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"Steelbone Kong?"
El narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the fleet ahead. His gaze locked onto the imposing figure standing at the bow of the lead battleship. He was somewhat surprised to encounter the future Navy Fleet Admiral, who would later rise to become the Commander-in-Chief of the entire World Government's military forces. At this moment, Steelbone Kong was already a candidate for Navy admiral.
"Step aside—"
El smirked, deciding to test the waters. Without hesitation, he drew the long sword from his waist, raising it diagonally. His aura surged, growing stronger by the second.
"El-sama..."
Streusen was momentarily stunned by the sight.
"Move back, don't get in the way... just watch!" Hajrudin quickly grabbed Streusen by the collar and pulled him back, giving El enough space to unleash his attack.
"I'm so jealous! When will I be able to master the 'Elbaf Spear'?" Linlin exclaimed, gripping her large blade, trying to mimic El's stance.
"Linlin, you're just like El—naturally gifted. Once you're older, you'll master it too!" Gerd crossed her arms, slightly irritated. "If anyone should be jealous, it's me!"
Though Linlin was naive, her exceptional talent was undeniable. Whenever El taught her techniques, she quickly grasped the key points—something Gerd and Hajrudin both envied immensely.
"Elbaf Spear?" Streusen muttered, confused. But then, his eyes widened in shock.
"Mighty Nation!!"
El's sharp gaze remained fixed as he swung his sword, unleashing a colossal cylindrical shockwave of sword pressure toward the lead battleship.
"What!?"
Streusen's jaw dropped, disbelief clear on his face. He struggled to comprehend what he was witnessing.
"What is that?"
"Damn it, they're attacking us!"
"Is this one of Fallen Angel El's sword strikes?"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
On the distant Navy fleet, the sailors were shocked. They stared in disbelief as a massive wave of sword energy cut through the air like lightning. None of them could believe a mere boy could launch such a powerful attack from so far away.
"Is that... the legendary Elbaf spear technique?" Steelbone Kong's pupils contracted. "This kid..."
"Boom..."
Without hesitation, Kong stomped his foot onto the deck, causing the battleship to sink slightly into the water. "Whoosh!" His towering figure shot forward, facing the oncoming shockwave head-on. His right fist, covered in advanced Armament Haki, struck out with full force.
"Adamantine Collision!!"
The air seemed to collapse under the force of his punch. The powerful Armament Haki fused with his strike, forming a shockwave that collided directly with El's cylindrical sword energy.
"Boom! Boom!"
A deafening explosion rocked the sea, sending massive waves crashing in all directions. "Whoosh... whoosh..." The rippling shockwaves spread across the ocean, causing the Navy warships to sway violently, with many sailors nearly losing their balance.
"That guy..."
"He actually blocked El's 'Mighty Nation' attack!"
"Gulp! Is this the strength of an admiral candidate?" Linlin, Hajrudin, and Gerd were stunned, unable to believe the usually unstoppable Elbaf spear technique had been so easily blocked.
"Damn, to unleash such an extraordinary strike so casually... is this really the Elbaf giants' technique?" Streusen was shaken to his core. He had always known El was strong, but he hadn't expected him to wield such power without even using his Devil Fruit abilities. If not for Steelbone Kong—a man renowned for his monstrous strength—any other vice admiral would likely have been obliterated by the attack.
"You all leave first. I'll catch up by following the Vivre Card later!" El's eyes burned with battle spirit as he stared at the powerful figure ahead, gripping his sword tightly as the flames behind his head roared.
"El-sama, isn't this too dangerous?" Streusen quickly warned, "After all, that man is Steelbone Kong, a monster among the Navy's admiral candidates. He's far from an ordinary vice admiral."
"Precisely because he's an admiral candidate, he's worth fighting!" El smirked coldly. Seeing that Streusen, Gerd, and the others wanted to say more, he waved them off. "Don't worry, I'm not charging in recklessly... I know I can't defeat him yet."
"I just want to measure how far I am from reaching the level of a monster like him!" El added. "Besides, if I want to escape, even an admiral candidate can't stop me."
More importantly, wouldn't it be more fun to provoke the enemy and slip away?
"Alright then, just be careful, El!" Gerd sighed. She knew El well enough by now; once his mind was made up, there was no changing it.
"El-oniichan, be careful!" Linlin called out. Though young and innocent, she wasn't blind to the strength of their opponent.
"Mm, don't worry!"
With a powerful flap of his wings, El shot into the sky, leaving the "Demon King Lucifer" behind. His figure became a blur as he sped toward the distant Navy fleet.
"Umibozu, take them around the fleet's position!" El's voice echoed across the sea.
"Yes, El-sama!" The giant sea Homie immediately began turning, pushing the ship in another direction.
"Roar—"
As Streusen watched in astonishment, a massive feathered serpent, over a hundred meters long, appeared in the sky. All around it, clouds began to gather at an alarming speed, and the sky darkened.
"Wooo..."
The enormous Quetzalcoatl soared through the heavens, exuding an overwhelming presence. Its cold, serpentine eyes locked onto the Navy fleet, particularly the imposing figure of Steelbone Kong.
Its two pairs of wings—one blue, one black—flapped forcefully. "Steelbone Kong, is it? Here's a little gift for you... 'Tempest Rampage!'"
"Wooo..."
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
Along with the howling winds, razor-sharp wind blades slashed through the air, hurtling toward the Navy fleet.