30 Years in Whitebeard’s Crew, I Became Invincible

Cough, cough!

Kaido clawed his way out of the rubble, still in his hybrid dragon form, blood dripping from his mouth.

He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, streaks of crimson smeared across his scales.

"That bastard's Haki... it injured my organs."

Kaido looked down at his abdomen. There was a huge dent, and his muscles were torn apart.

Despite his Zoan-type Devil Fruit's advanced regeneration ability, trying to heal him, the process was slow. Roy's Conqueror's Haki was still ravaging his cells, making recovery impossible in the short term.

"Cheeky bastard," he snarled, forcing himself forward. Every step sent waves of pain through him, blood dripping from his mouth.

On the other side, although Roy had taken a hit from Kaido's tail, he'd defended himself in time. The tail only struck his arm, leaving it numb but otherwise unharmed.

His body still had its flaws. The system refusal to enhance his physical stats was a constant frustration.

"You're still standing? As expected of a monster. If it were a normal person, that punch would've torn them apart."

Roy watched Kaido slowly stagger forward, both impressed and helpless.

The gap in natural physique was just too great. Roy truly envied monsters like him.

Some people were born freakishly strong. Kaido had caught the World Government's attention in his teens. Charlotte Linlin was noticed even younger. A nun once planned to sell her to the government for a great price because of her monstrous potential.

Clearly, the World Government had always been hunting for such monsters, especially those born extraordinary.

Some were used for research, others were raised as enforcers.

Kaido had been captured a few times, largely to study his body.

He wasn't ordinary; he was of the rare Oni race. That explained his horns. Perhaps even Gecko Moria belonged to this race, who knows?

His so-called "son," Yamato, had horns too.

Though technically speaking, Yamato wasn't his biological child. Roy had once asked Vegapunk about it. Years ago, the government extracted material from Kaido's body for experimentation.

Yamato was a clone born in a lab, later taken back to Wano by Kaido.

Kaido valued sons over daughters. That's why Yamato had suffered since childhood.

Kaido hoped she'd grow to hate the world, becoming a killing machine.

But Yamato turned out to be kindhearted. She didn't possess the innate hatred of the Oni race. She even admired Kozuki Oden.

"I acknowledge your Haki," Kaido said.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Roy smirked.

"Scared? ME?!" Kaido's eyes bulged as he let out a breathless laugh.

"If you're not scared, why are you always cautious around other Conqueror's Haki users?" Roy sneered.

"You clearly don't understand what Conqueror's Haki means," Kaido replied coldly.

"To me, it's just a tool. But to you, it's a weapon, a blade that could kill you," Roy mocked.

"That's why you fear it. You're afraid of being defeated, or even killed, by someone like you. Oden left a scar on your body. It showed you the possibility of death. You keep screaming that you want to die, but every single time, you fight tooth and nail to stay alive."

"Do you really want to die?"

"You don't. You're scared. All this 'I want to die' stuff is just an excuse. You want people to think you're fearless. But in truth? You're terrified. You're not 'Kaido the Immortal', you're Kaido the Coward." Roy's ridicule and taunts left Kaido speechless."

Was he wrong?

Not at all. If Kaido truly wanted to die, he could just do it. Who constantly shouts about wanting to die but never actually dies?

Have you ever seen a truly suicidal person yell it to the world? No. They do it quietly, without fanfare.

People who truly wanted to die didn't broadcast it. They didn't say, "I'll die tomorrow," or "I'll die next week." They just... went.

The kind of person who keeps saying they'll die might show up in a product livestream the next day.

Kaido kept shouting, "Someone kill me!", but when truly faced with someone who could, he flinched.

Why didn't he give Oden another fair fight?

Because he's not Katakuri.

Katakuri wouldn't kill someone interfering in a duel. He'd give his opponent a second chance.

But Kaido? He'd never do that. He wasn't that kind of man.

That's why he feared Conqueror's Haki users.

They'd once been stronger than him.

They'd once humbled him.

And they could kill him.

Roy had just torn off Kaido's facade, exposing his fear.

"Worororo... I heard you were sharp with words, but this is something else. Too bad, though, you're wrong! It's not fear, it's respect!" Kaido's laughter boomed, forced and jagged.

"Is that so?"

Roy vanished from sight in an instant. Kaido scanned the area.

"How is that possible?" His Observation Haki failed him.

"I really will kill you, you know. For real," Roy's voice whispered next to his ear.

"Show yourself!"

Kaido looked everywhere, but Roy remained hidden.

He knew Roy was nearby, but the darkness amplified his unease.

Just like the ninja of Wano, silent assassins waiting in the shadows.

If he truly didn't fear death, he wouldn't be this nervous.

Every Emperor had their weaknesses. Kaido's "dominance" looked more like a mask to Roy. Deep down, this man feared death like anyone else.

"COME OUT! No wonder they call you treacherous, hiding in the dark like a rat?" Kaido roared.

"I am treacherous. I am shameless. I've never denied that. But what about you? Have you ever admitted you're afraid of dying?

Roy's voice was calm and steady. "You want people to think you're invincible. But you're just like everyone else, Kaido. You're scared of death. You just scream louder so no one notices."

"You used dirty tricks to beat Oden, killed your own allies to silence them."

"You didn't want anyone to know that you won through foul play."

"You killed Kurozumi Higurashi to bury the truth, that you only beat Oden with underhanded tactics!"

"FIGHT ME PROPERLY, YOU BASTARD!" Kaido's roar shook the mountains.

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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