Will be funny when Kaido's alternate hybrid form is confirmed as his awakened form, "NOOOO but Oda was supposed to make Kaido say he's using it!!!"
I think that's a reasonable assumption at this point, but until we see how he reacts to this punch (if hit) we can't know for sure what's happening, though I think this is likely the climax.
Tbh, I think there's a possibility of something else going on with the character, but really am not sure if I should make a full post about it. It has to do with the fact that:
- Oda teased the Lurking Legend and it being related to Whitebeard (i.e. probably Rocks), as well as being the hardest enemy Luffy would face yet.
- Lack of a Kaido flashback of that time period when Rocks fell.
- Lack of discussion/references to Rocks' actual fate. Big Mom in chapter 999 only mentions the fall of the crew. Sengoku doesn't actually say "death" of Rocks, just that he's "no longer in this world".
- Oda, editors, and anime directors saying Wano's ending is "surprising". Even one anime director (either on accident or purely jumbled words on translation) saying Kaido isn't the "final" enemy of Wano.
But essentially, it's possible Kaido houses the essense of Rocks somehow. Not just a living will (like BB is assumed to be), but quite literally the manifestation of Rocks himself.
It sounds really dumb, i know, but to this day I'm absolutely confused by Oda's Lurking Legend comment. He made it seem like the was an entirely physical threat Luffy would have to face. BM and Kaido allying has felt completely superficial to what Garp got excited about back in chapter 905/906. It always felt like a tease about something "more" imo.
- Is Rocks the Lurking Legend?
- Can he be a modern threat?
- Would he even be resolved in Wano?
- Does it instead tie to the endgame?
Like sure, we can make guesses that BB/Shanks have big ties to this. I certainly believe so. But I'm still wondering if that's possible.