New World, Von Milu Island:
"Boom!!!!"
On the way to Elbaf, Barrett's ship was resupplying when suddenly a massive object fell from the sky, nearly crushing Barrett's crew.
"What's going on?"
Barrett, who had not come down from the ship, rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
"Lord Barrett, an unidentified object fell from the sky, and we are going to check it out!" said a squad leader.
"Ugh, my head is spinning, why is the ground shaking? Did that guy Whitebeard cause another earthquake?"
At that moment, from the giant pit in the ground, a rugged, muscular giant over seven meters tall, with two horns on his head, crawled out.
"The Great Pirate Kaido, how did he end up here, and fall from the sky!"
The members of the Infinite Pirates were shocked upon seeing Kaido, as they had witnessed him fall from the sky. Although they didn't know from how high, the hundreds of meters deep pit made it clear that the height must have been tremendous. The impact of such a fall didn't even injure him; it was simply absurd!
"Everyone, get back to the ship! Don't come near here!"
Seeing it was Kaido, Barrett's fighting spirit surged.
He had come to Elbaf for a fight, and now Kaido appeared before him—this was a gift from the heavens!
He had heard of Kaido's reputation; like Captain, he was a member of the Rocks Pirates, but back then, Captain was an officer while Kaido was just an intern. Now, Kaido had fully grown.
Though not on the same level as Captain, he was at least on par with Silver Axe and Wang Zhi!
"Ugh, little brat, you're that Li Yuan Captain, right? I've heard you're strong too, come and try to kill me!"
Upon seeing Barrett, Kaido's drunken state seemed to clear up, his eyes blazing with excitement, mirroring Barrett's fighting spirit.
"Hahaha, that's the first time I've heard such an interesting request, then I'll grant it!"
Barrett laughed heartily, his legs pounding the ground dozens of times, and in an instant, he charged towards Kaido, his Armament Haki coalescing around his fist as he swung a punch at Kaido's forehead.
Even in his drunken state, Kaido instinctively raised his hands to block his forehead.
"Bang!!!"
Barrett's immense strength, combined with the power of Armament Haki, sent Kaido flying back over a hundred meters with a single punch.
"Ugh, that hurts! Come on, bring it on!"
The intense pain in his arm jolted Kaido fully awake from his drunken stupor.
He pulled out his Spiked Club, Hassaikai, from behind, and the power of lightning instantly enveloped his mace. In a flash, Kaido's figure vanished like a bolt of lightning, charging towards Barrett.
"Thunder Bagua!!"
The lightning power entwined around the mace combined with his Armament Haki, forcing Barrett to take the fight seriously.
Barrett practiced martial arts, and with his absolute strength, his fists were the most powerful weapons. No matter who the opponent was, he would strike without hesitation!
"Eight Impact Fist: Octuple Force!"
Eight layers of power concealed within his fist, combined with Advanced Armament Haki, were unleashed!
The moment the fist and the mace collided, a tremendous shockwave swept through the surroundings.
The power of the eight layers made Kaido feel an immense force crashing through his mace and into his arm, causing excruciating pain!
Meanwhile, Barrett felt the lightning's power coursing through his body, sending a slight numbness throughout him! In their clash, neither could break the other, and the recoil sent both of them staggering back several dozen meters!
"Hahaha, that's some strength, Kaido! Your power is impressive, but don't get killed by me next!"
Barrett laughed heartily, transforming into a Humanoid Kong Titan, explosive power surging from his body!
"Gravity Fist: Wild Tiger!"
Gravity gathered, transforming into a force resembling a black hole, as Barrett's punch shot out, combining gravity, impact, and Armament Haki into a massive black tiger charging forward.
In an instant, the surrounding light was absorbed, and the world dimmed. The tiger's path shifted gravity from vertical to horizontal, pressing down on Kaido.
"Ugh, if you can kill me, then come on! Or I'll kill you instead!"
Kaido laughed maniacally, transforming into his Human-Dragon Form.
"Great Might: Thunder Bagua!"
