"It's like foreseeing the future!"
Caesar closed in on the retreating King, slashing down with one strike after another.
The blade shadows danced wildly, like a chaotic flurry of flowers!
"I don't need to think about the future at all. I just need to be fast—faster than the version of me you see in the future!"
"Nonsense!"
King swung his long blade, deflecting Caesar's strike.
Then, his four-meter-long leg bent sharply, driving a knee strike toward Caesar's chest!
"That's no way to awaken Foresight!"
"What I'm talking about is a method to counter Foresight."
Caesar curled his body and flipped nimbly, like a agile cat, landing lightly on King's knee. He chuckled softly, "Blood Cage!"
Whoosh—
Crimson blood materialized around the two, engulfing King entirely!
Seeing this, Caesar raised his blade and slashed down!
Clang—
King was sent flying, his chest armor shattered, leaving a clear white mark. Covered in blood, he looked utterly disheveled.
"The way to foresee the future, aside from focusing Observation Haki, seems to require a bit of relaxation, perhaps even a touch of instinct?"
Caesar pointed his blade forward, and the blood in front of him transformed into countless crimson bullets, shooting toward King. "I think I might have been trying too hard before."
Thud thud thud—
Compared to King's Blade-Lined Double Crown, Caesar's crimson bullets were far denser and more concentrated!
A genuine crimson rainstorm forced King to continuously swing his blade, eventually landing back on the ground.
After fighting for so long, King realized that while Caesar was fast on the ground, having the solid footing of the earth allowed him to barely keep up with Caesar's reactions.
But in the air…
Not only was this kid faster than him, but due to their physical differences, Caesar's maneuverability in flight was also superior!
Moreover, Caesar's wings were on his back, freeing his hands for combat, while King's pteranodon form fused his arms with his wings during transformation. Once engaged in close combat, he had to retreat to maintain flight, putting him at a significant disadvantage.
The most infuriating part was that this bastard could use Moon Walk!
From time to time, he'd step on the air to flip or brake abruptly, darting around like a fly.
"You'd better pray you can keep up this speed…"
A vein bulged on King's forehead as he spoke in frustration.
Caesar's last strike hadn't been infused with Conqueror's Haki, clearly holding back.
This made King feel extremely displeased. Such restraint felt more like an insult to him!
"Sorry, I just wanted to remember this feeling more deeply."
Caesar's tone was apologetic. After all, King had taught him a lot. "Shall we end this?"
"Now? Are you kidding me?"
Hearing this, King's anger flared even more.
He had no idea what state Caesar was in right now.
While he was undoubtedly strong, he was also incredibly irritating!
If he couldn't land a single strike on Caesar today, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
But the problem was, the more they fought, the more frustrated he became!
His most skilled aerial combat was completely countered by Caesar, his strength and speed were utterly suppressed, and Caesar's Haki was no weaker than his own, even enhanced by Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
The only thing that could limit Caesar—Foresight—had also been mastered by him during the battle. With both sides intentionally changing their moves, the predicted future was no longer accurate.
If Kaidou gave him the feeling of absolute power, then Caesar was a complete and overwhelming force!
It was a feeling more overwhelming than mere strength: disgust!
Additionally, due to being a Mythical Zoan, Caesar could also manipulate blood to assist him.
Although it was just a liquid, under his powerful control, the shockwaves and slashes it released were no weaker than those from swords or spears, and it could even restrict his opponent's movements to a certain extent.
Compared to the versatile Mythical Zoan, which combined the abilities of Paramecia and even Logia Types, the ordinary Zoan with its singular combat methods seemed quite weak.
King reverted to his human form and drew his sword: "Stop running around, you bastard."
"Running around?"
Caesar raised an eyebrow slightly and landed lightly on the ground: "Haven't you noticed?"
King frowned slightly: "Noticed what?"
Caesar sheathed his sword and assumed a drawing stance: "Today, I've taken every single one of your attacks head-on!"
"..."
King's pupils constricted sharply as he realized that Caesar had indeed changed his usual evasive tactics and was now confronting him directly.
This also meant that Caesar, who had the upper hand in the battle, had completely surpassed him in strength!
This was... too hasty!
So hasty that he hadn't even adjusted himself to his peak, most powerful state to face this battle.
"You really are a monster."
Taking a deep breath, the flames behind King suddenly became restless, condensing into a line that climbed up to the blade of his sword.
"Indeed, I have no way to deal with you anymore. Continuing this fight would just be a test of endurance, or rather, my own stubbornness."
King shook his head slightly. Caesar had already mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion, and with his advantage in both strength and speed, defeating him wouldn't be difficult.
Thinking of this, King's mood worsened.
This guy really was a freak. Who in their right mind would master Conqueror's Haki Infusion first?
"Come on, let's decide this with one strike. This is my strongest attack, Caesar!"
Boom—
A violent surge of flames erupted, transforming into a fire dragon hundreds of meters long!
King exhaled softly, his mood gradually calming.
His Haki poured out wildly, flowing and attaching to the surface of the fire dragon.
Seeing this, Caesar gently pushed the tsuba with his left thumb, his right hand hovering over the hilt, his body slightly lowered, assuming a drawing stance, similar to the one he had at the start of the battle.
However, the difference was that this time, his Haki truly surged into the blade!
"Guardian... Fire Dragon Lord!"
King's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Caesar's ears.
The entire sky seemed to be ignited by the terrifying fire dragon, turning into a fiery hue.
The fire dragon, from its coiled position, charged straight at Caesar. Perhaps due to its immense speed, the moment it tore through the air, it actually produced a resounding dragon's roar!
Feeling the surging heat wave approaching, Caesar slowly gripped the hilt.
Both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki poured into the long sword, intertwining, flowing, and rubbing against each other.
Caesar's left thumb gently pushed the tsuba, and this simple action caused the air to vibrate with a fierce hum!
Then, without moving his feet, he simply drew the sword.
A dazzling white light suddenly cut through the red-filled sky!
A massive slash hundreds of meters long appeared out of nowhere, its sharp hum boldly declaring its existence as it collided head-on with the approaching fire dragon!
Clang—
The ferocious fire dragon was like a picture being cut, suddenly split into upper and lower halves.
Seeing this, King's lips twitched.
In his eyes, there was unwillingness, but also a hint of relief.
A sudden, intense pain erupted in his chest, and King felt his vision go dark.
In the last fleeting moment of his sight, he saw the blood spraying from his chest...
(End of Chapter)