One Piece: Kaido's adopted son, starts with the Eight Gates Formation.

"You're the second one."

"Only the second one?" Kaido snorted in dissatisfaction. "Then I'll be the first one to knock your teeth out!"

He rushed forward again.

Yhwach also went to greet him.

The two engaged in a second collision in mid-air.

This time, Yhwach changed his strategy. He no longer tried to confront Kaido head-on with brute force, but instead used his advantages in skill and experience, employing agile footwork and varied spiritual attacks to wear him down.

Spirit arrows flew in from all directions, each one precisely aimed at Kaido's weak points such as joints, eyes, and neck.

Kaido covered his entire body with Conqueror's Haki, and most of the arrows were deflected by his "will" before they even touched his skin. However, a few pierced through his defenses, leaving wounds on his arms and thighs.

"Your coverage isn't even enough," Yhwach pointed out Kaido's weakness as he dodged. "You can concentrate your coverage on your fists, but you can't cover your entire body at the same time. That's your limit."

"You talk too much!" Kaido slammed his club down.

Yhwach dodged and appeared beside Kaido, striking him in the ribs with a palm strike. The impact of the Soul King's power caused Kaido to groan, his body being pushed several meters away.

The two fought to a standstill.

The white-bearded man and the red-haired man, who were watching from below, exchanged a glance.

"Need any help?" the white-bearded man asked.

"No." The redhead shook his head. "This is his battle. If we interfere, he'll hate us for the rest of his life."

"That's true." The white-bearded man smiled.

The aerial battle continued. Kaido and Yhwach had already fought their twentieth round, both bearing wounds, but neither showed any sign of stopping.

Then--

Lynn's voice came from the direction of the Spirit King's Palace.

The child's voice was soft and childish, like someone ordering takeout.

"Dad—are you done? I'm almost done here—would you like to come up and take a look?"

Kaido was taken aback.

Yhwach was also taken aback for a moment.

"...Is your son pressuring you?" Yhwach asked.

"...Hmm." Kaido's face darkened slightly.

He took a deep breath and decided to finish the job quickly.

He put away his spiked club—he no longer needed weapons.

He concentrated all his strength, all his will, and all his Conqueror's Haki into his right fist.

The fist turned pure black, with golden lightning faintly visible within the black—a new form resulting from the fusion of Conqueror's Haki and Kaioken.

"This punch will send you on your way!"

Kaido took a step forward.

Yhwach sensed the sudden surge of power. His omniscience and omnipotence still couldn't foresee Kaido's future, but his physical instincts told him—

We must block this punch.

at all costs.

He gathered all the power of the Spirit King's son between his palms, forming an absolute defensive barrier constructed from the Spirit King's will.

The moment Kaido's fist made contact with the barrier—

With a "bang".

Very light. So light as to be almost silent.

But then, a mournful cry echoed throughout the entire Seireitei space—

Yhwabach's protective barrier cracked.

It wasn't shattered, it wasn't pierced.

From the inside out, every layer, every spiritual particle, every trace of the Soul King's power—all were "subdued" by Kaido's will.

Yhwach's hands were flung away, and a fist struck him squarely in the chest.

His body flew out.

It flew very far.

It traveled so far that it crossed the entire Seireitei and crashed into the boundary of dimensions.

Then he slid down, leaned against the dimensional barrier, and slowly knelt down.

There was another trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.

This time it's more than just a trace.

Yhwach looked at Kaido's enormous figure in the distance, his eyes flashing a few times before slowly dimming.

It's not because we've run out of energy.

Rather, it was because he clearly realized one thing—

Even if he has now absorbed the Spirit King and returned to his complete form—

The child sitting in the Spirit King's Palace, drinking AD calcium milk—

It remains an existence he cannot reach.

"...Interesting." He uttered the last words in a low voice.

Then he closed his eyes.

The Seireitei fell silent.

Kaido stood still, withdrew his fist, and looked at his cracked finger bones.

"It hurts so much..." he muttered.

Then he grinned.

This was the most enjoyable fight he had ever had.