"Gah—!!"
Kaido's eyes widened until they nearly split, blood spewing from his mouth as his entire body was sent flying by the great halberd, his back crashing heavily against a massive boulder!
*Bang!!*
Under the heavy impact, the boulder shattered, blasting countless fragments of rock into the surrounding snow.
Kaido gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee in the snow, one hand trembling as he struggled to support himself, enduring the agonizing pain radiating from his chest.
Suddenly, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and unable to hold it back, he spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Gah! Cough... cough, cough!!"
The blood splattered onto the ground, quickly seeping in and dyeing the white snow red. Kaido coughed in pain before finally catching his breath, lifting his head to look forward.
His tail, missing many dragon scales; his chest, pierced with a gaping hole; and now, a gruesome, bloody slash mark running across his entire torso.
"Hah—hah—! How rare... to think someone could leave three wounds on me at the same time. This is the first time since I ate my fruit."
Kaido panted heavily, his eyes solemn but tinged with a fervent madness as the corners of his mouth curled up to reveal his stark white fangs.
A challenger?
No.
At this moment, Kaido had completely accepted Allen as his competitor.
Just like Roger, Whitebeard, the Golden Lion, and later Red Hair, he was a formidable rival on the path to conquering the seas!
"Ever since Roger died, there haven't been many people on this sea who could pique my interest. Oden was one, but it's a pity he willingly threw his life away for his subordinates..."
"Whitebeard had no ambition for conquest, only wanting to guard his sons for the rest of his life. The Golden Lion, despite returning to the sea, lived in a daze under Roger's shadow."
"And now Linlin is gone too...!"
Kaido's gaze sharpened. He picked up his kanabo from the ground and stood up, a cold grin forming on his lips.
"Aside from Red Hair, you're probably the only one left on this sea with the capability to vie for the Pirate King's throne, Demon Lion Allen!"
"Pirate King? Is that your goal?"
Allen's voice was calm as he replied indifferently, "Stop being so sentimental, Kaido. I've never sought some grand treasure, and I have absolutely no interest in the title of Pirate King."
"What did you say?"
Hearing this, a flash of astonishment inevitably crossed Kaido's face. He furrowed his brow, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of anger as he shouted, "Stop joking around! Haki doesn't lie. Don't tell me you have no ambition, otherwise how could you have made it this far!"
*Boom!!*
An intense burst of Haki suddenly erupted! A majestic aura carrying terrifying pressure was released from Kaido's body!
He stomped the ground beneath him to pieces and leaped high into the sky. Raising both arms above his head, he rapidly spun his kanabo. In the blink of an eye, the weapon was wreathed in Haki and lightning!
"Roaring Thunder Bagua!!"
Kaido roared deeply, his body plummeting at extreme speed as he swung the raised kanabo down with vicious force!
Allen's expression darkened. He took a large stride forward, stomping heavily as he swung his great halberd up to meet the attack head-on!
*Clang!! Boom!!!*
The Haki-infused weapons clashed violently! The powerful shockwave blasted away massive amounts of snow, while countless streaks of black lightning exploded, frantically bombarding the surrounding terrain!
"If the Pirate King isn't your goal! Then what is your true ambition! Where does this powerful Conqueror's Haki come from!"
Kaido bellowed furiously, both arms gripping the kanabo tightly as he pressed down hard to suppress Allen, then suddenly raised his foot for a sweeping kick!
*Bang!!*
Allen hastily brought up an arm to block his side, but the heavy, forceful strike sent him flying!
Before he could land, Kaido bent his knees and kicked off the ground, launching himself like a projectile. He turned into a streak of azure light tearing across the earth!
Catching up to the airborne Allen, Kaido swung his kanabo in a full arc!
At the critical moment, the mid-air Allen thrust his halberd one-handed toward the ground, using it like a pole vault to propel himself upward.
*Clang!!*
The halberd planted in the ground was sent flying by the howling kanabo.
But Allen had already dodged the attack, flipping over to position himself right above Kaido's head. He raised an arm that shimmered with a dark gleam from the infused Haki!
"A mere Pirate King! Compared to unifying the world, it's far too insignificant. The New World never needed four Emperors to exist, Kaido!!"
"Black Arm: Martial Rock Pierce!!"
*Bang!!*
Allen roared, unleashing his Haki as he delivered a swift, fierce punch straight to Kaido's forehead!
The Haki pierced through the dragon scales and injected into his body, rattling Kaido's skull and sending a sharp pain through his brain!
"Gah!!"
Kaido gritted his teeth, black spots flashing before his eyes. The piercing pain in his brain forced him to squeeze his eyes shut.
Allen opened his fist, his five fingers quickly grabbing onto Kaido's dragon horns for leverage. Using his waist and abdomen, he flipped back down to the ground, using the momentum to lift Kaido upside down by the horns!
"Smash!!"
*Bang!!*
Allen let out an explosive shout, executing a shoulder throw that viciously slammed Kaido's head into the earth!
