Naruto: Copy System#679+680: The End of Kaido, Shanks's Wasted Trip

Kaido now understood from Shin’s words that there was no peaceful way out of this.

It was a fight to the death. As for escaping, the thought never crossed his mind.

It wasn't that Kaido didn't want to escape—he was never one for heroic last stands. He would flee from an unbeatable opponent without a second thought. But against Shin Uzumaki, Kaido knew he had no chance of getting away.

Having resolved to fight for his life, Kaido's entire body turned a glossy black. High above, a massive black dragon materialized in the sky.

He cloaked his entire body in a sheet of glossy black.

Armament Haki—Kaido had actually managed to coat his entire massive dragon form, reinforcing both his attack and defense.

Looking at Kaido now, Shin's expression held a hint of surprise. A dragon-form Kaido was already enormous.

To coat his entire body with Armament Haki would consume an immense amount of stamina.

Even Kaido couldn't maintain this state for long, but he had no choice. He had to unleash his full power to have any hope of fighting Shin.

"ROOOOARRRRRRRRRRR!"

A dragon's roar thundered across the sky. Endless storm clouds gathered, and the sea below churned violently, massive waves crashing against Shin’s Wood Golem.

But the colossal waves struck the golem as if hitting an immovable rock, unable to budge it an inch.

Even at his full strength, Kaido still couldn't shake Shin's Wood Golem.

But this was far from over. In fact, it was just the beginning.

Countless bolts of lightning rained down on Shin, and fierce winds howled around him. Electric serpents descended with the torrential rain.

A radius of dozens of kilometers had been transformed into a forbidden zone.

"Calling the wind and rain? Is this the extent of your power, Kaido?"

Shin gazed at the black dragon Kaido had become. He could summon storms, control lightning, and breathe fire. Combined with his endless stamina, ultimate defense, and incredible recovery, Kaido seemed to have no weaknesses.

———————

"Looks like we need to fall back."

Aboard the Pluton, Robin spoke up, and the ship began to retreat.

"This Kaido... Even I would struggle against him in this state," Hancock said grimly. From the power Kaido was now displaying, Hancock knew she was no match for him.

Though Hancock was incredibly proud, she was also pragmatic. If she couldn't win, she wouldn't pretend otherwise.

"I'm not confident either," Olvia said. Her strength was about equal to Hancock's.

Of course, if the two of them teamed up, they could definitely handle him.

But they didn't need to. Shin could handle it himself. No matter how strong Kaido appeared, in Shin's hands, he was nothing more than a worm.

Both Hancock and Olvia had absolute faith in Shin.

There was no time to dwell on that now—the wind and waves were threatening to capsize the Pluton.

The falling lightning was left to Olvia. As a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, she wasn't about to let a few bolts of lightning damage the ship.

As for the wind and waves, Hancock and Momousagi each drew their swords, slicing through the massive swells with a single slash.

It was just the aftershock of the battle. Though the spectacle was immense, it posed no real threat to them. Their strength was far from just for show.

Kaido's desperate struggle was indeed impressive, but it couldn't harm Shin in the slightest.

For all the spectacle, it was all bark and no bite. In reality, it posed no threat to Shin.

"Alright, you've had your turn. Now it's mine," Shin said with a faint smile.

The Armament Haki armor on the Wood Golem was too strong. Kaido's full-power attacks couldn't even scratch it.

"<Susanoo!>"

Shin manifested his Susanoo, which instantly formed into armor, encasing the Wood Golem.

The already massive golem grew another hundred meters, a giant that touched the sky, forcing even Kaido to look up in awe.

With a swift grab, one massive hand seized the dragon-form Kaido. Kaido reacted quickly, reverting to his human form and slipping through the gaps between the fingers.

"Trying to run? I'm not in the mood for hide-and-seek," Shin said calmly.

He then controlled the giant Wood Golem. The two massive hands clapped together like mountains colliding. With a deafening boom, Kaido was caught between them.

