Suddenly, a blazing streak of light, resembling a meteor, streaked across the sky. Well, it was actually a meteor, aimed directly at Nicholas.
"Hm?"
With his exceptional Observation Haki, Nicholas immediately sensed the incoming fiery meteor above him.
The descending, scorching meteor was heading straight for the spot where Nicholas stood.
"You're quite the bold man," Nicholas murmured, seeing Fujitora's decisive action.
He then drew his long sword, and as he gripped it single-handedly, a purple ripple visible through Observation Haki swiftly appeared along the blade.
Nicholas raised his sword, and an invisible force field surged from the ground, colliding directly with the celestial meteor.
Boom!
With a muffled explosion, the once-unstoppable meteor seemed to hit an invisible wall. The tremendous kinetic energy it carried was instantly released, bursting into a massive firework display in mid-air.
Seeing the sudden anomaly in the sky, the Marines were shocked. The meteor was undoubtedly Fujitora's attack, but it disintegrated in the air, indicating that the enemy was formidable.
Meanwhile, the scholars of Ohara and the remaining civilians continued their efforts to transfer the valuable books from the Tree of Knowledge's library, only sparing a glance at the dazzling fireworks overhead.
Almost immediately after the meteor exploded in the sky, a staff-sword glowing with purple light struck fiercely against Nicholas's long sword. The tremendous impact sent a violent shockwave behind Nicholas, pushing him back a short distance.
Simultaneously, the sudden burst of force shattered the ice-covered sea below.
"Combining Devil Fruit abilities with swordsmanship?" Nicholas remarked with a smile as he regained his footing, clearly impressed by Fujitora. This combination of gravity powers and swordsmanship produced a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.
With the gravity fruit augmenting his strikes, few in the world could withstand Fujitora's direct attacks with sheer strength alone. The gravity fruit's ability to alter an object's weight enabled Fujitora to achieve mastery in both heavy and light sword techniques.
After repelling Nicholas, Fujitora gently descended from the sky, landing on the icy ground. He steadied himself and directed his sightless gaze toward Nicholas, his eyes opening slightly to reveal the whites.
"Pack of wolves!" Fujitora shouted.
Nearby, Kuzan, who had been observing the battle, seized the opportunity. With a deep, resonant shout, bone-chilling cold erupted around Nicholas. The ice beneath him shattered as icy wolves burst forth, targeting Nicholas with their ferocious bites and freezing temperatures. The air itself crystallized from the intense cold.
These ice wolves aimed to immobilize Nicholas, attacking various parts of his body. Under the onslaught, a layer of frost quickly formed on his robes from the chilling air.
"Quite troublesome, Kuzan," Nicholas muttered as lightning began to crackle around his body, preparing to transform into his elemental form.
Boom!
Seeing Nicholas's attempt to transform into his elemental form, Kuzan acted without hesitation. He detonated the ice wolves that had surrounded Nicholas.
A thick fog of ice crystals filled the air, forming a massive, hundred-meter-tall ice mountain on the ice field. At the core of this ice mountain, Nicholas's vivid form could be seen.
"Fujitora!"
Seeing that he had immobilized Nicholas, Kuzan exhaled a breath of icy air and shouted to Fujitora. After all, Kuzan was more adept at controlling and managing the battlefield rather than delivering finishing blows.
Fujitora wasted no time. As Kuzan made his move, Fujitora's sword was already sheathed, and he had assumed a stance for a powerful draw cut.
Roar!
With Nicholas immobilized, Fujitora's staff sword shot out from its sheath, emitting a sound akin to a tiger's roar. The distinctive purple ripples of the Gravity Fruit slashed towards the massive ice mountain.
The bizarre force swept through, distorting even the air itself.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
In this world where strength reigns supreme, true change must be backed by power, Fujitora thought, watching the ice mountain.
Nicholas, trapped within the ice mountain, began to move. Purple and red electric arcs flickered along his sword, spreading rapidly over his body with the sound of crackling thunder.
Violent lightning surged outward from Nicholas, shattering the massive ice mountain into countless ice shards almost instantly. Amidst the swirling ice fragments, the rampant lightning danced wildly like silver snakes, showcasing its terrifying might.
The lightning scorched the frozen sea below, carving deep furrows into the ice field.
Facing Fujitora's gravity-empowered Fierce Tiger, Nicholas raised his long sword. This unique slash, augmented by the Gravity Fruit's power, was a testament to why Fujitora was considered a monster even among the Marine's elite.
Without hesitation, Nicholas countered the fierce Gravity Blade with a mighty strike of his own: Ikoku sovereignty. A comet-like pillar of glowing white energy shot forward to meet the gravity wave slash head-on.
The two powerful forces collided in mid-air.
This clash of titans resulted in a peculiar sight. The two energies intertwined and tore at each other. The white pillar of energy was distorted by the gravity waves, yet quickly regained its form.
After a moment of stalemate, both forces dissipated into the air.
Almost simultaneously, Nicholas used his incredible speed to appear in front of Fujitora. His long sword, wrapped in Armament Haki and crackling with lightning, slashed down towards Fujitora.
Fujitora, with his exceptional Observation Haki, reacted instantly. He countered with a swift horizontal block, catching Nicholas's sword.
Clang!
Blades clashed, and sparks flew.
The enhanced strength of Nicholas's slash transferred through the staff sword, sending vibrations up Fujitora's arm. Feeling the extraordinary power in Nicholas's strike, Fujitora's brow twitched slightly. His staff sword began to emit the eerie purple ripples again.
The purple waves spread from their point of contact towards Nicholas's sword.
Sensing Fujitora's move, Nicholas intensified his strike before using the immense recoil to distance himself. Although his sword, protected by Armament Haki, could resist the Devil Fruit's power for a short time, prolonged exposure would be troublesome.