Chapter 261: Great Battle and Recruitment! Kaido Retreats

"Super Gravity Blade!"

Issho sword, imbued with Armament Haki, shot toward Kaido once more.

At Kaido's level, standard Flying Slashes from a Great Swordsman lacked effectiveness.

When facing an opponent of this caliber, a swordsman needed to engage in close combat with Haki-infused strikes to inflict real damage.

Of course, this excluded certain masters capable of unleashing special slashes.

"Roaring Thunder Eight Trigrams!"

Swinging his spiked club overhead, Kaido wrapped the weapon in Conqueror's Haki, thick black lightning crackling across its surface.

An enhanced Thunder Bagua surged toward Issho.

The gravity-amplified blade clashed with the Emperor's weapon.

The massive recoil sent Issho flying diagonally into the sky.

Meanwhile, Kaido plummeted toward the ocean following the collision.

Stabilizing himself mid-air, Issho used his Observation Haki to 'see' the Emperor crash into the sea.

Kaido swung his spiked club, stirring up powerful air currents that swept up the seawater to form a massive waterspout.

Issho breathed heavily.

Battling Kaido was exhausting; every move demanded his absolute focus.

The Emperor's physical strength and raw power were overwhelming, to say nothing of that terrifying Conqueror's Haki.

On the bright side, Issho had already witnessed even greater Haki and power from Cyrus, so Kaido's display made the swordsman feel that surviving this wasn't impossible.

However, Issho had no intention of continuing the fight.

Opportunities to knock the beast into the sea were rare, and Kaido would surely be more cautious to avoid falling into the ocean from now on.

After all, no matter how robust his physique, he remained a Devil Fruit user.

With this in mind, Issho raised his sword horizontally, exerting immense gravity on the surrounding ocean.

The water stirred up by Kaido's club halted, then plummeted.

Not only the churning waters but the surging waves around them sank, creating a massive depression in the sea surface.

The compressed force caused the sea to collapse, rushing toward the cavity Kaido had created.

But Issho wasn't finished.

He swung his sword again, directing his gravitational pull toward the sky.

In mere moments, the sky turned crimson.

A barrage of meteorites descended at incredible speeds, targeting Kaido's location.

Not just one, but several.

As seawater surged back to fill the void, Kaido's figure vanished beneath the crushing waves.

Issho hovered in the sky, watching the surface below.

Boom!

Just as the meteorites were about to strike, the ocean erupted.

Conqueror's Haki radiated without restraint, and a towering figure wrapped in black lightning burst forth from the sea.

The figure shot upward like a black bolt of lightning, piercing through the falling meteors.

With a flash of dark energy, the space rocks exploded.

Observing this through his Haki, Issho felt a headache coming on.

'The number of monsters on the seas is staggering.'

Fortunately, Cyrus's existence had raised Issho's psychological threshold.

Black lightning continued its ascent, destroying the remaining meteors and scattering countless burning fragments across the sky.

Kaido's roaring laughter echoed from above.

Having face-tanked multiple meteors, the Emperor appeared completely unaffected.

He rested his spiked club on his shoulder, looking down at Issho floating below.

"You're quite impressive, you bastard!" Kaido's voice rumbled like distant thunder. "So, how about joining my crew?"

Before Issho could respond, the Emperor extended the invitation.

The offer made Issho frown.

Even if he hadn't already joined the Hunter Guild, he would never become a pirate.

Raising his sword horizontally in a reverse grip, Issho coated the blade in dense Armament Haki.

"Shall we continue, scum?"

Seeing Issho's battle stance, Kaido's expression darkened.

Through their fierce exchange, Kaido understood this unknown swordsman was no ordinary opponent to be dismissed. E

ven though the blind man hadn't displayed Conqueror's Haki, his powerful Paramecia development and formidable Haki made him a troublesome adversary.

Reaching a decisive outcome wouldn't be achievable in a short time under these aerial conditions.

Just then, a line of fire cut across the sky.

A figure emerged from the flames, and an orange-red blade wrapped in Conqueror's Haki appeared right before Kaido.

Startled, the Emperor swung his spiked club in response.

BOOM!

Black lightning erupted between the two weapons.

A pure clash of King's Haki erupted.

Noticing the figure that had arrived, Issho swung his sword in a circular motion to dispel his gravity field before sheathing the blade.

"Have you come here to die?" Amidst the black lightning, Cyrus—wreathed in flames—fixed his eyes on Kaido.

"Flame Demon, Cyrus!"

Gripping his spiked club with both hands, Kaido glared at the figure within the flames, his tone grave.

"It's Sun God!" Cyrus retorted, exerting overwhelming force through his arms.

Using the kinetic momentum transmitted through their clashing weapons, Kaido created distance between himself and Cyrus.

After repelling the Emperor, Cyrus didn't pursue. Instead, he glanced down at Issho.

"Looks like I didn't arrive too late."

"Indeed. Any later and this old man would have been preparing to retreat," Issho responded, turning his blind eyes upward.

"Fair enough. Although Kaido's strength is considerable, if you decided to leave, he couldn't stop you." Cyrus rested his red, crystal-like longsword on his shoulder, turning his gaze back to Kaido.

"Now, changing opponents!"

'Changing opponents?' Kaido's eyes scrutinized Cyrus.

Cyrus's presence was indeed formidable—stronger than the blind man below, and possessing Conqueror's Haki.

However, he wasn't currently displaying the overwhelming, world-breaking power witnessed at the Red Line.

Yet, that continent-splitting sword strike had been genuine. Kaido maintained utmost vigilance.

Cyrus lifted Flame from his shoulder.

The fire surrounding him surged before converging entirely into the sword in his hand.

Like a dazzling red gem, the blade grew radiant with intense crimson light.

Witnessing this concentration of energy, Kaido's expression shifted uncertainly.

After a brief consideration, the Emperor reached his decision.

Cyrus's true capabilities remained unclear, and the blind man below was no weak opponent.

A two-on-one aerial battle was highly disadvantageous.

Even if he intended to test Cyrus's strength, this wasn't the right place or time.

Kaido raised his arms and swung his Haki-imbued spiked club with crushing force.

"Adamantine Bullet!"

After unleashing a powerful shockwave with his club, Kaido's body expanded, transforming back into a massive azure dragon.

A fiery blast spewed from the dragon's maw to cover his retreat.

Without hesitation, the Emperor turned and fled into the clouds.

Swatting away the incoming shockwave, Cyrus sidestepped to evade the breath attack.

Watching Kaido fly away, Cyrus considered pursuing but decided against it, instead descending toward Issho.

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