The skies over Kardena Island darkened as an enormous storm cloud loomed closer. Furious winds howled across the sea, stirring up towering waves.
Moments later—
"He's here!"
Wright unsheathed "Ashes" and summoned his radiant wings of Holy Light, soaring into the sky.
From his vantage point, he could already see Kaido in his dragon form rapidly approaching.
Kaido had clearly spotted Wright as well—his presence was far too distinct to ignore.
"Oh ho ho ho ho…"
Kaido, having endured a long flight, seemed far more composed than usual—at least, he didn't appear to be in a drunken rage.
"Vice Admiral Wright of the Marines..."
"So, it seems what that 'Joker' bastard said was true—you're the one who took out Jack."
"Are you looking for death?!"
"Waiting for me here… What, you planning to take me down next?!"
Though Wright was dwarfed by Kaido's dragon form—his entire body not even as large as one of Kaido's front claws—his presence was anything but weak.
Hearing Kaido's opening remarks, Wright chuckled. "No need for pleasantries. It's just me on this island... oh, and a reporter."
Smoker: "..."
Wright pointed his blade at Kaido. "Kaido, I was the one who killed Jack. You rushed here in such a hurry—I doubt it's just to throw some threats my way.
"You're Kaido of the Four Emperors—why not act like an Emperor?
"Haven't you always been seeking death? Last time, I wasn't strong enough. This time, let's see if I can finally kill you!"
"Heh heh heh…"
Kaido clutched his stomach and burst into raucous laughter. "Worororo! You're killing me!"
"Kill me? You're a hundred years too early for that! Even your Admirals wouldn't dare say such nonsense!"
"I came here today to avenge Jack!"
"It's you who's going to die!"
A blinding light flared within Kaido's massive jaws—without hesitation, he launched his attack!
"Heat Breath!"
Boom!
A scorching, high-energy blast shot toward Wright in an instant. But Wright merely smirked—he knew Kaido's battle style all too well.
"Lightspeed!"
Dodging the fiery breath in a flash, Wright countered with a flying slash, striking first.
"Final Judgment!"
"Holy Light Wings: Ignition!"
Zing—!
"Secret Technique—Divine Void Slash!"
Clang—!
Wright suddenly reappeared, his blade engulfed in divine flames as it slashed across Kaido's left foreclaw, carving a deep wound!
"Raaaagh—!"
Kaido let out a rare cry of pain. The searing fire burned through his flesh, leaving behind divine embers that refused to fade.
He had never imagined someone would chain a flying slash into an ultimate technique so seamlessly—
Thud!
Before Kaido could recover from the searing pain, Wright's foot slammed into the side of his massive dragon head, knocking it off course. At the same moment—
"Repent!"
Boom—Crack!
Golden and violet lightning surged through the sky as Conqueror's Haki clashed violently, splitting the storm clouds apart!
Wright pressed downward, gripping his blade with both hands, and drove it fiercely into Kaido's exposed lower jaw!
Shlk—!
The blade sunk hilt-deep into Kaido's flesh, piercing through even his near-impenetrable defenses, reinforced by advanced Armament Haki.
"Aaargh—!"
Kaido howled in pain, instantly snapping back to full awareness—the effects of Wright's strongest "Confession" technique had only stunned him for a fraction of a second!
Sensing the incoming retaliation, Wright swiftly withdrew his blade and retreated just in time to dodge Kaido's massive claw strike.
"Bastard…"
The gash on Kaido's left foreclaw was already starting to heal—his dragon form possessed one of the strongest regenerative abilities in the world.
Clutching his lower jaw, Kaido shuddered from the lingering burn of holy fire. "What the hell is this cursed power?!"
His jaw injury, however, barely seemed to hinder him. "Ashes" was simply too small relative to his enormous size—the wound was deep, but not lethal.
"Thunderclap!"
Kaido unleashed an all-encompassing electrical storm, aiming to lock down Wright's movement completely.
"You've improved, Wright!"
"But it's still not enough!"
"Right now, you might be as strong as Oden was back then… but I am not the same as I was before!"
Kaido roared, his entire form surging with lightning as his massive tail swung toward Wright—ready to swat him down like an insect!
"You know that won't work!"
Wright nimbly dodged. "If you can't hit me, then I'll just keep hitting you!"
"Ashes Awakening!"
This time, a twenty-meter-long blade of Holy Light slashed through the sky as Wright charged forward, engaging Kaido in close combat!
Kaido found himself in an awkward predicament—staying in dragon form made it hard to land hits on someone as fast and airborne as Wright.
But shifting to his humanoid form would forfeit his aerial advantage—especially against an opponent whose blade could now pierce his defenses!
"Wind Breath!"
Kaido unleashed a massive barrage of razor-sharp wind blades, sealing off Wright's escape paths in combination with his lightning attacks.
"Ultimate Technique: Divine Void Shatter!"
A storm of divine slashes erupted from Wright's blade, cutting through the air with such intensity that space itself seemed to distort!
Against Kaido, such overwhelming firepower was necessary.
BOOM—!
A violent explosion rocked the skies above Kardena Island, the sheer force of the clash tearing the landscape apart.
On the ground, Smoker glanced at the massive craters forming in the battlefield. Shaking his head, he silently reinforced the Lightforged Beacon before taking to the air again, continuing his live broadcast.
At Marineford, high-ranking officers observed the battle closely, analyzing Wright's performance.
"Hahaha! That brat Wright hasn't even needed to recover his stamina yet!" Garp chuckled, arms crossed. "Shows he's been training his endurance—not just relying on his regeneration to fight top-tier opponents!"
"Indeed," Sengoku mused, adjusting his glasses. "Against an enemy like Kaido, a cautious fighter like Wright would normally conserve energy. But right now, he doesn't even see his stamina loss as significant—this is a major step in becoming a true powerhouse."
"His mobility and acceleration have enhanced his kicking techniques substantially," Zephyr noted. "His versatility is remarkable, though balancing swordsmanship, martial arts, and Devil Fruit abilities takes considerable effort."
"His blade, too—he's been upgrading it," Sengoku added. "He's progressing much faster than I expected."
Meanwhile, Tsuru observed another key detail. Looking to Sengoku, she asked, "Is that..."
Sengoku nodded. The assembled officers exchanged knowing glances.
"Arah… Looks like my little brother won't be needing my backup anytime soon," Kuzan muttered, tilting his eye patch. "Gotta admit, he and Kaido are two of a kind."
"My, my… How terrifying these young ones are," Borsalino smirked. "His swordsmanship alone… he's no mere rookie swordsman anymore."
Sakazuki, however, scowled. "His explosive power—still not enough!"
"To kill Kaido, he needs one overwhelming strike—otherwise, this fight could drag on forever!"
"Right now, we have a real chance to ensure Kaido never leaves that island again!"
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