Boom!
Suddenly, a massive explosion rang out from the epicenter, and a dark figure streaked horizontally away from the blast zone.
Clang!
In that instant, Rayleigh appeared disheveled, large swathes of his body charred black, blood freely flowing. Sensing incoming attacks from above, he remained vigilant, adjusting his grip on his sword and dodging backward.
Hiss...
The laser was cleanly sliced in half by the sword, but this time, it didn't prematurely detonate, instead, it got propelled high into the air by the force of impact.
Seizing the opportunity, Kizaru flicked mirrors from his palms, each gleaming brightly, transforming into beams of light speeding forward.
"You seem quite confident in your Sword Technique, Rayleigh!"
Behind his sunglasses, Kizaru's eyes burned with anger, his expression icy as he swung his sword.
Ding!
Rayleigh held his sword firmly with both hands, raising it to block the lightning-fast attack.
"When dealing with you, indeed..."
His expression remained composed as a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Arrogant Bastard!"
Kizaru snorted angrily. His Sword Technique, much like Rowen's, prioritized speed, accuracy, and brutality. It was an extension of his Devil Fruit ability, far from embodying the essence of true swordsmanship.
However, regardless of the level of Sword Technique mastery, the battle ultimately hinged on speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. Just like Fujitora once told Dante... as long as one could deliver the "sword strike that could kill at that moment," everything else was secondary.
With a deeper understanding of swordsmanship, Kizaru could easily match Rayleigh's speed advantage, considering himself on par with him in every aspect.
Being underestimated like this only fueled his fury.
Swish! Swish!
With Ama no Murakumo in hand, Kizaru launched a fierce onslaught, capitalizing on his height advantage and enveloping Rayleigh in a dazzling golden mist.
Rayleigh didn't falter, meeting him head-on in close combat.
Sparks flew as sharp edges tore through the air, the sound of clashing steel filling the space, making it hard to determine who held the upper hand.
Then, suddenly!
Zi Zi Zi!
A chilling sensation rushed towards Rayleigh, setting off alarms in his mind. Faced with Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo slashing towards him, Rayleigh suppressed his instinct to retreat, determinedly holding his ground. In the next moment, a pure white Thunder Pillar tore through the void, narrowly missing his shoulder.
"Ugh!!!"
Rayleigh grunted, enduring the piercing pain in his chest before swiftly launching a counterattack with a backhand thrust.
Swish!
Empowered by Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), the Longblade moved gracefully, as swift as a startled swan.
The thrust was like thunder, unstoppable.
Facing this sudden assault, Kizaru, lacking Rowen's remarkable self-healing ability, had no choice but to abandon his pursuit. He transformed half of his body into light particles to evade the fatal blow, only to be dispersed by the Sword Energy carried by Rayleigh's thrust.
Boom... Rumble!
A violent tremor erupted around them. Rayleigh swiftly stepped out of the tremor zone, finally coming to a halt, his breath heavy.
Though it may sound slow, all of this occurred in the blink of an eye.
In the split second when the Thunderlight struck, Rayleigh swiftly made a decision. Amidst the dual dangers, he opted to confront Kizaru's attack head-on, swiftly retaliating, aiming to exchange blows.
Almost simultaneously, Kizaru chose to retreat to avoid being harmed by Rayleigh.
All these decisions unfolded within a fraction of a second. To the ordinary observer, there would only be a blur of motion, leaving them perplexed about what just happened.
This was a reflex beyond the limits of the human body, possessed only by top-tier experts, a hallmark ability of true powerhouses.
"Oh? You managed to dodge it?"
In mid-air, Rowen lifted his arm, small lightning serpents still swirling around it, his expression one of astonishment.
He had calculated Rayleigh's next move, anticipated it, and with Kizaru's assistance, transformed the Thunder Dragon Crescent Halberd into a cannonball, launching the Super Electromagnetic Cannon.
But to his surprise, Rayleigh evaded his attack.
"It's no wonder he was the Pirate King's right-hand man. He almost matched blows with him," Kizaru remarked, appearing next to Rowen, slightly out of breath. After a moment's pause, he addressed Rowen.
"Your attack had too long of a wind-up. Missing the hit isn't too much of a loss... Next, it's your turn to engage him, and I'll keep him occupied."
