CHAPTER 156

Kaido glared at Alastor, his sharp teeth grinding together as he growled,

"What kind of physique is this? Even in all of history, I've never heard of anything like it!"

As his voice thundered across the battlefield, Kaido unleashed a ferocious counterattack against Alastor, determined to crush him completely. The blow carried a prideful fury; after being bested and humiliated like this, Kaido couldn't afford to lose face.

"Raimei Hakke!"

Kaido roared as he unleashed his signature move, an enhanced version of the devastating Thunder Bagua. The sheer power radiating from the attack was terrifying, befitting one of the Four Emperors.

Unsurprisingly, Alastor was once again sent flying by the strike, his body battered and teetering on the edge of collapse. Blood trickled from his wounds as his eyes rolled back momentarily. Yet, thanks to the overwhelming electric current coursing through his unique physique, Alastor managed to cling to consciousness.

"Yamato, Yamato—your turn! Switch with me!" Alastor shouted, retreating swiftly.

Kaido's voice bellowed behind him, filled with mockery and rage,

"Don't take me for a fool! Do you think I'll just let you recover and come back stronger?"

Kaido's instincts told him that Alastor's resilience was unnatural, seemingly without limits. Every time the man recovered, he returned even more formidable. This was vexing, even for someone like Kaido, whose vitality was considered unmatched. Prolonging this battle would only drain his immense reserves.

As Kaido prepared to chase down Alastor, Yamato's mocking laughter echoed from behind.

"Kaido, are you scared? Hahaha! So, the great Kaido knows fear after all!"

Kaido froze mid-step. His fiery gaze locked onto Yamato, and he snarled,

"Yamato, you dare accuse me of fear? Ridiculous! I am nothing like a weak child. Don't you dare underestimate me!"

Yamato, now fully transformed into her hybrid human-beast form, swung her mace onto her shoulder. Her stature had grown taller, her chest broader, and her fox-like tail flickered behind her like a flame in the wind. Her wild beauty radiated a mix of grace and ferocity, a testament to her strength.

"Then why," Yamato sneered, her sharp eyes narrowing, "are you avoiding the next challenge? Aren't you the one who claims to thrive on battle? Or has the strongest creature grown tired of proving himself?"

Kaido's face darkened, his brows furrowing like steel beams. Her words struck at the heart of his pride. He had always embraced combat and challenged the strongest adversaries without hesitation. Yet, Alastor's seemingly limitless recovery had him questioning his approach.

Even so, Yamato's ridicule was unbearable, especially in front of his rebellious daughter.

A grim smile spread across Kaido's face as he chuckled darkly,

"Yamato, your brain may be as empty as ever, but it seems you've learned to use insults to provoke me. Very well, I'll take on all challenges!"

"Come on, brat!"

With a defiant roar, Yamato charged at her father, mace in hand.

"You're the idiot, you overgrown Minotaur!"

Kaido laughed wildly, his mace clashing with hers in an earth-shaking impact.

"At least I'm true to myself! Unlike you, fool—still clinging to Oden's shadow!"

Their battle erupted into a devastating storm.

BOOM!

The ground trembled, the skies swirled with ominous winds, and the sea around Onigashima churned violently. Towering waves crashed against the island as the sheer force of their blows obliterated everything in their vicinity.

The massive skull-shaped dome of Onigashima began to fracture under the intensity of their exchange.

From a distance, the remnants of Kaido's forces—King, Who's Who, and Sasaki among them—watched in stunned silence. The roof of Onigashima, once the stage for countless battles, was now riddled with massive craters, some punching through to the floors below. Stones and debris rained down, crushing structures on the island.

Who's-Who, his face pale, muttered,

"To think they've pushed Kaido-sama this far… It's beyond comprehension. Even Yamato and that upstart Alastor… they're not just strong; they're monsters."

Sasaki, once critical of Alastor's promotion, nodded silently, fear and awe silencing any protest.

As the chaotic battle raged on, a lingering fear loomed: if this continued, the entire island might collapse. Worse, if the explosives in the underground arsenal detonated, the Beast Pirates' empire, built over decades, would be reduced to rubble.

At this point, even with the frequent clashes between the All-Stars and the Tobiroppo, they rarely found themselves agreeing on anything. But now was different.

To them, this was nothing more than a family squabble. After all, Yamato was Kaido's daughter, and Alastor, by circumstance, was being treated as the "son-in-law" of the boss. It was simply an internal conflict—not something that needed to escalate to catastrophic levels.

