"Kaido, you're too arrogant."
Kairos Flint's voice rang out sharply.
That single sentence made Kaido's expression shift.
"You're just a so-called Yonko..."
"Do you really think you're worthy of competing with me?"
"The Four Emperors are beneath me!"
The moment those words reached Kaido's ears, his face twisted in fury.
Burning rage ignited in his chest.
He hadn't expected that—
Kairos Flint could be this bold.
So bold that he outright dismissed the Four Emperors. Claimed they were beneath him.
It was pure arrogance.
Kaido had always stood at the top. He couldn't stomach such disrespect.
If Kairos were just another insect, he might have brushed it off.
But he wasn't.
Kaido had seen his battle with the Marines.
So deep down, he knew—
Kairos Flint actually did have the qualifications to stand alongside the Emperors.
But he was just a young upstart, a bounty hunter who exploded into fame by storming into the New World.
That made it even more intolerable.
A brat trying to act like an Emperor?
Even if Kairos had the strength, Kaido refused to accept him as an equal.
He wanted to break that arrogant spirit.
But now?
Now this brat had the audacity to look down on him—on Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.
That was a blow to his pride he couldn't swallow.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward from Kaido's body.
The sky trembled.
Clouds twisted and darkened. Thunder cracked.
The sheer force of Kaido's Conqueror's Haki surged like a tidal wave, barreling toward Kairos with crushing intent.
But—
BOOM!!!
Kairos Flint unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki in return.
It didn't clash directly. Instead, it formed its own separate field, pushing back with equal pride and force.
But anyone with sharp eyes could see—
In this direct clash of wills...
Kairos was slightly weaker.
That wasn't surprising.
His Conqueror's Haki had been elevated back in Alabasta, when he first reached the Emperor level.
But since then, it hadn't improved.
He hadn't fought anyone else with Conqueror's Haki during this voyage.
Which meant—
He hadn't collected any ability crystals related to it.
So his Overlord's Haki was still stuck at its initial Emperor tier.
During his battle with Whitebeard, it didn't matter.
Whitebeard's Haki had declined, affected by age, injuries, and years of stagnation.
That made them evenly matched.
But Kaido?
Kaido was at his absolute peak.
He had none of Whitebeard's physical limitations—no injuries, no weakening.
A true beast in his prime.
This was peak Kaido.
His Conqueror's Haki, unleashed in full, dominated the air.
Maybe it still fell short compared to Shanks…
But against Kairos, who had only recently reached this level, Kaido's dominance was clear.
"Haaahahahaha!!"
"You little punk! You think with that flimsy willpower you can stand above me?!"
"Don't make me laugh!"
Kaido roared with laughter, mocking Kairos after pushing his Haki back.
To him, Kairos was delusional.
Overconfident.
A fool who thought his ambitions matched his power.
But—
"I'll kill you today."
"And use your death to raise my Conqueror's Haki to the next level."
Kairos's voice was cold.
He wasn't bothered by Kaido's mocking.
Yes, his Overlord Haki was still lacking.
But it didn't matter.
Because he was a cheat player.
And Kaido showing up now?
Perfect timing.
An ideal opportunity to evolve his Haki further.
If he killed Kaido, he wouldn't just gain a Phantom Beast Devil Fruit crystal…
He'd also earn multiple epic-grade ability crystals.
A huge haul.
He might even push some of his other powers closer to the True God level.
It all depended on how much dropped.
If the drop rate was good, he'd be golden.
If not… well, then it'd be disappointing.
Right at that moment—
Kaido attacked.
Heat Breath!!!
In his massive dragon form, Kaido soared above the clouds like a storm-twisting force of nature.
He opened his fanged maw—
And unleashed a blazing torrent of heat, blasting down toward Kairos.
A single breath that could evaporate mountains.
This was the power of a Yonko.
Power worthy of the title.
But Kairos didn't flinch.
He simply looked up at the oncoming inferno—expression unchanged.
After all, this was just Kaido.
If Kaido's attacks were enough to make him panic, then what kind of "Bounty King" would he be?
A joke.
So—
He raised his hand.
Power surged from his palm.
And in the next breath—
"Divine Skill: Realm of Nothingness!!!"