Sakazuki felt an overwhelmingly fierce and tyrannical force slam into his body in an instant, sending him flying backward uncontrollably.
He was well aware of how fast Rosinante's punches were, but this attack had come far too suddenly, completely beyond his expectations. He had not even had time to react before being struck.
Any attack required at least a moment of preparation. To throw a punch, one had to first draw the fist back so that the blow could carry sufficient power.
That was why those with Observation Haki could often sense an attack before it happened, sometimes even discerning the method of attack itself.
Rosinante's shattering punch was no exception.
In the past, although Rosinante's punches were explosive, highly condensed, and possessed terrifying burst power, there was always a brief moment of force accumulation before he struck. Only then could such violent power be unleashed.
But the punch just now had been launched abruptly, with absolutely no sign beforehand.
When he was hit, Sakazuki still wore a stunned expression, completely unable to understand how Rosinante's attack could have come without the slightest warning.
Still, Sakazuki was a Navy Admiral after all, with immensely rich combat experience. Even though he did not understand how Rosinante had eliminated all signs of an attack beforehand, he knew now was not the time to dwell on it.
While airborne, Sakazuki twisted his body and landed back on the ground. Yet the overwhelming force had not dissipated. It carried him sliding backward three to four meters before he finally managed to halt himself through sheer effort.
When he raised his head again, blood had already seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"So strong. He sent a Navy Admiral flying with a single punch!" the crowd watching cried out in shock.
"Rosinante's fists have become even more terrifying," Garp said gravely. "That punch just now concealed its buildup extremely well. Even I only sensed it at the moment he launched it. In a real fight, even the slightest lapse in attention could spell disaster."
"Unexpected, yet somehow expected," Sengoku said. "If Rosinante didn't show progress that shocked us, he wouldn't be worth the Navy and the World Government's deep fear."
"Is that all?" Sakazuki said with a grin despite the blood at his lips. "I admit it was surprising how you managed to attack without any warning, but your punch isn't much stronger than it was three years ago. Rosinante, your growth these past three years doesn't seem as fast as before. Have you already hit your limit?"
Although the attack was still fierce, Sakazuki had already tested something crucial. Rosinante's physical strength was still within the realm of a high-level Admiral.
Realizing this filled Sakazuki with delight. At the very least, Rosinante was not as monstrously abnormal as he had imagined.
"You really know how to talk," Rosinante said with a smile. "Let's see if you can still say the same thing later."
As he spoke, Rosinante slowly walked toward Sakazuki.
Watching him approach, Sakazuki wiped the blood from his mouth. A savage expression spread across his face as he suddenly surged forward at full speed.
"Hell Hound!"
Sakazuki transformed into magma and thrust forward explosively, instantly appearing before Rosinante. His body reformed into human shape, and from an uncanny angle, he hurled a punch straight at Rosinante.
Compared to three years ago, this punch already carried the air of the one that would later blast through Whitebeard's chest.
Even though Whitebeard had been on his last legs at that time, being able to land such an attack still demonstrated how fearsome Sakazuki's Hell Hound was in close combat. Especially with his body turning into magma beforehand, the angle of attack was exceptionally treacherous and unexpected.
Rosinante shifted slightly, his body moving soundlessly as he slipped aside with ease, avoiding the punch. At the same time, his Armament-coated fist shot out.
The punch struck Sakazuki, sending him sliding backward another three meters.
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki showed no concern at being driven back. As he slid, thick black smoke billowed from his arm, as if a volcano were about to erupt. Magma surged continuously from his limb. The moment Sakazuki stabilized his footing, he unleashed the attack at once.
Like a volcanic eruption, dense magma and molten rock formed into an enormous fist that crossed the distance created by his retreat in an instant, blasting toward Rosinante.
"Terrifying. The Magma Logia really is the power of natural disaster," many people exclaimed in shock as they watched the eruption-like attack.
"It's the same old trick," Rosinante said with a faint smile. "Sure, its power is far beyond what it was before, but it's useless against me."
As he spoke, Rosinante threw a punch of his own.
Compared to the massive magma fist of the Great Eruption, Rosinante's fist looked ridiculously small.
Of course, his fist was just a normal human fist.
Yet when that seemingly insignificant fist collided with the colossal magma fist, the molten mass began to crumble inch by inch. A terrifying shock force penetrated into the magma, shattering it piece by piece.
"You're no different either. Over and over again, it's still just that shattering punch. Crimson Lotus Fang!" Sakazuki roared coldly, immediately throwing out his other fist.
From another direction, a massive dog's head formed entirely of molten magma lunged toward Rosinante, jaws snapping.
"There's no rule saying one punch can't conquer the world," Rosinante replied calmly. He raised his fist and punched straight toward the lunging Crimson Lotus Fang.
But his fist did not actually strike the attack.
Because the Crimson Lotus Fang was still some distance away, just beyond the reach of his punch.
Rosinante's fist slammed into empty air.
And then, a scene unfolded that left everyone utterly stunned.
Like a mirror being smashed, the air itself shattered.
Cracks visible to the naked eye spread rapidly through space.
It was as if the air were a glass mirror, and Rosinante's punch had struck it, causing it to fracture into countless fissures.
If one had ever seen Whitebeard unleash the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, they would immediately realize that the effect of this punch was identical.
The air had been blasted apart.
It shattered like a mirror.
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