The ground fractured, sending a ring of gale-force winds rippling outward.
Before Kaido could regain his senses, Allen followed up with an angry kick, unleashing a massive vertical slash!
"Tempest Kick: Gaicho!"
*Schwing!!!*
A cold light flashed! The azure slash resembled a bird spreading its wings to soar, viciously striking Kaido's upside-down body and sending him flying!
*Boom!!!*
The slash tore through the earth, leaving a massive trench hundreds of meters long. It carried Kaido's body until he crashed heavily into a cliff face, instantly cleaving the jagged snowy peak in two!
*Whoosh!!*
The previously knocked-away halberd tore through the air with an ear-piercing whistle, turning into a streak of light as it flew back across the sky.
*Bang!!*
Allen reached out and caught the halberd. His eyes darkened as he stomped the ground, cratering it, and shot forward like a cannonball!
Kaido held his forehead and stood up from the snow, shaking his head to scatter the snowflakes. After regaining his clarity, he quickly looked up at the charging Allen and grinned.
"Unifying the world... Wororororo! I see, you want to become the king of the entire world!!"
Just as his words fell.
Allen arrived before him, thrusting his spear forward with blinding speed!
*Clang!!*
Kaido brought his kanabo up horizontally to block, his feet plowing through the ground as the powerful momentum forced him to slide backward continuously.
It didn't stop until his back crashed into a jagged stone pillar with a *boom*, shattering it to pieces.
"You're far too arrogant, you fool! This world is nowhere near as simple as it seems on the surface. Do you think defeating the Four Emperors one by one is enough?!"
Kaido angrily pushed upward with both arms. After his kanabo deflected the halberd's blade, he seamlessly brought it crashing down from above!
"Kosanze Ragnaraku!!"
*Rumble!!*
The menacing iron club smashed down with the force of a thunderbolt, simultaneously drawing heavenly lightning to strike the point of impact!
*Bang!!!*
Allen raised his arm to block, but was hammered into the ground like a nail. The earth collapsed and shattered outward in rings, with countless cracks spreading densely in all directions!
"Wanting to become the king of the world! This level is still far from enough!!"
Kaido roared furiously, clusters of flames scattering from his mouth as he gathered a breath of terrifyingly high temperature and unleashed a surging torrent!
But right at that moment, wisps of black mist suddenly seeped out from the dense cracks in the fractured ground!
*Boom!!!*
The Blast Breath melted away the snow and rocks, but what it revealed wasn't Allen's figure, but a profound vortex of black mist!
"This is...!!"
Kaido's pupils shrank, a look of astonishment instantly appearing on his face.
When the Blast Breath landed on the black mist vortex, the violent energy was directly absorbed into it, swallowed up by the darkness without a single ripple!
The next second.
*Schwing!!*
A gaping hole suddenly tore open in the center of the black mist vortex. Allen's figure shot out from within, his eyes cold, the halberd in his hand flashing with lightning as he thrust it forward fiercely!
*Squelch!!*
A splash of crimson blood flew into the air as the scorching halberd blade viciously pierced into Kaido's abdomen.
"Gah—!!"
Kaido's tightly clenched jaw trembled, his hand grabbing the halberd blade as the condensed lightning shocked him until he sizzled and smoked.
Allen's eyes turned ruthless. His hand, radiating black mist, quickly reached out and grabbed Kaido's throat!
"Blackwater!!"
The power of darkness instantly suppressed Kaido's abilities. The dragon horns on his head shrank, and the dragon scales on his body visibly and rapidly regressed!
"My power... is disappearing...!!"
A flash of panic crossed Kaido's eyes. He could clearly feel a certain power within his body being suppressed, and in the blink of an eye, he reverted to his normal form!
"Gah—!!"
Crimson blood trickled down the halberd blade. The veins on Kaido's forehead bulged, and his arms gripping the blade trembled uncontrollably.
Having lost the defensive buffs of his Azure Dragon power and dragon scales, he was even less capable of stopping the halberd blade from piercing deeper.
Without mercy, Allen manipulated the halberd to erupt with fire and lightning!
*Boom!!*
Explosive flames and violent lightning suddenly burst forth! They injected into Kaido's body from the tip of the halberd, piercing through his torso and erupting out his back!
"Gah—!!"
Kaido threw his head back and spewed a massive mouthful of blood, his eyes wide to the point of tearing, looking utterly agonized.
Even his proud Haki couldn't completely insulate him from this terrifying eruption of energy, his internal organs ravaged and scorched!
*Squelch!!*
Allen exerted force with his hand once more. The lightning-and-fire-wreathed halberd blade pierced completely through Kaido's body, drawing blood as he violently hoisted him into the air, leaving him hanging suspended.
"King of the world, or whatever king, it doesn't matter. I just want to accomplish certain things; I have no interest in what seat I sit in."
*Thud!*
Allen spoke in a flat tone, abruptly withdrawing the halberd and letting Kaido's body fall to the ground.
"Gah! Cough... cough, cough...!"
