CHAPTER 153

"You bastard! Your old man will always be your old man!"

Kaido's thunderous roar echoed across Onigashima as his colossal strength erupted like a tidal wave. The sheer force of his blow sent Yamato hurtling through the air, flipping mid-flight before she crashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater in her wake.

In her hybrid human-beast form, Yamato's imposing figure rose from the rubble. Her white fur shimmered under the moonlight, flame-like green tassels flowing from her hair and tail. She brushed the dust off her shoulders, her defiant eyes locked on Kaido. Without hesitation, her clawed feet dug into the earth, propelling her forward with explosive force.

Buzz, buzz!

Her kanabo swung fiercely, each strike enveloped in the swirling might of her Conqueror's Haki. Every swing sent shockwaves tearing through the battlefield as she engaged Kaido in a furious clash. Their battle shook the earth and darkened the skies, thunder and lightning mirroring the chaos of their fight.

The intensity of their blows forced the spectators, including the Tobiroppo, to retreat to the edges of the roof, far from the devastating aftermath of their duel.

Who's-Who, still catching his breath, muttered, "Master Yamato's strength... it's terrifying! She's holding her own against Boss Kaido!"

"It's like watching two of the Four Emperors collide," another murmured, wide-eyed.

"The sky's not actually going to collapse, is it?"

Who's-Who sneered, "And where's that shameless Alastor? Didn't he claim he'd replace Boss Kaido as the strongest? He ran off and left Master Yamato to face this alone!"

"Brother Alastor will come back!" Page One shot back, glaring at Who's-Who.

Sasaki chuckled. "If he hasn't already been crushed by Boss Kaido, I'd be surprised. No way he's coming back after taking that beating."

"Shut up," King interrupted coldly, silencing their argument.

King's golden eyes narrowed as he focused on his keen observation. Though faint, he could still sense Alastor's presence somewhere below Onigashima. If Alastor intended to run, he'd be far away by now.

"What is that man doing?" King wondered silently. "Healing? With wounds like those, it's impossible to recover in such a short time. And we don't have any doctors on Ghost Island."

Indeed, the Beast Pirates rarely relied on medical treatment. Most of them were Zoan users, relying on their natural vitality and resilience to heal. The crew's lack of a proper ship doctor was a notable weakness.

But if King were to descend now and witness Alastor's recovery, even he would be left speechless.

In the dimly lit depths of Onigashima, Alastor sat cross-legged, surrounded by chunks of dense, compressed meat from Zunesha, the colossal elephant.

With a predatory gleam in his eyes, he unleashed his unique technique.

"Nine mountains and eight seas, three thousand worlds, the one who swallows all—Profound Art of Physical Techniques: Frenzied Devour!"

Opening his mouth wide, Alastor created a swirling vortex, inhaling the meat in massive gulps. It vanished into his stomach without a single chew. Once inside, his body digested the meat instantly, converting it into pure energy that coursed through his veins.

The broken bones in his body began to knit together with astonishing speed. His muscles tightened, his skin regenerated, and the deep scars faded as though they had never existed.

Within minutes, Alastor stood, his body completely restored.

"Feels great!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists as raw power surged through his arms.

The speed of his recovery was unparalleled, a testament to his evolving physical resilience. What once took him half a day now took mere minutes. Even life-threatening injuries could no longer keep him down for long.

"System panel, open!" he commanded mentally.

[Host: Alastor]

[Age: 20]

[Defense: 16,666]

Alastor smirked at the stats before him. His defense had climbed by over a thousand points, an exponential growth that brought him closer to matching Kaido's legendary durability of 50,000. The prospect thrilled him.

"So, this is the power of pushing my limits… even death injuries can't stop me now."

His grin widened as he licked his lips, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Without hesitation, he activated his thunder-based abilities, launching himself into the sky like a lightning bolt. Sparks crackled around him as he shot upward, his body brimming with renewed vitality.

On the battlefield, Yamato and Kaido's clash continued to devastate the landscape. The sky itself seemed on the verge of shattering as their auras tore through the heavens.

Just as Kaido prepared another devastating strike, a flash of light pierced the dark clouds. A familiar figure emerged, descending rapidly with an electrifying aura.

"Miss me?" Alastor's voice echoed, a confident smirk on his face.

Kaido's eyes narrowed, his annoyance clear. "You again, brat?"

Yamato glanced over her shoulder, briefly startled by his sudden reappearance. "About time you showed up!"

Alastor clenched his fists, electricity crackling around him. "Kaido, I'm not done yet. Let's settle this!"

And so, the battle for supremacy over Onigashima raged on, the sky splitting open as the fiercest warriors clashed in a storm of raw power and indomitable will.