As lightning erupted, it not only wrapped around his mace but also enveloped his body, using the lightning to stimulate himself for greater power! The moment their fists and maces collided again, terrifying shockwaves violently surged in all directions, causing nearby trees and buildings to collapse, and the strong air currents pushed the ships at the port back several dozen meters.
Even in their Human-Beast Forms, neither could completely overpower the other. Barrett swung his other fist towards Kaido's head, while Kaido retaliated with a punch to Barrett's chest.
"Bang!!!"
Such a massive impact would injure an ordinary martial artist, but for the two of them, who were Zoan-type Mythical Beast Fruit users, it was nothing more than being pushed back several dozen meters.
"Hahaha, Kaido, your punches are too soft! Did you forget to eat today?"
Barrett rubbed his chest and laughed, charging at Kaido again.
"Ugh, your punches are the weak ones, like a woman's!"
Kaido swung his mace and charged forward again, relishing this direct, simple, and brutal fight.
Both were battle maniacs, and this blood-pumping combat stirred them up, each wanting to kill the other! Their fight was fierce and wild, but compared to Kaido, Barrett's various martial arts and Haki usage were superior. The enhancement from his Devil Fruit was stronger than Kaido's.
Kaido's techniques were rather ordinary, with minimal enhancement, but his abilities were diverse, including lightning, fire, hurricanes, and cloud control. Although his raw power was not as strong as Barrett's, his physical defense and vitality were superior.
"Roar!!!!"
Suddenly, Kaido transformed into a massive complete form of a blue dragon, soaring into the sky. His enormous dragon body blocked out the sun, and as he roared, the sky lit up with lightning, gathering an incredibly intense power in his dragon mouth.
"Roar!!!!"
At the same time, Barrett transformed into a complete Adamantine Titan, his towering figure resembling a giant reaching for the heavens. Kaido's long body appeared like a snake beneath Barrett's massive form.
"Gravity Breath!!"
Barrett pounded his chest, and after a brief moment of gathering power, a black hole formed in his mouth, unleashing a tremendous gravitational shockwave towards the sky where Kaido was.
"Heat Breath!!"
Kaido also gathered a massive amount of fiery power, compressing it into a molten-like breath that shot out.
The black and red forces collided in the air, neither able to overpower the other. Ultimately, all the energy exploded in an instant, enveloping the entire island in a blinding white light, followed by a massive shockwave that swept across the island, creating waves over ten meters high.
"Gravity Fist: Journey to Hell!!"
Barrett slammed his fist into the ground, and in an instant, overwhelming gravity swept through the area, increasing the gravitational force by dozens of times. Kaido, flying in the sky, was momentarily halted and fell from the air, but at the critical moment, he created a mass of clouds to stabilize himself.
However, just then, Barrett leaped up, his hundred-meter tall form charging into the sky. He grabbed Kaido's dragon claw and yanked with all his might, pulling Kaido down from the clouds, then flung him down hard onto the ground.
"Gravity Fist: Titan's Press!"
Using his gravitational power, Barrett fell from the sky, his fists gathering strength as the immense gravity crashed down like a black meteor towards Kaido.
"Thunder Dragon Bagua!"
Kaido's entire dragon body was filled with countless bolts of lightning, soaring into the sky, his horns directly meeting Barrett's fist.
A blue dragon and a titan, two colossal beings from fantasy engaged in a fierce battle on this island, exciting the members of the Infinite Pirates!
The intensity of their clash even made the other members of the Infinite Pirates hesitant to approach their battle zone.
"Kaido is so strong, even Barrett can't take him down in a short time. No wonder he's called the Beast Kaido!"
"Hmph, what's so great about Kaido? Barrett will definitely defeat him!"
"Quick, contact the other officers! Barrett is fighting Kaido, and we can't let anyone else take advantage of this!"
The pirates on Barrett's ship began to take action. While they couldn't intervene in the fight, they could assist Barrett from the sidelines, especially since they were part of the Infinite Pirates! In such high-stakes battles, the last thing they wanted was a third party to swoop in when both sides were exhausted.
To prevent such an unexpected occurrence, it was essential to call other officers from the Infinite Pirates to maintain order.
"Officer Hermes, you finally made it!"
