Two powerful forces collided, producing a deafening roar that seemed capable of shattering the entire world.
The sound echoed across the battlefield like a doomsday bell, lingering without end.
The moment Saint Saturn's fist met Kaido's Hassaikai, a shockwave akin to a nuclear explosion erupted from the point of impact, sweeping outward in all directions.
Where the shockwave passed, the ground within a hundred-meter radius was torn apart, massive rocks flung into the air like fragile foam before shattering into countless fragments that rained down everywhere.
Astonishingly, Saint Saturn's fist had indeed withstood what should've been an earth-shattering blow.
His massive frame, comparable to Kaido's, stood as steady as a towering mountain, unmoved.
Yet, upon closer inspection, one could see that the sleeve on his arm had been shredded by the terrifying force, with traces of blood seeping through his exposed skin—clear evidence that even he'd felt the strain of this strike.
However, Saint Saturn underestimated the terrifying power contained within Kaido's enraged strike.
The two remained locked in a stalemate for less than half a second before Saint Saturn's body was sent flying like a cannonball fired from a super cannon.
His figure traced a wretched arc through the air, crashing through several thick rock walls as if they were made of paper, collapsing one after another.
Finally, he barely managed to halt his momentum, but the spot where he stopped already bore a massive human-shaped crater surrounded by spiderweb-like cracks.
As for Kaido, his condition wasn't much better.
The recoil force transmitted from Saint Saturn's fist surged through his arm like a raging tsunami, spreading throughout his body.
An excruciating pain shot through his arm, numbing it as if it no longer belonged to his body.
His already severely injured body from the previous battle was now pushed to the brink, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
"King, I..."
He staggered backward several steps, each leaving a deep footprint in the ground.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he spat out another mouthful of blood.
The blood scattered in the air, blooming into a striking yet tragically poignant flower.
The wounds beneath his dragon scales tore open once more, blood dripping continuously through the gaps between the scales, staining the ground beneath his feet a deep crimson.
"Mamamamama!" Big Mom strode over, carrying the enormous Napoleon Great Sword with heavy, domineering steps.
Seeing Kaido's current wretched state, she curled her lips into a mocking smile and taunted, "Kaido, if you can't hold on anymore, get out of the way and rest! I'll take care of this old bastard myself!"
Kaido wiped the blood from his mouth with difficulty, his dragon eyes burning with unyielding flames like two blazing suns.
He glared fiercely at Big Mom and roared, "Cut the crap! I'm the world's strongest immortal creature! It won't be so easy to make me fall!"
With that, he forced his trembling body to straighten his spine, raising the Hassaikai high once more.
"The one who can kill me... hasn't been born yet!"
Kaido's voice echoed across the smoke-filled battlefield.
Even in dire straits, he'd fight to the end without retreating—even if he had to die, he'd die on the battlefield!
Amid the deathly silent ruins, Saint Saturn slowly rose from the ground.
His figure stood out starkly in the swirling dust, his already tattered black robe now looking like a thousand-holed rag fluttering lightly in the wind, as if it would turn to dust at any moment.
Yet, astonishingly, eerie black flames suddenly erupted and blazed across the robe.
The flames seemed alive, leaping and rolling, spreading with an unstoppable momentum.
Under the baptism of these black flames, the originally tattered robe appeared to be infused with new vitality—strands of fibers began to interweave and merge anew, soon restoring it to its original state as if all the damage it'd suffered had never occurred.
Saint Saturn slowly raised his hand, wiping away the conspicuous trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.
His movements appeared unhurried, yet carried a chilling, unshakable composure.
His pitch-black eyes now glinted with a cold, sinister light, like the frigid depths of a winter pond—deep, icy, and intimidating.
"Arrogant fools…" Saint Saturn's voice was low and raspy. "Today, I'll show you what true power is!"
As his menacing words echoed, a terrifying aura began to seep slowly from his body.
This aura, like a tangible chill, swiftly spread in all directions.
The temperature on the battlefield seemed to drop in an instant.
The frigid air felt as though it could pierce through to the marrow, making everyone shiver involuntarily.
Even the air itself grew thick and heavy, as if invisible hands were tightening around every throat, making it difficult to breathe.
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Saint Saturn.
The Murakumogiri in his hand was faintly radiating a powerful energy fluctuation.
It was the energy of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, continuously gathering and accumulating, ready to erupt like a volcano at any moment.
"So, you're finally getting serious…" Whitebeard murmured under his breath, his tone laced with gravity and caution.
At this critical, tension-filled moment, Saint Saturn's body suddenly began to undergo a series of horrifying transformations!
"Crack, crack, crack—"
A series of grating bone-cracking sounds broke the oppressive silence.
Saint Saturn's originally withered frame, as if infused with boundless power, began to swell rapidly like an inflating balloon.
His muscles bulged, and his skin stretched taut, on the verge of tearing.
His loose black robe couldn't withstand this sudden change, shredding into pieces.
As the robe disintegrated, Saint Saturn's grotesquely twisting body was exposed to everyone's view.
Black flames erupted wildly from every pore, writhing and merging like demonic tentacles across his skin, eventually forming a bizarre layer of black armor.
"Is he transforming?"