Chapter 9: Defeat Kaido
"Heh heh, it's over? Not necessarily. That little guy seems quite unconvinced."
Following Shiki's words, Kaido, who had been kicked away, charged back again. At the same time, his Spiked Club smashed fiercely towards Nicholas, clearly intending to turn him into mincemeat.
'Thunder Bagua!'
Accompanied by Kaido's roar, the Spiked Club carried an unstoppable momentum!
Bang!
With a muffled, loud sound, Nicholas was sent flying.
The surrounding Pirates, after a brief silence, erupted into frenzied shouts. At the same time, some people started taking bets, though the odds were ridiculously skewed at one to one hundred!
"Hahaha, that kid... I seem to remember him. Wasn't he called Kaido? Last time they said a Monster appeared in the New World, it seems it was him!"
"But boss, why are you all betting on that guy Nicholas to win?"
"New here?"
"Yeah."
"Lend me all the Beli you have. If we win, we'll split the winnings three-seven."
"Boss, here's the money. Now can you tell me?"
"That guy is the Seventh Division captain. He's a real Monster, just like Whitebeard and the others! Kaido thinks he can beat him? Is he still asleep?"
Meanwhile, on the Grand Stand, Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and the others calmly focused their gaze on the figure sent flying by Kaido.
"Hahaha, as expected, he's the one I had my eye on."
Rocks laughed wildly, clearly satisfied with the scene in the arena.
"That guy didn't use his Devil Fruit Ability? His growth rate is truly terrifying."
A powerhouse of Whitebeard's caliber could naturally discern combat details that ordinary Pirates couldn't.
"That Nicholas guy seems to be using Paper Art from the Navy Six Forms. But to abandon his Devil Fruit Ability and focus on Body Techniques is simply putting the cart before the horse."
Shiki said disdainfully. For him, both Haki and Body Techniques were auxiliary to Devil Fruit Ability. Just like the powerhouses in the Rocks Pirates, each of them had pushed their Devil Fruit to its limits. And Nicholas's Rumble-Rumble Fruit, if developed to its peak, would definitely place him among the top tiers on the Grand Line.
But now he's wasting his energy studying Body Techniques. Isn't that a waste of resources?"
"Shiki, you can't say that. Body Techniques, when trained to a certain level, are by no means weaker than Devil Fruit Ability. Neither Roger nor the Navy's Garp are pushovers."
Wang Zhi interjected from the side, refuting.
While the crowd on the Viewing Platform discussed, Nicholas and Kaido clashed again in the arena. Nicholas's figure was constantly dodging Kaido's attacks with an uncanny posture. No matter how fierce Kaido's attacks were, they couldn't even graze Nicholas's clothes.
"You bastard, are you just going to keep dodging like a rat?!"
Facing Nicholas, who was a thousand times more slippery than an eel, Kaido completely lost it. In other words, he was completely desperate.
Whoosh!
When Nicholas reappeared, he was standing on one foot atop Kaido's Spiked Club, looking down at Kaido condescendingly, and said nonchalantly, "Is that all you've got?"
Just two simple words, delivered in a dismissive tone.
It wasn't much in terms of damage, but the insult was devastating.
The surrounding clamor died down. Many of the surrounding Pirates watched the composed Nicholas in the arena and swallowed hard.
Though many were confident they wouldn't fear facing someone of Kaido's strength, they couldn't replicate Nicholas's effortless reception of Kaido's attack.
No wonder the Rocks Pirates were called a Monster haven on the Grand Line.
Kaido glared at Nicholas, his face contorted with rage.
But for him, if one swing didn't kill him, then another would.
"Kid, looks like you're pretty strong."
Kaido grinned savagely, then his entire upper body became covered in black Haki. "Don't go dying on me now!"
His massive arm clenched into a fist and smashed towards Nicholas.
As Nicholas used Paper Art to dodge again, the Spiked Club in Kaido's hand carried the force of a thunderbolt, accompanied by a deafening roar, tearing through the air and becoming a blur as it smashed towards Nicholas.
"Kid, your strange Body Techniques rely on using the airflow generated by attacks to narrowly evade them, right? Well, what happens when you're surrounded by chaotic air currents? How will you dodge then?!"
"Simple. Then I won't dodge!"
As Nicholas spoke, he shifted his stance slightly. Then, his entire right arm, clothes and all, was rapidly covered in black-purple Armament Haki, crackling with blue electricity.
At the same time, his right fist shot out in a fluid motion!
Clang!
With a clang of metal on metal, the air itself vibrated, and a shockwave rippled outwards from the two combatants.
Then, a scene that shocked all the Pirates in the arena unfolded. Kaido's Spiked Club visibly bent into a '7' shape right in the middle.
Then the Spiked Club snapped in two right in the middle. Nicholas's fist didn't stop, landing squarely on Kaido's face.
Blood spurted from Kaido's mouth and nose, and even a tooth flew out with the spray of Blood.
Nicholas didn't stop after landing a blow. Instead, he transformed into a bolt of lightning, appearing and disappearing around Kaido so fast that afterimages lingered in the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kaido's massive frame swayed like a leaf in a hurricane.
He had no chance to resist at all. Even with Armament Haki covering him, he was being pummeled mercilessly, a truly gruesome sight.
When he finally hit the Ground, he was completely unconscious.
From the moment Kaido was sent flying by that punch to when he finally hit the Ground, he'd endured a ton of damage in just two seconds.
As Kaido collapsed, a thunderous cheer erupted from the surrounding Pirates.
Just then, Kaido, who had already fallen, staggered back to his feet, though his eyes were still rolled back, clearly still unconscious.
"His body's combat instinct? What a terrifying guy."
Nicholas wasn't particularly interested in Kaido, who had lost consciousness yet still stood. After all, this Kaido hadn't eaten *that* Devil Fruit yet, and his strength was far from what it would become.
While everyone was still stunned, Nicholas strolled over to Kaido. He admitted he was briefly considering whether to kill a future Four Emperors right then and there.
But considering the trouble killing Kaido might cause, he decided against it. After all, neither Rocks nor the enigmatic Im were opponents he could yet contend with. He needed strong figures to draw attention, while he accumulated power until he was unmatched.
Thump!
The Ground shuddered violently. A large crater formed in the Ground centered on Kaido, as Nicholas slammed Kaido's head into the Ground.
This time, he wasn't getting back up.
(End of Chapter)