When Alastor's figure reappeared on the roof of Onigashima, his aura radiated like an unstoppable force. His upper body, bare and unscarred, gleamed under the fractured moonlight, as though forged from fine iron. His muscles rippled with raw power, defined and unyielding.

The scene struck the Tobiroppo silent.

Who's-Who and Sasaki, who moments ago had been mocking Alastor's supposed retreat, now looked as though they'd seen a ghost. Their words caught in their throats, and their faces froze in utter disbelief.

Page One broke the silence, shouting excitedly, "I told you! Brother Alastor would definitely come back!"

Boom!

Ulti's fist smashed into Page One's head.

"Don't get so happy, Pay Pay," she scolded, her tone laced with irritation. "That idiot's still going to die at the hands of boss sooner or later!"

As second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates, even King couldn't mask his reaction. His golden Lunarian eyes narrowed as he assessed Alastor's presence. His aura was not only fully restored but even stronger than before.

"This... this is impossible," King muttered to himself, shaken.

What kind of monstrous physique could achieve such a rapid recovery? Not even his own Lunarian race, often regarded as gods, possessed such resilience. Was Alastor truly stronger than the divine lineage of Lunarians?

Kaido, locked in his fierce battle with Yamato, noticed Alastor's reappearance. His sharp, beastly eyes narrowed, his expression tinged with rare shock.

"That brat recovered too fast," Kaido thought grimly. "His resilience... it surpasses even mine as the strongest creature."

Yamato, still in her hybrid form, swung her kanabo at Kaido with relentless force, her beautiful eyes briefly darting toward Alastor.

"You're finally back," she said with a huff, smirking. "Good. Stick to the plan. I'll handle the offense, and you take care of the beating."

Alastor froze mid-step.

"Huh? When did we discuss this tactic?" he thought, bewildered.

But after a moment's reflection, he relented. If taking hits from Kaido helped him grow stronger, then perhaps this wasn't such a bad arrangement.

"Fine," he muttered to himself, his resolve hardening. "Let's do it."

With newfound determination—and a strange sense of reverence—Alastor dashed toward Kaido's incoming kanabo, his voice loud and clear:

"Father-in-law, please beat me to your heart's content!"

Kaido, known as the world's strongest creature, prided himself on his unmatched durability and resilience. It was his nature to let challengers hit him, standing still and unarmed to test their strength against his body. If someone managed to cause him pain, he might even offer a rare compliment.

But this?

Kaido stared at Alastor, utterly baffled.

In all his battles, in all his years of invincibility, never had someone asked to be beaten.

"Brat..." Kaido rumbled, his voice heavy with incredulity. "Your resilience is impressive, but every ability has its limits. You're not afraid of death?"

Kaido's logic was sound. Even Marco's mythical phoenix regeneration had limits, bound by his stamina. Kaido believed the same would hold true for Alastor. Every creature had a breaking point. Even Kaido himself wasn't an exception.

But Alastor smirked, his confidence unwavering.

"I have no limits," he said calmly.

Kaido's eyes narrowed.

"Anyone who fails to kill me only makes me stronger," Alastor continued, his voice steady and resolute. "That's why I dare to challenge your title as the strongest creature, old man."

Kaido's expression hardened, his grip tightening around his kanabo.

Alastor's body exploded with electricity, the air around him crackling with energy as he launched himself toward Kaido.

This time, his attack wasn't a feint.

Though their plan dictated that Yamato would focus on offense while Alastor absorbed the damage, he wasn't about to simply stand there and take the beating. He needed to wear Kaido down, little by little.

Kaido was a nearly invincible warrior, the strongest of his kind. Luffy had only managed to defeat him through relentless attrition, pushing Kaido past his limits after countless rounds of combat.

Alastor understood this and adopted a new strategy—trading injuries for injuries.

Lightning arced around his body as he closed the distance to Kaido. His sword, the cursed blade Sandai Kitetsu, slid from its sheath.

The blade emanated a dark, menacing aura, interwoven with pink petals of cherry blossoms as it glowed with the combined power of ghostly energy and advanced Armament Haki.

"Ghost Aura, One Sword Style: Death Iai Slash!"

The slash tore through the air, heading straight for Kaido.

This wasn't just a reckless attack—it was a precise strike imbued with advanced techniques. Alastor had refined his understanding of Haki through his past encounters with Kaido, turning the destructive lessons into invaluable growth.

Kaido grinned, his beastly fangs gleaming.

"Not bad, brat," he rumbled, swinging his kanabo to intercept the strike. "Let's see if your blade can scratch me this time!"

The weapons clashed, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The heavens themselves seemed to tremble under the weight of their battle.

From the sidelines, the Tobiroppo could only watch in awe as Alastor and Yamato fought side by side against Kaido, their combined power pushing the mightiest creature to his limits.

For the first time, even Kaido felt a flicker of uncertainty.

Perhaps this generation truly had no limits.