One Piece: The Strongest Creature

Chapter 227: Kahn's Strength



"How can this be?!"

Shanks, usually unfazed even in the most intense situations, couldn't hide his shock. Watching Kahn effortlessly deflect his Haki-imbued slash with just his Devil Fruit ability, Shanks' eyes widened, his face registering disbelief.

"They say only Haki reigns supreme... but I don't buy into that notion," Kahn remarked, hands still casually in his pockets. Slowly, he lifted the psychic barrier that enveloped him, looking down at Shanks with a calm indifference. "To me, only the strength of the body can stand above all else."

With that, Kahn struck out with a powerful kick.

The speed of his attack was blinding, leaving Shanks with no time to evade. Instinctively, he raised his sword, Griffin, to defend himself.

**Boom!**

Kahn's kick, devoid of any Haki, clashed with Griffin, one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords. Yet, the impact was so tremendous that Shanks himself became a blur, flung backwards in an instant. 

The sonic boom echoed sharply through the air, and as he tumbled, Shanks' face betrayed a rare expression of pain.

Had he not immediately channelled Haki into his arm to reinforce it, Kahn's kick might very well have shattered his bones on the spot. The impact felt like he'd been hit by a mountain in mid-flight—an overwhelming weight that his one-armed stance struggled to resist, even with his physical might. Against that force, only advanced Haki could hope to hold out.

As he steadied himself, memories of Charlotte Linlin and Kaido flashed in Shanks' mind. He knew with certainty that even Big Mom and Kaido lacked the sheer physical force Kahn had just displayed.

Indeed, there was truth to this thought.

After defeating Kaido and claiming the title of the world's strongest creature, Kahn had shifted his focus, spending the last decade more as a scientist than a warrior. His ten years of silence left him shrouded in mystery among the world's powers.

Yet, even though Kahn had refrained from battle for over a decade, his reputation remained untarnished. He was the only one among the Five Emperors who had defeated other pirate emperors outright.

If Kaido hadn't clawed his way back to strength and reclaimed his status among the pirate emperors, Kahn's fearsome reputation might have dulled with time. But Kaido's relentless rise, his battles for territory across the New World, and his unyielding strength in one-on-one fights only served to enhance Kahn's legend further.

After all, who else but Kahn had ever defeated Kaido?

As long as Kaido cannot defeat Kahn and the "Cross Guild" head-on, reclaiming Wano and Onigashima for himself, he will continue to serve as Kahn's unintentional hype machine.

With the rise of two powerhouse warriors, Hancock and her sister Sandersonia, over the past decade, combined with an army of highly capable replicants, the "Cross Guild" has amassed both influence and strength. Hidden assets and a formidable reputation have secured their position as the world's acknowledged number two.

In the last ten years, any threats to the "Cross Guild" rarely required Kahn's personal intervention. As a result, even those within the organization have little understanding of the terrifying power their Master and Boss have reached.

Only Kahn himself knows the magnitude of his transformation over the years.

As he had declared moments before, he rejects the notion that "Only Haki can surpass all else." To him, only the body truly reigns supreme.

Swordsmanship is a physical art, martial skills stem from physical prowess, Haki is an expression of the body's will, and even Devil Fruit powers rely on the body's strength and stamina.

For Kahn, the last ten years of improvement have not come through his Mythical Zoan form, his martial skills, or even Haki.

But rather…through his body itself!

Among the Five Emperors, Kahn holds Kaido in particular regard, recognizing his resilience and determination. Conversely, the one he disdains the most is Charlotte Linlin. "How wasteful of her," he often thinks, "to squander the gifts she's been granted by nature and fate."

At thirty-something, Kahn stands at his true peak, his natural-born physique having matured to near perfection. His raw physical talent has been refined and amplified by his Mythical Zoan abilities, elevating him to the apex.

In short, Kahn has become, without exaggeration, the strongest creature in the world.

His physical durability has reached such an unimaginable level that if Shanks had struck him without Kahn's Psychic Shield and without Conqueror's Haki, it would have barely torn his clothes, let alone scarred his body.

But pain still exists, and Kahn has no inclination to tolerate it. Unlike Kaido, he isn't a glutton for punishment. He won't give Shanks even the slimmest chance to inflict it.

His endurance has climbed to incalculable heights.

Psychic power is a unique skill with immense potential for both high and low extremes. In the hands of the weak, it can barely lift small objects. But for the powerful, it can move mountains.

Similarly, when weak fighters use a Psychic Shield, it might barely stop a bullet. In contrast, Kahn's shield functions much like the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, capable of defending against 99% of the world's attacks. However, this power comes at a cost: defending against stronger attacks requires significantly more stamina.

In battle against top-tier opponents, a Psychic Shield can be impractical, as it drains energy quickly when facing equal forces. But now, for the first time in years, Kahn found it useful against an opponent like Shanks. His improved Psychic Mask, which he hadn't fully relied on in a decade, could now block and reflect even Shanks' strongest strike.

This isn't just Kahn being flashy.

Rather…

He simply no longer has to worry about the drain on his stamina. Kahn's physical prowess has reached such an astonishing level that the Psychic Shield's energy cost is barely noticeable.

With only a small expenditure of energy, he was able to deflect and reflect Shanks' powerful blow with ease. This is why Kahn confidently asserts that only the body can surpass all else.

His physical evolution over the last ten years has made his transformations unnecessary; his raw psychic power alone has become overwhelming.

This…is the strength of Kahn!

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