"So fast!"
Rosha pressed one hand to his forehead, his expression heavier than ever before.
As a transmigrator, he possessed complete knowledge of Kaido's combat data.
Even so, even knowing what was coming and preparing for it in advance, he had still come dangerously close to ending up like Gear Fourth Luffy.
His instincts screamed at him.
If that strike had landed cleanly, he would have been knocked unconscious instantly.
This was not Kaido underestimating him.
It was Rosha underestimating Kaido.
With Fire Dragon Slayer Magic alone, there was still a significant gap between him and true emperor-tier power.
At this moment, he was in no position to talk about standing at the top of the world. Surviving was already a challenge.
If he wanted to truly contend with monsters like the Four Emperors or the Admirals, his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic had to evolve further.
Much further.
He needed to reach something higher.
Something like the Flame Dragon King state.
"Wororororo. You actually dodged that. Looks like I really did underestimate you."
Kaido grinned, resting the kanabo on his shoulder.
"Fair enough."
Rosha stood up.
"I underestimated the weight behind that swing."
He raised his head, eyes burning.
"Come on. Let's keep fighting."
"Bring it on!"
Kaido roared back.
Whoosh.
Rosha thrust both hands behind him. Massive flames erupted from his palms, granting explosive propulsion.
Two blazing streaks cut a sharp Z-shaped path through the primeval forest.
He intended to use sheer speed to disrupt Kaido's perception.
Kaido did not even turn his head.
He stood there openly, guard wide, as if inviting the attack.
Rosha did not hesitate.
His accelerated Fire Dragon Iron Fist smashed upward into Kaido's jaw.
The impact shook Kaido's body. The seven-meter-tall giant was knocked clean off the ground, blood spraying from his mouth.
But in the next instant, Kaido reached out midair and seized Rosha's arm.
Boom.
They slammed into the ground together.
With his overwhelming size and strength, Kaido grabbed Rosha and smashed him into the earth like a ragdoll.
Rosha coughed up blood.
Before Kaido could slam him a second time, Rosha's right arm erupted with flames, the intense heat forcing Kaido to release his grip.
Rosha followed up instantly.
A high-speed midair kick, boosted by flame propulsion, struck Kaido squarely in the waist.
Fire Dragon's Hook Claw!
Whoosh.
Boom.
Kaido's massive body flew backward like a cannonball, plowing through the forest and sending debris skyward.
Rosha steadied his breathing, keeping his focus razor-sharp.
Then, without warning, a tunnel appeared through the dense forest ahead. Ancient trees were bitten clean through by something invisible.
Rosha instinctively ducked.
A terrifying column of compressed force grazed the top of his head and blasted into the forest behind him, carving out another empty corridor.
Vajra Arrow!
One of Kaido's four signature techniques.
By swinging Hassaikai, he unleashed long-range shockwaves resembling invisible blade strikes.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
More tunnels tore through the forest as wave after wave of shock force surrounded Rosha.
He moved without hesitation, slipping through the gaps with precise footwork.
The first nine attacks were dodged.
The tenth was unavoidable.
As Rosha was blasted backward through the air by the final shockwave, a massive shadow descended from above.
Kaido was already there.
Both hands raised Hassaikai high overhead, black and crimson Conqueror's lightning crackling violently around it.
"Three Realms.
Ragnaraku!"
Boom!
A strike far more brutal than Thunder Bagua came crashing down.
The air screamed before the weapon even landed. The pressure alone crushed downward like a tidal wave.
In midair, dodging was nearly impossible.
But Rosha's mastery of flame propulsion was complete.
At the critical moment, fire burst from his palms, forcing his body aside.
Boom!
The island shook violently as a massive crater exploded open.
Rosha landed over a hundred meters away, his expression grim.
Once again, he felt the gap between himself and an Emperor.
Kaido was still in human form.
If that strike had come from Kaido's faster, stronger hybrid form, he might not have escaped at all.
A prolonged battle against Kaido, whose stamina was virtually endless, was not a smart choice.
Victory or defeat would be decided by the next exchange.
"Wororororo. Is running all you can do, brat?"
Kaido laughed casually, resting the kanabo on his shoulder.
"Warm-up's over."
Rosha opened his mouth and inhaled deeply.
"Now comes the real thing."
Flames from all directions surged toward him.
Within moments, the forest fire ignited by their battle was completely extinguished.
"This is fascinating," Kaido said.
"I didn't know Flame Flame Fruit users could eat fire. Are you a Mythical Zoan too?"
At first, Kaido had assumed Rosha was a Logia user.
But there were other ways to wield flames. Mythical Zoans could do so as well.
Kaido himself was proof of that.
More importantly, Rosha had never once turned intangible.
He could have avoided the shockwaves by dispersing into flames, yet he never did.
That meant he could not.
Which suggested Rosha was not a Logia, but something closer to Kaido himself.
Possibly even a dragon.
The thought excited Kaido.
His gaze toward Rosha burned with dangerous interest.
"Hey, don't look at me like that."
Rosha shuddered.
"I didn't know you were into that."
"Come on, brat."
Kaido pointed at him.
"Show me what else you've got."
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art!"
Rosha did not waste a word.
Raging flames burst from his body, wrapping him completely.
His arms transformed into massive blades of solid fire, cleaving downward without mercy.
Crimson Lotus Explosive Flame Blade!
The blazing crimson flames spun faster and faster, forming a violent fire tornado that ravaged the battlefield.
Boom.
Clang.
Kaido swung Hassaikai again and again, meeting the Dragon Slayer Secret Art head-on.
"Without background music, it still feels a bit lacking," Rosha thought dryly.
At this point, continuing the fight served little purpose.
After another clash, Rosha used the recoil to retreat.
The Crimson Lotus fire tornado detonated behind him.
He never expected it to defeat Kaido. It was only meant to create chaos and buy time.
But in the very next moment, a dragon-shaped humanoid figure burst out of the flames.
Too fast to react.
Kaido was already in front of him.
Roaring Thunder Bagua!
Boom!
Thunder tore through the heavens.
The black kanabo filled Rosha's vision.
There was no escape.
"Password."
That was all Rosha managed to say.
Bang.
The thunderous strike smashed into him.
Darkness swallowed his sight.
His consciousness faded.
The world slipped away.
"You said you wanted to slay what kind of dragon?"
…