"He's still not dead." Shin looked at the severely injured Kaido in his palm. His body was nearly flattened, yet he was still breathing.

Say what you will, but Kaido's durability was astonishing, his life force tenacious. Anyone else would have been killed by such a heavy blow.

But the world of One Piece was full of monsters, exceptionally strong in every aspect, especially their life force, which was almost absurdly resilient.

Take Whitebeard, for example. His vitality was incredible. Even after having half his face blown off, he could continue to fight. Even with a massive hole in his chest, it didn't seem to affect him.

His life force was monstrous. He might not be on the level of a Six Paths-level powerhouse, but compared to the Kage and quasi-Kage of the Naruto world, he was in a different league entirely.

Of course, Orochimaru was an exception. That guy was a true cockroach, seemingly impossible to kill.

Though Kaido wasn't dead, he was on his last breath. Without medical attention, he would eventually succumb to his injuries.

"Alright, I'll give you a quick end."

Shin left the Wood Golem and looked at the fallen Kaido, a black blade formed from a Truth-Seeking Orb in his hand.

The Truth-Seeking Orbs were the bane of all creation, a power that could erase anything it touched. Unless one possessed Six Paths power, contact meant death.

And in the world of One Piece, there was no such thing as Six Paths power.

"It's over, Kaido."

Shin said, looking at him.

Kaido said nothing, closing his eyes in silent resignation.

However, just as Shin approached, Kaido's eyes snapped open, and he threw a punch at Shin's head.

He was aiming for a vital point, hoping for a one-hit kill. Kaido was never one to wait for death.

But it was all for nothing. Kaido's speed was no match for Shin's.

A single stab pierced through Kaido's body. The power of the Truth-Seeking Orb began to destroy his body. Even Kaido was powerless against this force.

His body slowly turned to ash. No matter how strong his body was, once touched, it was erased.

After killing Kaido, Shin dispelled the Wood Golem, letting it sink into the sea, then flew back to his ship.

He returned in an instant.

Seeing Shin return, Hancock and the others immediately surrounded him, checking his condition.

<><><><><><><><>

"Don't worry, I'm not hurt."

Shin smiled at the women who were checking him for injuries.

Though Hancock and the others had absolute faith in Shin, they still cared about him.

“Good thing you’re not hurt, Shin. Otherwise, I would've torn him to shreds,” Hancock said.

Anyone killed by a Truth-Seeking Orb would be utterly erased.

"There's a ship approaching. It's Red-Haired Shanks's ship," Momousagi said, her gaze fixed on the far-off sea.

She pointed at the distant vessel. It was a pirate ship, and Shin recognized its flag—the Red Hair Pirates.

"Shanks is showing up now? Don't tell me he came to play peacemaker?" Shin said with a faint, amused smile.

"Let's go. We'll meet Shanks first, then find Whitebeard." Shin had already dealt with Kaido. Whitebeard shouldn't have any trouble with Blackbeard.

———————

"Captain, they've spotted us," Benn Beckman said, seeing the approaching ship.

"Of course. We weren't hiding. It's only natural they'd see us. But something's not right... has the fight already ended?" Red-Haired Shanks felt something was off.

Shin was right. Shanks had indeed come to stop the fight between Shin and Kaido.

A war between two of the Four Emperors, regardless of the outcome, would have a massive impact on the entire sea.

So, Shanks was planning to use his infamous influence, hoping both sides would give him face... No, not both sides—three sides.

Though Beckman had warned him that his influence might not be that great, Shanks hadn't listened and had brought the Red Hair Pirates over anyway.

But it seemed he was a bit late. He had seen a world-shaking spectacle earlier, but now there was no movement.

And it looked like the battle was already over. He had rushed over as soon as he got the news. Did Shin Uzumaki finish the fight that quickly?

Was Kaido that weak? Shanks didn't know.

The truth was, Kaido's strength wasn't weak, but Shin's was simply overwhelming. He could beat Kaido to a pulp.

