Fortunately, Ulti was a seasoned fighter with quick reflexes.
She nimbly flipped in mid-air and, using the momentum, landed steadily back on the ground.
Despite her disheveled state, she showed no trace of panic on her face.
Instead, she raised her eyebrows slightly, wearing an expression that said, 'Just as I expected.'
"The boost that Zoan abilities provide to strength is truly terrifying." Ulti sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of relief.
After all, she herself was also a Zoan Ability User, so she was well aware of the immense advantages and potential threats that such abilities could bring.
Therefore, as soon as Sasaki unleashed his ability, the meticulous Ulti had already held back, deliberately controlling her strength to avoid serious injury.
With this in mind, Ulti didn't hesitate any longer.
She took a deep breath and quickly activated the power of her Devil Fruit.
Her body began to undergo a strange transformation—her original human form gradually disappeared, replaced by a peculiar half-human, half-beast appearance.
Sasaki's pupils involuntarily contracted slightly at the sight.
In truth, the relative strength between Zoan Ability Users is generally determined even in their normal states.
In his base form, he was slightly inferior to Ulti in both strength and speed. Unless there was a vast disparity in their abilities.
Otherwise, after transforming into beast form, the stronger would remain strong, while the weaker would remain weaker.
Unfortunately, Ulti's Zoan—Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Species, Pachycephalosaurus form—ability was in no way inferior to his own Zoan—Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Species, Triceratops form.
His expression grew solemn. Because he understood that what lay ahead would be a difficult battle.
Meanwhile, Who's-Who had been sent flying over a hundred meters away, taking a moment to steady himself before rising to his feet.
Then, he took a deep breath, his entire body's muscles suddenly tensing as a powerful energy surged forth from within.
In the blink of an eye, he successfully activated his Zoan ability, his entire form beginning to undergo a startling transformation.
He gradually transformed into a massive, imposing half-beast form saber-toothed tiger.
Sword-like fangs protruded prominently from the corners of his mouth, gleaming with a chilling cold light, his robust and powerful limbs brimmed with explosive strength, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.
His body was covered in thick fur, as hard as steel, exuding a wild and domineering aura.
At that moment, he uttered a low cry: "Soru!"
Instantly, his figure vanished from his original position like lightning.
All that remained was a deep crater left by his heavy footsteps, as if testifying to the terrifying presence that had stood there mere moments before.
Were it not for this crater, no one would have imagined that just one second earlier, he had been standing firmly in that very spot.
However, when everyone shifted their gaze into the distance, they were astonished to discover he had already appeared like a ghost merely ten meters away from Yamato.
At this moment, he was staring intently at Yamato with cold, sharp eyes, revealing undisguised hostility and vigilance.
Simultaneously, his ferocious face still bore traces of confusion and bewilderment.
He truly couldn't comprehend why, as their captain's biological daughter, she would choose to associate with a Marine?
What hidden secrets lay behind this?
Though his mind was filled with questions, these thoughts flashed through his consciousness only briefly.
Because for him, regardless of the reasons, once they crossed hands, he would show absolutely no mercy.
After all, in these turbulent seas, the law of the jungle remained the eternal rule of survival. If he showed any mercy, he would be the one to die.
"Shigan!"
Without another word, Who's-Who propelled himself forward with a powerful push of his legs, charging directly at Yamato.
Simultaneously, he concentrated all his strength into his index finger before thrusting with his hardened finger at ultra-high speed.
The tip of his finger possessed bullet-like penetrating power, capable of easily piercing through human bodies.
And his target was Yamato's heart.
Indeed, Who's-Who possessed considerable strength, but that depended on who he was compared to.
If compared to Ulti... even if they fought fiercely for an entire day, it would likely be difficult to determine a victor in the end.
However, the opponent he now faced directly was Yamato!
It is worth noting that in the original story, even a being as immensely powerful as Kaido had been fiercely struck by Yamato.
Her true combat strength was far beyond what someone like Who's-Who could ever hope to withstand.
Who's-Who confidently unleashed what he believed would be a decisive blow.
Against any other opponent, this move might have succeeded. But Yamato stood firm like an unshakable mountain, not moving an inch.
Just as Who's-Who's fingertips were about to make contact with her body, the spiked club in her hands suddenly swung out with thunderous force, carrying a terrifying, overwhelming power that landed squarely on Who's-Who's face.
Who's-Who didn't even have time to react before he was sent flying backward like a cannonball under the impact of Yamato's astonishing strength.
However, this time was completely different from the last. The previous time, Yamato had merely swung casually and carelessly.
But this time, she not only infused her spiked club with Armament Haki but also unleashed her full power without holding back in the slightest.
Pfft...
Who's-Who spat out a mouthful of blood mid-air, and for a moment, his eyes lost focus. It was clear just how devastating this blow had been.
"Thunder Bagua!"
But Yamato had no intention of letting him off so easily.
In the blink of an eye, she swiftly charged her spiked club with crackling lightning, then pushed off with her legs, propelling herself forward like a cannonball.
She caught up to the flying Who's-Who almost instantly.
This technique was incredibly powerful—in the original story, it had knocked out Ulti in her Beast Form with a single strike.
The move was inherited from her father, Kaido's Thunder Bagua.
Though Ulti quickly regained consciousness and mocked Yamato's attack, saying it didn't deserve to be called "Thunder Bagua" and was at best "Thunder Four Bagua."
However, in her subsequent battle with Kaido, Yamato's version proved no less powerful than his, and she even managed to injure Kaido's forehead in a direct clash of Thunder Baguas.
Just how formidable was Kaido's defense? The fact that she could wound him shows that Yamato's technique was far from as weak as Ulti claimed.
The truth was, Yamato hadn't used her full strength when facing Ulti.
Bam!
The next moment, Yamato's spiked club slammed violently into Who's-Who's abdomen.
If this strike landed, even if Who's-Who didn't die, he would be completely incapacitated.