Chapter 26 — Great Fire Dragon Torch! The Unexpected Appearance of Shanks!
"Father-in-law, haven't you eaten yet?"
"Why can't you even hold your weapon properly?"
Akira's thirty-meter-tall figure loomed over the edge of the massive crater.
His voice rolled like thunder, shaking the air itself and echoing deep into the pit where Kaido lay buried.
"Cough… puh!!"
Kaido spat out a mouthful of scalding dragon blood!
His dragon-human hybrid body—over twenty meters tall—was sprawled helplessly on the ground, forming the shape of a massive "大," half-embedded into the hardened earth of Dressrosa.
Humiliation.
A humiliation unlike anything he had ever endured in his entire life.
Who was he?
Kaido.
The ruler of the New World.
One of the Four Emperors of the Sea.
The man called the "Strongest Creature in the World."
Since when…
Since when had anyone dared mock him like this before an audience?
Since when…
had anyone ever forced him to drop his weapon with a single strike?
"Akira——!!!"
Kaido's roar thundered through the heavens, filled with hatred so intense it nearly burned away his sanity.
Shame and fury fused into madness—his killing intent boiled over like molten lava.
"Wororororo… You've got guts, brat!"
His trembling hands—numb from the earlier blow—reached for the spiked club Hassaikai lying beside him.
"You insolent little bastard… I'll tear you apart!!!"
BOOOOOOM——!!!
His roar exploded into a physical shockwave, ripping through the air like a barrage of cannon fire!
Kaido's massive body shot up from the crater like an erupting volcano, bursting through the ruins of Dressrosa and soaring into the sky!
"Worororororo!!"
High above, the dragon emperor glared down, his crimson eyes blazing with wrath.
"Brat! You've truly made me angry this time!!"
He raised Hassaikai high.
Black and red lightning—Conqueror's Haki—crackled and surged around the club, denser and more violent than ever before.
This wasn't just a counterattack.
This was Kaido's strongest stance—
his most destructive technique—
his unrestrained rage incarnate!
"Conqueror of Three Worlds — Ragnaraku!!!"
BOOOOOOM——!!!
The sky itself split apart under the swing!
A colossal wave of destruction descended from above, the embodiment of Kaido's fury crashing straight toward Akira!
The sheer force could annihilate an island.
And yet—
Akira didn't flinch.
"Perfect! Come, then!"
He spun Murakumogiri, holding it firmly before him.
Sixfold power compressed into a single swing.
"Dragon Breaker Slash!!"
BOOOOOOOM——!!!
The strongest club and the sharpest blade met in midair, shaking the heavens of Dressrosa itself!
For a heartbeat—
the world fell silent.
No sound.
No light.
Then—
CRACK——!!!
An explosion of raw, unfiltered power tore through the island!
The ground—already shattered beyond recognition—split again under their combined might.
A massive black fissure ripped through Dressrosa, cleaving the island clean in half!
RUMBLE!!! RUMBLE!!! RUMBLE!!!
In the distance, what was once the proud King Plateau—already devastated by Akira's earlier attack—crumbled entirely, collapsing into dust in seconds.
"Monsters… both of them… absolute monsters!!!"
Doflamingo, former Warlord of the Sea, clung desperately to the edge of a shattered rock formation, his face drained of all color.
His signature flamingo sunglasses were gone—lost somewhere in the chaos.
All that remained was a trembling face slick with cold sweat.
The King Plateau he once ruled over with cunning and power—
the empire he'd built for years—
had been reduced to ash before his eyes.
"Why… why did you two have to fight here, of all places?!"
...
CLANG!
CLANG! CLANG!!
In the skies above, the battle of gods continued.
Kaido's Conqueror of Three Worlds: Ragnaraku had been stopped—blocked outright by Akira's counterstrike!
Now, they were locked in a brutal close-quarters clash!
Murakumogiri.
Hassaikai.
Two of the world's highest-grade weapons collided in midair, bursting into storms of fire and lightning with each clash!
Every impact sent shockwaves that shredded the atmosphere.
Every scrape of steel tore open flashes of red-black thunder across the sky.
This was no longer just a battle—
it was a collision of absolute wills!
BOOM!!
Kaido swung Hassaikai with all his might!
The strike came fast—yet to Akira, towering at thirty meters, it looked slow.