———————

"Where's Kaido?"

After meeting, Shanks couldn't help but ask Shin. Though he suspected Kaido was already dead, he couldn't be sure.

Maybe he wasn't dead, just escaped.

Even if Kaido escaped, it wouldn't have a major impact on the seas. But if he was dead, the consequences would be enormous.

"You've probably already guessed. Kaido is dead." Shin said calmly to Shanks.

Shanks sighed. So it was true. Kaido was dead.

"I had originally intended to mediate. It seems I made a wasted trip," Shanks said with a bitter smile.

"Oh? If I hadn't fought Kaido, would that have benefited you in some way?" Shin asked, looking at Shanks.

"No benefit for me, but it would have been a great benefit for the peace of the seas." Shanks shook his head.

If Kaido lived, the seas would remain relatively stable. But if he died, the balance of the Four Emperors would be broken.

Ambitious men would inevitably vie for his position, leading to a war that would claim the lives of tens of thousands.

"I didn't realize you thought so much about these things," Shin said, looking at Red-Haired Shanks as if he could see right through him.

"Since that's the case, you can leave now." Shin had no time to continue chatting with Red-Haired Shanks. He wanted to see how Whitebeard was doing.

Shanks left immediately. Though he had rushed here, it had been a wasted trip. Shin had acted too quickly.

From the start of the fight to the end, it had been less than half an hour.

"I don't buy that Shanks's motives are that pure." Robin stared at the departing Shanks, her eyes filled with suspicion.

"Whatever. It has nothing to do with us. Let's go."

Shin wasn't concerned about Shanks's calculations. As long as Shanks stayed out of his way, Shin couldn't care less what he did.

But if Shanks stepped out of line, Shin would kill him without a second thought.

He really would. Without any mercy.

Besides, Shin and Shanks had no relationship to speak of...

———————

Shin's Pluton set a course for Whitebeard's location. He wondered if Whitebeard could finish the fight.

But Shin guessed Whitebeard definitely couldn't finish off Blackbeard. It had only been a short time. How could Whitebeard defeat Blackbeard so quickly?

Though Whitebeard's strength was indeed greater than Blackbeard's, Shin didn't think Blackbeard had been idle these past two years.

After obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, Blackbeard's strength had improved at an incredible rate. And it wasn't just Blackbeard himself—his crew had likely seen significant improvement as well.

The Dark-Dark Fruit could steal other Devil Fruits. He could kill other Devil Fruit users and take their fruits.

Even if Blackbeard didn't eat them, he could give them to his subordinates.

The Pluton's speed was incredible. It didn't take long for them to reach the site of Whitebeard and Blackbeard's battle. At this moment, Whitebeard was in the middle of a fierce fight with Blackbeard.

Whitebeard's Devil Fruit ability was temporarily sealed—he couldn't use its power.

It had to be said that the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability was a powerful counter to other Devil Fruit users, directly sealing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and nullifying one of Whitebeard's greatest weapons.

Though Whitebeard was still powerful without the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, it was like a tiger without its claws. He was still a threat, but not as great.

However, Blackbeard's crew was nearly wiped out.

It wasn't that Blackbeard's crew wasn't strong, but they were facing a full-scale assault from the Whitebeard Pirates' fleet.

So many people ganging up on them—no matter how strong they were, they couldn't hold out unless they could ignore numbers.

Moreover, the ones attacking Blackbeard's crew were the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, all incredibly powerful individuals.

Especially Marco, Flower Sword Vista, and Diamond Jozu—their strength could even hold off an Admiral for a time.

"Teach." Whitebeard landed a punch on Blackbeard's face, knocking out a few of his remaining teeth.

"You damned old fossil." Blackbeard spat out two bloody teeth, his expression ferocious as he glared at Whitebeard.

"You should have been dead long ago, Teach," Whitebeard said, staring at him.

If not for Kaido, Whitebeard would have killed Blackbeard long ago. But because of Kaido, Whitebeard hadn't been able to act.