One Piece: I'm not Roger

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Kaido fully transformed into his hybrid form. Azure dragon scales spread across his body, and his already massive frame expanded further, reaching nearly nine meters in height. Alongside his original oni horns, two additional dragon horns curved from his head. His aura surged violently, pressing down on everything around him like a feral beast unleashed.

"Roger..."

His roar tore through the air, whipping up a violent gust that forced many nearby to cover their ears. Those too weak or slow to react suffered ruptured eardrums, blood trickling from their ears. A single roar carried overwhelming destructive force.

Augustus D. Aether did not tolerate such arrogance. His Conqueror's Haki erupted upward like a boundless sea, piercing the sky. Without even colliding directly, it forced the clouds into turmoil, carving out a hollow in the heavens where sunlight poured through.

His will pressed forward like an overwhelming tide. The sheer intensity of his Conqueror's Haki distorted the air, creating faint visual distortions.

Kaido grinned, baring his fangs as he met the pressure head-on. He had never feared anyone in a battle of Haki. Without hesitation, he unleashed his full Conqueror's Haki. Yet this time, the power he took pride in was suppressed. No matter how much strength he poured into it, his presence was steadily forced back, only stabilizing after being compressed to a fraction of its original range.

This sight pulled Golden Lion Shiki into memory. Long ago, Gol D. Roger had suppressed him in the same manner.

The clash of Haki caused surrounding rocks to lift into the air before being crushed into dust by the invisible force.

"Damn it. As expected of a relic from the old era. His Conqueror's Haki is on another level."

Aether found the comment mildly irritating. Kaido kept calling him an old relic, yet the age difference between them was not that great. More importantly, Aether's current appearance was far younger.

Seeing the stalemate, Kaido abandoned the clash of will and charged forward. His massive body surged ahead as he swung his kanabo, coated in advanced Conqueror's Haki. Black lightning crackled around the weapon as it aimed directly for Aether's vitals.

Aether responded instantly. Drawing his sword Ace, he gripped it firmly with both hands. Dark red flames flickered along the blade, matching the cold gleam in his eyes.

"Thunder Bagua!"

"Divine Departure!"

The kanabo descended from above while Ace cut upward. The weapons did not touch, yet their power collided violently. Advanced Conqueror's Haki clashed in midair, unleashing a deafening explosion. The resulting shockwave tore across the battlefield, scattering the rain and halting the storm itself.

Dark red lightning surged skyward, clearing the thunderclouds entirely. Sunlight flooded the island once more. The sheer scale of the clash left countless onlookers speechless.

Both fighters pushed forward, their strength cracking the ground beneath them. An invisible barrier separated their weapons as they remained locked in place, lightning dancing wildly between them.

A sharp cracking sound broke through the chaos.

Kaido's pupils shrank.

Under his gaze, Aether's blade began pushing his kanabo upward. His advanced Conqueror's Haki wavered, showing faint signs of collapse.

Aether's lips curled into a grin, his eyes gleaming.

Now he understood clearly. His current strength matched what he once possessed at his peak.

"Kaido, your Conqueror's Haki hasn't reached its peak. It's not even on the level of Red-Haired Shanks."

Kaido's expression darkened, though he forced himself to remain composed. The difference was undeniable. If they continued clashing purely with advanced Conqueror's Haki, he might be the first to break.

Still, excitement surged through him.

"Exhilarating! Just as expected of Roger. You're even stronger than I imagined!"

"You're not bad either, Kaido."

With a shift in momentum, their weapons separated. Instantly, they launched into a relentless exchange. The kanabo swung with explosive force, each strike wrapped in lightning. Kaido adjusted his approach, no longer challenging Aether directly where he was weaker. His attacks were broad, aggressive, and relentless.

Aether met him head-on. Though he held a slight advantage in each clash, it was not enough to end the fight quickly. Still, every exchange drained more stamina from Kaido than from him.

Yet Kaido's endurance was monstrous. As an oni, his stamina far surpassed that of ordinary top-tier fighters.

Aether muttered under his breath.

"What a troublesome opponent. This won't end quickly."

Kaido heard him clearly. Rage flared in his chest.

"Roger! This is not your era anymore! You think you can take me down? I am Kaido of the Beasts!"

With a sudden feint, Kaido baited Aether into reacting before unleashing a powerful swing.

"Kongokabura!"

The compressed force of the blow struck Aether, sending him flying hundreds of meters into the sky.

Kaido prepared to follow up, but Aether inhaled deeply midair, his chest expanding.

"That's not certain, Kaido. Breath of Destruction!"

A glowing magic circle formed before him. A torrent of dragon flame erupted outward, rivaling Kaido's own attack. The blast engulfed Kaido and the ground beneath him, carving out a massive crater spanning hundreds of meters.

The battlefield fell silent.

This was neither Haki nor swordsmanship.

"Is the captain a Devil Fruit user?"

"I've never heard of anything like that..."

Among the stunned crowd, Portgas D. Ace stood frozen. The flames Aether unleashed were no weaker than Kaido's. As a user of the Mera Mera no Mi, he felt shaken. Others seemed to wield fire far beyond him.

The flames within the crater slowly faded.

Kaido emerged, largely unharmed, though his appearance was slightly disheveled. Moments later, an azure dragon rose from the ruins and unleashed a counterattack.

"Heat Breath!"

"Breath of Destruction!"

Aether responded instantly, releasing another torrent of dragon flame. The two attacks collided midair, forming a blazing sphere that lit up the sky.

Fragments of fire rained down across the island like falling stars.

In that brief moment of blinding light, Aether vanished.

Kaido immediately shifted back into his hybrid form, bracing himself.

From above, a dark red slash descended.

Kaido reacted just in time, raising his kanabo to block. Even so, the force drove him deep into the ground.

Moments later, he rose from the rubble, shaking dust from his body.

Though he had not suffered serious injury after nearly ten minutes of battle, his current state was far from composed. Dirt covered his body, Kaido looked pressured.