Kaido lay sprawled on the ground, spitting out another mouthful of blood. His ten fingers trembled as they dug into the earth, trying to push his body up.
*Squelch!!*
The sharp halberd blade suddenly stabbed down, landing straight beside Kaido's neck, its entire tip sinking into the ground.
"This strike is enough to pierce your throat. The battle is over, Kaido."
Allen said expressionlessly. However, he didn't follow through. Instead, under Kaido's confused and angry gaze, he sat down cross-legged.
"You bastard...! What is the meaning of this!!"
Kaido gritted his teeth and roared, his eyes looking as if they were about to shoot fire. In his eyes, this action was an unforgivable humiliation!
But Allen paid no mind to his glare, suddenly speaking up:
"Big Mom is still alive."
"!!!"
Shock. Kaido's eyes widened in absolute shock!
Even with his abdomen pierced and his internal organs severely scorched, given his formidable constitution and vitality, he absolutely wouldn't die just like that.
Relying on the powerful recovery of a Zoan, as long as he caught his breath, he could still stand up and continue fighting—though Allen probably wouldn't give him that chance.
But at this moment, Kaido was stunned in place. Recovering his wits, his expression darkened again. He suddenly reached out, grabbed Allen's collar, and roared at him:
"What does that mean! What does it matter to me whether that old hag is dead or not?! Are you kidding me? This is my fight!!"
"Originally, I didn't plan on leaving that crazy old woman alive, so I used the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to plunder her ability. At the time, I also thought she was dead."
Allen didn't respond to Kaido's outburst, continuing on his own.
"Although it's unbelievable, shortly after I left Totto Land, I suddenly received news that Big Mom came back to life after being buried. She was even sitting in front of her own grave, eating the funeral offering sweets."
"Sounds absurd, right? It was only after I completely mastered the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit shortly after that I figured out the possible reason for Big Mom's resurrection."
"Even though she's still alive, her temperament has completely changed from before. Or rather, she only possesses a small fraction of her previous personality and memories."
Under Kaido's incredulous gaze, Allen continued to explain:
"The power of the Soul-Soul Fruit can plunder other people's souls for one's own use, and arbitrarily bestow them upon all things to give them a soul."
"I learned that the previous user of the Soul-Soul Fruit was a nun who trafficked children. She once raised Big Mom, then mysteriously disappeared, and her ability was inherited by Big Mom."
"But did you know, the Soul-Soul Fruit can also be used in reverse..."
Allen suddenly gave a sinister smile, a smile so evil that it made even Kaido feel a chill down his spine.
"Its other application is to plunder one's own soul and bestow it upon someone else, achieving a state of soul symbiosis."
"..."
"Exactly. Just like symbiotic relationships in nature, some weak creatures will parasitize the bodies of massive creatures, sustaining their survival by absorbing the host's body or intake."
"Back then, the nun didn't disappear or die. Instead, she set her sights on Big Mom's formidable constitution. Through soul bestowal, she parasitized her own soul, along with the children she adopted at the Sheep's House, into Big Mom's soul."
Saying this, Allen shrugged and continued:
"I'm guessing this is the reason Big Mom is still alive. It's not because she lost her ability and didn't die, but because the one who lost the ability wasn't her. Big Mom was never the ability user to begin with."
"The Dark-Dark Fruit seems naturally born to restrain ability users. It can absorb ability users, but it can *only* absorb ability users."
"When I plundered Big Mom's ability, the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit must have precisely stripped out and absorbed the nun's soul."
"I suppose that's roughly what happened."
As Allen finished speaking, he turned to look at Kaido again.
"I suppressed the news and hid her in Totto Land so that she could become my trump card one day in the future. If you have time, maybe you should go see her. I heard her say you two had a good relationship."
"I had a good relationship with her...?"
Hearing this, Kaido's face showed no trace of joy. Instead, it gradually grew gloomy as he growled, "What is that stinking old hag joking about! Ever since that incident back then, we parted ways. Where would I get any relationship with her!"
"Is that so? I feel like she doesn't have that much hostility towards you. At least, not anymore. It's hard to explain it to you clearly, since the current Linlin is completely different from before," Allen said in a flat tone.
It was more than just different; it could be said they were fundamentally two different people. Even her own sons, like Katakuri, barely recognized Linlin anymore.
An innocent, lively, and adorable expression appearing on the face of that evil old hag who used to casually rip out people's souls—that eerie feeling was truly hard to describe.
"So what? What does that have to do with right now? What exactly is the meaning of this!"
Kaido angrily questioned again.
What he was referring to, of course, was why Allen chose to stop and end the battle.
To this, Allen merely gazed into Kaido's furious eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke:
"Just like you said, this world is absolutely not as simple as it seems on the surface. Just this level right now is far from enough, so..."
Allen suddenly curled the corners of his mouth.
"Do you want to change the world with me, Kaido?"
"...!"
Kaido's pupils dilated in shock. Allen's face was reflected in his eyes, but a certain figure from the past involuntarily flashed through his mind.