Haki surged through the void. The solid ice on the sea surface shattered. Amidst the rolling black smoke, dozens of legendary spears, containing the giants' hopes for the future, smashed everything in their path.
"Haha, the giants' attack is coming! This is the final blow!"
Facing the shockwave almost as immense as the island itself, Kuina, standing before Tsuru, showed no fear at all. Instead, she revealed an excited expression.
Dancing between life and death to grow stronger… this was the path she had found within the lingering death aura and curse of the demon blade, Masamune.
For four full years, she had constantly undergone the honing of her swordsmanship, Haki, and Chakra by the pirate crew.
Although she was only eighteen, she could now truly be called a [Swordmaster].
Kuina lowered her center of gravity. Surged Haki merged with Masamune's death aura, igniting a wisp of cyan flame at the tips of her twin swords.
"The Way has no beginning or end, things have death and life... Therefore, the strongest sword seeks nothing external, only taking death as proof!!!"
Within the ultimate sword light, the will of death ran rampant like burning silver radiance. After violently conflicting with the living instinct of organisms, it formed this series of extremely contradictory sword techniques.
[One-Sword Style: Ultimate: Naraka!]
The gorgeous sword light shattered in the air. No wind sound. No cold light.
Nothing at all.
The blade of Masamune simply rose and fell silently like that, as if it were just an ordinary straight overhead cut. Yet it brought lethal danger to Tsuru, who stood against her!
"This is…!" Driven by the frantic urging of her Observation Haki, Tsuru activated her ability to its maximum extent.
One could faintly see the air around her purified, forming a solemnly shining ring, protecting her side.
However... useless!
Somehow, Tsuru felt everything gradually receding. Only a crisp sound echoed in her ears.
The distant wind brought the song of the blade. At first, it was just a soft hum, then it grew louder and louder, until even the other masters of Observation Haki on the battlefield could not ignore such a sword's cry.
Suddenly realizing something, Zephyr turned his head in horror. "No, Tsuru! Get away from her quickly!"
But Zephyr's warning came too late. Blood flowed from the corner of Tsuru's mouth. The next instant, her body was slashed with a huge wound. Blood spilled on the ground, and Tsuru herself fell straight to the ground.
"Tsuru!!!" / "Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
Zephyr's eyes turned bloodshot. The many Marine officers around him, who had been cared for by this elder, also roared.
A group of people, their Haki continuously rising due to the burning of their will, hurled various techniques at Kuina, whose life force was also beginning to weaken.
"What growth!" Just as the numerous attacks were about to bury the girl, the tall, red-skinned fish-man, riding turbulent water currents, in advance rescued her.
"Damn pirates! Put her down!" Zephyr swung his fist with a roar. His superb close-combat skill, combined with Haki, tore through Tiger's water current, reaching him.
The explosives inside his crusher were loaded. It spun, preparing to smash the explosion and impact onto the two.
"You underestimate me!" Tiger raised his scarlet eyes, a fierce light suddenly appearing in them.
Tiger, who had trained in Fish-Man Karate for thirty years, after receiving Chakra from Sakura, combined it with his own combat skill, breaking through the shackles of traditional Fish-Man Karate and developing a new Ninja-Taijutsu!
Boiling Chakra gathered in the fish-man's body. Spiraling vortexes wrapped around the arms of both hands.
Water blades mixed with Haki spun at high speed within them, compressing, compressing again!
"Fish-Man Karate: Modified: Water Blade Rough Shark!"
Meeting Zephyr's swinging massive Seastone mechanical arm, Tiger's five fingers formed claws and fiercely struck back.
Shriek!
The teeth-grinding sound of steel grinding rang out. Fingers carrying Chakra and Haki forcibly dug into the Seastone, injecting the spinning water blade into Zephyr's mechanical arm.
"Impossible! This is Seastone!" Zephyr frowned. His other fist clenched and viciously slammed into Tiger's chest.
Carrying Kuina, Tiger couldn't use his remaining hand to block the blow. He could only let this punch land, buying himself time.
Thump!
The fist slammed into Tiger, causing a pained expression on his face as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
But the effect of trading wounds was gratifying. The spiraling water blade destroyed all the circuits and rotating bearings inside Zephyr's mechanical arm, instantly rendering that huge arm a burden.
"Damn..." Realizing he had been blinded by anger and made a wrong decision.
Zephyr wanted to retreat, but it was also too late.
Tiger gathered a breath and spat out a large torrent mixed with Chakra.
[Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!]
The swift torrent surged out, sweeping Zephyr and a group of Marine officers away.
Gasping heavily, Tiger looked up and called out to Leviathan.
Then, the shadows beneath their feet came to life. The ship spirit shuttling through the shadows took them away!
"Bastards! Don't run!!!"
Zephyr roared in anger, but the barrage of Hakoku swung by the giants had already reached them.
Amidst the howling storm, plants, mountains, the earth, and Zephyr's roar… everything was completely swallowed by the dazzling flames of destruction.
In the sky, Enel, having taken in the entire scene with his Observation Haki, turned to Kizaru before him and revealed an arrogant smile. "Hey, monkey, looks like all your companions have been defeated. You? Ready to surrender?"
"Sigh, how terrifying~ I advised these stubborn old seniors back then not to intrude on the Emperor's territory."
Kizaru sighed. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest. "But since things have come to this, I must do something. Otherwise, the Marines' dignity will be hard to maintain!"
Behind Kizaru's sunglasses, those languid and weary pupils revealed dazzling radiance. Endless light flickered, enveloping the entire Upperworld.
Each falling wisp of light transformed into a Kizaru clone holding Ama no Murakumo, swinging fierce blades towards the central Enel.
"Hahaha! So this is the peak of the Blue Sea?" Enel laughed loudly. "Following that woman to this sea was definitely the right choice!"
The tremor of his heart accompanied the thunder's roar spreading across the entire island. From the thunderous sea of the Celestial Realm above the Upperworld, countless lightning bolts crashed down, rapidly converging towards Enel's body.
"1 Billion Volt, Thor!" Enel's expression turned ferocious. His entire body was swallowed by the fierce light of gathered thunder.
Without a moment's hesitation, facing the peak powerhouse of the sea, he directly used the strongest technique currently available to him.
Then, a hundred-meter-tall thunder giant clad in armor rose from the light. The drums on its back transformed into six floating spheres of lightning, linked by a wisp of floating flame clouds. In its hand, it held a trident constructed from lightning energy.
"Ten Thousand Thunder!"
Enel raised the trident and stabbed at the tens of thousands of Kizaru clones. The massive trident disintegrated into countless bolts of lightning mid-air.
Under the guidance of his ultra-precise Observation Haki, the lightning precisely struck each charging Kizaru holding a sword.
Scattered light particles rapidly spiraled, gathering into form on Enel's arm, then charging towards Enel's head.
"Making your target this huge on purpose... must have been tiring for you~" Kizaru drawled out his languid tone.
Four or five projection clones converged into the Ama no Murakumo in his hand, extending the laser sword to over ten meters in length.
After dodging four or five bolts of lightning blocking his way, he suddenly stabbed towards the thunder giant's head.
Imbued with Armament Haki, the tip of the shining laser sword carried a dark, cold light.
Thump—!