To be honest.
Even knowing those two had some kind of combination move, and that it was supposed to be devastating...
Ozz hadn't expected this level of devastation.
No wonder it was the infamous technique that, in the manga, nearly killed even blood-buffed Zoro in an instant he would've died if Law hadn't teleported him away in time.
Sure, Kaido might still be young, not yet at the peak of his future Emperor-level prowess…
But that didn't mean a combo strike from two Emperors could be taken lightly.
In fact, when Hassaikai came hurtling toward his face, Ozz's first instinct was to dodge.
He was a professional at this. Avoiding a telegraphed, over-the-top move like this was just basic survival.
It wasn't cowardice it was strategy. A high-tier pirate doesn't have to tank every attack to prove a point.
You could kite and wear down your opponents too. Why bother taking it head-on...?
And yet.
"Who the hell do you think I am? Bring it on!!!"
"HASSAIKAI!!!"
"DIVINE DEPARTURE!!!"
In that moment, remembering how long his Conqueror's Haki had stagnated.
Ozz clenched his teeth, heart pounding, and let the black lightning of his will coat his blade. His entire body surged with a dense Armament Haki as he charged headlong into the blast.
What happened next, no one could say for sure.
But the aftershock alone nearly flipped Whole Cake Island on its head. The terrain itself buckled and shattered, devastation rippling across the island and spilling onto the sea.
It was like a quake on par with Whitebeard's prime.
Even though the monstrous strike hadn't been aimed at them, the three battlefields were thrown into stunned silence.
Crocodile and Mihawk froze. They'd sensed the power of the attack but hadn't paid it much mind until now. The moment dragged out, and their faces darkened.
Because.
Ozz didn't dodge.
"Oi!!!"
He took it head-on. That idiot actually took it head-on!
As the smoke cleared and the shockwave faded, all eyes locked onto a single figure.
Battered, his upper body stripped bare by the blast, his tall frame scarred and bloodied… but still standing. Sword in hand. Head bowed.
His face was shrouded in shadow, unreadable.
But aside from the brutal injuries, Ozz stood as if untouched.
"What kind of monster is that?!"
"He took that directly and still has strength left?!"
"You've got to be kidding me! How do you even kill someone like that?!"
Every gaze was fixed on the long-haired swordsman. And just then.
Splurt!
Blood gushed from Ozz's mouth, splattered with unidentifiable fragments.
Pain
A pain that pierced the soul.
Raw, unfiltered agony.
This was, without doubt, the worst injury he'd ever suffered. It felt like his heart might just spill out of his chest.
And this was after he'd countered with a full-power Divine Departure, armored up with Haki, and used his damage-phase-shift technique to redirect as much of Hassaikai's force as possible.
He half-collapsed to his knees. His body trembled. "Severely wounded" barely scratched the surface.
Kaido and Big Mom weren't unscathed either. That technique cost them a lot but as they watched Ozz's life force flicker, they finally relaxed a little.
The monster… was finally wounded.
But the moment they sensed that weakness, they didn't hesitate.
They weren't the kind of pirates to talk about fairness or honor.
Strike while he's down. Kill him while you can.
No tactic was too dirty when facing someone like Ozz.
Mihawk's eyes narrowed.
He gripped his sword and stepped forward, battle lust flashing in his gaze.
He glanced sideways at the bloodied figure, still struggling to rise.
"You crazy bastard… even you have to be at your limit by now."
Turning back, his hawk-like eyes locked on the towering dragon and the thunder-veiled empress.
His killing intent surged like a blade of its own.
And then.
Crack!
Red-and-black lightning erupted around Mihawk as his presence soared.
His sword, Yoru, seemed to respond, channeling this newborn Conqueror's Haki into itself.
"Oi! Kaido! Big Mom!"
"That man, he's someone I acknowledged. Someone I intend to surpass!"
"If you want to kill Ozz, then first."
"Start with me, the one you already defeated!"
That blade, that aura.
Even Kaido and Linlin felt a flicker of unease.
Was this really just Ozz's subordinate?
"Oi! Brat! With will like that, you still choose to serve someone else?"
"What kind of King do you want to be?!"
Mihawk's voice was low, but resolute.
"The man who will become…"
"The world's greatest swordsman!"
As the final word rang out.
A chilling pressure slammed into both Emperors.
Right now, both Mihawk and Yoru radiated a sword intent as pure and unshakable as fate itself.
Even the mythical Zoan's hide and Big Mom's iron balloon body.
Might not be enough.
Zzzzt!
Mihawk's cold gaze locked in. He raised Yoru high and swung down.
A titanic green slash thousands of meters long exploded forth, crackling with black lightning.
Even Crocodile, Katakuri, and the others who witnessed it couldn't help but feel a single, unified thought:
That slash… could cut through anything in this world!
Whoosh!
And right thena black figure leapt in front of Kaido.
More specifically in front of Kaido and Linlin.
King, in full Zoan form, had stepped in to block the blow.
"Oi!! King!!"
Kaido roared.
But it was too late.
The moment King made contact with the slash, pain unlike anything he'd ever felt tore through his body.
This wasn't just a blade.
This wasn't just Mihawk's old sword.
This was something entirely new.
Even though it didn't cleave him in two, it shredded his defenses, forced him to retreat step by step, blood pouring out.
If not for the Lunarian clan's unnatural resilience, he'd have died on the spot.
In the end, Kaido and Big Mom were forced to strike together to finally shatter the weakened slash and drag King back from death.
"Oi… sword brat…"
Kaido's face twisted in fury, muscles twitching, but Mihawk didn't flinch.
Even knowing full well he might not be able to defeat the two of them.
Even knowing this battlefield could be his grave.
Still, he stood his ground.
If this was the price of becoming stronger.
Then so be it.
"Oi, Kaido."
"Kuh…"
A hoarse voice broke through the chaos.
Ozz blood on his lips, eyes cold and steady stood once more, swaying slightly but unbowed.
"King versus King. General versus General."
"I'm not dead yet."
"So tell me what the hell do you think you're doing to my crewmate?!"
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