contend with Kaido’s spiked club, his body had absorbed vast amounts of precious metal. Its toughness was even greater than Big Mom’s steel-balloon body.

Though his Armament Haki was slightly weaker and he lacked Conqueror’s Haki entirely, Yota relied on his powerful physique and the great quantity of compressed, reinforced precious metals within his body. Even as he was driven back again and again, he suffered no real injuries.

More than that, through each successive clash, Kaido keenly sensed the potential within Yota’s body gradually being drawn out. The force he unleashed grew stronger and stronger, faintly showing signs of rivaling Kaido himself.

"Yota, I’ll help you!" A streak of fire descended from the sky as Ace immediately hurled a Fire Fist forward.

…Then Kaido, anger flaring in his chest, sent him flying with a single swing of his club.

After vomiting several mouthfuls of blood, Ace climbed back to his feet, completely dumbfounded.

Kaido’s club was that heavy—how had Yota managed to withstand it? Could the Munch-Munch Fruit really be some obscure Mythical Zoan? Had people misunderstood it only because it had never awakened?

Unlike Ace, who had charged in recklessly because of a misunderstanding, Yamato knew her father’s strength all too well. She had made ample preparations before rushing forward.

Even so, she could not hold out for long. Yamato had yet to completely master Conqueror’s Haki Infusion, and her strength was still somewhat below her original level.

However, with Ace and Yamato helping him, Yota, who had been caught in Kaido’s rhythm and forced back repeatedly, finally got a moment to catch his breath. He twisted his body and closed directly in on Kaido, unleashing a barrage of close-range strikes.

Compared to Kaido’s massive, powerful frame, Yota, though nearly two meters tall, was little more than a runt before him. Even after absorbing great amounts of compressed metal and swelling in size, he was only around three meters tall.

That difference in size meant that once Yota got within a certain distance of Kaido, Kaido—with his long limbs and long-handled spiked club—would have trouble reacting in time. After taking several solid hits, Kaido was sent flying again by Yota’s rising dragon punch.

"Worororororo! Brat, not bad at all. I’m seeing you in a new light."

Kaido climbed to his feet with an almost fanatical grin on his face. He grabbed the sake gourd beside him and took a huge gulp. After several loud swallows, he had drained the entire gourd.

"Now then! I’m going to get serious."

Yota frowned at Kaido’s actions. Kaido possessed an extremely unusual talent that could be called the Drunken Warrior. The more he drank, the drunker he became, and the stronger his combat power grew.

Seriously, Kaido, don’t tell me you have panda-man blood or something. Or did you practice Drunken Fist?

"Rai Mei Hakke!"

The dark spiked club swept up an almost terrifying, overwhelming gale. Yota failed to react in time for the first time and was struck squarely in the chest.

"Three Worlds’ Descent, Naraku’s Draw!"

Kaido showed no mercy as he pressed his advantage. Taking advantage of Yota’s inability to react after being hit, he followed up with a combo that smashed him into the ground.

Just as Kaido was about to strike again, a soft sound came from behind him. "Barrier!"

A transparent barrier blocked Kaido’s descending spiked club. Kaido raised his drunken head and saw a green-haired little girl.

"Lady Toki? No, what are you to Kozuki Oden?"

"Kozuki Oden was my father. I am his daughter, Kozuki Hiyori!" Feeling the Conqueror’s Haki Kaido unintentionally radiated, Kozuki Hiyori gritted her teeth as she spoke.

Yota had naturally given the Barrier Fruit to Kozuki Hiyori. Her combat strength was low, but she did not want to remain alone in the rear, so Yota had temporarily entrusted this powerful defensive fruit to her.

"Worororororo! Kozuki Oden’s daughter has grown up too? Like father, like daughter. That’s some admirable courage!"

Though he said so, Kaido showed no restraint. With a casual swing, a Kongo Dentsu smashed toward Kozuki Hiyori’s face.

"Hiyori-sama, watch out!" Kawamatsu, who looked like a kappa, leaped out. His long blade flashed as he blocked Kaido’s attack, though Kaido’s casual strike nearly sent him flying as well.

"Argh!" At that moment, Kaido felt a sharp pain in his foot. He howled and staggered back several steps. Looking down, he saw a long blade nailed through his foot, blood flowing from the wound.

Yota slowly climbed up from the ground. "You’re a famous Sea Emperor, aren’t you? Isn’t it a bit much to go after a little girl like that?"

It turned out that Yota, who had still been lying on the ground moments ago, had taken advantage of Kaido’s distraction to launch a low sneak attack, driving a blade through his entire foot.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I’m a pirate!" Kaido said with a cold laugh. "A pirate emperor should act like a pirate. No matter what kind of opponent it is, once sides have been chosen, there should be no mercy!"