The Fire behind King abruptly and inexplicably extinguished, its once-blazing radiance vanishing in an instant, leaving only a brief void of darkness.
In that very moment, King's speed seemed to surge as if empowered by some mysterious force, increasing explosively!
His body blurred into a streak of light, moving with such swiftness that it was nearly impossible for the naked eye to follow, narrowly evading the lethal strike.
But Vista's exceptionally sharp Observation Haki had already locked onto every minute movement King made.
The instant King dodged the fatal blow, another sword seemed to materialize from thin air, pursuing him relentlessly like a shadow.
The sword's momentum was fierce and sharp, carrying an air of unwavering resolve.
"Thud!"
The sound of the blade piercing flesh was starkly clear in the tension-filled atmosphere.
King grunted, a hint of pain and frustration in his voice.
Beneath his mask, trickles of blood slowly seeped out, tracing paths down his cheeks.
He stared in disbelief at the deep, bone-revealing wound on his chest, his eyes flashing with a mix of shock and fury.
This was the first time since the battle began that he had been truly injured.
The formidable defense he had always relied upon now seemed so fragile in the face of Vista's masterful assault.
"It seems when the Fire extinguishes..." Vista lifted his head slightly, his gaze revealing a touch of cold confidence.
He flicked the crimson droplets of blood from his blade, and in that instant, rose petals began to drift and swirl in the air around him.
Encircling his form, the petals added to his aura of elegance and composure.
"Your defense really isn't all that impressive," he remarked, his tone calm yet provocative.
Rage ignited in King's eyes, as if his inner fury were about to erupt.
The Fire behind him roared back to life with a "boom," its blazing flames once again illuminating the battlefield and casting his silhouette like an enraged war deity.
Yet, by now, Vista had already deciphered his combat pattern.
In the ensuing fight, every one of Vista's strikes precisely targeted the fleeting moments during the Fire's transitions.
Each attack was perfectly timed, putting King under relentless pressure even as he fought with all his might.
Vista's twin blades traced graceful arcs through the air, yet his mind echoed with Ron's parting advice.
"The Lunarian's Fire is their greatest asset, yet also their fatal weakness. When the flames burn, they are indestructible, but when extinguished, they become incredibly fragile. The key is to force him to lose composure in battle..."
Sparks from clashing blades illuminated Vista's grave expression.
He had been testing his opponent for dozens of exchanges, each confrontation like dancing on a tightrope—cautious yet filled with lethal intent.
But having learned from their previous exchange, King was being extremely careful, leaving no openings for a second time.
The Fire behind King burned fiercely without any sign of weakening.
Those blazing flames were King's protective charm, putting immense pressure on Vista.
More troubling was how King seemed to deliberately control the battle's pace, maintaining perfect distance in each engagement and never carelessly revealing weaknesses.
His movements were fluid and elegant, as if he were enjoying this fight rather than engaged in a life-or-death struggle.
Since there were no openings, then he would create one!
"What's wrong, Flower Sword?" King's black wings spread behind him, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Is this all your Rose Sword Dance is capable of?"
"If that's truly the case, you might as well surrender now."
He glanced at the distant figures of Beasts Pirates officers falling one after another, his brow furrowing beneath his mask.
Both Jack and Queen had been defeated—the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
Vista suddenly began breathing heavily, his right sword noticeably slowing by half a beat.
This subtle opening was immediately caught by King, whose eyes flashed with ruthlessness.
"An opportunity!"
"Instant Shadow - Black Feather Slash!"
The Fire behind King abruptly extinguished, his speed instantly multiplying several times over!
His figure transformed into a black lightning bolt, his longsword cutting through the air with a piercing shriek as it aimed straight for Vista's throat.
The strike was so fast it split the air itself, the sharp sword energy reaching Vista's neck before the blade even arrived!
"Got him!" A flicker of triumph crossed King's face, as if he could already see Vista's head being severed.
But just as the blade was about to touch skin, the corner of Vista's mouth curled into a triumphant smile.
"I've been waiting for this moment!"
A sharp, cold glint flashed in Vista's eyes.
When King's blade was mere inches from his throat, all his muscles suddenly tensed, and a suffocating pressure erupted from him!
"BOOM—!"
Top-tier Armament Haki burst forth from Vista like a volcanic eruption, purple-black lightning dancing wildly around his body.
The Haki wrapped around his twin swords instantly materialized, simultaneously forming visible distorted force fields around the blades—the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!
"Twin Blades Style - Heaven-Shaking Rose!"
Vista's figure suddenly blurred, the trajectories of his twin swords causing the air to shatter like glass!
Fine spatial cracks spread along the sword's path, emitting an ear-grinding "CRACK" sound. King's pupils contracted violently, the Divine Fire behind him swaying wildly.
He had never witnessed such a terrifying slash!
"Not good!" King desperately tried to flap his wings to retreat, but horrifyingly discovered the surrounding space had been locked down by the tremor force field.
At the critical moment, he barely managed to twist aside to avoid a fatal blow, but his right shoulder was still struck by a blade!
Blood sprayed out, staining his clothes crimson.
"CRACK!!!"
King's originally indestructible mask armor, like fragile porcelain, shattered into pieces under the impact of this tremendous power.
Shards of shattered armor scattered like meteors, tracing dim trajectories through the air before plummeting downward.
The blade entwined with the Tremor-Tremor Power cut through the darkness like a flash of lightning, tearing through King's defenses with an unstoppable, overwhelming force.
The violet-black Haki surged like a raging tide, following the path of the blade and invading King's body with irresistible momentum.
This Haki seemed almost alive, rampaging through his body and leaving destructive devastation in its wake!
The first to bear the brunt were his shoulder blades—under the impact of such immense force, they shattered instantly, like dry twigs crushed beneath a boulder, fragile and utterly defenseless.
"Urgh—!" King let out a pained grunt, the sound laced with agony and resentment.
Beneath his mask, his face turned deathly pale in an instant, drained of all color.
The once-resolute look in his eyes now flickered with a trace of panic.
'How could this be?!'