"Sengoku! I'll let you off just this once today!"
Byrnndi World snarled, leaving behind a harsh threat as he turned and attempted to flee.
Sengoku moved to give chase but felt an overwhelming exhaustion wash over him. After ten days and nights of relentless fighting, even he had reached his limit.
A flicker of frustration crossed his face, irritated by his own weakening strength.
When he saw Byrnndi World heading toward Ron's direction, Sengoku felt a chill. Of the four Marine generals, Ron was the one he considered the weakest. Byrnndi World would be blocked from escaping in any other direction, but breaking through Ron's position seemed like a real possibility.
If Byrnndi World escaped, even if they destroyed the Ward Pirates, the Marine's siege would be considered a dismal failure. Their mission was to capture Byrnndi World alive. So much effort had been poured into this operation, and it might even expose the presence of spies. Failing to meet their objective would surely result in severe punishment from the World Government.
And who knew when they'd get another chance like this?
"No matter the cost, we must stop him!" Sengoku roared.
"It goes without saying!" Ron's eyes gleamed with excitement as he faced the oncoming Byrnndi World. He had been wondering how to find an excuse to kill him, and now the opportunity had arrived. It was as if fate had delivered him a gift.
"Old friend, if we kill him, he'll make a fine meal for you!" Ron thought. Byrnndi World had Admiral-level strength, but after fighting Sengoku for ten days and nights, his stamina and Haki were drained. How much power could he have left?
Half? Maybe even less?
"Life offers many opportunities, but you may only get one chance to kill an Admiral!" Ron wasn't scared—he was exhilarated. He drew his blade and slashed, sending a bloody wave towards his target.
"Courting death!" Byrnndi World's eyes blazed with fury. Marine Admirals and Vice Admirals were one thing, but a Rear Admiral daring to challenge him? He had killed plenty of Rear Admirals in his day.
"Momo! Ten times faster!" Byrnndi World's speed surged, and his Haki-infused fist, jet-black and lethal, shot towards Ron's slash.
"Armament Haki!" Ron smirked. While Byrnndi World might overpower him in raw strength, Ron had confidence in his Haki. There, he would not lose.
Haki enveloped his body and sword. The dark red blade clashed directly with Byrnndi World's fist.
Boom!
The impact shattered the clouds above, and the sea beneath them trembled. Ron was pushed half a step back. As expected, Byrnndi World's stamina and Haki were nearly depleted after his extended battle with Sengoku.
Now was the perfect opportunity.
"Today, I'll kill you!" Ron's expression remained calm as he effortlessly swung his saber forward. The seemingly unremarkable slash carried a deadly force that filled Byrnndi World with dread.
The slash was strange, but it came too fast for him to evade. With no other option, he braced himself.
"Breaking Strike!"
Boom!
The sea, the sky—everything in front of him—was sliced in two. Byrnndi World pushed his last trace of Haki into his body, his entire form glowing with a dark, metallic sheen.
"Momo! Fifty times faster!" With a screeching roar, Byrnndi World threw a punch, creating a sonic boom. The two forces collided, and the Haki around Ron's blade suddenly intensified, as though tempered by fire.
Ron's Armament Haki had evolved.
"Armament Haki External release?" Byrnndi World's eyes widened in shock. Only a few old Vice Admirals, those specializing in Haki, could reach this level. Even among Admiral-level powerhouses, many never advanced this far unless they focused entirely on Haki.
"I have to finish this quickly." Ron cast a glance at Tsuru Vice Admiral and the others rapidly approaching. There was no time to waste talking.
With a swift motion, his dark red blade slashed toward Byrnndi World again. The strike seemed simple, but its power had doubled.
"Momo! Fifty times faster!" Byrnndi World struck back, betting everything on this final gamble. His only hope was that Ron would hesitate, giving him a chance to escape.
Ron grinned. "You're already dead."
His dark red slash tore through Byrnndi World's Haki as if it were paper.
"I've finally started to merge Haki with my slashes," Ron mused as he watched blood drift through the air. The sensation of his growing strength was intoxicating. Killing someone with Admiral-level combat power had enhanced his abilities more than all his previous reinforcements combined.
But more importantly, he had begun to merge his Haki with his swordsmanship. Though it was only a preliminary fusion, it had already doubled his slashing power.
Ron smiled inwardly, knowing that if he could perfect this fusion, his combat power might reach the Admiral level. Still, such mastery would not come easily.
The undead warship beneath Ron split open and devoured Byrnndi World's corpse without hesitation, crunching flesh and bone into nothing.
"Why did you kill him? Our mission was to capture him alive!" Sengoku, arriving too late, sighed heavily.
"If I hadn't killed him, I would be the one dead!" Ron calmly sheathed his blade.
Sengoku had no response. He knew Ron wasn't wrong. A Marine Rear Admiral facing someone like Byrnndi World was in no position to hold back.
"Though we didn't capture him alive, we prevented his escape," Tsuru Vice Admiral said, trying to placate Sengoku. "The World Government will be satisfied."
Sengoku's frustration eased slightly. Despite failing to meet their primary objective, they had destroyed the Ward Pirates and taken down Byrnndi World. It was a victory, second only to the destruction of the Rocks Pirates in the Valley of the G-ds.