Just as the Beasts Pirates' fleet was about to land on Whole Cake Island, a familiar ship slowly emerged over the distant horizon the Oro Jackson.

"Hm?"

Kaido's pupils shrank sharply. A surge of Conqueror's Haki burst out uncontrollably, scattering the thunderclouds above in an instant.

At the prow of the fleet, Ritter stood tall, waving with a wide grin.

"Yo, Kaido! Long time no see! You've grown stronger, haven't you?"

Leaning lazily against the mast, blood mist swirling at his fingertips, Ritter teased,

"The little punk's grown up. I just wonder have you gotten any better at taking a beating? Oh, right, that little message I left you... is it still there?"

Kaido's dragon whiskers bristled with rage, and his eyes burned crimson.

"Ritter... you're asking for death!"

The shame of God Valley the humiliation, the taunts, the stolen treasure, and the carved insult all came rushing back like a nightmare.

With a roar, he transformed into his hybrid form. His kanabo crackled with red-black lightning as an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki surged around him.

"Thunder Bagua!"

Boom!!!

A cataclysmic shockwave tore toward Ritter.

"Aya, don't be so grumpy, you overgrown lizard."

Ritter lazily drew his greatsword Black Tide.

"Fog God Style: Demon Slash."

Clearly, Kaido's Thunder Bagua still lacked a bit of punch.

Ritter vanished and reappeared beside Kaido in a blink. His longsword shimmered with advanced Armament Haki.

"Fog God Style: Flash Sever."

Kaido twisted back with a sneer, his kanabo slamming into the blade.

"You think I'm still the weakling from God Valley?!"

Clang—!!!

The metal clash roared like thunder, splitting the clouds above.

Ritter raised an eyebrow.

"You've gotten stronger, I'll give you that."

In the next instant, he vanished and reappeared behind Kaido. The blood mist around him surged into the shape of a massive hand, aiming to smack Kaido upside the head.

"Your Observation Haki's not bad, but—"

Kaido whipped around and opened his maw wide.

"Blast Breath!!"

A torrent of dragonfire erupted, vaporizing the blood mist on contact.

"Clicking tongue," Ritter muttered. "Temper's gotten worse too."

Kaido howled with laughter.

"Ritter! That debt from God Valley gets settled today!"

Ritter slowly emerged from the swirling mist, smirking.

"Still not enough of a lesson last time, huh, little lizard?"

"Stop looking down on me!!" Kaido roared, slamming his tail into the ground. The earth cracked beneath him as he shot forward like a cannonball.

"Thunder Bagua!!"

His kanabo, wreathed in jet-black lightning, smashed toward Ritter

But

Whoosh!

Ritter's form dissolved into a cloud of blood mist.

"Your Observation Haki's garbage," his voice echoed from all directions.

"The mist I control has a built-in function to block Observation Haki, you know. But you didn't even notice. How exactly did you think you could fight me on my turf?"

Boom!

Kaido's blow struck empty ground, carving a massive crater as dust billowed around him.

"Damn it!"

He growled, his draconic eyes darting everywhere but Ritter's aura had completely vanished.

"Over here."

Bang!

A colossal blood-mist fist slammed into Kaido's abdomen.

Spurt!

Kaido vomited blood as his scales cracked and his massive frame was hurled backward, smashing through several ruined buildings before he could stop himself.

"We're not done yet," Ritter said with a lazy chuckle.

He clapped his hands together, and the blood mist surged and solidified into countless crimson blades.

"Blood Mist: Thousand Blades Execution!"

Swish, swish, swish—!

A storm of razor-sharp blood daggers rained from the sky.

Kaido roared, swinging his kanabo to block the onslaught, but several blades still pierced through, carving deep, bone-revealing wounds into his flesh.

Roar!!!

His agonized howl echoed as his dragon scales corroded and his flesh began to rot. Still, he refused to fall. Conqueror's Haki burst out wildly.

