On the frozen sea, a crisp crack shattered the polar silence. The sound was like a precursor to the awakening of some ancient leviathan, echoing across the desolate ice field.
Splinters of ice flew. Immediately after, a series of hair-raising cra-cra-crack sounds followed. In the distance, the ice surface suddenly exploded as a blue dragon over a kilometer long burst through the ice layer, soaring into the sky. Its scales, shimmering with a metallic luster, gleamed brilliantly under the sun. Its sinuous body nearly blotted out the entire sky. Each breath from the colossal dragon stirred fierce gales, scattering the surrounding snow and ice in all directions.
Looking down from on high, Kaido stared at the distant Newgate. The dragon's maw slowly opened. What was heart-stopping was that this time, gathering within his mouth was not only flame hot enough to melt steel, but also savage lightning, crackling and intertwining with a sharp zapping sound. The air around the Dragon's Breath distorted from the intense heat, even bending the light itself.
"Boro Breath!"
With an earth-shaking draconic roar, a vortex of flame dozens of meters in diameter erupted forth. This fiery column, entwined with lightning, tore through the sky. Wherever it passed, the air was scorched into twisting distortions as it sped toward the distant Newgate.
Where the flames traveled, the ice surface instantly vaporized, leaving a charred, smoking trail.
Facing this world-ending strike, Newgate let out his signature, hearty laugh. "Gurararararara!" He gripped the Supreme Grade sword "Murakumogiri" tightly. The blade spun rapidly as he delivered a sharp, diagonal slash aimed directly at the incoming pillar of fire.
A cold gleam of the blade flashed. The searing fire column was actually split cleanly in two! Where the blade's edge passed, even the flames were shattered into countless tiny sparks.
The bisected Boro Breath slammed heavily onto the thick ice layer, instantly triggering a violent reaction. The ice melted at a visible pace, vast amounts of water vapor gushing forth, enveloping an area hundreds of meters across in the blink of an eye. Within the steam, the turbulent currents beneath the ice could vaguely be seen; the melted seawater boiled furiously under the intense heat.
Seizing the moment, Newgate stomped forward twice. With a Boom!, the ice under his feet shattered layer by layer. His entire body shot skyward like a cannonball, appearing instantly before Kaido. A white shockwave of vibrations gathered frantically on his fist as he threw a heavy punch aimed directly at Kaido's draconic head.
The very space around his fist developed fine cracks due to the powerful Tremor-Tremor ability.
Crack! Crack! Crack! The air fragmented inch by inch under the power of the Gura Gura no Mi.
The blow drove Kaido's head over ten meters deep into the ice, even forcing his dragon eyes shut in pain. The immense impact made the surrounding ice layer undulate like ocean waves, forming ripples of ice that spread outward.
However, in that split second, Kaido's dragon eyes snapped open, a flash of crimson fury passing through them. With great effort, he wrenched his head up, his gaping maw aimed at the now-nearby Newgate. A dangerous light flickered within the dragon's mouth—the precursor to another deadly attack.
"Kaifu!"
In an instant, countless wind blades—sharp enough to slice through mountains and rend the earth—gushed forth from the dragon's mouth. These razor-sharp wind blades formed a storm of death, sweeping toward Newgate with overwhelming force. Each wind blade tore through the air with a piercing shriek, shredding the surrounding atmosphere to pieces. Where they passed, even space itself warped slightly.
Newgate immediately crossed Murakumogiri before his chest. The blade spun at high speed, forming an impenetrable defensive barrier. Blade edges and wind blades collided, erupting in dazzling sparks. These sparks danced across the ice surface, igniting the surrounding snow into pinpricks of fire.
Kaido's massive draconic form suddenly twisted. His enormous tail, carrying the momentum to smash anything in its path, whipped toward Newgate. The scales on the tail gleamed coldly as it moved, its tip slicing the air with a sharp whistle.
If this strike connected, it would be enough to level a small mountain.
Newgate was not to be outdone. Murakumogiri's blade, sheathed in a shockwave of vibrations, swung out to meet the dragon's tail. The air around the blade warped into distorted, rippling patterns from the tremors, as if space itself were trembling.
BOOM—!
Their attacks met, immediately erupting with a deafening roar. A raging tempest continuously swept outward in all directions. The shockwave shattered the ice layer for hundreds of meters around, revealing the churning seawater beneath. Huge sprays of water shot skyward, refracting the sunlight into a spectrum of colors.
Affected by the recoil, Newgate was forced back through the air. His cape snapped violently in the gale; each step back he took in mid-air left a visible shockwave ripple.
"Wororororo!"
Kaido's laughter rang out. The dragon's head then opened its maw wide, biting directly at Newgate. The stark white dragon teeth shone with a metallic glint under the sun. Each fang was like a sharpened greatsword, gleaming with deadly cold light. Inside the maw, churning energy fluctuations were faintly visible, ready to unleash the next round of attacks at any moment.
At this critical juncture, Newgate kicked off the air. His figure instantly shot upward dozens of meters. Then, gripping Murakumogiri with one hand, he swung it backhanded with tremendous force. A transparent shockwave of light shimmered at the blade's edge. The trajectory of the slash left a lingering trail of light in the air, as if it had cleaved space itself.
CLANG——!
Accompanied by a deafening metallic crash, Murakumogiri struck heavily against the dragon's tooth, bursting forth with dazzling sparks. The two mighty powers clashed violently in mid-air, shockwaves radiating outward from the epicenter of their collision.
Then, the inside of the dragon tooth that had collided with Murakumogiri began to develop cracks. The fissures grew larger and larger until, finally, a piece of the tooth broke off completely.
"Gurararara! Kaido brat, your teeth aren't so good!" Newgate laughed uproariously, but his hands didn't stop moving. He raised Murakumogiri high, then brought it swinging down with savage force, the power so great it even bent the pole of the naginata.
BANG—!
Murakumogiri struck Kaido's draconic body. The entire dragon form smashed down toward the ice layer below, shattering the ice surface upon impact. Pulverized ice particles mixed with the water vapor billowing in the distance.
Then, the massive azure dragon form began to contract. In mere moments, Kaido's figure transformed into a fierce, powerfully built humanoid physique. His entire body was covered in a layer of azure scales. His unruly hair bristled with terrifying power. Four furious horns, gleaming with a dark light, pointed toward the heavens. From the hips down, his two long legs bent backwards, supporting his massive frame, his feet having transformed into a fusion of eagle talons and tiger paws. A thick, long tail whipped behind him, repeatedly smashing against the ice.
By now, Newgate had also landed on the ice. He looked at Kaido, now in his Human-Beast Form, and laughed loudly. "Gurarararara! Still a kid through and through. Only use your full strength after taking a loss."
***
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