"Too slow!"
Kaido's Observation Haki flared at full force, reading Akira's movements perfectly!
He twisted his wrist mid-swing, changing the club's path—aiming straight for Akira's chest!
"Brat! Feel this—"
CLAAAAANG——!!!
The sound that followed froze Kaido's grin in place.
His eyes widened.
He stood motionless.
That hit—one powerful enough to crush mountains—had landed squarely.
But instead of breaking through, it had struck something immovable.
As if his weapon had slammed into an unbreakable wall of divine steel.
The smile on Kaido's face vanished instantly.
And in the silence that followed—
only Akira's calm, steady voice echoed through the air.
"—What?!"
Kaido's eyes widened in disbelief.
His spiked club struck true—but all it did was spark harmlessly against Akira's chest, not leaving so much as a single scratch.
"This… what kind of defense is this?!"
Kaido's shock was genuine.
He didn't realize—
Akira's body was now reinforced beyond comprehension: the Vajra Body Protection Technique constantly active, the 2,000-layer Will Core resonating in his blood, the Divine Manifestation Technique amplifying his physique, and his Armament Haki pushed to its absolute peak.
His defense had long surpassed anything that could be measured—
even by Kaido himself.
"Father-in-law,"
The thirty-meter titan smiled faintly.
"Your club…"
"It's still cold."
"Why does it feel like you're hitting me with cotton?"
"YOU'RE COURTING DEATH!!"
Kaido's roar exploded like a storm.
"Thunder Bagua!!"
"Roaring Thunder Bagua!!"
"Conqueror of Three Worlds — Ragnaraku!!!"
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!
Strike after strike poured down upon Akira!
But he didn't move.
He didn't block.
He didn't even flinch.
He simply stood there, letting Kaido's attacks crash against him like waves against an unshakable cliff.
DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!!
The sound of steel clashing with indestructible metal echoed across Dressrosa!
The longer Kaido fought, the colder his heart grew.
"This… impossible…"
"Impossible!!"
He stared at Akira's chest—unmarred, flawless.
Three days ago, on Onigashima, just one Conqueror of Three Realms: Ragnaraku had been enough to knock Akira back into his human form.
But now—
Damn it!
He'd unleashed more than twenty full-power attacks, and even the man's skin hadn't been grazed!
"This can't be…"
Kaido stared at the gleaming dark sheen of Akira's flesh, harder than his own dragon scales.
And for the first time in his life, Kaido—the so-called "Strongest Creature in the World"—
realized something that shattered his pride to pieces.
Akira's flesh and skin…
were tougher than his own scales—
the scales he'd always boasted were indestructible!
"Monster…"
"This man… he's the real monster!!"
His assault stopped.
For a moment, rage gave way to a creeping sense of dread.
Kaido wasn't afraid of Akira's blade—
he was afraid of his body.
A body so unyielding it resembled the shell of a divine tortoise—untouchable, eternal, unbreakable.
But his despair didn't end there.
Because what truly made him tremble wasn't Akira's physical power—
it was the strange, divine auras swirling within him!
CLANG——!!
A clear, metallic hum rang out from within Akira's massive body—like a holy bell vibrating through the air.
Kaido froze.
He could feel it—
Akira's aura rising again!
"What the hell is this?!"
"He's… he's still getting stronger?!"
Kaido nearly lost his mind.
He didn't know it, but what had just activated was Armor of Will—
a terrifying ability that strengthened Akira's body automatically over time.
Every ten seconds, his strength increased.
Every strike Kaido dealt—every blow of Hassaikai—didn't wound him…
It fueled him.
Each attack became another layer—another reinforcement.
Kaido's desperate blows were only making Akira stronger.
"Damn it… DAMN IT ALL!!"
Kaido roared in frustration and lunged forward again!
He had to end this before it was too late!
But as soon as the distance between them closed to ten meters—
BZZZZZT——!!
That strange energy flared again, wrapping around Kaido's body!
Instantly, he felt it—his limbs heavy, his strikes sluggish.
Withering Divine Art!
— Defense reduced by 10%!
— Attack speed reduced by 10%!
— Movement speed reduced by 10%!
"Again?!"
Kaido gritted his teeth as his body felt like it was sinking into tar.
