Kuro had anticipated that the Grand Funeral of Suzaku would be useless; this madwoman's current 'Soul King' form was a completely different state from Kaido's.

The full-power forms of characters at this level all have completely different styles.

Kaido possesses absolute defense and perfect combat skills, while the Straw Hat Pirates seem to utilize elasticity and resilience. In terms of defense, Kaido is stronger, but the Straw Hat Pirates have greater perseverance and are more resistant to beatings. The power of the Straw Hat Pirates' punches has never changed from beginning to end; there's a limit to how much they can fight. You can be invincible when you're at your peak, fighting fiercely and gaining the upper hand. But once you're exhausted, the Straw Hat Pirates can still use that power to hit you, and you can't easily resist them. In the end, you can't resist them at all, because even Kaido can't do that when he's at full power, while the Straw Hat Pirates can still maintain that posture. Isn't that infuriating?

There's nothing we can do; that's the cruelty of the ocean. People risk their lives for it.

Charlotte Linlin's actions are essentially a matter of burning her life, but she's burning her soul. For someone like her, souls are not a problem. If she wins, she can replenish any amount of soul she expends. If she doesn't win, then there's no point in talking about burning her life.

Her posture, in essence, did not strengthen her body much, but the ability to 'devour' other powers' made her a versatile figure, capable of both offense and defense.

Of the Four Emperors, Kuro has met both Kaido and Big Mom.

I've never seen Shanks before, but Shanks isn't a Devil Fruit user, and given that he has the advantage, Shanks' fighting spirit doesn't seem that strong. It's as if he's really pinning his hopes on a certain straw hat.

In the end, he did have the will to fight, because Kuro killed many of his subordinates in one fell swoop, but it was too late. Once Kuro found an opening and cut off his last hand, his defeat was inevitable.

While Conqueror's Haki is good, it lacks the ability to fully unleash its power, leaving it as just another form with less combat strength.

Combat strength has a ceiling; once you reach the peak, you can't go any higher. However, combat strength can be developed horizontally. Having more skills means having more methods and more ability to win.

Those who have fully developed their fruits are obviously stronger than those who have fewer fruits.

In terms of Conqueror's Haki, the Four Emperors also possess it, and their Haki level is not low. Their combat skills are also very strong, and they also have Devil Fruits. Horizontally, they do have a bit more than Shanks. However, in a fight, it can't be calculated that way. According to Kuro's estimation, if it were a one-on-one fight, Shanks could unleash his full power on land. Compared to either Kaido or Big Mom, if Shanks were to die, those two would probably have to retire from the stage of the sea.

Moreover, they have a team. The buffs that Shanks' subordinates can provide are much stronger than those of the other Four Emperors' subordinates. So, if you calculate it this way, hey, it really is a 50/50 or 40/60 split, and we don't even know who's 40 and who's 60.

The ceiling is there, and no one can be strong enough to surpass it. That would defy the common sense of the ocean, just as two generals could defeat any being on the sea.

Kuro is the same; he's very lethal, but his resilience is the weakest among these top-tier players—no... maybe even weaker than that idiot Shanks.

However, he is not a swordsman who fights head-on. He is a swordsman who only cuts people, not the other way around. In essence, he kills people, so he is also an 'absolute defender'.

"The Great Burial of Suzaku was never intended to kill you..."

Kuro squinted at the enormous figure approaching from within the crimson flames and said, "I'm just here to hold you off. To be honest, I was a little unhappy that Mihawk gave me the title of the world's greatest swordsman, but that doesn't mean I can't accept the position. You should feel honored, Linlin, you're the first person to witness this move of mine, and of course, you're qualified to witness it too."

The last strand of the Void Killing Blade that surrounded his body flew out, circled around Luo Gui's blade, and gradually merged into it.

Kuro held the Luo Gui upright in front of his chest, as if performing a ritual, and spread the blade with two fingers, the golden light enveloping the blade.

This move...

Law and Kid, who were standing nearby, were stunned for a moment, then shouted at the same time, "Watch out, that move is coming again!!"

Those indiscriminate slashes were so powerful they terrified, and now they're coming again?!

Facing an old emperor, he still has the leisure to want to eliminate them all at once?

That's incredibly arrogant!

But regardless, they must defend against this move.

Kidd, with his sharp eyes, had already noticed that Kuro no longer had that terrifying ribbon on his body. If they could withstand this attack, they would have a chance!

Buzz!!

Just as they were preparing their defenses, they suddenly felt their bodies become heavy. The chaotic air around them was no longer there, nor was there any buoyancy. They fell straight down from the air.

The domain has been eliminated?!

"Chance!"

Luo stretched out his hand, about to use his ability to lead the remaining people away from this hellish place, but before he could activate his ability, he suddenly showed a look of horror on his face, staring intently at the blood-red figure in the sky, his eyes almost bursting, and his teeth chattering involuntarily.

"What is that...?"

It wasn't him who spoke, but Kidd, who was beside him. Completely disregarding his own falling body, his expression was similar to Law's, staring intently at the sky, and shouting incredulously, "What is that?!"

Marco flapped his blue-flame wings, grabbing the two captains beside him. He looked up, swallowed hard, and then gave a wry smile: "Has he grown to this extent...?"

The domain has disappeared?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!