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Boom!
The giant thunder spear descended from the sky with an unstoppable force, instantly piercing through the earth lion that was roaring upwards.
The violent and unparalleled power of the thunder poured out in all directions, shaking the entire island with a deafening rumble.
Wherever the lightning touched, the crust within a kilometer range surged up and down, breaking into terrifying, spider-web-like chasms!
Countless mutant beasts hidden deep in the forest fled frantically, their anthropomorphic faces filled with terror, driven by a primal instinct to escape this disaster.
This was the power of Zyhark, whose physical fitness had reached a new level!
"They say the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is one of the Logia types closest to invincibility, kid, you sure are lucky."
Golden Lion Shiki floated in mid-air, looking down at the earth lion that had collapsed in an instant and the island's surface that continued to break apart.
Even someone who had seen countless great battles like him couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
It had to be acknowledged, the one unleashing this level of attack was merely a twenty-something rookie!
"However, no matter how powerful a fruit's ability is, it's still difficult to reach the pinnacle of the world. If you want to take back what's fallen into my hands, it'll take more than just a devil fruit to accomplish that!"
Golden Lion roared, his dormant Haki soaring.
Deep red lightning exploded, stirring up a violent wind, all gathering on the blades of Kaku and Sakura tied to his stumps, creating a ferocious storm of energy.
To still be able to use Conqueror's Haki infusion in this state?
Hovering opposite, Zyhark was shocked. In his previous assessment, if the Golden Lion of this period could use Armament Haki, that would've been impressive enough. He hadn't expected him to be capable of Conqueror's Haki infusion!
After a brief moment of surprise, feeling the rapidly growing aura of the Golden Lion, Zyhark's expression became more serious.
He wasn't panicking; though the power of Conqueror's Haki infusion was frightening, he had faced it head-on before!
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Fiery light quietly burst forth, the high-explosive trait of the Sword of the Abyss infused into the twin blades in his hands.
Simultaneously, black lightning infused with Armament Haki danced and coiled around him, forming a massively destructive additional force.
"Lion's Might: Divine Slash!!!"
"Black Lightning: Abyss Breaker!!!"
With simultaneous shouts from Zyhark and Golden Lion, the slash surrounded by red lightning and the slash filled with black lightning tore through the air like two meteors, colliding high in the sky!
Boom!!!
Violent energy exploded like a gigantic firework, creating a storm that swept across the battlefield, uprooting nearby trees and causing lakes to surge violently!
The dark thunderclouds were torn open, spilling continuously into deeper regions!
The mutated beasts that had finally fled the forest ran headfirst into this overwhelming Haki pressure, rolling their eyes back and fainting on the spot.
Their massive bodies raised huge clouds of dust.
Black and red electric arcs filled the entire sky, the residual glow of molten lava flashing in the depths of the Golden Lion's eyes.
With his rich combat experience and keen insight, it was easy for him to see through the essence of Zyhark's moves.
"Kehahahaha! To fend off my attack without the same level of Conqueror's Haki infusion, kid, you're impressive. I acknowledge your power!"
"To receive recognition from a strongman of the old era, that's an honor."
Zyhark raised his hand, shaking off the volcanic ash clinging to his dual blades, revealing their sharp black edges.
"Kid, which ocean did you enter the Grand Line from?" Golden Lion asked abruptly.
"The East Blue."
"I see, so it's someone from the weakest sea again…"
Under Zyhark's narrowing gaze, Golden Lion laughed towards the sky before bending down and thrusting his hands deep into his thighs.
Blood spurted out like a fountain.
"It feels like I've gone back twenty years. Thanks to you, I've felt the long-lost sense of urgency and excitement."
"As a token of my sincere gratitude, I'll let you witness what a true dual-blade swordsman can do!"
The intense pain twisted Golden Lion's expression slightly, yet he found the handles of Kaku and Sakura.
Then…
He suddenly exerted force with his arms, pulling the two supreme grade swords from his own flesh!
The familiar feeling of holding swords in both hands stirred up a myriad of emotions in Golden Lion, making him forget the pain.
It was replaced by an incredibly intense and pure fighting spirit.
Seeing Golden Lion's aura suddenly becoming as ferocious as a wild beast, Zyhark's eyes grew solemn.
The initial probing was over. Now he would face the dual-blade swordsman, the commander of the pirate grand fleet—the Golden Lion Shiki, renowned throughout the seas!
"Devour."
Realizing the kind of battle that lay ahead, Zyhark's lips moved slightly, resolutely entering a deathmatch state that would last until one side fell.
