"Weak? Ending this quickly?"
High in the sky above the sea, Saint Howard's usually proud and self-assured expression darkened at El and Linlin's scornful words.
"Chirp—" With a single powerful beat of his holy wings, he lunged forward like lightning. "A mere remnant of the Lunarian Tribe—do you have any idea who you're facing?"
Bathed in radiant holy light, his sword, wrapped in advanced Armament Haki, slashed furiously toward the towering figure before him.
'Clang!'
However, sparks flew as El, surrounded by blazing flames, stood unmoved, allowing Saint Howard's blade to strike him directly—yet not a drop of blood was drawn, nor a scratch left behind.
"What!?" Saint Howard's eyes widened in shock. He had heard tales of the Lunarian Tribe's resistance to physical harm, particularly the monstrous endurance of the Fallen Angel El, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.
"If you can't even scratch me, who do you think you are?" El sneered.
The flames behind his head extinguished, and in the next instant, a powerful heatwave surged as he launched a massive fist wrapped in Armament and Conqueror's Haki, entwined with crackling lightning and fierce flames. The sheer power of the attack distorted the air as it barreled forward.
"Ultimately, you're nothing more than a slightly better class of trash than those complacent Celestial Dragons who only know how to squander their status!"
The privileged Celestial Dragons, unlike Marine Admirals who fought on the front lines and honed their strength in the fires of battle, rarely pushed themselves to their true limits. Even though they might spar with slaves or hunt pirates and government enemies, few ever committed fully to risking their lives in battle. Under such conditions, no amount of resources, training, or powerful Devil Fruits could allow them to fully tap into their potential.
"Damn you... Holy Shield!" In a flash of panic, Saint Howard's face twisted as he raised his left arm, creating a radiant, impenetrable shield of holy light to guard himself. He began to retreat, sensing the danger.
'Boom!'
In a devastating clash, the holy shield shattered under El's relentless force. The fierce impact continued, pushing Saint Howard back as he barely managed to block the blow with his sword, now heated to a glowing red from the intense heat and electricity of El's Haki-infused strike.
"What... is this monstrous strength?" His arm trembled, struggling to grip his sword as his wings flapped frantically, sending him flying backward. He stared in shock at El's terrifying form.
'Whoosh... whoosh...'
El moved like lightning, his body glowing with power. He had abandoned defense entirely, entering his strongest attack state as he charged forward with unparalleled speed.
"Arrows of Holy Light!" Radiant wings spread wide as Saint Howard, bathing in a blinding aura, launched a storm of searing light arrows that poured down like an unrelenting rain of purifying, burning projectiles.
"Child's play… Storm Gale!" El's expression turned icy as his four wings beat in unison, generating a terrifying windstorm. Countless wind blades surged forth, colliding with the holy arrows in a brilliant explosion of light and sound.
'Boom... boom...'
Through the blinding light, El, moving with lightning speed, charged forward, closing the distance to the now-alarmed Saint Howard. His massive fists, cloaked in fierce flames, descended like a hailstorm.
"Dawning Peacock!"
A flurry of fiery punches, each casting dazzling flames like the fanning feathers of a peacock, filled the air, creating an overwhelming display of deadly beauty.
'Clang... clang...' Saint Howard, resolute, deflected El's strikes with his blade, but he was quickly overwhelmed, each punch driving him backward until one blow landed squarely on him.
'Thud!' His expression twisted in pain as he coughed up blood, his body blasted away like a cannonball.
"Holy Restoration!" he muttered, quickly summoning a glow of divine light that mended his injuries instantly.
...
"Judgment Blade!" With a determined gaze, Saint Howard activated his Observation Haki, pinpointing El's approach as he lifted his radiant sword, transforming it into a massive blade of light.
"Hero's Spear!" Unfazed, El's muscled right arm, infused with immense Conqueror's and Armament Haki, struck out like a storm, smashing through the light blade with ease.
"Flame Dragon Supreme!" In a moment, the air around El ignited into a roaring firestorm, forming a massive, serpentine dragon that lunged toward Saint Howard, who retreated in terror.
In the blink of an eye, El, shrouded in flames like a demon from the depths, surged forward in pursuit. The colossal flaming dragon twisted and roared as it closed in, threatening to consume everything in its path.
"Divine Judgment!"