The brilliance of lightning obscured the sky, as high-voltage currents generated electromagnetic surges powerful enough to blow away houses. Sitting in the submarine's medical room, Zero watched the images transmitted by the monitoring Den Den Mushi and let out a faint sigh.
"Ah…"
He would rather have Lirisk kill him than take such a risk. This wasn't just his duty as the Chief of CP0, but also his true sentiment.
Outsiders only knew that CP0 were the lapdogs of the Celestial Dragons, the highest-ranking group of spies within the government, who were both feared and despised.
But only they understood that their responsibilities weren't limited to aiding the Celestial Dragons in their wrongdoings; they were also working for peace.
Take today's battle, for instance… Regardless of who wins or loses, the world would know about Lirisk, the eccentric Celestial Dragon.
This would be a significant blow to the nobility of the Celestial Dragons! With even the lofty Celestial Dragons descending to the field, how much of the Sea's fear towards them would remain?
Without respect and awe for authority, how would the people view the World Government?
And the most important point was that times were different now. The Pirate Era, established by Roger, surged forward with great momentum, and the hearts of the people were restless.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army was eyeing the reins of power, trying to disrupt the government's rule.
If Lirisk were defeated or if Rowen didn't face appropriate consequences, causing the government to lose its authority, the various factions coveting the grand power would surely make frequent moves. The situation would only intensify.
This was also the crucial reason Zero dared to defy Lirisk's command, not wanting Rowen to accept the challenge.
"Im-Sama, what are you thinking, after all!"
Thinking back to the one he had met briefly on the Empty Throne when he was young, Zero sighed again.
Hiss!
A dazzling sword light splashed out like a meteor, slicing through the Void like a streak, disappearing into the depths of the sea. Lirisk's single arm grabbed Rowen's wrist, evading the fierce killing sword at the same time, his right hand transforming from a palm into a fist, striking like a cannonball!
The friction and high temperature from the rapid punches caused the air to warp slightly. In the blink of an eye, the fist was launched, heavily striking Rowen's abdomen.
Tekkai!
Busoshoku Haki, Hardening!
Kuang Dang!
Two flesh bodies created a collision sound like steel, but before the sound reached the ears, a strong gust surged in place, and rapid sword lights quickly sliced through the air.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
"Your speed is good, but the strength is lacking!"
Rowen sneered as he swung the Thunder Cloud Sword, leaving afterimages in its wake. The ground suddenly bore a dense array of scratches, resembling the aftermath of a shredding machine.
Lirisk swiftly evaded amidst the dense sharp slashes, looking somewhat disheveled. Even facing such an intense barrage of razor-sharp attacks, his expression remained incredibly calm.
"If you're not a swordsman, don't use a sword!"
Suddenly, his eyes gradually transformed into lizard-like irises, and Lirisk roared, his figure rapidly flashing.
"Hah!"
In an instant, a human-shaped silhouette shifted. Lirisk suddenly turned into a black streak, charging toward Rowen.
Dong!
As his hand opened to block the powerful surprise punch, Rowen coldly smiled. "You have a point. Well, try this!"
Zi Zi!
200 million Volt·Great Electricity Producer!
"Not good!"
Suddenly, a sense of crisis surged within Lirisk's body as he watched this, his clenched fist being held and his pupils constricted.
Half Beastify!
Rapidly, his arm swelled with metallic, iridescent green scales, his whole body enveloped in a layer of green light. With a one-third increase in size due to Half Beastify, Lirisk exerted a sudden force, pulling his fist back.
Gah… Dung!
Like two wrestling springs dislodging, a clear collision sound echoed in the air.
The next moment, Lirisk suddenly leaped backward, and a massive Thunder Pillar shot out from Rowen's palm, traversing the heavens and earth.
Zi Zi… Bang!
Blinding thunderlight seized everything, and the terrifying aura of destruction spread. Even though Zero was seated within the cabin's thick metallic shell, separated by several meters, he felt an extremely deadly threat.
"This asshole… he really isn't afraid of death!"
With fists clenched tightly, Zero's face wore an astonished expression as he looked at the screen.