"Come on, Zyhark! Let's revel in the thrill of fighting each other to the death!"
Golden Lion no longer called Zyhark a "kid." At the peak of his Haki, he fully unleashed the power of his Float-Float Fruit, charging at his opponent with lightning speed!
Zyhark gripped his twin blades tightly, took a deep breath, and transformed into a streak of lightning, clashing head-on with the advancing Golden Lion.
Boom, boom, boom!
Blades and swords clashed, creating afterimages.
Countless slashes fell from the sky, evenly matched, erupting into a storm of violent, raging combat!
Meanwhile, on the fractured ground below, elaborate moves and abilities were unleashed one after another.
These were the aftereffects of the fierce battles between his comrades and the officers of the Flying Pirates!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each swing of the heavy hammer left a deep pit in the hard ground, causing the earth to tremble.
"Kwehehehe, your luck is really bad. I'm the kind of guy who won't show mercy even if my opponent's a kid!"
The Flying Pirate officer Yaleson Kane, armed with a steel hammer, was tall and muscular. He laughed maniacally as he pursued the nimble Kanna.
Due to her lack of combat experience, Kanna's movements to avoid the hammer were quite comical, using straightforward running, sideways jumps, and rolling crawls.
Her expression remained blank and adorable throughout, exuding a sense of ease and carefree nature.
Indeed, though the opponent's attacks were swift and heavy, they were not enough to trouble someone with her ancient dragon physique.
To the little one, this battle was just a game of tag.
These movements seemed like rookie stances to Yaleson Kane. While impressed by the child's agility, he silently increased the speed of his hammer swings.
He aimed to corner her step by step and then crush her into pulp with a single hammer blow!
"Kale-Kale, is my opponent a pet cat?"
Indigo, the combat medic of the Flying Pirates, was constantly playing with the chemical elements in his gloves, forming a glowing green orb.
He was a core member of the team researching the "IQ substance" on the Beast Island, responsible for making the island's beasts more ferocious, and he possessed many strange techniques.
But that grinning face with big white teeth was somewhat repulsive.
"Damn it! Where are your eyes, I'm not some pet cat!" Meowth retorted angrily.
He was frustrated; why did every opponent or bystander assume he was a pet? He was the emergency backup—no, the masculine and charming villain character! "Huh?! You can talk?!"
Indigo was startled, showing a look of extreme surprise.
Come to think of it, this guy had a goofy personality, much like his captain, the Golden Lion…
"But that doesn't matter, because you're already a corpse~" Indigo smirked sinisterly.
The next second, the glowing orb that had silently floated to Meowth's side began to shine with a dangerous light.
Boom!
Firelight shot up into the sky as a chain reaction explosion between the orbs obliterated the area where Meowth had been standing!
"Blown to bits with no trace left? After all, a pet cat is still a pet cat."
Indigo calmly dusted off his hands, preparing to support the other battlefields.
He was wise enough not to interfere in the high-altitude battle between Zyhark and Golden Lion. Thud, thud, thud.
Suddenly, a strange sound of air came from behind. Indigo turned to see a small white cloak fluttering in the smoke.
That pet cat had stepped on the air and hovered mid-air to avoid the chemical explosion?!
"You brought this on yourself, big head, Meow!"
Meowth, still not fully mastering Geppo, felt a twinge of anger at being repeatedly referred to as a pet cat.
With sharp eyes, he lifted his cat's leg, gathered power, and sent out two slicing kicks.
"Rankyaku!"
Draped in a white cloak, paired with his clean leg kicks, Meowth truly had the vibe of a Marine officer.
Rear Admiral Meowth, reporting for duty! (lol)
Boom!
A deafening explosion sounded, but it wasn't caused by Meowth's Rankyaku.
In a nearby battlefield, the muscular Escanor was engaged in a fierce brawl with Mel Buraso, a brawler from the Flying Pirates.
Every time their fists collided, it sent out a wild shockwave, shattering the rocks on the ground.
This was a pure contest of strength!
However, in the afternoon, Escanor couldn't unleash his full power. Even more concerning was the slowly setting sun over the White Sea, causing his physique and strength to fade rapidly.
The situation was not very favorable, and his opponent noticed, dragging the fight into a prolonged battle.
Likewise, King's fight against the gorilla king Scarred was even more disadvantageous.
Despite his body having undergone rigorous training to shed his former slacker image, his opponent was the king of a beast-infested island, far superior to ordinary pirates!
