Zeus couldn't understand what Jaden was saying.
He knew that Jaden wasn't boasting.
That was exactly why he couldn't understand him.
Ever since Jaden spoke those words, he seemed to have entered a strange state. The already short and fragmented future Zeus could perceive began to blur and distort.
The visions overlapped.
Twisted.
Layered.
Like a kaleidoscope filled with countless broken images.
-It was as if something terrifying, something incomprehensible even to him, the King of Gods, was unfolding in the future!
Even Zeus had to admit one thing.
If this were a pure bare-handed fight, he wouldn't be a match for the monster in front of him.
But gods didn't fight bare-handed.
For deities, the difference between possessing a Divine Artifact and not possessing one was enormous. Without Divine Artifacts, many gods could even be killed by beasts. With them, they could reach an unrivaled level of power.
That was how decisive the boost from a Divine Artifact was.
And Zeus, as the King of Gods, possessed more than one.
Ouranos's Helmet allowed him to glimpse the future.
Athena's Shield repelled all malice.
Hermes's Boots granted him unmatched speed.
Gaia's Armor gave him an immortal body.
Ares's Spear could pierce any enemy.
And his own lightning illuminated his path.
Seeing the future.
Interfering with it.
Counterattacking.
Accelerating.
Regenerating.
Endless stamina.
Extreme adaptability.
A weapon that was both sturdy and sharp.
All of it enhanced further by his lightning, which strengthened both his body and his Divine Artifacts, and could be used directly for attack.
In this state, Zeus couldn't find a single weakness in himself.
He couldn't even imagine the possibility of losing.
But-
Facing him like this, Jaden still looked calm.
Too calm.
So calm that it felt like he could shatter this so-called invincibility at any moment.
Zeus stamped his foot.
Lightning flared around Hermes's Boots.
His figure vanished.
In that instant, Zeus had already figured out a way to deal with Jaden.
Hermes had tested it before.
His speed could surpass Jaden's.
So as long as Zeus used lightning to further enhance Hermes's Boots-making his speed surpass even Hermes's-he would logically hold an absolute advantage.
Gaia's Armor granted infinite stamina and terrifying regenerative power.
That meant he could maintain this speed, one that surpassed Jaden's, for as long as he wished.
Jaden would be forced into pure defense.
That was the plan.
In the next instant, Zeus appeared behind Jaden at maximum speed.
He thrust his spear without hesitation.
The punch that transcended time wouldn't work on him.
So the method Jaden used against Hermes was meaningless here-
Bang!
Jaden's fist struck Zeus's chin.
In that moment, Zeus's eyes were still locked on the spear's trajectory.
His mind was still calculating.
His mouth was slightly open, as if waiting for victory.
Then the impact hit.
For a brief moment after being struck, Zeus didn't even realize what had happened.
The force lifted him off the ground.
If not for the full set of armor and helmet, that single punch would have caused severe damage.
Zeus spun through the air before landing.
Jaden exhaled.
His body bent slightly forward.
He looked... relaxed.
Compared to before, when he felt like an overwhelming monster, he now seemed closer to a human.
Not weaker.
Just different.
His eyes were unfocused.
A thin strand of drool slipped from the corner of his mouth.
He looked almost foolish.
And yet-
This was the version of Jaden that had just struck Zeus while he was moving at extreme speed.
"This..."
Zeus's eyes widened.
But before he could finish speaking-
Another blow landed on his helmet.
There was no visible process.
No transition.
It was as if time itself had been removed.
The result simply occurred.
-This was the second of the three methods Jaden had mentioned when facing ultra-high-speed opponents.
The method he spoke of during his fight with Hermes.
The method he had already completed before fighting Izuru Shinza.
But never used.
Third Gear.
This Third Gear was not like Luffy's Third Gear.
Strictly speaking, it was an extension of Jack Hanma's technique-the World's Strongest Middle Finger.
A move that could be triggered even when Jack himself was unconscious.
It was instinct.
Normally, when a person moves, the brain receives information, processes it, issues commands, and then the body acts.
It feels fast.
But there are steps.
Even if each step is incredibly quick, they cannot occur simultaneously.
In Third Gear, Jaden rewrote that entire process.
In this state, his Observation Haki, capable of predicting the future, was pushed to its absolute limit.
His Haki saw the future.
The Thirteen King Orbs guided him at the same time.
And his body moved purely on instinct.
Everything happened together.
Simply put-
The moment Jaden saw the future, he achieved that future.
If Ouranos's Helmet allowed Zeus to see the future and slightly interfere with it...
Then Jaden's Third Gear allowed him to realize the outcome the instant it was seen.
His instinct and Observation Haki were perfectly synchronized.
His speed surpassed the concept of speed itself.
It wasn't that he moved faster.
It was that his body automatically matched the future his Haki perceived.
Facing Jaden like this, even Zeus couldn't react.
The advantage had flipped.
Now, Zeus could only rely on the blurry fragments of future he could still see and the terrifying durability of his full Divine Armor to engage in a battle of attrition.
Under normal circumstances, with a complete set of Divine Artifacts and infinite stamina, Zeus would have the advantage.
But he didn't understand something.
Why were Jaden's punches so heavy?
So heavy that even he felt pressure.
If this continued, his Divine Artifacts might actually be damaged.
Aside from Ares's Spear-which was nearly indestructible by nature-and his formless lightning, the other Divine Artifacts all had physical forms.
And durability limits.
Still-
Zeus noticed the lightning around Ares's Spear growing denser.
He focused his mind.
Jaden in this state was terrifying.
Unreasonable.
But-
He still had a chance.
At least, Zeus believed so.
However, watching Zeus fall into a disadvantaged position, Odin's expression darkened.
Even knowing Zeus had hidden cards, Odin didn't relax.
At this moment, all the gods' attention was fixed on the battle.
Odin quietly separated from the crowd.
He turned.
And disappeared into the shadows.
"Zeus might be trying to gamble on an opening..."
"No."
"He thinks he's guaranteed to win once that chance appears."
"But I don't want to leave things to chance."
"That human killed my son."
"No matter what..."
"He must die here."
So-
Odin left the battlefield.
His expression cold.
His voice emotionless.
"I'm sorry, Zeus."
...