Chapter 1165: I Am the Man Who Will Become the Pirate King!
Chapter 1165: I Am the Man Who Will Become the Pirate King!
Kaido let out a sigh, then glanced at the battered young opponent lying there, steam rising from his body. Seeing no movement, he shook his head with a wry smile and struggled to his feet. His gaze then shifted further away to Kuro, who stood leaning against the wall with a cigar clenched between his teeth, exuding rugged defiance. Kaido's facial expression darkened instantly.
One troublesome foe down...
But another even more dangerous remains.
Against this guy, Kaido knew his current physical strength wouldn't be enough to claim victory.
Even if he fought Luffy for ten days straight, Kaido would never fear a rematch against the straw-hatted pirate. But Kuro was different—this brat possessed a method that could truly end him! That kind of destructive power couldn't be underestimated in the slightest!
"Kuro, I don't feel like fighting you right now", Kaido growled, tightening his grip on the Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud. His voice turned cold yet resolute: "You could deliver a message to the World Government instead—negotiate the continuation of Wano Country's weapon trades. The Old Man will supply them with even better arms. How does that sound?"
He already knew Donquixote Doflamingo wasn't here and that CP0 had come personally to broker the deal. If the World Government truly wanted these weapons, he’d gladly use them as leverage.
For now, this was his offer. If Kuro accepted, Kaido had no intention of breaking his word.
After defeating this irritating Luffy, he'd ally with Big Mom to hunt down the One Piece. Besides, that Nico Robin was already here. Once he claimed the greatest treasure, he'd settle accounts with the World Government in full.
Kuro exhaled a plume of smoke, his tone indifferent. "It's still too early to talk terms, Kaido."
"Eh?"
Kaido stiffened, suddenly realizing something. His eyes snapped toward the battered Luffy, who was already shifting his arm slightly. With a sudden burst of effort, Luffy pushed himself off the ground, fists clenched as he roared skyward:
"I can still fight, Kaido!"
Kaido's eyes widened. His grip on the Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud trembled slightly. "Why the hell can you still stand up?!"
He screamed in frustration, "Again and again, every damn time! Why won't you just collapse already, you little brat?!"
For ten days straight they'd battled—there’d been moments when Luffy collapsed, sure. But each time, he’d risen again, fueling his fury until Kaido's own physical strength drained away maintaining his Full Power state. Even his attack speed had begun to falter, getting blocked more frequently.
The boy had indeed worn him down. But Kaido couldn't understand—why?!
"Old Man admits you're strong. Strong enough to stand among the Four Emperors. But why fight to this extreme? You're practically dead, you know that?!"
Kaido had clashed with the other Emperors before, but they always knew when to back off. Whether it was Whitebeard or Shanks, fights ended when the battle reached its peak—no need for total annihilation.
But Luffy? What did Wano Country even mean to him? What was this punk fighting for because of some words from that kid Momonosuke? What kind of pirate fights like this?!
"Because..."
Luffy exhaled sharply, his gaze sweeping around before he stepped aside and grabbed his black hooded cloak, slinging it over his shoulders. As the hooded cloak billowed, steam erupted from his body. His skin looked almost boiled red for a moment, then the color faded, and his appearance stabilized.
Luffy lifted his head, flashing his signature bright grin. "I want to beat you!"
In that instant, Kuro's sharp eyes noticed—Luffy's movements weren't so rigid anymore. The damage from Kaido's earlier Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud strike seemed significantly diminished.
But...
Kuro sighed, his expression unreadable as he stared blankly at the battlefield, lost in thought.
Kaido's eyes narrowed. Black thunder crackled across the Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud as he declared, "You're one stubborn brat. Old Man doesn't hate that. I've decided—you'll be remembered in the Old Man's heart, just like Oden!"
"Hehe."
Luffy spread his legs wide, hands resting on his knees in a sumo-like stance, before slamming both fists heavily to either side of his feet. "Let's keep fighting, Kaido!"
"Heat Breath!"
Without hesitation, Kaido unleashed a wisp of blazing flame from his mouth. But Luffy vanished in a flash, reappearing just as the fiery blast exploded against the floor, leaving a crater where he'd stood.
"Hmph?"
Kuro's eyes narrowed slightly at the impact crater.
The Awakening's effects were clearly waning. Luffy's physical strength seemed to be fading.
