Ever since the moment it happened, that event has haunted Kaido. Persistently. Relentlessly. And Continuously. The unearned victory he claimed over Kozuki Oden who represented someone capable of overwhelming him never embodied a victory within Kaido’s mind. Not really. Kaido’s anger following Oden’s defeat in the presence of underhanded tactics took the form of an execution carried out on the one directly responsible for the situation. Kurozumi Higurashi was killed. And now with the same scenario playing out in front of Kaido but with different actors, I don’t see the reaction from Kaido to be any different in regards to the one responsible for the intervention. Rather, the resulting consequence would be many fold more severe.
The CP-0 agent may have broken Luffy’s stance and open him up to Kaido’s attack but once Kaido is able to fully filter what has happened, I don’t see the CP-0 not attracting Kaido’s rage. The irony of the situation is if the CP-0 agent wishes to survive, they require Luffy to still be alive which goes against the very order they were tasked with completing. By killing Luffy, Kaido will kill the CP-0 agent. The question now becomes – ‘how desperately does the CP-0 agent wish to live?’ Does the CP-0 agent fear the World Government more than an enraged Kaido who represents the Strongest Creature in the whole World?
Kaido’s victory over Oden traumatized Kaido to the point where he became an alcoholic. As if to drown out the pain he feels missing out on fully challenging Oden, alcohol became his companion. Throughout the decades after Roger and Oden died, Kaido never came across many opponents that could challenge him. It was not until Luffy when Kaido was forced to go all out. The battle Kaido had been waiting for which he feared would never arrive came in the form of Straw Hat Luffy. The exhilaration of battle engrossed Kaido once again and he found himself genuinely enjoying the moment. Ever since Oden’s flashback, I never once considered the Luffy and Kaido relation to end up being defined as antagonist towards once another. Luffy ability to grow and adapt to situations would eventually catch the eye of Kaido who would come to respect Luffy. That was my thought process and such a scenario has come about. Kaido now respects Luffy as a worthy opponent. Rather than antagonist, Luffy and Kaido would end up as respected opponents toward the other. This is also why Luffy chose to challenge Kaido alone, he wished to fight Kaido on an equal playing field. A choice that conveys the regard Luffy has for Kaido.
Kaido cursed the moment when Oden was duped and vulnerable to his attack. He raged and he never overcame it. The imagery now in front of Kaido forces him to recall traumatic memories of the past. And not only memories but likely also emotions. After Kaido’s attack hit Luffy, the resulting reaction from Kaido was dread. The same thoughts that ran through his mind when Oden was defeated now cascades alongside twenty years of trauma across his mind. Trepidation is now Kaido’s state of mind. He fears another strong opponent (Luffy) was defeated by third party intervention. Fortunately for Kaido, I don’t believe this is the end for Luffy. He may been hit by Kaido’s attack but he is still in his Gear Fourth form and may have one last attack in him. And if Oda-sensei wishes, there is also the Mink medicine Zoro used to extent his stamina i.e. doping.
Kaido himself may have instinctively held his attack back when he noticed the Oden situation playing out all over again. For someone imprisoned by the past, they would be overly sensitive about painful events reoccurring again. As such, I feel, Kaido may have mentally held himself back because he was sensitive to a repeat of the Oden situation. If so, the attack Luffy was hit with may not have been a fully powered Kaido attack. This in turn could limit the damage done to Luffy and allow him resume the fight against Kaido. Luffy and Kaido’s battle is undoubtedly not over yet. But before they can continue their battle, the problem of the CP-0 agent remains. Kaido and Luffy could focus their efforts on him first.
Yamato’s inclusion within this chapter in that one panel is very curious because why even include it? Why would the audience need to know that Yamato is now aware of Kaido releasing a fully powered Blast Breath down toward the ground. Yamato may not have noticed Luffy in Kaido’s Blast Breath but he is aware that the battle between the two continues. This could give him reason to ascend the Onigashima dome and spectate the remainder of the battle. Yamato while attempting to witness Kaido’s defeat may come to assist Luffy in his current state. Very much looking forward to the next chapter.
12Dimension 