Half of the face indeed showed scars, but at the instant the fist was moved away, white mist surrounded the area, dissipating and healing the scars on the face.
"Teach, did you know? Body Techniques are not just about sheer strength. That's just one aspect of it. Mind Body Skill, Mind Body Skill; on the sea it can be seen as Haki, Body Techniques, Swordsmanship, and abilities, but within pure Body Techniques, it is the mind that controls the techniques, the body that exercises the techniques, and the skill that employs the techniques."
As the fist moved away, Sage's head slowly turned upright, revealing a grim smile.
"No matter how weak, my strength will never falter. The force on your fist has already dissipated greatly. I have to commend you; you've done very well in actually affecting my physique and abilities. If it were before, I might truly suffer. But while you may affect physique and ability, you can't affect my Haki!"
Sage grinned menacingly: "Have you not heard? Haki is the power above all!"
Ability is a miracle, but ability has its limitations.
Sage's development of the More-More Fruit is already quite advanced, but he can see the ceiling even as he surpasses previous Ability Users, perfecting his development beyond just speed to volume and power. Yet Sage still sees the limit.
That limit is a hundredfold.
This fruit can only amplify up to a hundred times.
Although 'more' implies more, there is still an ultimate limit.
Just like how Ability Users awaken; awakening is the extreme development of the fruit. No matter how creative, the intensity won't change much.
A Paramecia-Type awakening changes the surrounding environment using ability.
A Zoan-Type awakening drastically enhances physique and recovery.
A Logia-type awakening...
Still unknown.
After all, he doesn't have any powerful Logia-type around him.
As for changing the weather environment, those strong beings, even Old Sand, can permanently alter the local climate as long as they use their ability in one place long enough.
But regardless of the type, they all have limits, no matter how distant that limit is, there is always an end.
But Haki does not.
Though no one has surpassed the limit of ability development, there's indeed none.
Sage has seen it at Egghead, that Supreme King that rendered five elders powerless...
Haki has no limits!
Its effects are powerful. Under idealism, everything becomes sheer force!
Can abilities be imposed on people?
Haki can resist!
Can natural forces not be defended against?
Haki can make attacks defensive!
Whether it's intimidation, killing, or creating immense charisma, it's all about that spirit, and a man with enough spirit will undoubtedly possess Haki!
As long as there's enough Haki... anything can be achieved!
Is Sage's Haki not enough?
Facing the assault of so many people, indeed his Haki is a bit lacking; after all, the total amount now, even after defeating Red Hair, saw growth in spirit and confidence, only surpassing Teach slightly, yet still a bit inferior compared to Red Hair.
But this slight inferiority is enough for Sage to employ certain things.
Such as his Full Form, the amplification rate, also relies on full Haki. If Haki cannot keep up, then the amplification is absorption, with each level requiring Haki as the foundation, otherwise, the overall structure is just an unstable empty shell!
And the increase in physique triggers a new qualitative change.
No matter how powerful Teach is, Body Techniques nullify a large portion, Haki resists a large portion, and then...
"Seventy times."
Sage completely moved away Teach's fist, his body flickering before his eyes, becoming even more solidified than before!
Bang!!
In the next moment, a fist struck Teach's abdomen, the compressed Haki within directly piercing through his stomach, as the intense Haki penetrated his internal body, continuously disassembling the hole in the abdomen, gradually expanding it to the entire body.
That sturdy physique was left with only the edges, with the remainder forming a round hole.
Teach swore, he didn't even blink, but Sage's movements had already become utterly indistinct.
"Isn't the ability affecting you at all?"
Enduring the penetrating pain, Teach gritted his teeth and spoke, "Why does it seem to have no effect?"
Sage revealed a grim smile: "It's so simple... Look again carefully."
Teach's eyes glanced around, his face becoming even more unpleasant.
Those utilizing abilities were merely standing there, but their eyes had completely lost focus, already void of consciousness.
In just that moment, these few Ability Users were intimidated by Sage's Haki, losing their ability to resist.
"Their quality is quite good. If it's a full-scale release of Supreme King, they can be aware, but concentrating Supreme King at one point for release leaves no escape... just like you, Teach!"
Sage's eyes widened, the crimson glow within his eyes intensified with just a single glance, even the hand Teach gathered in darkness showed signs of instability.
The primary effect of Supreme King isn't really about augmenting power with Conqueror's Haki; that's merely a high-level technique. The most significant is the intimidation that makes it difficult for others to even use abilities!
"I am very grateful to you, Teach."
Before Teach had completely recovered, Sage smiled: "Your immortality pleases me greatly. Before, I was worried that if I couldn't hold back and killed you, only the fruit would come around, but I wouldn't be able to study your physique. That wouldn't be good."
"But now it's different; you'll continue living until I finish researching you, to see what's the deal with your physique that allows you to hold two Devil Fruits without issue."
"The world spreads the rumor that you have two hearts, but I haven't sensed that. Instead, your remarkable energy despite insomniac days and nights interests me greatly. Certainly, even if there isn't, I can eat two fruits myself, but if I fully understand, then by consuming multiple fruits, my godhood will be complete!"
Speaking, he raised his hands, thumbs extended, stabbing into Teach's temples.
"If I can't kill you now, let's pause for now. Try my move... the enhanced version of North Star Friendship Face-breaking Fist, the North Star Sentimental Remorse Fist!"
Just with a stab, before Teach had fully recovered, his eyes momentarily lost focus, his body deflated like a punctured balloon, visibly losing spirit, standing motionless like a puppet.
Even if the body recovered, Teach's demeanor showed no change, merely standing there blankly, his eyes completely vacant.
Immortality?
Previously troublesome, but doesn't mean Sage didn't think of defeating it.
He had fought before, ever since first encountering Saturn, he's been developing new tactics against such immortality.
North Star Remorse Fist actually causes someone's body to explode; whether the opponent repents before approaching death or not... there are always those kinds of 'My life is without regret' individuals.
But it doesn't mean it can't be used, as that sense of instant death crisis was employed by Sage within it.
North Star Friendship Face-breaking Fist allows someone to die painlessly, where the illusion experienced before death, even seeing heaven, was similarly employed by Sage within it.
Combined together, it brings one into a near-death crisis, generating illusions and immersing them in both the hallucination and sense of impending death like a puppet.
This move was devised long ago in a confrontation with Saturn, but the Haki was insufficient, clearly not strong enough against enemies of such caliber, using it might even alert them.
At Egghead too, with the strength at the time, to trap people of this level in illusions was similarly inadequate.
Until now, finally a complete version was utilized.
His Haki exceeded Teach's and even surpassed greatly, utilizing the power of Body Techniques and Haki, combined with this seventy-fold amplification, under the sheer force jab, it was finally fully realized.
Controlled this immortality!
"You're mine! Teach!" Sage's eyes gleamed fiercely.