Chapter 98: Clash of Emperors
"Hey! He's gonna blast us off the Island!!"
"GYAAAAAAH!!"
*KA-BOOOM*
With a destructive force the attack obliterated the entrance of Onigashima in a cataclysmic display. The sheer power of its impact sent shockwaves reverberating through the air, obliterating the lower-ranking soldiers in its path. Even Kaido and his formidable commanders were forcefully pushed back by the relentless force unleashed. As the echoes of the attack subsided, the remnants of Conqueror's Haki lingered in the air, rendering the weaker individuals nearby unconscious.
*CRASH* With a graceful yet powerful descent, Ashen landed like a superhero in front of Kaido, and his crew landed behind him soon after.
"That fucker! He just blasted the entire place with that attack!" Queen's voice erupted in a torrent of anger, laced with frustration and accompanied by a high-pitched curse.
"Jihahaha! I can't believe this kid…now my hands are itching for a fight" Shiki observed Ashen's attack with a knowing smirk, his own eagerness for a battle evident in his fiery gaze. Seated atop the ship's figurehead, perched high in the sky, he observed the battle.
"Worororo! As expected, Linlin didn't lose to some nobody after all" Kaido smiled excitedly, before his eyes captured Moria who stood behind Ashen "Is that you Moria? you look pretty different than the last time we met, I thought you would retire"
"Kaido! You son of a bitch, you're going to pay for what you did!" Moria's fury consumed him, his face contorted in rage as he unleashed a torrent of curses towards Kaido. His forehead veins pulsated with visible anger, a testament to the intensity of his emotions. In contrast, Kaido remained unfazed, a smirk playing on his lips as he glanced briefly at Moria before redirecting his attention back to Ashen.
"You're not worth my time anymore…I will be dealing with your captain" Kaido declared as he tightened his grip on his Kanabō before he charged towards Ashen at blinding speed, leaving trails of lightning in his wake.
"Raimei Hakke!"
Ashen proceeded to unsheathe Shusui, coating it with Haki while channeling his flames into it and with a swift motion he blocked Kaido's attack. The clash of their Conqueror's Haki caused the ground to crack and heavens to split open.
"SCREECH!!...How reckless" using future sight, Ashen anticipated Kaido's next attack. The latter grasped his weapon with two hands and swung it horizontally with all his might. Though he was very fast, but Ashen still managed dodge his attack.
After that, Ashen quickly used his awakened ability to shoot a massive burst of flames at Kaido's back propelling him towards Ashen, while taking him by surprise. Then he used Ryou and Advanced Conqueror's Haki in his sword, before he dashed towards Kaido at the same time, slashing his chest diagonally.
*Splash* Kaido looked shocked himself as he saw his open chest, but he quickly retaliated and took the opportunity to strike back. He proceeded bash Ashen's head with his Kanabō, sending him flying a few meters back.
"Hehe, you better start being serious, or you might lose your head next" Ashen said as blood dripped down his face. He took a direct hit to the head as well 'It seems that I underestimated his speed too much, even in his human form he's still incredibly fast'
"Tch…I didn't expect you to open up this old wound" Kaido stated, but he didn't look bothered by it, in fact he looked excited as he finally met someone strong enough to fight him "Give me your best Demon, let's see what you've got!"
<Severe Shockwave>
"Hmph…Don't get cocky you shitty lizard" Ashen quickly punch the air with his fist, cracking it while causing a massive shockwave that split the entire ground in front of him, forcing Kaido to dodge while using his future sight to see where he would do land next. After that Ashen amassed his flames into the tip of his sword, creating a massive purple sun and then he hurled it at Kaido, sending him flying back.
<Cruel Sun>
*SWOOSH* Ashen didn't wait and immediately jumped into the air and sent a wide projectile, vertical sword slash towards Kaido. Cutting him through the giant fire ball he created earlier and sending him crashing into the ground.
"Damn it!...Don't think you're the only one who can see the future!" Kaido exclaimed in anger, he got on his feet again looking unfazed by the previous attack he received.
"Horai Hakke!" he didn't waste time after that and he quickly dashed at Ashen after imbuing his weapon with Haki, causing a visible trail of dark lightning to exude from it before he proceeded to swing it at Ashen.
*BOOOM* Ashen blocked it with his sword, and two of them kept trying to push each other back before it ended in stalemate.
"Worororo! It seems that I should get serious from now on" Kaido said with a smile as he started transforming into his human-beast form. His appearance started changing as he grew scales on his arms, outer torso, back, and legs as well as six horns on his head, claws on the hands and feet, and a long tail "You're stronger than I thought demon, let's how long you can entertain me!"
"Then in that case…" Ashen drew upon his awakened power, summoning seas of flames. The environment around them was consumed by it and transformed into pure fire.