To prevent Rayleigh from unleashing his terrifying dominance in close combat, Kizaru's relentless assault nearly reached historic levels. It was the only way to keep Rayleigh on the back foot, continually pressing him.
Now that their sneak attack had failed, it was unlikely that Rayleigh would offer them another opening. And Kizaru didn't want to test his luck against Rayleigh's Sword Technique again.
One must live to fight another day!
There was no need for recklessness.
Kizaru knew full well that he couldn't defeat Rayleigh in close combat with just the Ama no Murakumo. Even Vice-Admiral Momousagi, among the Marines, unaided by special abilities, wasn't hesitant to engage in close combat with him.
The best strategy was to let Rowen, the man who could defy death, handle the fight while he provided support.
"Well, leave it to me!"
Grinning, Rowen dispersed his Elementalization and hovered mid-air, viciously stomping his right foot.
Geppo!
Boom!
Before him, the ground split like a ripe watermelon, and the Thunder Dragon Crescent-Sided Halberd crashing down resembled a sharp melon knife, heavy and fierce, rending heaven and earth!
An unnamed small island suddenly became a canyon, piercing through its entirety, completely altering the landscape.
Rayleigh stood on a fragment of broken stone at the canyon's edge, his chest heaving, gulping down air.
The loss of blood and the continuous intense battle had drained his stamina greatly, leaving him dizzy and his vision flickering.
Slap! Slap!
Rayleigh harshly slapped himself twice, assessing his condition before he sighed bitterly.
"Yare, Yare, I'm in quite a bind here..."
Though he could endure for a short while longer, ever since being injured by that underwater bomb, he hadn't had even a moment to catch his breath and recover.
The relentless bombardment only compounded his misery! Particularly the wound in his abdomen had reached a point where it hindered his ability to exert force, leaving him weakened.
"If this keeps up... I might meet my end?"
Rayleigh pondered, feeling a mix of disbelief, astonishment, relief, and composure.
Then, he glanced up at the surface of the sea, murmuring to himself, "Shakky, I hope your intel holds up!"
Buzz!
Suddenly, Rayleigh broke into a cold sweat, swiftly throwing himself to the ground, battered and bruised.
This instinctive action saved his life. Almost as soon as he shifted position, a ferocious heavy weapon wrapped in thunder rents apart the spot where he had stood moments ago!
Even from a distance, he could sense its unstoppable sharpness.
Hiss...!
With a swing, Rowen hurled the thunder halberd behind him with force, then twisted his waist, infusing his left foot with lightning, and delivered a ruthless kick.
Super Electromagnetic Cannon!
Whether it was a punch or a heavy kick, whether it was the Thunder Dragon Crescent-Sided Halberd or himself, they all fell within the scope of the Super Electromagnetic Cannon.
Thanks to Rowen's extraordinary physique, the Super Electromagnetic Cannon launched by his hands and feet, fueled by abundant electrical support, moved even faster than the Thunder Dragon Crescent-Sided Halberd he had just used to sneak attack Rayleigh, by more than threefold! Both in charging time and attack speed.
"Unbelievably fast!"
Rayleigh, sprawled on the ground, was astonished. Rowen's kick was so swift, it felt like a covert strike, catching him completely off guard. He didn't even have a chance to brace himself.
Lying there, with no suitable position to muster strength, Rayleigh could only hold his weapon horizontally with both hands to block the incoming kick.
But he was too slow...
Boom!
A devastating blow landed, sending searing pain rippling throughout Rayleigh's body. Capillaries burst, drenching him in a crimson shower.
His weapon, inadequately defended, shattered upon impact, leaving only half of it clutched in his hand. Then, the foot crackling with Thunderlight struck heavily on his shoulder, propelling him airborne.
"Pff...!"
Unable to contain it, he spat out a vile mix of blood and viscera skyward. Rayleigh crashed against the canyon's inner wall, pulverizing chunks of rock, a plume of smoke trailing behind him.
Thud!
Finally, he slammed into a corner of the canyon, his momentum spent, failing to penetrate the stubborn rocks but embedding deeply into them.
In that moment, Rayleigh lay in a spiderweb-like impression, encircled by scattered stone walls, his arms splayed out in a cruciform shape, reminiscent of Jesus nailed to the cross.
"..."
Rowen surveyed the aftermath of his attack, his expression stunned.
A true hanging!
(The End of this Chapter)
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