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Having pulled back to a safe distance, Satori relaxed, wiping the cold sweat from his face.
The destructive power of that man below was terrifying. He was genuinely afraid that if he got hit even once, he would end up like that red-billed crocodile—smashed into paste.
However, as the distance grew, courage returned to his brain, and confidence retook the high ground. Satori went right back to his annoying provocations.
He looked down at Uvogin and started dancing mockingly. "Hoh hoh hoh!"
"You can't fly, can you?! At this distance, your attacks can't reach me!"
"Just be a good boy and stay down there!"
Uvogin didn't say a word. Relying on sheer physical power, he launched himself into the air, instantly reaching Satori's altitude.
That strange feeling again.
Satori manipulated the Surprise Cloud, once more creating distance a split second before Uvogin could strike.
THUD.
Uvogin landed back on the ground with a heavy impact, sending gravel flying. He scooped up a handful of stones and fired them like bullets toward Satori in the sky.
"Rock Storm!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sharp rocks tore through the air with immense force.
But once again, they missed.
Seeing this, Satori grew even more arrogant. With his Mantra, he could predict every attack before it happened, making him invincible.
Even if the opponent's power was terrifying, it was useless if it couldn't hit him. Satori resumed his mockery, shaking his butt at Uvogin like Crayon Shin-chan. "Can't hit me, can't hit me~"
"Nyeah nyeah nyeah~"
"Heh." Uvogin looked up, a mocking grin spreading across his face.
"Nothing but cheap tricks."
"What are you laughing at?" Satori's eyes narrowed with sudden unease.
Uvogin looked at Satori with utter contempt. "I'm laughing at you. Being weak and not even realizing it... isn't that pathetic?"
Then, he began to inhale. With his monstrous lung capacity enhanced by Nen, the surrounding air was visibly sucked into his mouth like a vacuum.
Satori's eyes widened in horror. He turned and fled frantically!
I see it...
I can't block that! Whatever is coming next, I have to run!
But...
With his speed, there was no way he could escape the range of this attack in an instant.
Having inhaled to his limit, Uvogin's chest expanded massively. And then...
A deafening roar erupted from his throat!
"ROAAAAAR!!"
A sound wave of absolute aura blasted out, ripping through the air. For a moment, space itself seemed to freeze. Then—
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
In an instant, every Surprise Cloud floating in the vicinity exploded. Shockwaves rippled out from Uvogin across the ground, shattering trees, pulverizing rocks, and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Caught in the blast, Satori's body began to plummet. Blood leaked from his ears, nose, and mouth; his eyes had rolled back into his head... clearly dead before he even hit the ground.
Against an area-of-effect attack with absolute power, even premonition was useless. You can see the avalanche coming, but you can't dodge a mountain falling on you.
"Absolute power trumps everything."
Uvogin dug a finger into his ear, looking bored. He stepped over Satori's corpse, glanced at the Milky Road cloud-path behind him, and walked deeper into the dense forest.
He was the first contestant to enter the safe zone in this Battle Royale.
---
Behind the door of the Ordeal of Iron, Nobunaga's samurai intuition proved correct. The trial was indeed related to swords.
Standing before Nobunaga was a bald, muscular man wearing sunglasses and a tank top, with small wings on his back.
He carried a blade made of Iron Cloud on his shoulder.
The strongest of the four Priests—Sky Breeder Ohm.
"This is the Ordeal of Iron, survival rate 0%."
"Unfortunately for you, intruder, I'll be taking your life," Ohm said, his expression indifferent.
They had been fighting for a while. Nobunaga, wanting to hone his swordsmanship to reach the level of a Great Swordsman, had refrained from using his Float-Float Fruit powers.
However, unlike Uvogin's situation, Nobunaga was facing a fellow swordsman... and the fight was stuck in a stalemate!
Nobunaga had fallen into the same loop Uvogin had initially struggled with.
No matter how fast his blade was, the opponent always moved a split second earlier, dodging his cutting range. "So this is the 'Observation Haki' the Boss talked about..."
Nobunaga's expression was focused and grave. "Terrifying ability."
Imagine having every single one of your attacks predicted before you even make them. Mastering such an ability would elevate one's combat prowess to unimaginable heights.
Ohm gave Nobunaga no time to breathe. Utilizing his reach advantage, he swung his sword. The blade, made of Iron Cloud, suddenly extended during the slash, attacking Nobunaga from a great distance!
If Chrollo were here, he would have definitely shouted, "Holy crap, it's Gin Ichimaru!"
CLANG!
Nobunaga crossed his two swords, steadily blocking Ohm's strike.
Ohm's attacks were equally ineffective against Nobunaga.
His sword wasn't fast enough, nor ruthless enough.
Nobunaga possessed a "En" (Circle) with a radius of four meters. Within this sphere, any movement was instantly perceived, allowing him to react.
Ohm's sword was long, but it wasn't faster than Nobunaga's reflexes.
Thus, the fight dragged on, neither side able to break the other's defense.
"A strong warrior... it's been a while." Ohm looked solemn.
"The Blue Sea is always in turmoil because of people fighting over things. A strong man like you... perhaps you should join us!"
Ohm held his sword hilt with both hands. "If everyone dies, then all the sin in the world would be washed away, wouldn't it?"
CLANG!!
A white blade, tens of meters long, swept horizontally toward Nobunaga. He reversed his grip on his swords, blocking the heavy blow without a word.
"Iron Whip!"
Suddenly, the Iron Cloud blade seemed to come alive in Ohm's hands. The long blade whipped and thrashed, smashing the surrounding ground to pieces.
Gradually, Nobunaga found it harder to parry. Cuts began to appear on his body.
Meanwhile, every single one of his attacks was still being dodged.
"Foolish human. Will you not surrender? This is the power of Mantra. I call it the 'Pre-Initiative'." Ohm looked down at Nobunaga coldly.
"With 'Pre-Initiative', no matter how fast your sword is, I can predict it and dodge."
"Which means, in the realm of swordsmanship, I am... invincible."
"I am the God of Swords!"
"Holy!"
As soon as he spoke, Ohm summoned his giant dog, Holy. The massive white beast, standing over ten stories tall, ambushed Nobunaga from behind. Focused on blocking Ohm, Nobunaga couldn't react in time and was sent flying.
BOOM!
He crashed through a massive tree, toppling it.
"Since you refuse to surrender, I will end your sinful existence."
Ohm walked slowly toward Nobunaga, his Iron Cloud sword in hand.
Nobunaga, head bowed, slowly looked up. There was no fear in his eyes—only mockery.
"Calling me a 'human'... does that mean you see yourself as a 'God' too?"
"How laughable."
Nobunaga gripped his dual swords, testing the air with a light swing. His expression was cold. "You're just an ordinary swordsman. Your blade... is nowhere near the peak of this sea."
The image of a hawk-eyed swordsman flashed in Nobunaga's mind, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "As for your so-called 'Pre-Initiative'..."
"I've already figured out how to break it."
Whoosh!
Nobunaga vanished from his spot, charging toward Ohm with blinding speed.