Chapter 54 – Clash (Part 1)
Ron shot into the sky as his body grew to 8 feet tall. He clenched his fist as Conqueror's Haki coiled around it.
Kaido wasn't afraid.
His dragon body shifted as he transformed into his human form, falling directly toward Ron. His kanabo crackled with purple lightning and blood-red lightning.
"WORORORORO! Come, you bastard!" Kaido laughed as his kanabo and Ron's fist collided.
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
The fist and the kanabo stayed inches apart as a dense spear of Haki formed between them.
The wind was blasted backward as the deafening sound of air being pushed away echoed across the heavens.
The spear of Haki reached its limits as blood-red lightning shot upward.
CRAAACKKK!!!
The thunderclouds were torn apart.
Their collision forced the heavens to split apart.
The sea below dented inward as massive waves erupted.
The sea itself became chaotic from their collision.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA! As expected of you, Kaido! You learned it!" Ron was completely caught off guard. He had never expected Kaido to have already learned Advanced Armament and Advanced Conqueror's Haki this early.
In the MTL, Kaido, who fought Oden, didn't even know Haki had advanced forms.
Yet this was also expected.
Ron had casually shared the advanced applications of Haki with Kaido years ago.
It seemed he had trained relentlessly all those years.
Ron couldn't help but laugh.
If this Kaido and Oden fought again...
The winner would definitely be Kaido.
Both separated as Ron floated in the sky, his black wings flapping slowly.
Kaido stood upon his orange flame clouds, his kanabo resting on his shoulder.
"WORORORORO! Of course I have!" Kaido laughed.
"What do you think I was doing while you were napping?"
"I've been fighting monsters while training my Haki and Devil Fruit."
Ron nodded in understanding.
So, with Kaido already having a path to become stronger after Ron explained Advanced Haki to him, he didn't recklessly throw himself at the Marines and World Government like in the original timeline.
Instead...
He challenged Newgate and countless other monsters while continuously tempering his Haki.
With that kind of training routine, Kaido learning Advanced Haki over the years was completely understandable considering his talent.
"BWAHAHAHA! Now you've got my blood boiling, Kaido! Let's dance!"
Ron launched himself forward.
"WORORORO! Who's afraid of you?!"
Kaido also shot toward him.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
Kanabo and fist collided again as a massive explosion erupted across the sky.
Shockwaves from every clash blasted the winds backward.
The sea beneath them became increasingly violent from the impacts.
---
On the floating ship...
Gloriosa and Shakky sighed.
"Now we have to wait a few days until they finish having their fun and stop fighting."
Shakky rubbed her forehead.
"Those muscle-brained idiots."
"All they know is fighting... and more fighting."
Gloriosa cursed before looking toward Shakky.
"Well, let's not waste the time."
"We'll soon have a freaking isolated country to manage."
Shakky's mouth twitched.
She already had a headache just thinking about it.
"Not like we have a choice."
She sighed as both women entered the cabin.
---
High in the sky...
Kaido and Ron continued clashing as the wind howled violently.
Shockwaves scattered in every direction.
Purple lightning coiled around Kaido's Hassaikai while Ron's fists were coated in blazing golden flames.
Their Emission Armament forced the kanabo and fist to remain inches apart every time they collided.
BOOM! CLANG! BOOOOM!
Both moved at blinding speed.
Only flashes of black, gold, and purple lightning could be seen across the heavens.
Then—
Ron suddenly sensed another presence approaching.
"Hmm?"
"Who's that?"
He turned his head toward the horizon.
A gigantic bird covered in crimson-red flames was flying toward them at incredible speed.
Kaido sensed him as well.
He stopped attacking.
"WORORORORO! Took him long enough."
Ron looked toward Kaido.
"You know him?"
Kaido puffed out his chest proudly.
"Of course I know him."
"He's the first mate of my crew."
"King the Blazing Bird."
Ron stared at Kaido silently for several seconds.
Then—
"Pfft—"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"Blazing Bird?!"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
He clutched his stomach as tears formed in his eyes.
Kaido's mouth twitched angrily.
That damned World Government had given King such a ridiculous title.
Just then...
King arrived and transformed back into his human form.
