With a furious roar from Rekton, waves of heat began to rise from his body. Even the blood-soaked daggers in his hands started to warp, shedding crimson particles that hissed in the air.
"Now this is interesting," Ryuuto commented, watching the scene unfold.
Looking at the two daggers, so sharp they seemed to cleave the very air, Ryuuto suddenly felt that Rekton truly did possess the strength to hunt a pirate with a ninety-million-belly bounty. His Devil Fruit ability felt like it had already undergone one Awakening.
Too bad he ran into me.
Swoosh!
Rekton stomped a foot, and his body, now boiling with steam, vanished from the spot with a sharp crack that broke the sound barrier.
Shhlick!
The sound of his blood-drenched blades slicing through the air followed in his wake.
Rekton's steaming appearance reminded Ryuuto of Luffy's Gear Second. The principle and effect were similar, both accelerating blood circulation to enhance speed and power. But in terms of sheer efficiency, Rekton's enhancement was superior.
However, to Ryuuto, who had Awakened his Observation Haki, such speed was far too slow.
Thump!
Ryuuto stomped his right foot hard, the impact shattering the solid ground and creating a small crater. Then, he too vanished.
BOOM!
The next moment, Ryuuto and Rekton reappeared mid-air. A violent collision rang out, and the two figures shot past each other.
Ryuuto landed gracefully on the ground.
A second passed…
CRASH!
A loud bang echoed as Rekton fell from the sky like a broken kite, slamming into the earth.
A massive gash was carved into Rekton's chest. He lay crumpled on the ground, a single thought dominating his mind.
"I lost!"
"I'm completely outmatched!"
Excruciating pain wracked his body as Rekton stared up at the sky, his eyes filled with unwillingness to accept his fate.
Blackbeard and Lucci exchanged a glance. The scene brought back memories of their own defeats—that same feeling of utter powerlessness.
"See? I told you. For the captain, dealing with this guy is a piece of cake," Nami thought to herself with a smile.
"No, I refuse to lose!" Rekton's life flashed before his eyes, a montage of a lifetime spent with countless beauties and standing over innumerable corpses. He had clawed his way to where he was today, enduring unimaginable trials.
"No, I can't die here!"
With a defiant roar, Rekton forced himself back to his feet. Torrents of blood erupted from his body, coalescing around him, covering him until he became a blood-man, constantly shedding a mist of crimson particles.
The grievous wound on his chest healed in an instant!
An immensely powerful aura burst forth.
As Ryuuto watched, Rekton transformed into a blood-red shadow and charged into a crowd of pirates.
"Give me all of your blood!"
Rekton let out a great shout. As he clenched his fists, a powerful suction force erupted from them.
Splurt… Splurt…
Countless sprays of blood erupted into the air. In a flash, the pirates' lives were reduced to a bloody mist that dissipated beneath the sky.
"Just my luck," Ryuuto muttered, slapping his forehead in frustration.
"How does this keep happening… another Awakening in the middle of a fight!"
Ryuuto was filled with regret. He really needed to break this bad habit. Every time he saw a Devil Fruit user, he couldn't help but wonder how he could extract their power, and that hesitation had just given Rekton a chance to turn the tables.
"His aura just became terrifying," Nami said in surprise, her gaze shifting to Ryuuto. "But with the captain here, there won't be any surprises."
Nami's faith in Ryuuto was absolute.
Witnessing this, Blackbeard and Lucci quietly shuffled backward. It was partly to make their escape easier later, and partly to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
"Hahahahahaha…" Having absorbed the blood of more than a dozen pirates, Rekton's body had swollen to two or three times its original size. He had never felt so powerful.
"I really have to thank you!"
"If it weren't for you, who knows how long it would have taken for my fruit to Awaken again!" Rekton taunted as he moved, a trail of blood streaking behind him. He appeared before Ryuuto in an instant, laughing maniacally.
At that moment, Buggy and Foxy emerged from the large building. They had just finished dealing with the pirate crews holed up inside, driving some out and killing the rest. The building turned out to be an abandoned auction house. It was unclear what had happened, but it had been deserted for a long time and taken over by a few weak pirate crews.
The abandoned auction house was massive, about eighty meters long, fifty meters wide, and twenty meters high. The front could accommodate five hundred people for auctions, while the back had an enormous space for storing auction items.
They had just stepped outside when they saw the twice-Awakened Rekton arrogantly taunting Ryuuto.
"He's really courting death," Foxy said, astonished by the scene. It was the only thing he could think to say.
"But that guy's aura seems really strong too," Buggy added weakly.
"Hmm?" Foxy, Porche, Cabaji, and Mohji all shot Buggy a sharp look.
"I knew you had a rebellious streak," Foxy thought gleefully. As the number one Ryuuto fan, Foxy felt his loyalty was leagues ahead of Buggy's.
"Meow," Richie the lion also shook his massive head and gave Buggy a disdainful glance.
Ryuuto gripped his sword, Yubashiri, and a powerful aura surged from him. Streaks of black and red lightning crackled across the blade.
Crackle… Sizzle…
The black-and-red lightning of his Haki clashed with the crimson blood particles in the air. The collision of Conqueror's Haki and enhanced blood made the very atmosphere vibrate.
"I think you're celebrating a little too soon," Ryuuto said with a scornful smile.
It had been a while since he'd faced an opponent who could get him even slightly excited. It was time to stretch his muscles. His Conqueror's Coating hadn't seen much improvement lately. Today was a good chance to hone it.
He made his decision. For this fight, he would only use his Conqueror's Haki.
Shhlick!
Ryuuto swung Yubashiri in a clean arc. The crackling black-and-red lightning carried immense power as it shot toward Rekton.
"Blood Armor!"
Rekton's eyes narrowed as he sensed an overwhelming threat. Blood rapidly condensed over his chest, forming a dark-red, half-body breastplate.
BANG!
Yubashiri struck Rekton directly.
Shreeee!
The slash, imbued with a critical strike, tore through space. The black-and-red lightning ripped through the air, producing a sound that set one's teeth on edge.
BOOM!
Evidently, Ryuuto had underestimated his own power.
The armor held for barely a second before Rekton was sent flying like a cannonball.
"Huh… He wasn't as strong as I thought."
Ryuuto stared after the flying figure of Rekton, momentarily stunned.