A day later, Hermes arrived.
"The Beast Kaido? What a powerful opponent! Next time, I want to fight him too!"
Upon arriving, Hermes looked at Kaido, who was battling Barrett, with a fiery fighting spirit.
His obsession with fighting and becoming stronger was deeply ingrained in his bones, after all, he was a Beast King who had consumed the Mythical Zoan fruit. The survival of the fittest was his nature, and the pursuit of power was his faith!
Barrett and Kaido continued their fierce battle for three days and nights without a clear victor, their terrifying stamina and recovery allowing them to keep fighting!
"Hahaha, Kaido, thanks for helping me complete this move! Now, taste its power!"
"Gravity Fist: Haki Infusion - Titan's Might!"
In his Human-Beast Form, Barrett's muscles bulged, and the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki gathered in his fist, red lightning bursting forth uncontrollably.
Under the terrifying gravitational influence, the red Haki turned dark crimson, and combined with Barrett's immense Armament Haki, he resembled a titan emerging from a black abyss.
With a punch, the world lost its color; where his fist passed, the air was suddenly evacuated, and ripples spread through the surrounding space.
"Ugh, you're using Conqueror's Haki? Let's see if you can kill me!"
Kaido, seeing Barrett's technique, felt no fear; instead, he charged forward with even more excitement. In his eyes, there was no room for fear; his physique was the strongest!
Barrett was improving, and so was Kaido. This time, he maximized the gathering of lightning power on his Hassaikai, not wrapping it around his body but hiding it within, finely stimulating his physique to enhance his strength.
"Great Might: Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido roared madly, swinging his mace like a thunder god.
"Bang!!!"
However, the Kaido who could previously match Barrett found that after Barrett mastered the technique of Conqueror's Haki, he could clearly sense that Barrett's fist was now more than twice the size! The terrifying aura became a tangible force, causing his hands to bleed from gripping the mace, and the overwhelming pressure from Barrett's Haki slammed into him, sending him flying hundreds of meters away.
"Cough, what a powerful punch!"
Kaido spat out a mouthful of blood, wiped the blood from his mouth, and stood up, his fiery gaze still filled with fighting spirit.
"Ugh, so that's how it is, Barrett! I also thank you for teaching me this move; now take this!"
Kaido roared excitedly. He understood the technique of Haki infusion, but had never been able to master it. Even after challenging other great pirates and being defeated, he hadn't learned it. Now, after being punched by Barrett, he felt he had grasped it!
"Great Might: Haki Infusion - Thunder Bagua!"
Still the same starting move, still the familiar Thunder Bagua, but this time Kaido's mental focus was unprecedentedly sharp, forcibly gathering his Conqueror's Haki and channeling it into his mace.
In an instant, the originally blue-purple lightning power gradually turned red, and the overwhelming aura revealed a power fluctuation reminiscent of Barrett's Haki infusion.
"Hahaha, Kaido, I didn't expect you to grasp this move too! Then let's go!"
Barrett thought that after mastering Conqueror's Haki, Kaido would surely not be his opponent, but he didn't expect Kaido to also understand the technique of Haki infusion, making the outcome of their battle once again uncertain!
"Gravity Fist: Haki Infusion - Titan's Might!"
Barrett's Conqueror's Haki gathered once more in his fist, dark red lightning rampaging across the ground, unleashing an unmatched powerful punch.
The moment their fists and maces collided, the violent force pressed towards each other from all directions. However, because the two auras were so immense, even with their strength, they couldn't make true contact.
The surging Conqueror's Haki combined with other powers caused their clash to stalemate in place, both gritting their teeth and exerting all their strength, each wanting to completely crush the other.
"Bang!!!!"
As the two continued to hold their ground, the power became increasingly uncontrollable. When the force reached its peak, the energy at their point of contact exploded, sending both of them staggering back over a hundred meters.
"Hahaha, that's exhilarating! Truly exhilarating! Bring it on!"
Barrett wildly waved his fists and charged forward again.
"Ugh, I'm the strongest!"
Kaido also swung his mace madly and charged forward.