Amid Scarred's rampant taunts, King was sent flying with a punch, crashing to the ground dozens of meters away and eating dirt.
"Awooo! Awooo!!"
Scarred pounded his chest in excitement, adjusted his flashy pink suit, and strutted towards the struggling-to-rise King.
Initially, Scarred had been intimidated by King's powerful heartbeat and imposing face, even considering fleeing.
Who would've thought that the opponent's punches would be as soft as cotton? He was just too weak!
The situation in several battles wasn't optimistic, at least not on the surface. The Baratie crew's advantage seemed quite limited.
However, the most harmonious battlefield belonged to the foolish goddess.
At this moment, she was sitting cross-legged at a table far from the battlefield, leisurely sipping warm tea.
Across from her sat a sultry female pirate, Lyssea McKay, a core officer of the Flying Pirates.
"Hey, Miss Aqua, your companions seem to be in quite a bind, don't they?"
Lyssea McKay spoke kindly, gracefully picking up a teapot and refilling Aqua's empty teacup.
"Don't worry, don't worry, even though those guys are often super unreliable, they're pretty powerful when it comes to fighting!"
Aqua waved her hand nonchalantly.
As for her comrades fighting bravely while she sat here drinking tea, this was nothing for the scummy goddess to feel guilty about.
"Really? I see that blond man is being beaten down by Scarred," Lyssea McKay glanced at King, who was being pushed back by Scarred's onslaught.
"Pfft!"
Hearing her words, Aqua couldn't help but spit out her tea.
"Miss Aqua, you…"
Lyssea McKay's calm expression briefly showed panic as she hurriedly took out a napkin to wipe away the tea that had splashed on her face.
After all, this was a carefully concocted deadly poison tea. Even a little on the skin could leave severe aftereffects!
"Huh? Sorry, sorry, I couldn't hold it in for a moment."
Aqua turned her head to look at the overdramatic King, "You don't know, it's just King's twisted sense of humor. He's the real powerhouse on our ship!"
When it came to the self-improvement of party tricks, King was the only one she acknowledged.
Even the half-baked gods in the divine realm couldn't compare, just his ability to simulate an ordinary person struggling to lift a dumbbell was utterly remarkable!
"You mean to say that man is even stronger than your captain?!" Lyssea McKay shuddered.
Evil Thunder Zyhark was already holding his own against Golden Lion. If there was another force of similar or even greater strength, the outcome was obvious!
Hearing this, Aqua furrowed her brows slightly, thought for a few seconds, and gave an ambiguous answer: "They should be about the same."
After all, she had never seen King use his true power.
"…."
No, she couldn't just sit around waiting. She had to report this dangerous information to Golden Lion immediately!
Lyssea McKay stood up abruptly, dropping her gentle, elegant facade.
"Wahahaha! Aqua, the tea you just drank was a specially brewed poison capable of killing a Sea King. Now I'll activate the poison that's flowed into your body."
"You'll experience endless pain and suffering, dying in despair!"
"Poison Tea: Release!"
Her face twisted into a wicked smile as she turned, expecting to hear Aqua's blood-curdling screams. But instead, there was only silence.
"How… how could it be? You… you're okay?!"
Aqua smiled as she elegantly set down the teacup in her hands.
"What bland tea this is, Lyssea McKay."
Although the foolish goddess's brain wasn't very reliable, her divine perception as the Water Goddess was quite sharp.
The moment she interacted with the woman, she sensed the palpable malice.
Even if she was stupid, she still retained the most basic sense of caution in this scenario.
However, she hadn't expected the woman to use such a crude method as poison tea!
After all, she was the Water Goddess, Aqua, capable of purifying all poisons!
"Damn it, you… you knew all along?!"
"Yes, to be honest, this goddess is the brains of this group."
Water goddesses cannot lie, so this was Aqua's honest thought from the depths of her heart.
In some sense, not even Escanor could match up to her arrogance…
"Oh, right, I forgot to remind you. When you go out in stormy weather, always carry a sturdy umbrella~"
Seeing Lyssea McKay draw a dagger and prepare to charge at her in desperation, Aqua raised her right hand, a charming smile on her face, and snapped her fingers coolly.
Buzz!
Beneath the sky where Zyhark and Golden Lion battled, a massive magic circle large enough to cover the entire island suddenly appeared.
Blue divine light gathered at the center of the circle, illuminating every battlefield.
The next second, a terrifying flood of water descended from the sky!
The second after that, Meowth, King, Kanna, and Escanor were all caught up and swept away...
(End of Chapter)