"BOOM—"
The combined attack of Ashura Dōji and Galo caused immense destruction, the shockwave forming tangible ripples that distorted the air!
The crystalline snow on the ground was blasted into the air, creating a dazzling white dust, and for a moment, the area fell silent.
Ashura Dōji's arm went limp. He had forced his way through Galo's attack, and the major artery in his arm had been sliced open by the sharp wind. But he paid no mind to his own injuries, instead staring intently at the dust.
"Plip—"
Ashura Dōji and Galo heard the sound of thick liquid dripping.
Blood!
When the white smoke was blown away by the wind, John's figure was finally revealed. His captain's hat was long gone, his messy, curly silver hair fell down, partially covering his gaunt face. Blood streamed down his forehead, flowing into his eyes, but he seemed oblivious.
His overcoat was riddled with holes, and fresh blood flowed from the right sleeve, like a continuous stream.
"To think I actually managed to injure you," Ashura Dōji said forcefully, but he felt no relief in his heart—if anything, the pressure had grown. The atmosphere in the area had become indescribable.
The air itself had turned viscous, making it difficult to breathe.
"At the very least, I should commend you," John said with a ferocious grin, but his praise was sincere. Aside from not being able to use Conqueror's Haki, his strength was on par with Shiki's.
Just as there was a vast power gap between Shiki, Kaido, Big Mom, and their top executives and the All-Stars, John believed that even fighting two at once, he shouldn't have sustained such injuries.
But it had happened. Ashura Dōji and Galo, who could achieve this, truly deserved praise.
Onboard the Rocks' ship, these two would have been candidates for the top executives.
It was a shame—on the battlefield, they were his enemies!
John threw off his trench coat with a grand gesture. While not as tall as Shiki or Whitebeard, his presence and pressure were immense.
"Whoosh—"
The crimson coat was thrown into the snowstorm, immediately swept into the sky by the violent wind, disappearing without a trace.
John took a step forward. Before his right foot even landed, his figure vanished.
Ashura Dōji leveled his blade, his body leaning back as he retreated half a step. After a brief moment of hesitation, his resolve was as firm as a rock. He swung his sword upward, the powerful sword energy slicing through the thick snow and mist like a rotating saw.
"Genryū—Zanmuhatsuboku!"
The sword energy shot out, heading straight for Galo.
One moment, there was no one in front of Galo; the next, John's figure abruptly appeared there. He raised his Western sword, intending to bring it down on Galo, but now he had to turn and counter Ashura Dōji's attack.
"Nice! To see through my move!" John praised. Although he blocked the attack with his sword energy, it didn't stop him from lashing out with a kick at Galo the moment he landed.
"Thud!"
Galo didn't dodge. Or rather, he deliberately took the kick.
"Iron Body·Steel Body..."
"You blocked it?" John's eyes widened. When had anyone been able to block his attack with Iron Body?
Galo's skin, flushed red like heated iron, caved in at the chest. Blood from his mouth stained his entire chest crimson. He felt his ribs might be broken, possibly even piercing his internal organs.
But it didn't matter. He had grabbed John's right leg.
"Bone Twist—"
Galo gripped John's right leg with both hands, a force invading John's body. To be honest, as an undercover agent, he didn't need to fight so desperately, but before he knew it, things had come to this.
He was fighting with his very life...
'But this is to gain better trust and obtain information on Wano Country...'
His mind tried to convince him with this reasoning. It seemed the Orochi's Mark, while not reversing his allegiance, still had some influence on him.
"Hey, wait!" John's face changed. This was the first time he'd felt something was wrong. At this close range, if this guy managed to use his Devil Fruit ability on his right leg, wouldn't it be ruined?
Although Haki could negate some of the Fruit's power, how much it could negate depended on the gap between their abilities. Unless there was a massive disparity in strength, it was impossible to completely ignore an attack.
He frantically tried to shake Galo off.
But then a汹涌 wave of snow, like a tide, surged toward him. The rushing ice and snow instantly covered the tundra, like hundreds of thousands of white knights charging on white steeds!
"Great Blizzard Burial!"
Snow's entire body seemed to turn white, with frost缠绕 every strand of her hair.
The endless snow swarmed toward John, like a white monster opening its giant maw to devour him!
During this time, Snow had been pondering how to develop her Fruit's powers. The low temperature produced by the Snow-Snow Fruit couldn't compare to the Ice-Ice Fruit, so she quickly abandoned developing it in that direction.
Instead, she focused on the concept of "momentum."
The momentum of an avalanche is an unstoppable force. A single snowflake is light, but when billions upon trillions overlap, the power they create is irresistible!
This is the power of a natural disaster. Even someone of the Four Emperors' level couldn't easily ignore such power.
"Ahhh—"
John was trapped by the ice and snow, unable to shake Galo off. Both were swallowed by the white wave of snow.
"Are you alright, Ashura Dōji?" Snow asked.
"Barely..." Ashura Dōji didn't want to look weak in Snow's eyes, so he said stubbornly. He shook his head, dislodging the snowflakes caught in his hair as his massive tail swayed.
Snow's attack couldn't defeat John, but this brief respite was crucial for him. In just this short time, his physical injuries had healed considerably. In return, Ashura Dōji appeared slightly leaner.
Snow now looked like a spirit of ice and snow. Her body remained suspended between elemental and solid states.
Her original black hair had turned into crystalline white, having transformed into snow.
Even within her pupils, a hexagonal snowflake seemed to bloom.
[
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th. I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
If you've ever thought about supporting, this is the moment. Not "someday." Now.
If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting on Patreon. You'll get 30 advance chapters immediately, plus monthly updates and bonus content. Every subscription keeps the chapters coming.
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Every new member literally buys me another week of doing this. Every existing member staying is the reason I'm still here.
]