Chapter 498 - 337

Chapter 339: Azure Light Pierces Thunderclouds, One Strike Rends the Dragon BodyUnder the night sky,Zoro stood in the center of the Colosseum, panting slightly.That previous 'Great Thousand Worlds' had drained a significant amount of his physical strength and Haki. The reddish-gold glow on his three swords had clearly dimmed, but the hands holding them were as steady as a rock.He looked up, his golden pupils piercing through the thin dust to lock onto that mountain-sized Azure Dragon head within the clouds.The surprise in Kaido's dragon eyes had turned into a deeper, more violent interest."Didn't slice you to death, huh..."Zoro spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his mouth curling into a wild grin."As expected, a big guy like this... won't go down so easily."High above, Kaido's voice, heavy as thunder, boomed down:"Worororo... You split my 'Heat Breath', green-haired brat. I'll accept this'souvenir' of yours!"The dragon's mouth opened again, and purple-red destructive light began to gather once more. But this time, it condensed faster, the color deeper, radiating a heart-stopping dark red!Clearly, this Four Emperors member was truly enraged by that previous strike and was prepared to use a stronger breath to completely erase the ant beneath him.Zoro's gaze narrowed.He couldn't stay on the defensive anymore!The next breath would definitely be far more powerful than the last. Even if he just split it, the aftershocks would be enough to destroy most of the Colosseum and affect Rebecca, Sabo, and the others behind him."Hey, big earthworm!"Zoro suddenly shouted, his voice piercing through the sound of the wind."What's the point of spitting fire from the sky! If you have the guts... come face me head-on!"Before his voice could fade, the power he had been gathering in his legs exploded!BOOM!!The ground beneath his feet burst into a ring of airwaves. He turned into a streak of azure light, defying gravity as he shot straight toward Kaido's dragon head high in the sky!He was so fast that he left a long-lasting azure trail behind him, like a meteor flowing backward!"Actively seeking death?!"A fierce light flared in Kaido's dragon eyes, and he temporarily abandoned the breath gathering in his mouth.His massive dragon body twisted violently in the thunderclouds. Like a pillar holding up the heavens, his dragon tail tore through the clouds, carrying a terrifying wind pressure that could crush mountains as it lashed out toward the upward-charging azure light!"Turn into meat paste for me first!"Before the tail even arrived, the violent wind pressure caused the air around Zoro to shriek under the strain. His clothes clung to his body, and his skin felt a bone-chilling cold.Zoro's gaze, however, grew sharper.He fully deployed his Observation Haki, capturing every minute trajectory of the dragon tail and the nodes of power flow."Too slow!"Just as the dragon tail was about to hit him, his forward-charging azure light traced a bizarre arc in the air!Like a fish darting through a torrent, he narrowly brushed past the edge of the dragon tail! The hurricane kicked up by the tail made his figure sway slightly, but it failed to touch him in the slightest!Simultaneously, taking advantage of the moment he passed by, he crossed the two swords in his hands and slashed out violently!"Two Sword Style: Azure Dragon's Hiss: Flowing Water!"The dimmed reddish-gold light on the blades flared up again. Though not as blazing as before, it was more condensed.Two reddish-gold flying slashes crossed as they swept over the surface of the dragon's tail.Screeech!!Two ear-piercing sounds of friction left two crossing white slash marks on the hard, bluish-black dragon scales, with sparks flying everywhere!Although they failed to break through the scale armor defense covered in top-tier Armament Haki, the sensation of pain was clearly transmitted to Kaido's nerves."Insect!!"Kaido recoiled in pain, his dragon tail snapping back, the rage in his eyes intensifying."Demolition Breath!"Countless bluish-black giant wind blades, like an exploding metal storm, sprayed frantically out of the dragon's mouth in a fan shape!Every wind blade was enough to easily slice through steel city walls. Their range was so broad that they almost sealed off all of Zoro's space to dodge!Facing this overwhelming rain of wind blades, Zoro's figure in the air suddenly became blurred."Oni Aura: Mirror Flower, Water Moon!"Instantly, seven or eight afterimages of Zoroappeared in the air. Each one was lifelike, carrying sharp sword intent as they dodged or blocked in different directions!The real Zoro moved like a phantom, rapidly weaving and refracting through the gaps between the afterimages and wind blades!Puff puff puff puff—!The wind blades tore the afterimages to shreds and also sliced the air where he had been into pieces, making an ear-piercing sound like tearing silk.But