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The two traded a blow, then quickly separated, standing dozens of feet apart, eyes locked in an intense stare.
"Hahahaha!" Arthur laughed, exhilarated. Each time he met an opponent who forced him to get serious, his anticipation for the exciting life that awaited him on the seas grew.
"Let's see how strong this Armament Haki really is!"
He wanted to test his own mettle against Armament Haki, to see if he could figure it out on his own.
'BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!'
Arthur stomped his foot hard, sending out a shockwave. The ground beneath him cracked, fissures spider-webbing outwards.
Almost instantly, channeling lightning to enhance his already formidable strength, Arthur was in front of Don Cai.
"Whoosh!!"
His open hand became a fist, generating a powerful blast of wind as he punched out, electricity crackling at his knuckles.
Don Cai was furious—but he hadn't lost his head. He knew that competing with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in speed was a fool's errand. He could only meet the unexpected with the expected.
He raised his naginata with both hands, instantly coating the sharp blade with a layer of black Armament Haki. He met Arthur's oncoming iron fist head-on.
"Clang!!"
The sound of metal striking metal echoed around them. The force of the impact created a powerful gust, stripping away a layer of topsoil.
The fist striking the blade felt like hitting a thick steel plate. Pain shot from Arthur's fingertips straight to his brain.
"Pure physical strength is a losing game against Armament Haki. I have to learn it," Arthur thought. Despite the pain, his expression remained unchanged, the experience only fueling his intensity.
He craved battle and the thrill of a life lived on the edge.
"What a powerful physique, to clash head-on with my Haki using only your body? Is this Whitebeard?" Don Cai's expression was incredibly grave. "If he used his Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities, I probably wouldn't even stand a chance. Looks like I need to call my father!"
The two were locked in a stalemate. All around them, members of the Happo Navy were rushing over, alerted by the commotion.
Arthur twisted his neck. Relying on pure physical speed, his body blurred, leaving dozens of afterimages in his wake—lingering traces of his incredible speed.
Don Cai's expression changed instantly. This speed was beyond his ability to react. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Vice-Leader—behind you!!"
A shout came from the observing Happo Navy crowd. Hearing the warning, Don Cai swung his naginata in an arc behind him.
"Hahahaha—too late!" Arthur's figure appeared behind him, his hands reaching for Don Cai's wrists as he swung the weapon.
In the nick of time, Don Cai simply abandoned the naginata. A surge of shockwave suddenly enveloped his body.
<"Hasshoken!">
A hazy white glow emanated, seeming to repel Arthur.
<"Break!!">
Veins bulged on Arthur's powerful arms.
He roared, forcefully breaking through the shockwave generated by the Hasshoken with brute strength.
His steel-like grip closed on Don Cai's arms.
"Up you go!"
Arthur exerted his strength—lifting Don Cai clean off the ground. He grabbed Don Cai's body and slammed him brutally into the midst of the Happo Navy.
'BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!'
A huge sound erupted from the crowd. Screams were incessant. Don Cai's body had knocked down a row of people.
Arthur's speed—boosted by lightning stimulation, was very fast—second only to his teleportation using his lightning form.
The previously fierce Don Cai was completely disoriented by the slam—unable to even stand.
"I wanted to learn Armament Haki's training method from you, but you're such a disappointment!" Arthur was losing his enthusiasm. He looked at the remaining, still-standing fighters among the Happo Navy.
The Happo Navy, under the leadership of Don Chinjao, had once been a powerful pirate crew that roamed the New World, even clashing with legendary figures. Yet, under Arthur's sharp gaze, they couldn't bring themselves to meet his eyes.
"Where is Don Chinjao? Get him here..."
Logically speaking, with Chinjao's Observation Haki—he shouldn't be unaware of what was happening here.
He didn't receive a response, but Arthur wasn't disappointed. His Observation Haki was already fully active, clearly "seeing" a massive figure approaching quickly, led by his subordinates.
He didn't have to wait long. The approaching figures neared the area.
—
Arthur's gaze fixed on the leader, a four- or five-meter-tall giant of a man, incredibly robust.
This Chinjao was not the decrepit old man of twenty-some years later. He looked to be in his fifties. His long beard was slightly graying. He wore a dark green cape.
He had a "12" tattoo at the junction of his eyebrows and temples, representing his status as the twelfth leader of the Happo Navy.
"Don Chinjao?" Arthur licked his lips, asking with absolute certainty, his fiery gaze glancing at his flattened head.
This unconscious glance immediately angered Chinjao. The reality of his flat head was a sore spot, a taboo that no one dared to touch.
"Brat, are you mocking my head?"
Almost instantly, Chinjao's originally amiable face was covered with bulging veins. The aura emanating from him blew his graying beard upwards. He transformed from a kind old man into a demon!
The powerful airflow generated around him pushed everyone nearby away. Chinjao charged forward like a tank.
The Drill-less Head created immense pressure. Hazy white energy surged, and his bald head was covered with a layer of black Armament Haki.
<"Hasshoken—Buto (Martial Head)!">
Chinjao roared, instantly entering a combat state. He stomped his feet on the ground, cracking the already dilapidated earth.
His massive body leaped into the air, soaring like a meteor, striking downwards towards Arthur below, using his flattened head in a powerful headbutt attack.
Like a falling meteor.
The sheer weight of his body, combined with the force of the impact, made this "Buto" strike terrifyingly powerful—far surpassing Don Cai's Hasshoken.
His body crashed down. Arthur's eyes shone even brighter with excitement.
This current Don Chinjao—aside from lacking his drill-shaped head and fighting spirit, was still in his prime.
In terms of pure physical power—he far surpassed Kizaru—who didn't focus on physical combat.
"Zzzzzzt!"
Arthur drew back his fist to his abdomen. Lightning flickered on and off on his fist. An electromagnetic field formed, enveloping his fist.
"DIE!!!!!"
Chinjao's head slammed down. The powerful air pressure created by the impact exploded on his forehead.
<"Lightning Flash Fist!!">
Under the surging airflow, the blue greatcoat on his back billowed, flapping in the wind. The fist at his waist, glowing with brilliant electricity, shot out—
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