He assessed the situation, now was the time to act. Concealing his presence slightly, he moved stealthily toward Shiki.

At the same time, Kaido let out a thunderous roar in midair, sounding almost panicked.

Sure enough, in the next second, Kaido's massive dragon form plummeted from the sky, his body still faintly emitting black smoke.

Immediately afterward, Sakazuki's figure descended as well, his arms dripping with molten lava.

The two crashed onto the frozen glacier one after another, shattering it with countless cracks.

—One minute earlier—

Kaido had originally intended to observe the battle from above, looking for an opportunity to strike. But suddenly, he felt a faint heat in the air. He initially assumed it was due to the rapid drop in temperature—Kuzan had frozen the sea into a glacier, making the sunlight feel warmer in contrast.

However, when he looked up, he was greeted by the sight of Sakazuki hurtling down toward him from the sky.

This didn't make sense at all. Aren't you a Lava-Lava Fruit user? Why the hell are you always flying around?

The two were in close proximity, and given Kaido's massive size, there was no room to evade. Sakazuki roared, delivering justice from above.

His Ryusei Kazan-enhanced fist slammed into Kaido's dragon body with immense force, volcanic energy erupting from his arm.

The impact sent Kaido crashing from the sky straight into the glacier below.

As soon as Sakazuki landed and steadied himself, a towering figure burst forth from the fractured ice.

It was Kaido.

He had reverted to his human form, gripping his spiked kanabo tightly.

Despite his burly frame, his speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Sakazuki.

"Thunder Bagua!!!"

Without hesitation, Kaido swung his kanabo at Sakazuki.

Upon closer inspection, his chest bore some scorch marks, evidence of the devastating punch he had just taken.

Sakazuki knew Kaido's resilience well. His near-immortal body was no joke, so he hadn't expected that single strike to seriously injure him.

Thus, he remained highly vigilant. As he had predicted, Kaido came at him like a raging beast the moment he landed.

Sakazuki's face darkened, black smoke billowing from his body. Droplets of lava sizzled against the ice, producing a sharp hissing sound as white steam rose.

Facing Kaido's incoming attack, Sakazuki did not flinch. I'm the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. Why the hell would I back down?!

"Hellhound!!!"

With a furious roar, Sakazuki met the kanabo head-on with his fist. As he punched, his arm rapidly darkened—first coated with Armament Haki, then infused with his volcanic power.

The Armament Haki stabilized the fluid nature of his magma, allowing his punch to withstand Kaido's kanabo.

The impact sent a violent shockwave through the ice, causing shards to explode in all directions.

But Sakazuki wasn't fighting alone.

Kaido had brought subordinates with him, but after the chaos erupted, the Three Calamities' initial reconnaissance plan was disrupted, and they ended up facing Smoker, Zoro, and Kuina.

Meanwhile, Momonga and Kuzan were also engaged in battle elsewhere.

Kaido had no backup.

At that moment, Borsalino, Enel, and Crocodile surrounded him from three directions, leaving him trapped with Sakazuki in front.

For a brief moment, Kaido was completely encircled.

"Light-Speed Kick!"

Borsalino's foot struck Kaido's lower back.

"Electric Kick!"

Enel mimicked the move, his own lightning-infused kick slamming into the same spot.

Crocodile, meanwhile, wielded a blade of compressed sand and slashed at Kaido from behind.

"Desert Spada!!!"

Kaido took all three attacks simultaneously, causing his grip on the kanabo to loosen. His strike against Sakazuki faltered.

For most people, the moment when their previous attack is exhausted and a new one has yet to be launched is when they are most vulnerable.

But Sakazuki was different. He was like an erupting volcano, his power never ceased.

As soon as Kaido's weapon was deflected, magma surged from Sakazuki's shoulder, generating a forceful recoil that was instantly transferred to his fist.

His volcanic punch struck Kaido's chest once more.

The same spot.

Another burn mark—this time, even more savage than before.

Kaido grunted. His feet dug into the ice as he bore the combined force of four enemies, anchoring himself in place.

As the "Strongest Creature," Kaido's strength was undeniable. His infamy as the "King of One-on-One Fights" was well-earned.

However, even the strongest have limits.

Claudius had studied the differences between top-tier combatants in depth. While distinctions existed, the Four Emperors and Marine Admirals were all among the world's elite.

It was impossible for a single Emperor to defeat two Admirals.

Even for Kaido, the best possible outcome would be a draw.

Take Charlotte Linlin, for example. In a one-on-one fight, she might have a slight advantage over the Admirals of Sakazuki's era—assuming Borsalino didn't go all out.

She could suppress an Admiral, but if she were facing two at once, she would inevitably lose.

Now, look at Kaido's situation.

He was up against Fleet Admiral Sakazuki head-on.

Borsalino, an Admiral and one of the Marines' top veterans, was coordinating attacks with ruthless precision.

Enel, a formidable force with an ability that gave him overwhelming offensive power.

Crocodile, while not quite at their level, was still among the world's strongest fighters.

With these four working together, Kaido had no advantage at all.

For the first time, he was being suppressed.

What "Strongest Creature"? What "King of One-on-One Battles"? That meant nothing here.

Maybe, thanks to his near-immortal body, he wouldn't die.

But being ganged up on like this, coming back and winning? That was impossible.

Hell, he couldn't even gain the upper hand.

Kaido had no time to catch his breath. Crocodile's sand surged forward, engulfing Kaido's legs and wrapping around his waist, as if burying him in quicksand.

Kaido was just about to counterattack when Sakazuki's molten fist exploded, sending magma splattering all over him.

The scorching lava engulfed him, burying him up to his waist alongside the sand.

He was now trapped—only his head and arms remained free.

On its own, this wouldn't be enough to hold him for long. With his monstrous strength, he could break free in three to five breaths.

But that was more than enough time for him to get wrecked.

Enel and Crocodile had excellent synergy. Meanwhile, Borsalino and Sakazuki had fought side by side for years, their coordination needed no explanation.

The moment Sakazuki and Crocodile executed their moves, Borsalino and Enel followed up seamlessly.

"Sacred Jewel!!!"

Borsalino fired a laser into the sky. A second later, the light expanded before crashing down like divine retribution, engulfing Kaido's head.

At the same time, Enel raised his hand, electricity crackling at his fingertips.

"Judgment! Thunder Dragon!!!"

A thick lightning bolt descended, striking Kaido's crown.

As the attacks landed, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Crocodile, and Enel all retreated, putting distance between themselves and Kaido.

The next instant, an explosion of terrifying energy consumed Kaido, the force so immense that Kuzan's glacier shattered completely. The devastating blast wiped out everything in its path.

(To be continued.)

***

This book is completed on P/treon. Support me on P/treon to read ALL advanced chapters:

https://p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves 

(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)