A Battle of Wills
Kaido has been defeated, captured, & jailed on multiple occasions. Yet he still stands at the pinnacle of the new world.
According to the legend a Koi becomes a dragon not by being privileged but through determination & perseverance.
#onepiece1003
#ONEPIECE
Kaido has been defeated, captured, & jailed on multiple occasions. Yet he still stands at the pinnacle of the new world.
According to the legend a Koi becomes a dragon not by being privileged but through determination & perseverance.
#onepiece1003
#ONEPIECE

What truly matters is a person’s will power. Can he get back on his feet after being knocked down?
Luffy trying to reach Enel after being knocked off the ship on multiple occasions while dragging with him a dense & golden ball typifies grit and determination.
Luffy trying to reach Enel after being knocked off the ship on multiple occasions while dragging with him a dense & golden ball typifies grit and determination.
Ironically while Kaido’s story is also one of grit & determination, his crew is an assortment of pirates who might be strong physically but have weak wills, the antithesis of the Straw Hats.
For example, while Nami is physically weaker than Ulti she refused to let her will be broken by the physically bigger and tougher opponent. Ulti on the other hand is a loser, a failed former captain.
So when Luffy lost to Kaido in the first round he was knocked down but he wasn’t out. His will didn’t get broken and Kaido took notice. This is important.
And while Kaido wants the strongest pirate crew, his process has been counterproductive. Because in order to recruit strong pirates he has to break what actually could make them strong — their spirit/will power. So in reality Kaido has been building a relatively weak crew.
During his fight with the Scabbards Kaido bragged about how he beat Luffy into submission not knowing that Queens’ efforts to break Luffy’s spirit had failed. So when he got punched by Luffy he was taken aback by the fact that Luffy’s spirit was far from broken.
Luffy defeated Enel largely due to a natural advantage & will power. This dynamic briefly came into focus in chapter 102.
Luffy countered Big Mom due to his natural advantage & Kaido due to his will power, or “guts” as he called it. Do not underestimate this panel!
Luffy countered Big Mom due to his natural advantage & Kaido due to his will power, or “guts” as he called it. Do not underestimate this panel!
Kaido has already suffered defeat, torture & imprisonment on multiple occasions. So, cutting, punching & slamming him is nothing new and will not accomplish much of anything. What matters is who will be able to break the emperor’s will.
This is untimely a battle of wills.
This is untimely a battle of wills.