Chapter 314: Inferno Clash: Owen vs. Kaido’s Awakening

Owen, even bolstered by the Template and Rainbow Stone, was still no match for the raw power of the Oni Kaido.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Every time Owen’s fists struck Kaido’s kanabo, a numbing jolt shot up his arms.

Owen realized he couldn’t keep this up. If the brawl went on any longer, he might not last until backup arrived.

“Sea of Fire!”

Their battle had long since broken away from their crews and landed right in the middle of the town.

That meant Owen could finally unleash a large-scale attack.

Flames erupted from beneath Owen’s feet, spreading out to engulf hundreds of meters with a roaring inferno.

For Owen, fire wasn’t just a weapon. It was nourishment, fueling his strength.

For Kaido though, the searing heat evaporated moisture from his body, making each attack more draining.

“Wororororo!”

“You’ve got experience, huh? You know you can’t win with strength alone, so you’re getting crafty.”

“But against absolute power, all your tricks are useless.”

Kaido gripped his kanabo, a dark green armor shimmering over his body. His hands thickened with emerald scales.

In the blink of an eye, he’d transformed into a towering turtle, standing upright.

Owen’s expression turned grim. “You’re a Devil Fruit user too?”

Kaido might have missed out on the Mythical Zoan Blue Dragon Fruit, but in West Blue he found another that changed his life—the Mythical Zoan: Dragon Turtle form.

Feeling the surge of power inside, Kaido roared with his kanabo raised high.

“Thunder—Bagua!”

Empowered by the Devil Fruit, Kaido’s speed skyrocketed.

He moved like a blur, appearing right in front of Owen.

The kanabo whistled through the air, a monstrous swing smashing into Owen’s head and sending him flying hundreds of meters.

Boom!

The house he crashed through went up in flames almost instantly.

Owen tore off his charred clothes, his chest bare as he strode from the blaze.

“No wonder you’re one of that crew.”

He wiped blood from his forehead. With Kaido channeling the Devil Fruit, his strength had easily tripled.

This was the first time Owen had bled since taking the Titan Gene serum.

“Fire Fist!”

A massive fireball shrank as it soared through the air, but Kaido didn’t let his guard down for a second.

Smaller did not mean weaker—on the contrary, the shrinking fireball was compressing, its power growing fiercer.

But Kaido—

Kaido was a boneheaded brute through and through. There was no way he’d back down from a challenge, danger or not.

Planting his feet, he swung his iron club directly at the oncoming fireball.

Sizzle! Crackle!

The fireball exploded, scattering searing flames across the field as the inferno grew even hotter.

“You’re every bit the brute I expected.”

As Owen struggled to keep up, his blazing fist shot toward Kaido’s jaw.

He landed a fierce uppercut right on Kaido’s chin.

But to Owen’s shock, the punch barely fazed him.

Kaido staggered, but swung his kanabo again without missing a beat.

Seconds later, Owen found himself airborne once more.

Pain throbbed through his right hand. “Wait—is that a rebound effect?”

He remembered the term from a new video game.

By wearing special armor or equipment, a portion of an enemy’s attack would bounce back at them.

“Your Devil Fruit’s got some serious juice. All that defense and now rebound too.”

“I should call you the tank, not Kaido.”

Owen regained his balance midair and shot back toward Kaido, red-hot fists blazing.

“Wororororo!”

“You’re still a long way from beating me, runt.”

“Thunder Bagua!”

Kaido leaped on the spot, swinging his kanabo straight for Owen.

At the moment of impact, a massive pressure rippled out, shockwaves ripping across the island and flattening the entire town beneath their feet.

But the fight wasn’t over. Kaido, thickheaded as he was, noticed something odd.

Every time Owen touched the ground, his wounds and stamina recovered at a rate no regular human could match.

But now, as Owen stayed airborne, the injuries he took weren’t healing right away.

In fact, the wounds were still open even after all this time. Kaido quickly guessed Owen’s Devil Fruit must restore him whenever he’s grounded.

So, as Owen was hurled skyward by the shockwave, Kaido slammed his fist to the ground, carving out a pit thousands of meters deep. Using the rebound, he launched himself into the clouds.

“Wororororo!”

“Runt, I’ve figured out your trick.”

“As long as I keep you off the ground, you won’t recover. Let’s see how long you last.”

Owen’s face paled. Who would’ve thought the brute could catch on so fast? If anyone said Kaido was just a meathead after this, Owen would be the first to argue.

The two exchanged furious blows in midair, each clash sending dust and debris flying.

Their underlings couldn’t make out anything through the chaos—the battle was now split in two.

Honnnk!

A long horn blared, shaking both sides from their focus.

“That’s our backup!”

“Push harder, everyone! Don’t let any of them escape.”

“Anyone daring to challenge Karl’s Pirate Crew is making the dumbest mistake of their lives!”

Unlike Owen’s reinvigorated followers, Kaido’s crew looked worried.

The mention of enemy reinforcements had them all on edge.

There weren’t many of them, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for with overwhelming strength. If more enemies showed up, could they even make it off this island alive?

“Quick—someone report to the Admiral!”

“Everyone else, retreat to the coast in formation!”

Through the haze and heat, the dueling titans barely made out the orders being shouted outside.

It was simply too hot inside the flames—one crew member could only call out from behind the inferno.

“Admiral! The enemy reinforcements are here!”

At the sound of his subordinate, Kaido’s aura exploded—a wild, unrestrained force, like a savage beast breaking its leash.

“Wororororo!”

“Little fire-starter! Take my final strike!”

Conqueror’s Haki raged around him, crackling with black and red lightning over the kanabo.

“Great Weide—Thunder Bagua!”

BOOM!

The blast split the heavens like thunder—the battlefield itself seemed to crack under the blow.

Space warped from the impact. Owen took the full force; his organs torn inside, blood gushing uncontrollably.

Even with Titan Gene boosting his recovery, injuries this grave wouldn’t heal in seconds.

Owen forced a brave smirk. “You’re still not there yet.”

“You’ve got a long way to go.”

Kaido wasn’t fooled. Seeing Owen barely standing, he slung his kanabo over his shoulder and turned from the battlefield.

“Let’s go, boys!”

Kaido boarded his ship, leaving Red Blossom Empire behind. Glancing at the oncoming fleet in the distance, he couldn’t shake the feeling they looked oddly familiar.