"What a perfect opening!"
Madara hadn't expected Kaido to lock eyes with him so directly.
The moment their gazes met, the power hidden within Madara's pupils exploded outward. Kaido, who had been preparing to attack, suddenly froze in midair. The ferocity on his face vanished as if it had never existed.
"What is Kaido doing?" Big Mom muttered in confusion. "Why is he just staring at Madara after transforming into his Azure Dragon form?"
At Marineford, Akainu's eyes widened in realization.
"It's genjutsu."
"Genjutsu?" Sengoku asked, staring at Kaido's unmoving figure.
"Yes," Akainu replied grimly. "Senju Tobirama once used genjutsu on me. At the time, everything went completely dark—I couldn't see or sense anything. That's how he ambushed me."
"So Kaido was caught in genjutsu the moment he saw Madara's eyes?" Kizaru asked lazily, legs crossed.
"Exactly," Akainu said. "But Madara's eyes are nothing like Tobirama's. That means the illusion he's using is on an entirely different level."
On the battlefield, Kaido slowly turned his head.
The world around him had completely changed. The sky and the earth were drenched in an eerie crimson hue, and without realizing it, he had reverted from his Azure Dragon form back into his human body.
"What the hell is this?!"
He realized he was bound to a massive cross, his limbs locked in place. No matter how violently he struggled, he couldn't summon even a fraction of his strength. The overwhelming sense of helplessness sent a chill through his mind, and panic began to creep in.
Then something far worse appeared.
Uchiha Madara walked toward him calmly, a sharp blade resting casually in his hand.
"You think a knife that small can hurt me?" Kaido scoffed. Though confused by his situation, he wanted to test the limits of this strange technique.
Madara stopped in front of him—and without hesitation, drove the blade into Kaido's thigh.
"AAAGH!!"
Kaido screamed in agony, his eyes wide with disbelief as blood streamed down his leg. How could a blade thinner than one of his fingers pierce his body, a body renowned for its near-indestructible toughness?
In the real world, Kaido's face had gone deathly pale. Sweat poured down his body in thick drops. Across countless worlds, spectators already understood what was happening.
Madara looked at him coldly.
"In this illusion, everything is under my control. If you don't want to keep suffering, surrender."
He stabbed Kaido again—then again—each strike amplifying the pain.
Kaido's body was monstrously strong. Overpowering him through brute force would take time. Ending the battle through genjutsu was far more efficient.
But Kaido was one of the Four Emperors.
Surrender was not in his nature.
"I am Kaido of the Beasts!!!" he roared, teeth clenched.
Having survived countless life-and-death battles, Kaido's will was ironclad. In the real world, he threw his head back and opened his dragon jaws. Veins bulged across his forehead as he unleashed a roaring blast of heat.
Madara sensed the danger instantly and vanished using Body Flicker.
The mountain behind him was pierced clean through. The heat breath tore across the land for an unknown distance, completely annihilating everything in its path.
"So you can still resist…" Madara murmured, watching Kaido, who now stood with his eyes closed. "In that case, I'll take this seriously."
Madara shut his eyes—and when he opened them again, a ripple pattern filled his gaze.
The Rinnegan.
Senju Tobirama's expression darkened.
"Uchiha Madara has awakened the Rinnegan as well."
Although Sasuke didn't fully understand what those eyes represented, he had already witnessed the terrifying power Pain wielded with them. If Madara possessed the same eyes, then his strength would undoubtedly surpass Pain's.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.
"With Madara's Rinnegan, his power will far exceed Pain's."
In the Pirate World, Garp slammed his fist against the table and stood up, staring at Madara in disbelief.
He had personally experienced the terror of the Rinnegan. Seeing another man wield the same eyes made his heart sink.
"What kind of monster is this guy…?"
Comparing the two, Garp knew the other five Pains were no threat to him. Only the Deva Path had truly pushed him. But Madara's presence alone felt heavier—more dangerous.
Even Kaido, the so-called strongest creature alive, was being driven into a corner.
Madara looked down at him and grinned.
"I won't use genjutsu anymore. Let me show you the true power of the Rinnegan!"
His laughter echoed across the battlefield.
To Madara, Pain's Chō Shinra Tensei was nothing special. Pain simply lacked the strength to draw out the Rinnegan's true potential.
Only he could.
"Oh ro ro ro ro ro!"
Kaido laughed as well, blood boiling with excitement.
"So you're finally getting serious?"
This was the kind of opponent worth giving everything for.
Madara brought his hands together.
"Susanoo."
A colossal blue giant erupted into existence around him, its chakra blazing like divine fire. Four massive arms emerged, each gripping a gigantic blade.
Compared to it, Kaido's Azure Dragon form looked like a mere insect.
Standing atop Susanoo's head, Madara gazed down at Kaido with absolute confidence.
In the Naruto World, every member of the Uchiha Clan stared in awe.
Sasuke's breathing grew heavy.
"Is… is this the true power of the Uchiha?"
The Rinnegan had already shaken him to his core. Now, seeing Madara wield it alongside Susanoo, Sasuke felt a burning desire ignite within his chest.
If Madara won, he would demand to know how the Sharingan truly evolved.
Back in the Pirate World, Sengoku and the others fell silent. Any hope they had placed in Kaido was fading fast.
"That thing…" Sengoku said slowly, eyes fixed on Susanoo. "It doesn't look like something you can deal with easily."
Garp nodded grimly.
"Madara is far stronger than the six Pains we saw before."
Even Kizaru removed his sunglasses, his usual lazy grin gone.
"I didn't expect techniques like this to exist—and to be used so casually."
Garp glanced at Sengoku.
"Be honest. Can your Great Buddha form beat that thing?"
Sengoku clicked his tongue.
"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."
Across the seas, the other Emperors wore grim expressions. Even Whitebeard, restored to his peak, frowned deeply.
This blue giant was no illusion.
It was real power—and it was terrifying.