Ashen's lips curled into a sinister smile that stretched across his face. Blueish-purple flames engulfed his entire body, transforming his hair into a flickering mass of wild flames that danced around his head like a fiery crown. His eyebrows were also transformed, now flickering with wild purple flames above his piercing gaze. Fixing his eyes upon Kaido, he spoke with a sinister tone, the flames of his aura flickering with a dangerous intensity
"I should also do the same"
…
At the same battlefield,
"Get your shits together!...useless idiots!" Queen yelled at the lower ranking Beasts Pirates that were lying unconscious before his attention was shifted when King spoke.
[All-Star -- Queen the Plague, Wanted Dead or Alive 1.205.000.000 Berries]
"I don't know what you exactly hope to achieve by coming here, but I won't let you have your way!" King declared, glaring at Calvin, Moria and Urouge who were walking to their direction.
[All-Star -- King the Conflagration, Wanted Dead or Alive 1.280.000.000 Berries]
"Hey newcomer, time for you to shine" Queen spoke to the individual behind him. He took a few steps forwards before everyone in Ashen's crew recognized him.
"That's…Mesagi?!" Moria exclaimed in surprised.
[All-Star -- Storm Bringer Mesagi, Dead or Alive 1.050.000.000 Berries]
"So you've became Kaido's dog…" Calvin said to him as he blew smoke from his mouth "anyway, you get in our way, and I'll send you to oblivion"
"Shut up Calvin, you wouldn't get it" Mesagi said in low menacing tone of voice before he took out his long polearm saber.
"You're not strong enough to fight him!" Urouge declared as lunged at Mesagi, throwing a strong right punch. Moria followed him, drawing his sword and attacking Queen.
*Clang*-*Clang*
"Tch…Fucking Moria, did you miss Kaido's dick or what? he surely fucked you up real hard last time" Queen said in annoyance as he clashed swords with Moria.
"Screw you Queen!"
"Time to get this done with" King said, turning into his Pteranodon hybrid form. The flames on his back went out as he flied toward Calvin at a low altitude, using the gained momentum to hit him with a sweeping strike of his pteranodon wing.
"Tankyudon!"
Seeing that Calvin quickly hardened his arms with Haki and blocked the attack, though the sheer force pushed him back a little.
"Calvin Helios, Vice-Captain of the Ashen Pirates, I'll be your opponent" King said taking up the sky before he employed both his pteranodon wings akin to blades, using their forward-most edge to launch a series of destructive, elliptic flame projectiles at Calvin.
*BAM*-*BAM*-*BAM* Calvin easily deflected them with his Haki-Coated arms, before he released a Hasshoken shockwave from his feet to launch himself to the sky while using Soru and Geppo to flying towards King at a high speed.
*SWOOOSH* In an instant Calvin managed to close the distant and punched King in the chest sending him flying back. To his surprise, King shrugged off the attack and look completely unharmed by it.
"So, you're pretty tough huh?" Calvin remarked before the flames on King's back went out and he immediately attacked Calvin again, flying at an incredible speed and using the gained momentum to hit him with a sweeping strike of his pteranodon wing again.
This time Calvin used Soru and Geppo to leap upwards avoiding King's attack before he came down with a strong right punch while emitting a Hasshoken shockwave from his knuckles, sending King crashing into the ground.
*CRASH* Calvin landed near the place where King crashed, the dust obscured the vision. Just a second later King was already on his feet and suddenly appeared in front of Calvin with his sword drawn.
"Don't push your luck!" He said, as he slashed Calvin's chest.
*Splash* Calvin didn't seem bothered by the pain.
After hardening his hand with Armament Haki and infusing it with Conqueror's Haki, he quickly jumped in the air and grabbed King's face and slammed him downwards, shattering the ground below.
"Void Shatter!!"
*BOOOM*
"It seems that I have underestimated you a little, I should get more serious" King said as he slowly got on his feet flames ignited on his back, yet again he looked unharmed by Calvin's attack.
'I can't believe he didn't take any damage from that attack earlier' Calvin narrowed his eyes thinking about that 'He certainly doesn't look like a normal human, he's roughly the same size as Moria and those wings and flames, I'm pretty sure he had them even before he transformed to his Zoan form'
Ashen deliberately didn't informed Calvin about King's weakness since he saw this as an opportunity for him to get stronger fighting a strong durable opponent, it's also a chance for his Haki to bloom and get stronger.
"You've made a mistake coming to this place, your captain is not strong enough to defeat Kaido" King declared as he ignited his sword with fire "You guys got pretty cocky after defeating that old hag Big Mom…don't think you're getting out of here alive"
"I told you before, anyone who gets in our way…I'll send him to oblivion"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone