"Boom—!"
The fist collided directly with the tip of the sword, and an invisible shockwave instantly swept through the surroundings. The ground beneath Wood's feet, which had endured an immense impact in a brief moment, shattered into a web of cracks.
However, compared to Wood's situation, the condition of CP3 agent York was much worse. At the moment of impact, the entire sleeve of his arm was shredded by the sword's energy.
The fist that had collided with the tip of the sword was now a mess of flesh and blood, and York's body was flung several meters away by the force.
When York hit the ground, he felt his right arm completely lose sensation, but his expression showed a hint of relief.
Iron Body: Smash was a technique that concentrated all of one's strength at a single point while in the Iron Body state, capable of easily shattering the ground.
However, even with all his strength concentrated in that single punch, this was the outcome after clashing with the opponent. If he had actually gone for a mutual destruction tactic...
There was no doubt that before his punch could even land on the opponent's head, his throat would have already been pierced by the opponent's blade.
"Excellent judgment skills, as expected from the intelligence agency specially trained by the World Government.
But there's one thing you both got wrong. Facing me, the Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo, even if you are completely vigilant, you're still no match."
York had suddenly appeared behind Wood using Soru, but Wood's Observation Haki had already detected it.
The best response would have been for Wood to use Soru as well to evade and then counterattack.
However, considering his current identity as a Fish-Man and that Soru is a Navy technique, Wood opted for what appeared to be a risky close-quarter clash.
Fortunately, these two CP3 agents weren't as strong as Wood had anticipated. Or perhaps Wood hadn't yet realized that his years of grueling training, combined with his cheat-like assistance, had elevated his strength beyond most people in the ocean.
"You two are truly useless, unable to deal with just a single Fish-Man!
I'll give you five more minutes. If you can't take down this lowly creature who dared to step into my estate, you'll be reporting to my iron cage tomorrow."
After just a few exchanges, Paul and York realized that the Fish-Man in front of them was exceptionally strong, even invincible.
Although the battle had been brief, their opponent had remained calm throughout, clearly holding back, while both Paul and York had sustained significant injuries, greatly reducing their combat effectiveness.
Initially, Paul and York had considered changing their strategy, shifting from offense to defense, with the aim of stalling until reinforcements arrived.
But at that moment, the Celestial Dragon Charlmos Saint, who had been watching the battle from behind, grew impatient.
Not only had this lowly Fish-Man dared to enter his luxurious estate, but he also had the audacity to act so arrogantly!
Charlmos Saint wanted this Fish-Man dead immediately—he couldn't stand the thought of him living even a moment longer. So, he issued his final ultimatum to the two CP3 agents.
Even though they were risking their lives for him, the Celestial Dragon simply wanted them to die quickly, or else they would be turned into slaves.
CP3 agents were still human, so naturally, they weren't feeling too great about the situation.
However, despite their inner dissatisfaction, as members of the World Government's intelligence agency, they had no choice but to obey the Celestial Dragon's orders.
Paul gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his chest, and York, dragging his limp right arm, exchanged a glance with him before resolutely charging at Wood again.
"Your courage in challenging me despite your severe injuries is commendable, but blind loyalty is of no value.
Whether you live or die under Ittoryu Iai: Rantcho will depend entirely on your own fate."
A dazzling display of sword light blossomed in the air as Wood unleashed a series of rapid, crisscrossing slashes that formed a massive web of blades, enveloping both Paul and York as they leaped toward him.
When Wood sheathed his sword and calmly walked past them, an illusory butterfly alighted gently on his finger.
In the next moment, blood sprayed from the numerous cuts on Paul and York's bodies like fountains.
"What incredible speed, such a dazzling... sword technique."
With those words of admiration, Paul felt his body grow heavy, his vision blurring, and finally, alongside York, he collapsed to the ground, their fates uncertain.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Wood's response, however, would never be heard by the two CP3 agents. With all obstacles now cleared, Wood turned his attention to the only remaining figure in the room: the Celestial Dragon, Charlmos Saint.
"You lowly Fish-Man, you've committed a capital crime. Die now!"
Like most arrogant and brainless Celestial Dragons, even in such a dire situation, Charlmos Saint maintained his lofty attitude, raising his pistol and firing at Wood.
But unfortunately, the bullet's speed was far too slow for someone like Wood.
With just a slight tilt of his head, all of Charlmos Saint's shots missed their mark.
With one foot smashing into the ground, Wood flashed in front of Charlmos Saint, effortlessly lifting him with one hand before violently slamming him into the floor, forcing his face into intimate contact with the ground.
Although Gion had advised Wood to avoid harming the Celestial Dragons, as it would only escalate matters...
Both Charlmos Saint and the previous Charloss Saint had triggered something within Wood—a deep urge to strike down these vile creatures whenever he saw them.
"After all, I've already killed one Celestial Dragon named Charloss Saint. Killing another named Charlmos Saint shouldn't make much of a difference."
Charlmos Saint's face had just kissed the ground, knocking out several of his teeth, leaving him struggling to speak.
Despite his lofty status as a Celestial Dragon, believing Wood wouldn't dare kill him, the moment he heard Wood's mutterings and sensed the killing intent emanating from him, his arrogance crumbled instantly.
"Don't kill me! I can give you wealth beyond measure. Whether it's money or women, I can satisfy any desire you have. And I'm a Celestial Dragon; my standing in the Holy Land is higher than that of Charloss Saint. If you harm me, the World Government won't let you get away with it."
Faced with Charlmos Saint's pleading, Wood hesitated for a moment before ultimately not holding back, decisively ending the Celestial Dragon's life with a single stroke.
As he had said earlier, killing one Celestial Dragon was no different from killing two.
Moreover, with his current identity as a Fish-Man, why not take the opportunity to rid the world of one more piece of garbage?
Would letting him live mean Charlmos Saint would give up on seeking revenge? Of course not. Celestial Dragons are not known for their magnanimity.
In fact, a living Celestial Dragon would be far more troublesome than a dead one.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 160 at patreon.com/Betek.