Flames roared around them.
Walls of fire rose like barriers, cutting off lines of sight between the combatants. The surrounding navy forces stood still, making no move.
Weiss looked up at the colossal dragon looming high above—an existence like a god. He knew then and there: he would have to fight this battle alone.
His aura retracted to the extreme, every ounce of killing intent drawn inward. He couldn't afford to waste even a shred of strength against an opponent like this.
"Huu…"
Letting out a slow breath, Weiss gripped his sword—and vanished.
Against such overwhelming power, the only hope was to strike first.
He used Moonstep to rush toward Kaido, who hovered high in the air. With his blade raised and infused with black Armament Haki and tinges of blood-red killing intent, Weiss launched a ferocious slash.
Kaido, still airborne, responded with a simple exhale of scorching breath, evaporating the sword energy in an instant.
Around him, the winds howled and lightning crackled, becoming more violent by the second. Deafening thunder rolled through the sky, lightning streaking across the heavens.
Kaido raised a massive claw, intending to crush the insolent ant who dared challenge him for his Devil Fruit. Seeing the claw descend with a gale behind it, Weiss countered with a reverse slash, meeting the force head-on.
BOOM!
The immense power behind the strike sent Weiss hurtling backward like a shooting star, crashing into the ground and carving out a massive crater.
But Kaido wasn't done.
The sky darkened as clouds gathered, thunder growling deep within. A blinding bolt of lightning split the heavens, striking down like a divine punishment.
From the cave, a crimson sword light erupted.
CRACK! The lightning was sliced apart in midair.
Rain began to fall in sheets—yes, dragons could control the weather.
The wind surged, forcing the bystanders to retreat far into the distance. The navy soldiers were still watching, curious just how far Weiss could go.
Doflamingo, at least, wasn't mocking him—for once.
"Cough… Haah, this guy's terrifying…" Weiss's voice came from within the cave, punctuated by a wet cough and a mouthful of blood. That last hit had done real damage.
"No choice now… I'll have to rely on my slashes."
He didn't dare take to the skies again. One more direct hit like that, and it would be over.
Twisting his wrist, Weiss summoned a howling whirlwind. The wind lifted rubble from the ground, forming a tornado filled with cutting sword energy that surged upward—straight toward Kaido.
The vortex, shaped from countless blades, crashed into Kaido's dragon body like a monstrous drill. Razor-sharp edges tore into his flesh, carving a bloody crater into his side.
But Kaido didn't even flinch.
He dove from the sky like a meteor, his dragon claw aimed directly at Weiss, intending to end it in one final strike.
Weiss raised his sword in front of him, and a storm of sword intent exploded outward, forming a domain ten meters wide around him. The claw slowed as it touched the boundary, hacked away by the relentless sword energy.
Half the dragon claw melted away on contact.
ROAR!
Kaido let out a thunderous roar and began to gather a dense mass of energy in his mouth. Then—he unleashed a blazing breath straight at Weiss.
Weiss didn't retreat.
The breath attack collided with his sword domain—and shattered it in a single blast.
BOOM!
The violent shockwave knocked Weiss through the air. He tumbled over and over before slamming into the ground, skidding nearly a hundred meters before finally coming to a stop.
And then—Kaido's form shifted.
He shed his dragon shape, landing with a colossal thud, now holding a massive spiked club wreathed in purple lightning.
In a flash, Kaido charged—his club swinging down.
"Come on, brat! Show me that last move of yours!"
The club howled through the air. Weiss had barely regained his footing before he was forced to block. His blade met the club in a tremendous clash.
CRACK!!
The earth beneath them split open, a giant fissure ripping through the land. The crack swallowed the burning walls and extended for kilometers before finally stopping.
At that close distance, Kaido transformed his head back into a dragon's—unleashing another breath attack straight at Weiss.
Weiss didn't hesitate. Another sword domain bloomed to life around him.
The dragon breath barely left Kaido's maw before it was shredded to pieces by the countless blades dancing in the air. But Kaido wasn't unscathed.
He was inside the sword domain now.
Tiny wounds began opening all over his body. Misty blood sprayed into the air as the invisible blades sliced him again and again, wrapping him in a haze of red.
"Yes! That's it! That's it! Come on, brat, kill me if you can!" Kaido's voice was wild now, filled with frenzied laughter.
He channeled his Armament Haki into the club, black lightning crackling across its surface. His Conqueror's Haki flared, battering Weiss's spirit like a tide of willpower.
Weiss gritted his teeth, parrying another heavy blow. Then—Shave.
He disappeared, reappearing a hundred meters away, panting.
"Haaah… you're enjoying this, aren't you? Well, I'm not!"
The sword domain—originally designed to clear out small fry—wasn't enough to stop a monster like this. Even melting half his claw hadn't done much. It had already regenerated.
"If that's how it is—fine. Let's do this."
"Normal Attack: One Slash to End All."
His sword domain trembled violently, summoning a gale that danced with countless blades. Slashes converged behind Weiss, fusing into a massive greatsword over twenty meters long.
Kaido's pupils contracted as he watched the enormous blade take shape. But instead of retreating, he charged forward—dragon head first, fearless.
Weiss raised his sword and pointed.
Sword and will resonated.
The colossal blade of crimson aura and black Haki surged forward, colliding head-on with the charging Kaido.
"Conquered Three Worlds, Attracting Hell!"
Kaido roared and leapt into the air, spinning his iron club at high speed. Conqueror's Haki surged, coiling around the weapon like a storm.
BOOM!
He brought it down like a thunderbolt. A streak of black lightning slammed into Weiss's blade.
CRACK!!
Shockwaves tore through the land. Fissures spiderwebbed for miles, swallowing debris and fire alike.
SWOOSH!
Suddenly, Weiss blinked—flash step—and reappeared at Kaido's side.
In an instant, he unleashed a thousand slashes.
Crimson arcs traced through the air, circling Kaido and carving into him from every angle.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Wounds opened across Kaido's body. Blood sprayed in every direction. But Weiss knew—it still wasn't enough.
If he didn't learn that one move—the one that could leave a permanent scar on Kaido—or find a way to finish him here, no matter how many wounds he inflicted… it would all be meaningless.
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