After both had mastered the technique of Haki infusion, their battle escalated once more!
Watching such an intense fight made Hermes eager to join in, as he had yet to master the top-tier technique of Haki infusion.
It could be said that Barrett, who already possessed top-tier combat power, had reached a new level after mastering Haki infusion!
After three days and nights of fierce battle, Barrett and Kaido still had not determined a victor! "Ugh, Barrett, I'll remember you! Next time, I'll definitely take you down!"
Seizing an opportunity, Kaido transformed into a blue dragon and flew into the sky, leaving only the sound of his roar behind.
Knowing he could not defeat Barrett with his stamina nearly depleted, Kaido chose to flee. After all, he sensed Hermes was not far away. If he didn't escape now, it would be too late once his stamina ran out.
Kaido may be reckless, but he wasn't foolish. He was aware of Li Yuan killing the Five Elders. While he had confidence in his physique, he didn't want to test whether Li Yuan's Seven Star Sword could kill him!
"Hahaha, Kaido, if you have the guts, don't run! Let's fight for another three days and nights!"
Barrett shouted without reservation, but unfortunately, Kaido wasn't foolish enough to be provoked into staying.
"Barrett, you've grown stronger! Let's have a match when we get back!"
After Kaido left, Hermes immediately approached Barrett, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"Hahaha, no problem! Let's have a match when we get back, but if you haven't mastered Haki infusion, you'll lose badly!"
Barrett laughed, never refusing Hermes' challenge, but rather welcoming it, as he hoped for an equally matched opponent.
He had often sought out Li Yuan for battles, experiencing many of Li Yuan's Conqueror's Haki-infused attacks, yet he still hadn't grasped the technique. Now, after fighting Kaido, he had finally understood it—truly remarkable.
"I will definitely master that top-tier technique!"
Hermes said earnestly.
Neither Hermes, Barrett, nor the departing Kaido noticed that above the clouds, Li Yuan had been watching their battle the whole time.
"Could it be that Kaido truly embodies a master? Even if he hasn't mastered the technique of Haki infusion himself, he can still teach Barrett!"
Li Yuan stroked his chin, lost in thought.
He had previously passed on the technique of Haki infusion to those officers with Conqueror's Haki, but none had been able to grasp it, not even Barrett.
Now, after fighting Kaido, Barrett had understood it, leading Li Yuan to suspect that Kaido indeed had the potential of a master.
"If Hermes and Chinjao still haven't mastered the Conqueror's Haki wrapping technique a year from now, let them go find Kaido and spar a few more times; maybe Kaido will be able to teach them!"
Li Yuan's gaze turned towards the direction Kaido had left, and he couldn't help but think of utilizing Kaido, this "master," to train his crew.
As for whether Kaido was truly a "master," that would be revealed when he taught a few more people.
"What's going on? Why do I feel a bit cold?"
Kaido, who had just taken off, suddenly felt a chill in his body. Even with flames enveloping him, he couldn't shake off that sense of coolness.
"Maybe I caught a cold. I should be fine after taking a nap by the volcano!"
Unable to figure out where the chill was coming from, Kaido shook his body and muttered something unrealistic before flying towards an active volcano.
"Barrett, congratulations on mastering the Conqueror's Haki wrapping technique!"
After Kaido left, Li Yuan appeared beside Barrett.
Barrett already possessed top-tier combat power, and after mastering the Conqueror's Haki wrapping technique, his strength was enough to rival those legendary pirate kings like Rayleigh. Although Barrett might not win, at least he wouldn't lose too quickly.
Once Barrett's Armament Haki reached its peak, or if his Devil Fruit awakened, surpassing Rayleigh and reaching the level of someone like Garp would be completely within reach.
"Captain, when we get back, I challenge you! I want to become the vice-captain of the Infinite Pirates!"
Upon seeing Li Yuan, Barrett immediately spoke with high spirits, as he had never forgotten that there was a position even higher than the core members waiting for him to challenge.
"Hahahahaha, no problem! When we get back, you can come find me anytime!"
Li Yuan laughed.
This chapter is a two-in-one chapter, so it was merged together and cannot be split.
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