Every time he got close—his strength weakened!
Now he finally understood: he was trapped in a death cycle he couldn't break.
The closer he fought, the weaker he became.
And meanwhile—
The monster before him…
grew stronger every ten seconds.
"This…"
Kaido stared at Akira—towering, unmoving, invincible.
For the first time, doubt seeped into his mind.
He, Kaido, who prided himself on his near-immortal endurance—
was beginning to question if even he could keep standing.
"No…"
"I can't let this drag on!"
His gaze sharpened.
In the eyes of the dragon emperor, madness and resolve became one.
"If this continues, I'll be drained dry by my own son-in-law!"
He exhaled heavily, steam bursting from his nostrils.
"This ends now!!"
"I'll finish him in one strike—"
"Then I'll take everything he's hiding!"
Greed flickered in his gaze.
"A power that grows endlessly…"
"That weakens enemies on contact…"
"I'll make it mine!!"
"Worororororo!!"
Kaido bellowed and kicked off the ground—
the shockwave alone sent Akira sliding backward half a step.
He launched into the sky, higher and higher, until his massive body became a burning silhouette against the clouds.
In an instant, the dragon emperor's form began to change.
"Hmm?"
Akira looked up slightly, expression calm.
"Already giving up? Trying to run away?"
"Wororororo!! Brat!!"
Kaido's voice thundered from above.
"You think this is over?!"
Akira's eyes narrowed.
What he saw wasn't the familiar blue dragon anymore.
Kaido's body wasn't transforming—it was melting.
BOOOOOOM——!!!
An unbearable wave of heat cascaded from the sky, enough to boil the ocean below!
Kaido's flesh, scales, and bones turned to molten fire, reshaping into something monstrous.
High above Dressrosa, a colossal dragon wreathed entirely in flames and magma took form!
The sky turned crimson.
The sea began to boil.
"Great Fire Dragon Torch!!"
One of Kaido's ultimate techniques—
a forbidden transformation that burned his own life away to unleash pure, elemental devastation!
He had turned his body into living fire—
becoming a weapon of annihilation itself!
"Wororororo!!"
"Brat!!!"
Kaido's roar made the clouds quake.
"My flames…"
"Can melt anything in this world!!"
"I'll see—"
"Whether that shell of yours…"
"Can really withstand this!!!"
BOOOOOOM——!!!
The temperature spiked violently.
The entire island was engulfed in waves of searing heat as Kaido dove, dragging with him the fury to evaporate the sea itself!
Akira could feel the scorching pressure pressing down on him—
but his own body erupted in black fire.
The sacred flame of the Lunarians roared to life, neutralizing Kaido's inferno!
"Perfect."
Akira's crimson eyes gleamed.
No fear.
Only burning excitement.
"Let's see then…"
"Whose power burns brighter…"
"Your dragon flame—"
"Or my blade!"
He raised Murakumogiri high, black lightning dancing across its edge.
Fire and storm swirled around him as he prepared to meet the dragon's descent head-on!
Destruction and defiance—
two forces of absolute might, poised to collide!
BOOOOOOM——!!!
But just before their powers met—
A voice thundered across the ocean, heavy and commanding.
A voice that shook Dressrosa itself like a decree from the heavens.
"KAIDO!!!"
"STOP THIS—NOW!!"
"Do you intend to destroy the entire island?!"
"Hmm?!"
Kaido froze mid-dive, eyes blazing like molten gold.
That voice—he knew it.
"…That voice…" he muttered.
Akira's eyes flicked toward the horizon, brows lifting slightly.
And then—
without him even noticing—someone stood beside his towering leg.
A man of average height, his black coat fluttering in the hot wind.
Short crimson hair glimmered like flame beneath the burning sky.
Three long scars ran down his face—his left arm missing.
Red-Haired Shanks.
He had arrived.
Shanks didn't spare Akira even a glance.
His calm, piercing gaze was fixed entirely on the blazing dragon in the sky.
Quietly, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword—Griffon.
Then, with effortless composure, he stepped forward until he stood beside Akira, shoulder to shoulder.
Both stared upward, facing the inferno descending upon Dressrosa.
His intent was unmistakable.
He hadn't come to stop Akira—
but to stand with him.
To face Kaido together.
To prevent the total destruction of Dressrosa.
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