Chapter 29 – Teacher Renji's First Lesson for Kaido!
"Tch, brat, knock this bastard out for me!"
Golden Lion took a puff of his cigar, then turned his gaze to Renji: "If you end up dead later, I'll go looking for this fruit!"
"Don't worry, old lion, even if you handed me your Float-Float Fruit, I wouldn't eat it!"
"You damn well better not even try!"
Though Golden Lion knew Renji was disdainful of his Devil Fruit ability, he still couldn't hold back his irritation.
"Who knows? Maybe I'll eat it someday?"
Renji shrugged and said no more. That Golden Lion guy was really like a piece of sticky gum—even in the middle of a fight, he had to mess with his head.
That said, Renji still had little interest in Golden Lion's fruit. Flight, throwing islands—sure, those were useful abilities, but Renji didn't lack them. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit could practically substitute for all of them. With enough mastery over magnetism, this fruit's potential far surpassed the Float-Float Fruit.
Shaking off his thoughts, Renji turned to face Kaido, who had now stepped onto the arena.
"Come on, kid. As your senior, I'll let you have three moves!"
"..."
This guy's… weirdly nice.
Kaido suddenly felt that his earlier assumptions had been too harsh. His impression of Renji softened slightly.
Though he didn't need Renji's charity, the fact that the man was putting on the act of a senior looking out for a junior gave him a faint sense of warmth. After all, for Kaido, who had just suffered betrayal, his heart was currently steeped in darkness.
"I—"
Kaido was about to speak when, in the next second, Renji suddenly kicked him straight off the arena. Thankfully, he reacted fast enough to grab the edge, or he would've been sent flying right out.
"You bastard! That's so underhanded!!"
Kaido climbed back onto the arena, face flushed, glaring at Renji as he roared.
This asshole had just said he'd let him have three moves! He'd actually started to think the guy wasn't so bad—only for him to pull a cheap shot!
"That was just a piece of advice from your senior—don't trust others so easily. Otherwise, that kick just now would've sent you straight out. And here you are, ungrateful. Honestly, you're really… And here I was, trying to go easy on you. Fine, forget it. Let's start over—I'll still let you have three moves!"
After Renji's words, Kaido fell into deep doubt.
Could it be…
That he'd overthought things? That he'd misjudged Renji as more sinister than he was? Renji really could've kicked him out just now if he'd wanted to—back when Kaido hadn't even reacted yet.
Looking at it that way, Renji had indeed held back. He was just teaching him not to trust others so easily.
But… why? Why would he look out for a newcomer like him, who'd just joined the crew?
But the next second, Kaido was kicked flying again. This time, he barely managed to wedge himself back onto the arena's edge with his club.
"Wait, that doesn't make sense. I even put a little more force into that one compared to last time, so why didn't it work?" Renji muttered. Though his voice was quiet, Kaido heard it loud and clear. Then, without a hint of shame, Renji continued, "Hey, how about you stand still and let me take another shot at you? That way, you'll have given me three moves. Come on, as your elder, you should respect your seniors, right?"
You shameless bastard!
No wonder Golden Lion called Renji underhanded and despicable!
He'd been fooled!
He'd actually started to believe Renji was a decent guy, that he was trying to look out for him. But no—this bastard was just screwing with him!
And now he wanted him to stand still and take another kick?!
Like hell he'd fall for the same trick twice! Kaido wasn't an idiot!!
"You bastard, I'm never believing another word out of your mouth!!"
Kaido's rage exploded as he swung his club straight at Renji's head.
He swore he had never wanted to give someone a "club diagnosis" so badly in his life.
"You can't hit me, Kaido. You're too slow. And aren't you going to check what's behind you before swinging?"
"Behind me?"
Kaido's heart tightened, and he instinctively turned his head—only for his face to instantly darken the next second.
"Just kidding. There's nothing there. Where's your Observation Haki, dumbass?"
A lightning-coated slash sent Kaido flying several meters back. But for Kaido, the physical pain didn't seem to matter in that moment. No, it was the mental anguish that truly hurt.
It hurt.
It hurt so damn much!
Why? Why had he fallen for it again? He had just resolved not to believe a single word out of Renji's mouth, no matter what.
And yet, he had still instinctively turned around—without even using his Observation Haki.
"If I believe you again, I'm a damn dog!"
With that, Kaido began wildly smashing his club across the arena.
"I promise, this time there really is something behind you!"
"You think I'm a pig?!"
He'd been fooled once—he wouldn't be fooled again.
Besides, he had already used Observation Haki to check. There was definitely nothing behind him.
But the next second, a flash of violet lightning struck him squarely in the back.
As the electricity coursed through him, only one thought crossed Kaido's mind:
How?
He had used Observation Haki. He should have sensed it.
And yet, he hadn't detected anything behind him at all.
Meanwhile, Renji smirked—not just because he'd landed a hit, but because he'd gained a new understanding of his abilities.
He had known Kaido would use Observation Haki. So, he'd used the electromagnetic waves of his Rumble-Rumble Fruit to interfere with it, hiding the lightning ball within the electromagnetic field. Unless Kaido's Observation was exceptionally strong, the disguise would likely fool him.
It was like stealth aircraft against radar. Observation Haki was the radar—Renji's trick was the stealth tech. It all came down to who was better at their craft.
And with this, Renji deepened his comprehension of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's potential.
As expected of Teacher Kaido!
He wasn't yet at his peak—the legendary instructor who could teach Luffy Ryou in one strike, conquer Advanced Conqueror's Haki in the second, master it in the third, awaken his Devil Fruit in the fourth, and preach "Haki reigns supreme" in the fifth.
But even now, Renji had to give him credit for helping him develop his own powers.
"You bastard! Don't you dare fight me head-on?!"
Kaido staggered to his feet. Even now, his body tingled from the violet lightning's explosion, the current still disrupting his muscles, leaving him feeling unnaturally weak.
But damn it all—
He refused to accept this!!!
(End of Chapter)
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