"I am... KAIDO!!!"

He launched himself into the air, his dragon claw wreathed in Haki as he slashed downward.

"Dragon Claw: Sovereign Wrap!"

Ritter's gaze sharpened. The blood mist surged upward, forming a thick shield.

Boom!!!

The two forces collided, unleashing a shockwave that swept across the battlefield.

Kaido's attack managed only to push Ritter half a step back the shield didn't even crack.

"Tsk, not bad."

Ritter tilted his head with a smug grin.

"But still not good enough."

Man, these pirates really are walking tanks. Seriously.

Without another word, he raised his hand

"Blood Mist: Insect-Binding Chains!"

This was the very move Ritter used to bind Kaido back at God Valley.

Why the name change?

No real reason just to piss Kaido off. Heh.

Shing!

Countless crimson chains burst from the ground, coiling tightly around Kaido's limbs, tail, and even his neck!

"What?!"

Kaido thrashed, but the more he struggled, the tighter the chains became. Even worse they began to corrode his Haki!

"Don't bother."

Ritter strolled up slowly, tapping Kaido's forehead with a single finger.

"Your Haki's too raw. Against me? It might as well be paper."

"Damn you... Let me go!!" Kaido howled, his dragon eyes bloodshot.

"Sure, why not."

Ritter grinned wickedly then kicked Kaido square in the face.

Bang!!!

The massive dragon body flew backward again, crashing into the earth and carving a trench hundreds of meters long.

As the dust settled, Kaido lay broken, bloodied, his scales shattered. His eyes swam with confusion, but he still growled, unwilling to surrender.

"I haven't lost yet…"

Ritter sauntered over, squatted down, and patted Kaido's cheek.

"Future 'Strongest Creature'? You're still just a punching bag for me. Ohoho you might wanna train harder."

He stood and formed a club from the blood mist, weighing it casually in his hands.

"How about one last smack to help you sleep?"

Kaido glared, eyes wide with fury but he couldn't even lift a finger.

Digging his claws into the ground, he watched Ritter's figure walk away and screamed in his heart:

"One day… I'll kill you!!!"

"Boring."

Ritter shrugged and turned away as the blood mist flowed beneath his feet.

"Get stronger, then come back and get beat up again, little lizard."

Thunk.

Kaido passed out cold like a newborn baby.

Ding!

Daily Kaido smacking: unexpectedly successful.

Why didn't Ritter kill him?

Because Kaido posed no real threat. More importantly, he was a future XP mine for the pirate crew. As long as Kaido wasn't a problem, there was no need to mess with the timeline it would only ruin Ritter's advantage of foreknowledge.

Besides, this guy was basically the best teacher for future pirates.

Kaido-sensei's Crash Course in Haki Mastery:

Lesson One: Advanced Armament Haki

Lesson Two: Conqueror's Haki Infusion

Lesson Three: Devil Fruit Awakening

Ritter got his Devil Fruit at age three and awakened it during God Valley. Watching the teacher? Took just three beatings.

You can call Kaido-sensei weak.

But don't ever say he wasn't an effective teacher.

As Ritter made his way back to the ship, he heard his captain shout:

"Kuahahaha! We've got it retreat!"

Roger leapt back aboard the Oro Jackson, laughing heartily.

Charlotte Linlin flew into a rage.

"Stop them don't let them get away!"

But the sea had already been sealed off by Ritter's blood mist.

The Oro Jackson rode the wind and waves, sailing off into the horizon.

"Mama Mama~ Roger… I won't forget this!!!"

Linlin's furious roar echoed across Whole Cake Island.

Back aboard the Oro Jackson, Oden raised a freshly-made rubbing of the Poneglyph.

"We've got it! We're one step closer to the truth!"

Roger laughed from the helm.

"Kuahahaha! Great work! Time for a feast!"

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Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!

Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolution and stay ahead of the crowd.

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