But—
Kuro shifted his gaze back to Kaido, who had just exhaled his Heat Breath. Kaido's chest heaved more violently now, and before he could react, Luffy had already closed the distance.
As Kaido tried to raise his Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud, Luffy suddenly lunged forward. His left arm shot out like a coiling snake, encasing Kaido's entire arm—including the weapon—in a crushing grip that locked the strike in place.
"Hahaha!"
Luffy sprang upward mid-gesture, legs stretching forward to bind Kaido's legs as well. He grinned at his trapped opponent: "Now you can't move either!"
Then, clenching his fist, Luffy yanked his right arm backward, stretching and twisting it like a wrung-out towel.
"Gomu Gomu—"
"Roooaaar!"
Kaido's head transformed into a massive dragon maw, teeth gnashing savagely as he bit down on Luffy's neck. His eyes burned with gruesome tyranny, aiming to tear the rubbery body apart entirely.
Kaido's strength was monstrous, rivaling Charlotte Big Mom's. As a mythical beast, his dragon jaws naturally possessed terrifying power. Even through Armament Haki, his bite tore blood from Luffy's neck.
"Let GO, you little brat!" Kaido snarled.
"Aaahhh!"
Luffy cried out in pain but quickly gritted his teeth. The Haki-coated flesh of his neck turned red-hot, steaming violently. The intense reaction prevented Kaido's teeth from sinking deeper.
This moment seemed to confirm something for Kuro, who silently exhaled another wisp of cigar smoke.
He murmured to himself, "Is it worth it?"
"Jet Revolving Bullet!"
Bang!
The stretched arm, spinning with immense rotational force, slammed into Kaido's chest like a bullet. The impact forced Kaido's jaws open slightly, making him jerk backward as if about to vomit. But he clenched his teeth again—
"Die, Damn You!"
Schlick!
Blood sprayed more violently as Kaido's teeth sank deeper into Luffy's neck and shoulder.
"Gaaaahhhhh!!!"
Luffy roared in pain, his fist drilling relentlessly into Kaido's chest. The force cracked into the dragonman's scaled torso, leaving deep dents.
The pressure forced Kaido backward, but the intense pain made Luffy's limbs around his body start to loosen.
"Grrraahhh!!"
With a furious roar, Kaido swung his dragon head sideways, wrenching free from Luffy's grip and sending him flying upward.
"Destroy Three Worlds – Naraka Descent!!"
In the same instant, Kaido swung the Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud, trailing black thunder like a baseball bat. He struck Luffy's body with a deafening crack. The impact bent Luffy's torso in half, sending him rocketing upward through the hole in the ceiling.
"Heat Breath!"
Mid-rotation, Kaido unleashed another barrage of searing flames, blasting the airborne figure even higher.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
After several blasts, Kaido suddenly faltered, his dragon head shifting back to human form. His entire body reverted—his Dragon Human Form was unsustainable now.
Too much strength spent.
But—
"After that attack... he can't be alive!"
Kaido glared at the smoke cloud from his Heat Breath explosion, bellowing triumphantly: "I'VE Won, You Little Brat!!!"
"Don'T Make ME Laugh!!!"
Above the smoke, a burst of energetic shouting rang out.
The smoke dispersed, revealing Luffy suspended midair with arms and legs splayed wide, shouting down defiantly: "I’m not done yet!!"
One of his fists stretched upward relentlessly, swelling like a colossal jet-black balloon.
"Gomu Gomu…"
The jet-black fist surged downward, crackling with black thunder. The area it covered was nearly as vast as the entire room. As it descended, friction with the air ignited flames across its surface.
"Inferno Big Gun!!"
"Thunderous Trigrams!!"
Kaido roared explosively, gripping his Wolf's Spirit Thundercloud with both hands and slamming it upward to meet Luffy’s fist—a punch larger than his own massive frame.
Boom!!!
The shockwave from the collision tore through the battlefield, whipping Kuro’s hooded cloak wildly and scattering his hair from its disheveled state into a sleek, windswept look, save for a single stubborn strand dangling over his forehead.
"Persistent, huh?" Kuro muttered, shielding his face as he glared at Luffy in the sky, his expression dark and brooding.
Kaido’s arms bulged with blue veins, but no matter how hard he pushed, his hands were forced backward, the titanic fist drawing closer. His neck strained, veins pulsing as he bellowed: "You brat! Why?! Why go this far?! Is defeating me really that important?!"
"Of course! I—"
…
Boom!
