Just as the meteor was about to crash into the ground, Kaito once again activated the power of the Gravity Fruit, causing the rapidly falling meteor to suddenly freeze mid-air.
Isshō had anticipated this outcome. He thrust his cane-blade fiercely into the ground, sending wave after wave of gravitational pulses upward at the suspended meteor.
Under the enhancement of the gravity waves, the meteor resumed its descent. However, the speed was so reduced that it clearly lost all offensive significance.
Kaito directly detonated the nearly-floating meteor, shattering it into countless specks of dust that drifted away into the air.
Thus ended the first round of their clash. From the results, Isshō's Devil Fruit powers appeared to have almost no effect on Kaito.
But Isshō had no intention of ending things there. He pulled his cane-blade from the ground, letting purple energy surge into the blade. Then, aiming at Kaito, he swung it hard.
"Gravity Blade!"
Buzz!
A horizontal gravitational wave shot out from Isshō's cane-blade, hurtling toward Kaito with an overwhelming force that seemed capable of tearing everything apart.
Kaito didn't move. He simply stood in place, a flash of purple light crossing his eyes. Then, an even greater repulsive force erupted from him.
"Almighty Push!"
A transparent shockwave of repulsive force spread out in a semicircle from Kaito's body. It collided head-on with the oncoming gravitational wave, wiping the ground between them completely clean.
But the standoff didn't last even a second—Isshō's gravitational wave was shattered instantly by the Almighty Push, and the remaining force slammed into Isshō himself.
He raised his cane-blade to block the impact, hoping to withstand the blow. But he had clearly underestimated the power of the Almighty Push. His entire body was flung backwards toward the edge of the spectator stands.
His feet carved two long trenches into the ground before his body embedded itself into a wall.
A fit of coughing followed. Isshō reached up, gripping the crumbling edge of the wall as he pulled himself out. The purple kimono he wore was torn, and he looked disheveled.
This was the first time Isshō had suffered a setback against a power so similar to his own. Yet he didn't feel discouraged—on the contrary, his fighting spirit was ignited.
However, he knew that in front of Kaito, the powers of the Gravity Fruit were no longer of use. The effect was simply too negligible.
He immediately coated his cane-blade in Armament Haki, then vanished in a flash.
Despite his bulky frame, Isshō's speed was anything but slow. In an instant, he reappeared at Kaito's flank.
His speed now surpassed that of the three Vice Admirals who had used Soru earlier—by at least double.
However, Kaito's reaction time had long since reached a terrifying level thanks to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. With a flick of his wrist, the blade wrapped in destructive Armament appeared in his hand.
Kaito swung the blade horizontally at Isshō as he attacked from the side.
Clang!
The moment the cane-blade met the Kaito's blade, an overwhelming surge of power burst forth. Isshō's pupils shrank as he twisted in midair, flipping away without hesitation and landing at a distance.
He gripped his cane-blade tightly, his expression grave as he stared at Kaito. His hands were trembling violently, clearly suffering backlash from their earlier clash of strength.
He had nearly used the strongest powers available to him, yet was still completely overwhelmed by Kaito. Now, he was down to only one option.
Isshō scanned the gathered Marines sitting in the arena, hesitation flickering in his heart.
In this environment, if he used that, the consequences would be out of his control.
Kaito, seeing Isshō's hesitance, seemed to guess what he was thinking and asked calmly,
"You're thinking of awakening your Devil Fruit, aren't you?"
Isshō was momentarily stunned, then nodded slowly.
Kaito smiled and said,
"Then go ahead. I've been curious to see what the Gravity Fruit's awakening looks like. As for the rest, don't worry. With me here, nothing will go wrong."
By now, Isshō trusted Kaito almost unconditionally. Hearing his words, he no longer hesitated. He gripped his cane-blade with both hands, its tip pointed vertically at the ground.
A ring of deep purple energy appeared at his feet and began expanding, soon encircling the entire arena.
...
Suddenly, expressions shifted in the spectator stands. The Marines felt as though a massive weight had pressed down on them, growing heavier and heavier—until they were nearly crushed.
Even Kaito could feel a force compressing his body. He knew the gravity was intensifying.
With a casual wave of his hand, a transparent ripple spread over the spectator stands, nullifying the gravity pressing down on them. Everyone immediately felt a rush of relief, collapsing limply into their seats.
But the Gravity Fruit's awakening was clearly more than just this.
Isshō let out a deep shout:
"Awakening: Fierce Tiger!"
Boom!
From the circular field surrounding the arena, a deep purple beam of light shot into the sky. The gravity inside the pillar surged dramatically. The ground began to crack, inch by inch, on the verge of total collapse.
At that moment, Kaito floated into the air, arms spread wide. A transparent spherical field enveloped his body, and it began to expand. The purple aura in the space vanished as if erased by a giant rubber.
Seeing this, Isshō understood: even with an awakened Gravity Fruit, against someone with the Gravity Fruit themselves, it was meaningless.
He sheathed his cane-blade and bowed toward the airborne Kaito, speaking with genuine respect:
"The power of Admiral Shikiryū is truly awe-inspiring. I admit my defeat with no complaints."
Kaito descended with a smile and replied,
"You weren't bad either. But that meteor you dropped earlier seemed a little... small. Let me use a bigger one to put a proper end to this test."
With that, Kaito clasped his hands together. The upper torso of Susanoo emerged behind him, floating in the sky.
Even though Isshō was blind, he could still sense the presence of Susanoo. What shocked him most was the terrifying aura radiating from it.
It was a force of pure, absolute destruction. Compared to it, the gravity he had unleashed was nothing more than a child's toy.
The spectators gasped in awe as they saw Susanoo rise above.
"Look! That's Susanoo!"
"Admiral Shikiryū said it's the guardian deity of the Uchiha Clan—so majestic!"
"What an unbelievably powerful clan! If only I were an Uchiha too!"
"Are you dreaming? Didn't Admiral Shikiryū say he's the last of the Uchiha? If there are any more, it'll be his children!"
At that, some of the female Marines' eyes lit up, casting hungry, wolf-like stares toward Kaito in the arena.
Unaware of the stir Susanoo had caused, Kaito had already activated his technique and spoke in a deep voice:
"Tengai Shinsei!"