"Enough is enough, isn't it?" Sasaki grumbled, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

"Who's going to step in and stop this?" he added, breaking the uneasy silence.

At those words, everyone instinctively turned to King.

The King of the Wildfire stood as Kaido's right-hand man and the de facto second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates. If anyone could mediate this volatile situation, it was him.

The others stared expectantly, and King, wearing his signature mask, felt their collective pressure. Were his face visible, the sheer frustration beneath his stoic exterior would have been evident, shattering his formidable image.

"Ahem..." King cleared his throat, buying time. "Well, I think—"

Before he could deflect responsibility, the others chimed in unison:

"Master King, only you can do this! We're counting on you!"

The All-Stars and Tobiroppo nodded emphatically, their voices dripping with mock reverence.

"Idiots!" King thought, his anger barely contained. He knew they were simply trying to push the burden onto him, using his rank as leverage.

Despite his irritation, King sighed. His loyalty to the Beasts Pirates and his desire to preserve their empire outweighed his personal grievances. The prospect of Onigashima—the heart of their operations—being obliterated by Kaido's rampage was unthinkable.

Behind him, his black wings flared wide, igniting into flames. The fire danced fiercely, signifying King's maximum defensive state, a testament to the incredible endurance of his Lunarian lineage. Even Zoro, the pirate hunter, had called King's defense nearly invincible, surpassing Kaido's in certain scenarios.

Step by step, King walked toward the center of the battlefield, completely unfazed by the destructive shockwaves erupting around him.

Elsewhere on Onigashima

Alastor, voraciously devouring food to recover his strength, had his Observation Haki extended across the entire island. He caught snippets of the conversation between King, Sasaki, and the others and smirked.

"Hmph," Alastor muttered, his mouth full. "Onigashima must remain intact. Sooner or later, this entire place will be mine."

As he swallowed another chunk of food, his eyes gleamed with ambition. The weapons stockpiled on Onigashima were the key to his future plans. In the inevitable war against the World Government, such resources would be invaluable. He had already claimed them in his mind.

"But for now," Alastor continued, "it's almost time to call a truce. The only problem is..."

He frowned slightly. Kaido, his so-called "teacher," had lost significant face during their fight. The Yonko's pride wouldn't allow him to back down so easily.

"Kaido won't stop unless..." Alastor paused, considering the options. "Unless I defeat him completely. That would settle things, no questions asked."

The thought lingered. Even with Yamato now stepping into the realm of Emperor-level combat, outright defeating Kaido remained a monumental task. Kaido's resilience, endurance, and raw power were legendary. A decisive victory could take days, even weeks of relentless fighting.

But maybe...

"It doesn't have to come to that," Alastor murmured, chewing thoughtfully.

Kaido wasn't a mindless brute. Despite his suicidal tendencies, he was pragmatic when it came to preserving his resources—especially the weapons stockpiled on Onigashima. Destroying the island was a risk Kaido wouldn't take lightly.

"And then there's King," Alastor mused. "If he's here to mediate, I might be able to use this situation to my advantage."

A plan began to form. Alastor's eyes gleamed as he finished his last bite of food and stood up, fully rejuvenated. He had already prepared a proposal for Kaido, a way to force the Yonko to negotiate. But Kaido was a man who only respected strength. To make this work, Alastor would have to deliver a clear message.

Gripping his Kitetsu, Alastor summoned his Conqueror's Haki, black and red streaks of energy swirling around the blade. He closed his eyes, recalling every blow Kaido had dealt him in their previous clashes. The sheer intensity of those attacks burned in his mind like vivid memories, guiding his resolve.

Slowly, the aura around his blade shifted. It grew more refined, more oppressive, as his understanding deepened.

Suddenly—

CRACKLE!

Black lightning erupted from the blade, stretching out like tendrils. The air around Alastor crackled, charged with an overwhelming energy.

His eyes snapped open, filled with exhilaration.

"So this is it," he muttered, a grin spreading across his face. "After taking three full-power Conqueror's Haki techniques from Kaido, I've finally grasped it—Advanced Conqueror's Haki!"

The black lightning continued to dance across his blade, its aura intensifying. Alastor's heart raced as he carefully wrapped his Haki around Kitetsu, the energy condensing with precision.

Zzzzt! Zzzt!

The ground beneath him cracked, and the surrounding air shimmered with pressure. The area itself began to destabilize, unable to withstand the sheer force of his newfound power.

With a final burst of determination, Alastor launched himself toward the rooftop of Onigashima. Lightning surged beneath his feet as he soared upward, ready to confront Kaido once more—not as a student, but as an equal.