Fortunately, Lirisk's figure reappeared from a distance the next second. Utilizing the enhanced physical abilities granted by his Zoan Devil Fruit, Lirisk evaded the lethal thunder in the nick of time using Soru.
However, this wasn't the end!
200 million Volt·Rice Spike Thunderstrike!
**Chapter 250: Rowen vs. Celestial Dragons!**
Bang!
Within the Thunder Pillar, a branch-like thunder tree suddenly burst forth from Rowen's palm, shooting toward Lirisk.
Buzz!
The air violently trembled!
Facing the incoming thunder, Lirisk's eyes remained steadfast as his fist wrapped in a thick layer of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), forcefully smashing forward.
Bang!
The mighty thunder clashed against his fist and it was as if a flood had hit a mountain peak, being diverted and crashing straight toward the sea surface. After the deafening sound, a giant-scale crater appeared on the sea's surface, measuring in hundreds of meters.
Lirisk's punch slightly skewed the trajectory of the Rice Spike Thunderstrike, and instead of retreating, he pressed forward. His Half Beastify-transformed body resembled a forest phantom as he surged forward.
"Is it really this easy?!"
Inside the Thunder Pillar, Rowen was slightly surprised, but then his excitement quickly surged.
With both fists clenched, Rowen showed no fear, delivering a punch. Their attacks interchanged.
Dong, Dong!
The two fists collided with each other's chins. Rowen was surprised to find that his hand bones experienced a piercing pain!
This indicated that, in terms of his physique combined with Busoshoku Haki, his hardness was inferior to Lirisk's scale armor combined with Haki!
Although this difference stemmed from their Devil Fruit properties, it at least proved that Lirisk's physical strength wasn't weaker than his own!
"Quite interesting!!"
Recognizing this, Rowen swiftly abandoned the strategy of directly clashing with Lirisk. Utilizing the speed of Thunder-Lightning Human, he suddenly squatted to evade the hook punch. Seizing the opportunity, he swayed his waist, and his right leg transformed into a steel whip, ruthlessly lashing out in a back hook towards Lirisk's occiput.
Swish!
Although it was a mere human body, the air produced a sharp whistle that only arrows could usually create!
Rowen's kick was undoubtedly heavy, possessing destructive force capable of shattering a mountain peak!
Overload·Lightning Kick!
Lirisk also noticed this, but he didn't evade it, and an emerald afterimage formed behind him, colliding with Rowen's attack.
Smack!
Rowen only felt a numbness in his right foot, as if he had kicked a steel pillar as a weakling, the pain hit him hard, causing him to involuntarily grunt.
"My turn!"
Seeing this, Lirisk grinned menacingly, seizing the moment when Rowen's balance was compromised. He suddenly accelerated, and his fists rained down on Rowen's body like a shower.
Dong, Dong!
Dong, Dong, Dong!
The dense collisions sparked waves of Sound Explosions. Den Den Mushi couldn't fully capture Lirisk's movements, only able to transmit the visual of Rowen constantly retreating. Seeing the large tail emerging from behind Lirisk, Zero clenched his fist in excitement.
"So that's how it is! This special Beastify mode that falls between complete Beastify and Half Beastify possesses the flexibility of the latter, yet the strength and defense of the former. This accomplishment… it's simply astonishing!"
'Life Return!'
After an array of combos, Lirisk took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulging.
One round, two rounds… ten rounds!
Hundreds of rounds!
With each surge in his arm muscles, Lirisk's aura escalated. The hardened scale armor began to leak traces of blood, revealing that it couldn't fully suppress the colossal muscular strength within his arms!
When that arm became grotesque, as if a normal person's waist was lodged inside, Lirisk's eyes turned bloodshot. He roared as he punched.
"Rokushiki Esoterics · Biggest Wheel · Rokuōgan!"
His punch surged, compressing the air to its limit, fragile like glass, shattering to pieces!!
However, at this moment, Rowen, who had been in a passive defensive state, suddenly opened his eyes, filled with a sinister aura. His mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin.
"Heh!"
Military Wrist·Deep Gate!
…
(End of this chapter)
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