One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

Kaido's thunderous attack struck with immense power, its intensity forcing Wright to reconsider. Maintaining the Holy Light Wall against such a relentless assault was too resource-intensive for prolonged use.

"Lightspeed!"

In a flash, Wright appeared in front of Kaido's chest. His great blade, Ashes, was enveloped in a faint golden glow—a manifestation of advanced Armament Haki, unleashed externally.

"Divine Judgment!"

Executing a close-range sword strike of the highest caliber, Wright poured his strength into the slash—enhanced by Holy Fire and advanced Haki projection.

"Slash!"

"Crackle!"

"Roaaarrr!"

The devastating sound of Ashes tearing into Kaido's iron-hard muscles reverberated, accompanied by the searing burn of Holy Fire at the wound. For the first time in ages, a genuine scream of pain escaped Kaido.

"Phew—!"

Sensing Kaido's next move through Observation Haki, Wright immediately retreated after landing the blow.

A split second later, two colossal dragon claws slammed into the ground where Wright had just been, their impact akin to swatting a fly.

Wright frowned as he watched Kaido's massive head tilt backward in pain, slowly realigning itself. The drunken haze in Kaido's eyes seemed to vanish, replaced by a sharp clarity.

The thick clouds summoned by Kaido grew denser, shrouding his enormous dragon form in mist as his long, serpentine body weaved in and out of view.

"Ohohohohoho!"

Kaido inspected the large, slanted wound Wright had inflicted, his massive claws tracing it casually.

"Well done, Marine!"

"That attack sobered me up!"

"It's been years… over a decade since anyone's managed to injure me like this…"

"I'll remember you, Vice Admiral Wright of Marine Headquarters!"

"The Marines have produced yet another monster… but you're still nothing compared to Kouzuki Oden from back then!"

"Wind's Breath!"

After his long-winded taunt, Kaido finally got serious. He unleashed a wave of razor-sharp wind blades, each comparable to the full-power strike of a top-tier swordsman.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Wright's expression turned solemn as he focused his Observation Haki on the torrent of wind blades rushing toward him.

Kaido's attacks varied in size and strength, with some nearly invisible to the naked eye. However, such tricks were insufficient to bypass Wright's heightened awareness.

One by one, Wright's blade intercepted the oncoming wind blades, holding his ground without retreating an inch.

"!"

Suddenly, Wright's Observation Haki flared with an urgent warning. He shattered the final wind blade but had no time to react—

"Boom!"

A colossal dragon tail emerged from the clouds above, delivering a true Divine Dragon's Tail Whip!

Caught off guard, Wright couldn't deploy his Holy Light Wall in time and was sent hurtling into the ground with a resounding crash.

"Heat Breath!"

Kaido opened his maw and unleashed a scorching blast of heat directly into the crater where Wright had fallen.

"Boom—!"

The intense blast vaporized the ground, leaving behind a molten crater. Yet to Kaido's astonishment, Wright emerged unscathed, standing firm with a golden shield of light protecting him.

"Did you think I avoided your breath attack because I was afraid?!"

Wright's body, honed over years of Holy Light training and infused with the power of Holy Light, far surpassed ordinary human limits. Combined with the Blessing of the King and Holy Protection*, which absorbed and reduced damage, Wright was virtually indomitable.

Though the Holy Light Wall required substantial energy, its defensive capability was unmatched. Paired with Holy Light's rapid recovery, Wright's endurance was comparable to Kaido's legendary durability.

"Lightspeed!"

Leaving the Holy Light Wall behind as a decoy, Wright reappeared above Kaido, his Holy Light Wings burning like radiant flames.

"Holy Light Wings: Combustion!"

"Super: Punishing Strike!"

With the explosive propulsion of his burning wings and the full force of advanced Armament Haki, Wright launched a devastating dive attack—

"Boom—!"

Kaido had no time to react. Wright's strike smashed directly into the dragon's head, flattening it and nearly forcing his eyes from their sockets.

"Crash!"

Kaido's massive head slammed into the ground, carving out a deep crater. The remnants of his Heat Breath, unable to fully dissipate, detonated within his now-clenched jaw. Black smoke spewed from his nostrils and between his teeth.

Kaido's enormous body collapsed as his dragon form recoiled, throwing up a massive cloud of dust and debris.

Seizing the opportunity, Wright soared high into the air and activated Holy Light Healing to recover. With Ashes in hand, he unleashed a barrage of flying sword slashes into Kaido's position.

"Slash! Slash! Slash!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After a relentless wave of attacks, Wright's Observation Haki detected a shift—Kaido had reverted to his human form.

"His dragon form is too tanky, but his human form… is even more dangerous!"

Wright frowned, expanding his Observation Haki toward the coastline where the Marines were stationed. Relieved to see the G-5 Marines boarding their ship and preparing to sail, he nodded to himself.

"Good… but I'll need to stall him a while longer."

As the dust settled, Kaido's human form emerged, wielding his colossal spiked club.

"Ugh…"

Kaido shook his head, recovering from the disorientation. "Not bad!"

"Let's go again!"

Kaido roared, his club crackling with wild purple lightning.

"Show me your limits, Marine!"

"Humph!"

With a cold snort, Wright tightened his grip on Ashes and leapt forward.

"As you wish!"

"Divine Judgment!"

"Thunder Bagua!"

"Boom—!"

The collision of Wright's great blade and Kaido's club unleashed a shockwave that obliterated everything at the island's center.

"Good blade!"

Kaido roared as he poured even more strength into his attack, the ferocious lightning threatening to overwhelm Wright.

"This guy's raw power is monstrous…" Wright gritted his teeth, his Holy Light Wall barely holding back the barrage.

"And his recovery is absurd… not even a hint of fatigue!"

Even with Holy Light's enhancements, Wright felt the toll on his stamina mounting.

"Still not enough… I need to become stronger!"

"Raaaah!"

"Roooar!"

Their roars echoed as Wright pushed himself beyond his limits, determined to rise to the challenge.

Wright wasn't trying to defeat Kaido—an impossible feat at his current level. Instead, he aimed to use Kaido's immense pressure, just as he had when fighting Mihawk, to break through his own limits.

"Crash!"

Kaido's overwhelming force sent Wright flying.

"Holy Light Healing!"

A golden glow enveloped Wright as he recovered midair. Blade in hand, he charged again.

"Let's go!"

Kaido grinned, baring his teeth. "You've got guts, Marine! Join my crew, and I'll make you a Lead Performer!"

"Are you still drunk?!"

"Then I'll beat the soberness out of you!"

"Divine Judgment!"

"Thunder Bagua!"

"Boom—!"

The battle raged on.

[TL/N: These are skills of a Paladin in World of Warcraft, in case you don't know.]

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