His white hair flowed freely in the air.
There was no mask hiding his face.
Black wings stretched behind him while flames burned between them on his back.
King looked toward Ron.
The 8-foot-tall figure had messy white hair tied into a ponytail.
Two obsidian black-and-gold horns rose from his forehead.
Two massive black wings spread behind him.
Crimson-golden flames burned between them.
"The Chaos Emperor..."
King muttered to himself.
Ron wiped away the tears from laughing.
"Well, it doesn't matter."
"You want a two-versus-one?"
"Fine with me."
"Let's find an island and settle it."
"Tsk."
"Who wants to team up?"
"It's one versus one."
"You and me."
Kaido snorted.
He had been waiting years for this fight.
There was no way he was going to team up.
"Oi, King."
"Stay out of this one."
After saying that...
Ron and Kaido didn't wait another second.
Both immediately began searching for a deserted island.
King was left completely speechless.
---
Soon...
Kaido and Ron found an uninhabited island.
The moment they landed—
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Their battle resumed immediately.
Every clash sent tremors throughout the island.
The ground cracked apart.
Mountains shook.
Trees were uprooted by the shockwaves.
On the shore...
Ron's ship quietly floated.
Inside...
Gloriosa and Shakky continued discussing how to manage Wano.
Meanwhile, Shakky's Observation Haki remained focused on both the battle and the surrounding sea.
---
Far away on the distant horizon...
A massive whale-like ship sailed across the ocean.
On its deck stood a towering man holding a bisento.
One of his crew members hurried toward him.
"Pops!"
"It seems Kaido and that guy have already engaged in battle."
"They're fighting on a deserted island."
The towering man laughed loudly.
"GURARARARARA!"
"So Kaido found him first."
Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard, laughed.
"Boys!"
"Head toward that island."
"It would be quite disappointing if I missed all the fun."
---
On another part of the sea...
Another ship sailed swiftly through the waves.
A man stood at the bow, grinning.
A blond-haired man approached him.
"Roger."
"We found them."
"KUHAHAHAHA!"
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
"Let's go meet that bastard!"
"I'm itching to beat him up!"
Gaban stared at him speechlessly.
The entire Roger Pirates crew looked at their captain.
"Oi!"
"Why are you talking like you've beaten him up multiple times?"
One crew member nodded.
"Yeah."
"It was always the Captain getting his ass kicked."
"Pfft—"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Gaban and Rayleigh instantly burst into laughter.
Soon the entire crew followed.
Roger glared at his crew.
His face turned red from anger and embarrassment.
"You bastards!"
"What do you know?!"
"Shut up!"
"I'm going to beat that bastard this time!"
The crew laughed even harder.
Soon—
A brawl broke out.
Roger finally lost it and started wrestling with Gaban and Rayleigh.
---
Elsewhere...
A massive cake-like ship with a giant mouth sailed across the sea as if it were alive.
On it sat a massive woman, the visible fat covering much of her body.
The once-beautiful woman had now started becoming a fat old hag.
A young man with his tongue hanging out ran toward her.
"Mama!"
"We found them!"
Linlin stopped eating sweets.
"MAMAMAMA!"
"So you finally found them."
"Full speed ahead!"
"Let's see if that monster is still the same monster."
If he's still weakened... I can finally obtain the lineage of an Ancient Giant and a Lunarian in one fell swoop.
A disgusting smile appeared on her face as drool slowly leaked from her mouth.
"But those damned Gloriosa and Shakky will be a pain in the ass to deal with."
Linlin's mood worsened.
That damned Ron had given such powerful Devil Fruits to both Gloriosa and Shakky.
Both were extremely difficult to defeat.
If they wanted to escape...
No one could stop them.
Their strength was clearly at Admiral level.
Even if Linlin wanted to make a move on Ron...
She would first have to get past those two women.
Even Linlin had to admit...
She had very little confidence in defeating Shakky and Gloriosa in a two-versus-one fight.
Even in a one-versus-one battle, if either of them wanted to escape...
She couldn't stop them.
The more she thought about it...
The angrier she became.
Perospero and the others nearby trembled in fear as they looked at Linlin's increasingly frightening expression.