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"Uwoooo! My son!!"
Kaido's massive maw split into a grin as his enormous dragon claw swiped at Dan. The strike was savage, but in his eyes, there was a glint of strange caution—something only he understood.
"Come on, brat! Open that 'Death Gate' thing again!"
"Show me just how much damage you can actually do to me!"
His booming laughter shook the entire palace.
King, Queen, Jack, and the others broke into a cold sweat. Was their Governor seriously about to brawl with a toddler?
Dan's tiny body tensed. He could feel the wild power of the Eight Gates still lingering inside him. It wasn't gone, just quietly coiled like a sleeping beast.
Especially the aftershock from briefly opening the Eighth Gate—it still burned in his body like a hidden monster.
He looked at Kaido's huge, twisted, grinning dragon face. His tiny eyes flickered.
Should he try?
Should he push this body to its absolute limit, see just how strong he could be?
"Yah!" (Bring it!)
Dan's babyish voice rang out as his small fists clenched tight.
But he didn't reopen the Gates. He knew that brief moment in the Eighth Gate had nearly drained him dry—both body and spirit.
All he could do now was focus the terrifying, leftover power from that gate into one single point.
Pour every last ounce of strength into… one kick.
His tiny body bounced back just as Kaido's enormous claw came close—
Then, like an arrow loosed from a bow, the little figure shot straight toward Kaido's massive dragon face!
He moved so fast that even King, a top-tier fighter, could only catch a blurred afterimage.
"What?!"
Kaido's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
That speed!
That burst of power!
He didn't even have time to react before the tiny figure was already right in front of him—
And then it landed.
Dan's little right leg swung like a steel whip, bringing with it an air-shattering crack that made the heart pound, and slammed right into Kaido's armored chin!
BOOM—!!!!
The impact roared like a comet smashing into the earth.
This was no ordinary kick.
This was a strike beyond physical limits, beyond logic itself.
Kaido's huge dragon head whipped back, hard!
His tough scales cracked under the blow, making a sharp, splintering sound.
"Guhhh—!!"
Kaido grunted as his gigantic body was blown backward like a cannonball.
He crashed through the palace walls, carving a huge hole in them, tearing through building after building—
Until finally, with a deafening crash, he smashed into the cliff at the edge of Onigashima!
Dust exploded into the air.
Rocks flew everywhere.
The whole island trembled from the sheer force of the impact.
Inside the palace—
Silence.
Complete, suffocating silence.
King, Queen, Jack, and every single member of the Beast Pirates just stood there, completely stunned.
Their eyes were wide as saucers, their jaws dropped so far a watermelon could have fit inside.
Their minds were blank.
The Governor…
Kaido…
Just got kicked—
Kicked—
Flying—
By Dan?!
The flames on King's back snuffed out. His fire-lit eyes were now filled with nothing but shock.
He'd known Dan was strong.
He'd known the kid could open the Eight Gates.
He'd seen him punch a Marine Vice Admiral into next week.
But kicking Kaido flying?!
That wasn't about being "strong" anymore.
That was… defying the very laws of reality.
In the air, Dan's tiny body wobbled.
He could feel it—the last remnants of the Eighth Gate's power were gone.
A crushing wave of weakness and exhaustion spread through him.
But he didn't pass out.
He just panted hard, face pale from overexertion.
Lowering his head, he glanced at his small foot.
Then toward where Kaido had crashed.
Stronger than expected.
But he knew the truth.
For Kaido—the so-called strongest creature in the world—that kick was just like Luffy's Gear Fourth barrages back then: flashy but ultimately harmless.
But anyone other than Kaido?
Yeah, they'd be dead.
And most importantly—
That wasn't even the full power of the Eighth Gate.
If he went all out… Kaido would at least cough up some blood.
"Uwooooooo—!"
From far away came Kaido's booming, excited roar.
His massive body rose from the rubble, shaking the dust from his dragon head.
And there it was—on his chin, a visible crack in the scales.
It was shallow, yes, but still a crack.
"Hahahahahaha! Good! Excellent!"
Kaido roared with laughter.
His greatest pride—his seemingly unbreakable body—had been damaged.
And he wasn't angry.
He wasn't humiliated.
He was thrilled.
"This is it! This is how it should be!"
"Brat! Again! Kick me again!"
With a thunderous stomp, Kaido launched himself back toward the palace like a cannonball, eyes blazing with battle frenzy.
He had completely forgotten the "opponent" was a toddler under two years old.
He just wanted more.
More of that thrill.
More of that impossible impact.
Dan's little brows furrowed as he watched Kaido charging back in.
His energy was gone.
He could barely stay airborne, let alone throw another kick.
If this fight kept going, it'd turn into a straight-up fistfight.
And with his current baby body… trading punches with Kaido was suicide.
He gently floated down and landed on the ground.
His legs felt wobbly.
Kaido skidded to a stop right in front of him, giant eyes shining with anticipation.
"Why'd you stop, brat? Come on! Fight me!"
That massive claw reached out again, stirring the air.
Dan took a step back to dodge.
Then he looked up at Kaido's eager face and shook his head.
"Yah… (I can't…)"
His voice was soft, tired.
"Can't?"
Kaido's dragon face fell.
"What?! Already done?!"
The huge dragon looked downright disappointed, like a kid whose favorite toy had been taken away.
Around them, the Beast Pirates finally let out the breaths they'd been holding.
Thank god it was over.
Any longer and those two would've leveled the whole island.
Kaido eyed Dan's pale face and sensed the exhaustion rolling off him.
He still looked frustrated, but he couldn't push the kid any further.
"Tch… total buzzkill."
He plopped his massive body down, the ground thudding under the impact.
"That red steam of yours only lasts a moment? Way too short!"
Dan watched Kaido's dissatisfied expression and suddenly remembered—
The system reward: Amaterasu.
A spiritual attack.
He might be physically drained, but his spirit wasn't completely spent.
Especially after training his Conqueror's Haki and opening the Eight Gates, his mental strength had grown.
And Amaterasu used Haki, not stamina.
A whole new attack option.
And those black flames…
Maybe even Kaido would feel it.
Thinking of this, Dan's little mouth curved into a mischievous smile, one far too sly for his age.
"Yah yah!" (I've got another move!)
He piped up, voice babyish but full of energy.
"Huh?!"
Kaido's ears twitched. His huge dragon eyes locked onto Dan.
"A new move?!"
In an instant, the disappointment vanished, replaced by blazing excitement.
"What move?! Show me!"
Around them, the Beast Pirates who had just started breathing normally froze again—
New move?!
This under-two-year-old monster had another ability?!
"..."
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