Zoro's true body, like a petrel in a storm, always managed to find a sliver of survival at the critical moment!Just as Kaido's round of 'Demolition Breath' was about to end!!The speed of the azure light suddenly increased again!He abandoned all detours, pouring all his remaining strength into his legs and arms, turning into a straight azure arrow as he charged boldly toward the wrist of Kaido's dragon claw!The distance closed rapidly!A flash of astonishment crossed Kaido's dragon eyes; he seemingly hadn't expected this insect to be so tenacious and precise."Now is the time—!!!"Zoro roared in his heart, and the reddish-gold Hakion his three swords exploded with extreme concentration!The three swords let out an intensely excited hum!"Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Black Rope Dragon Twister—"The two swords, Shusui and kikoku, rotated and crossed in front of him, while the wado ichimonji in his mouth guided the final direction of the slash!An extremely condensed reddish-gold spiral slashing vortex formed at the tips of his swords!—"Advanced Armament Haki: Piercing Thrust!!!"The reddish-gold spiral vortex wrapped around the tips of the three swords. As Zoro threw his whole body into the strike, he stabbed fiercely into the joint of the dragon claw wrist, which was covered in scales and Armament Haki!Puchi—!!!!The reddish-gold spiral vortex spun frantically like a drill, forcibly tearing open that indestructible layer of defense!Scalding bright red dragon blood, like a flood breaking a dam, sprayed wildly from that terrifying wound!The volume of blood was so great that it even formed a small crimson waterfall in the air!"Awoooo—!!!"Kaido let out a painful dragon roar that shook the entire night sky of Dressrosa!The sound was a mix of intense pain, rage, and a hint of... disbelief!The dragon claw jerked back in pain, and the massive dragon body rolled violently in the clouds, churning the thunderclouds into a mess as black-purple lightning ran wild.After the successful strike, Zoro immediately used the force to retreat, pulling back to a distance and panting heavily.He looked at the gushing dragon blood and Kaido's dragon body rolling in pain, his pupils burning with a fierce fighting spirit and a hint of satisfaction."I sliced through... the defense of a Four Emperorsmember..."High in the sky, Kaido slowly stabilized his rolling dragon body.The muscles around the wound writhed frantically, and the broken scales regenerated at a visible speed.In just a few breaths, that terrifying wound contracted and healed by more than half.The dragon's head lowered, those dark golden vertical pupils locking onto Zoro again, but the emotion within them had undergone a subtle change.The rage remained, but it was joined by a deep scrutiny, and even... a rare hint of reminiscence."This feeling of the slash..."Kaido's voice carried a low tone mixed with pain and reflection."This reckless, sharp will to cut through whatever is in front of you... and this damn way of making me bleed..."The dragon's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were looking through Zoro's figure to the distant past, seeing that bare-chested, wildly laughing figure wielding two swords who had left two indelible cross-shaped scars on him—Kozuki Oden!"Green-haired brat..."Kaido's voice rolled like muffled thunder, echoing in the night sky."On your swords, I see... the shadow of a certain extremely unpleasant fellow who should have been forgotten long ago."Zoro hovered in the air, barely managing to adjust his breathing. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow, took wado ichimonji out of his mouth, and held it in his right hand."Oh?"He exhaled a breath of turbid air smelling of blood and grinned."To have you remember him like that... was that guy very strong?""Worororo..."Kaido's laughter rang out again, but it was more complex than before, filled with violence, the sting of memory, and an excitement as if meeting a worthy opponent."Strong? He was so strong he made me walk past the gates of hell! I was almost actually cut to death by him!"The reminiscence in his dragon eyes was instantly replaced by an even more blazing killing intent."Unfortunately... he died! He died like a fool!"Kaido's dragon body tensed again, the wound basically healed, his aura becoming incomparably violent once more."And today, you will follow in his footsteps! Take your ridiculous swords and be completely buried by me in the ruins of this Kingdom of Toys!!"The dragon's mouth opened wide again, and an even hotter purple-red light began to gather frantically!Zoro's gaze turned sharp as he forced a breath, the remaining reddish-gold electric light on his three swords attempting to condense once more.He knew that the next attack would likely be difficult to break through with tricks like before.But so what?Then he would just fight!...(Sorry, the time was set incorrectly.)