Chapter 256: Skin—Demon Wings!
Chapter 256: Skin—Demon Wings!
The colossal form of the Kunpeng quickly caught the attention of many in Gaya Town below.
Curious eyes turned skyward, spotting a strange creature unlike anything they'd ever seen.
Neither fish nor bird, it bore massive wings upon its back, soaring effortlessly through the skies.
With a casual yawn, it inhaled, swallowing entire swathes of clouds in an instant, showcasing its terrifying devouring ability.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Forget it… doesn't matter."
"That thing… it belongs to me now!"
Kaido's eyes gleamed with excitement as he beheld the Kunpeng's majestic form.
His heart raced—he had to claim this beast as his own!
Without a second thought, he abandoned his battle with Golden Lion Shiki.
Spewing a burst of Heat Breath to force Shiki back, Kaido rode the clouds upward, rushing toward the Kunpeng.
Only then did he notice the unmarked ship riding on the creature's back and the figures standing aboard it.
But he paid them no mind.
They were insignificant.
In Kaido's world, if he wanted something, it was his.
There was no discussion. Only conquest.
His dream of building a pirate crew entirely composed of Zoan Devil Fruit users would never allow him to pass up such a unique, majestic creature.
"Kaido?"
Standing at the bow of the ship, Uchiha Yi watched the azure dragon streak toward them.
It took him a moment to recognize the figure.
But really, who else could it be?
Only Kaido, the so-called "Strongest Creature," had such a signature form.
(Momonosuke had yet to enter the scene at this time.)
Kaido's aggressive approach made his intentions clear.
This wasn't a friendly encounter.
"Skin Technique: Demon Wings!"
Uchiha Yi frowned.
Lacking natural flight abilities, Moonwalk was insufficient for a battle of this caliber.
Thus, he activated his Skin Ability, donning it like an exoskeletal battle suit.
In an instant, his appearance transformed.
Dark metallic armor, fused with leather and other composite materials, enveloped his body.
The entire ensemble radiated a foreboding aura, dominated by ominous black tones.
Most striking of all were the two dark crimson wings, each spanning five to six meters, that unfurled from his back.
The shift in Uchiha Yi's aura was palpable.
No longer did he appear human.
He had become a demon incarnate, a predator born of hellfire and carnage.
His cold gaze locked onto Kaido as he drew two swords—
A Wind Blade imbued with armor-breaking properties.
The Sandai Kitetsu, radiating an eerie, cursed energy.
With a powerful flap of his demon wings, Uchiha Yi soared from the ship, blades glinting under the sun.
"Huh?"
"Interesting!"
Kaido's eyes flickered with intrigue.
It was rare for someone to confront him so boldly.
As they closed within ten meters, Kaido abruptly halted.
With the agility of a serpent, he whipped his massive tail like a battering ram.
"Kill!"
Uchiha Yi's expression remained cold.
He gripped the Wind Blade tightly, coating it with Armament Haki, and swung it head-on.
No hesitation. No retreat.
Steel clashed against scale.
"Clang!"
Kaido's tail, hardened by Armament Haki, collided with the Wind Blade, producing a metallic screech that echoed across the sky.
But the exchange didn't end there.
The Wind Blade wasn't ordinary.
It possessed tens of thousands of cutting points, a unique property designed for penetration.
Anyone encountering it for the first time would be unaware of its devastating potential—until it was too late.
And Kaido was no exception.
The moment his tail met the blade, the stalemate lasted barely two seconds.
Then, the weapon's cutting ability activated, slicing through Kaido's scaled flesh with ease.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Before Kaido could recoil, Uchiha Yi followed up with a second strike from the Sandai Kitetsu.
The cursed sword's malicious aura seeped into the wound, amplifying Kaido's agony.
"AAARGH!"
The mighty "Strongest Creature" howled in pain.
Were it not for the Nami's Mission Tag attached to Kaido—marking him as a priority target—Uchiha Yi would have ended him on the spot.
Instead, he chose to hold back.
The blade stopped halfway through the tail, and with a deft flick of his wrist, Uchiha Yi disengaged, sheathing his weapons in one fluid motion.
The entire exchange happened in the blink of an eye.
From below, observers saw only a flash of motion.
Then, blood erupted from Kaido's tail.
The once-impervious appendage now hung limp, nearly severed in half.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
Everyone froze, disbelief etched across their faces.
Had they just witnessed the invincible Kaido—the same man who could survive a fall from thousands of meters—bleed?
So easily?
So quickly?
"Just like that?!"
The disbelief was so intense that many doubted their own eyes.
But the crimson droplets falling from the sky told the truth.
This was real.
The crowd exchanged glances, struggling to process what they'd seen.
Who the hell was this man?!
How could someone injure Kaido, the so-called "Strongest Creature," with such ease?
For many, Uchiha Yi was an unfamiliar face.
His rise had been meteoric, too recent for widespread recognition.
But among the onlookers, a few recognized him.
"I remember now! That man…!"
"For god's sake, stop teasing! Who is he?!"
Frustration boiled over as bystanders cursed the "riddle-speaker" for holding back the answer.
Without waiting, the man frantically flipped through his bounty posters, finally pulling out the one he sought.
After comparing the image to the figure above, he confirmed his suspicion.
Smirking, he arrogantly tossed the poster to a nearby pirate.
"Uchiha Yi."
"Captain of the Nameless Pirates."
"Bounty: 1.5 Billion Berries!"
"The man who defeated former Warlord Crocodile…"
"And battled Admiral Aokiji to a standstill!"
"Recognized as the Fifth Emperor—The Calamity Lord!"
As the words spread, the mood shifted.
Admiration.
Frenzy.
Worship.
To many, Uchiha Yi now seemed less like a man and more like a mythical figure—a comet blazing across the sky, disrupting the established order.
For the younger pirates, he wasn't just a powerful newcomer.
He was an icon, a symbol of ambition realized.
"You…!"
"Who the hell are you?!"
"What's your connection to Kozuki Oden?!"
Kaido's furious roar cut through the air.
It had been years since he'd suffered such a grievous wound.
The pain dragged old memories to the surface.
Back in Wano, only one man had pushed Kaido to the brink—Kozuki Oden.
The swordsmanship, the aura, the precision—everything about Uchiha Yi screamed Oden's legacy.
Kaido couldn't forget it.
That battle had left scars—both physical and psychological.
"What's wrong, little Kaido?"
Uchiha Yi twirled his sword effortlessly, smirking.
"Did my blade trigger some… unpleasant memories?"
He didn't deny the accusation.
Nor did he confirm it.
Instead, he relished Kaido's frustration, his calm demeanor like salt on an open wound.
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