On the fifth floor, deep within the chamber where Momonosuke’s battle with the giant serpent raged, the wounded pink-scaled dragon clamped its jaws onto the serpent’s last remaining neck, its eyes blazing with feral fury.
"Aarrgh!!"
The final serpent head retaliated, sinking its fangs into the dragon’s body, shrieking: "You think defeating me will reclaim Wano?! Don’t delude yourself! Kaido is Wano’s true pillar! As long as he stands, this land will never change! What’s the point of crushing me? Spare me, and I’ll return Wano to you! Fight Kaido instead!"
The dragon growled, "Kaido will fall. I will defeat you and reclaim Wano—with honor, not your charity!"
"What makes you so certain?!" the serpent hissed.
The dragon roared back: "Because Luffy will win! He will—"
…
Boom!
Near the base of the castle tower, Zoro spat blood as he crashed into the rubble behind him, vanishing into a cloud of dust.
"Pointless", Keki remarked, gliding down with folded wings. "You’re no match for me… and that Luffy won’t defeat Lord Kaido either. I admire your combat strength—it’s astonishing you lasted this long—but victory is ours. That brat will fail."
"I don’t think so", Zoro rasped, forcing himself upright as debris clattered around him. "Luffy will win… and I’ll defeat you."
"Hah! With a blade that betrays you?" Keki smirked.
Zoro glanced at the sword Yamato in his right hand. "Blades have no will. There’s no ‘betrayal.’"
Yamato—a gift from Komurasaki after his blade Shusui shattered in Wano’s battle. For a swordsman of the Three Sword Style, wielding only two blades was unbearable… and Yamato, though stronger, had nearly drained his Haki.
Now, Zoro’s Haki surged differently—not unrestrained, but condensed into an eerie pressure.
Keki stiffened. "Conqueror’s Haki? Replacing the wild release? Are you aiming to be king?"
Zoro bit down on Shusui, assuming the Three Sword Style stance, his eyes cold and merciless. "It doesn’t matter. A One Piece companion must be strong enough to defy death itself… Ghostly Aura."
A spectral aura flared around him, enveloping his blades.
"Nine Sword Style: Asura: Draw Slash!"
Zoro lunged, a phantom in motion, evading Keki’s attack and reappearing behind him.
Keki’s body froze, trembling. "This is—"
"Game of the Dead!" Zoro declared, lifting his head. "And One Piece will never be Kaido."
…
"Divine Tempest Kick!"
Sanji’s leg erupted in flames as he struck Quin’s neck—now transformed into a Brachiosaur.
"Neck Meat!"
Boom!!
The kick hurled Quin’s massive body forward, slamming into the ground.
Quin staggered up, stunned. "How?! This guy’s strength—"
The third son of the Vinsmoke Family had destroyed his Battle Suit, yet Quin had unleashed his hidden cyborg techniques—spark, electric fists, gravitational fields, invisibility, even toxins. It should’ve been a mockery… but why was he losing?!
"Scapular Meat!"
Boom!
Before Quin could react, Sanji struck again.
"Shoulder Rib Meat!"
"Abdominal Meat!"
"Thigh Meat!"
"Calf Meat!"
"Tail Meat!"
Boom!! Crash!!
Sanji’s Haki-laden strikes battered Quin internally, each blow searing with pain.
"You damn brat!!" Quin roared, swinging his mechanical arm. "You’re just Gajeel’s son! How can you beat me?! Your captain will never defeat Lord Kaido! Die!"
"Don’t joke with me", Sanji spat, leaping to evade the arm. His flaming foot curved downward, slamming into Quin’s chest. "If you’re spouting nonsense about lineage… then take off! Explosive Beef!!"
Boom!!
The kick triggered a massive explosion, sending Quin’s body soaring.
"And one more thing—" Sanji shouted, "Luffy will—"
…
Across the battlefield—from the floating castle to the ground below—those voices united in a single roar:
"Become The One Piece!!!"
…
The fifth floor trembled as the flaming fist descended. The room began to collapse, likely due to Luffy’s Awakening waning… or his body nearing its limit.
Kaido’s roar shook the skies. "I…"
Above, Luffy’s voice rang out, unwavering and fierce: "AM The Man Who Will Become The One Piece!!!"
Boom!!!
The fist connected, shattering Kaido’s Wolf’s Spirit Thundercloud. The punch sent him crashing through the floor, plummeting downward like a meteor.
(End of Chapter)
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