Luffy literally used Ryo in his final clash and during the entire fight with Kaido.
He used the emission of it at least. I don't remember seeing haki fucking up Kaido internally like it should have and as Hyogoro demonstrated it would.
Luffy smacking down Kaido with advc CoC was so satisfying and that felt more like a satisfying win than the actual win we got. The anime even made it look more climatic and thus definitive.
But nope gotta force Luffy to get offscreened and then awaken into a God Zoan instead, retcon his DF after 25 years of gaslighting AND then have the nerve to mention Kaido having his top 5 users all being non DF users (except WB but we don't know when he had his DF and how) and especially saying haki triumphs DFs and Roger ruled the seas and overcame everyone with just haki, natural strength and no DF BUT THEN had Kaido randomly tank a GIGANTIC punch from awakened Luffy and thus was partially at least defeated by using a DF anyway!
Fuck man this writing is so hypocritical and schizophrenic! So asinine and ridiculous!
For a series that isn't a "combat series" according to a lot of its fans, it really fucks up its fights and power system and scaling so much. I guess they were right after all LMAO!
We're not even at EOS (the actual final arc/war I mean) just how much worse is this gonna get and how too?!
(Edit - Xebec could have had a fruit too but we'll wait and see if he does or not. I'm assuming he didn't for now.)