"Has the guild master gotten serious?"
On the Rose Hunter, Baby 5 stared wide-eyed at the domain of fire engulfing Whole Cake Island and spoke almost unconsciously.
When Katakuri heard her, his expression turned solemn as he looked toward Whole Cake Island.
At this point, it was no longer possible to observe what was happening inside the battlefield.
But that sight had been created by Cyrus.
'So this was his true strength?'
'It really was powerful.'
"No."
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Robin shook her head directly.
"This still isn't what he looks like when he's fighting at full power."
Although the scene before them was still astonishing, it lacked the overwhelming pressure she had felt from him before.
In other words, Cyrus truly was not fighting with everything he had.
"That is indeed the case," Issho agreed with a nod.
His perception was even sharper.
During Cyrus's battle with Mihawk last time, that sun-like power had left a deep impression on him.
The feeling now was somewhat similar, but the difference in the power contained within it was enormous.
That previous sensation, like facing a blazing sun, had made it impossible for anyone to even think of resisting.
It was just like how a person would feel when truly standing before the sun.
Issho understood that it was, in truth, an illusion born from power that had surpassed imagination.
"I just don't know what Cyrus is waiting for," Robin said curiously.
The moment she spoke, she immediately drew the attention of the other three people on the ship.
"With his strength, he should be able to end this battle in a very short time."
"Perhaps opponents like this are simply hard to find," Issho said after thinking for a moment. "There are only a handful of fighters of this level in the entire New World. Given Cyrus's age, perhaps he himself feels that he still needs battles like this in order to improve."
"He has mentioned that before, but I honestly don't really understand how he can still improve from where he is now."
Robin raised a hand to her chin, unconsciously imitating Cyrus's usual gesture as she spoke.
"To be honest, this old man does not understand it either."
Issho strongly agreed with Robin's statement.
There were limits to human strength.
The scale of Cyrus's power had already exceeded his understanding.
After all, Issho had a very clear grasp of his own strength.
He also believed his own abilities were quite respectable.
And yet, when it came to the power Cyrus displayed, Issho simply could not comprehend it.
That alone was absurd enough.
Katakuri listened to Robin and Issho's conversation without joining in.
He did not know whether his choice had been right.
Between his other brothers and sisters and his mother, he had chosen his siblings.
Big mom was too dangerous.
In fact, among those family members, there were only a few whose lives she truly cared about.
Or perhaps not even one.
'Let me bear the infamy.'
Katakuri took a deep breath and waited for the result of the battle.
...
Elsewhere—
"So this is his true power, it really is astonishing. No wonder the World Government fears him so much."
Stussy's voice was filled with shock.
Clearly, even the Queen of the Pleasure District had never seen an output of power on this scale before.
Morgans, on the other hand, raised a wing and scratched the feathers on his head in confusion.
"How strange. His power is far beyond this."
It was already very strong, yes, but Morgans had witnessed the entire Mary Geoise incident from beginning to end.
Or rather, aside from Cyrus himself and Imu, who had personally fought him, Morgans might be the person with the clearest understanding of Cyrus's true strength.
That was why, from the very beginning, Morgans had never believed anyone on Whole Cake Island could stop Cyrus.
Even if Charlotte Linlin had other legendary figures at her side, the result should still be the same.
And yet, the battle had already gone on for a while.
"What do you mean?" Stussy asked, looking at the bird-man beside her in surprise.
"I mean that if Cyrus had displayed the same power he showed during the Mary Geoise incident, he might have defeated Big Mom and the others the moment he made his first move," Morgans replied casually without turning his head.
Stussy raised a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes widening until they were perfectly round.
This bird-man could not possibly be talking nonsense, could he?
"You don't understand now, but you will one day."
Even without looking back, Morgans could imagine Stussy's expression, so he emphasized once again that what he said was true.
"Still, after this battle, I don't know whether you'll even have a chance to meet him. Once this fight ends, this island probably won't exist anymore."
"Even so, being able to witness a scene like this means the trip wasn't wasted."
At the very least, Cyrus's strength had already far surpassed what Vegapunk had estimated.
If that was the case, then Cyrus's chances of opposing the World Government had increased by a great deal.
…
Inside the domain of fire—
Charlotte Linlin and Silver Axe were on high alert.
The Armament Haki covering their bodies could help them resist the intense heat.
But the heat itself was only a side effect.
Both of them knew very well that the true danger was not the fire, but the man behind it.
Just as the two were wondering how Cyrus would attack next, and whether he would once again use the flames to move beside them before striking, they suddenly turned their heads.
A colossal blade had condensed from fire.
The flames had become so solid that the entire blade seemed almost physical.
This was no longer some forty-meter greatsword.
It was a blade four hundred meters long—perhaps even four thousand.
The enormous blade carried a terrifying aura as it locked onto the two of them.
Their eyes widened.
"If I'd known this would happen, I never would've come," Silver Axe said in a hoarse voice.
"What's the point of saying that now?" Charlotte Linlin snapped back in a foul tone. "Focus on surviving first."
As she spoke, Conqueror's Haki gathered toward Napoleon in her hand.
Silver Axe's face twisted bitterly, but his hands did not slow in the slightest.
The next attack would undoubtedly be terrifying!
If he had not been able to sense that turning around and running would not let him escape the lock of that blade, he would already have fled.
...
At the edge of the domain of fire—
Wang Zhi looked at the Golden Lion, whose entire body was charred black, even the ship's wheel on his head having been knocked away.
The thought of fleeing also arose in his mind.
Especially after he sensed the giant blade condensed from fire, he did not want to remain here for even another second.
He raised a hand to his chest.
The bones in his chest and arm were both broken and that had only been from the impact after the Golden Lion was knocked into him.
He had been too reckless this time.
Without even fully understanding the other party's strength, he had come here like this, even hoping to gain some benefit from the situation.
But now, if he could leave this place with his life, he would already count himself lucky.
With that thought, Wang Zhi immediately stood up, intending to take advantage of his position at the edge of the fire domain and escape.
But the moment he rose, his body suddenly stiffened.
At the same instant he stood, Cyrus's figure emerged silently from the flames.
He was standing right beside him!
For one brief moment, Wang Zhi felt every hair on his body stand on end—only for the heat to curl them immediately afterward.
"I surrender!"
Without the slightest hesitation or thought, Wang Zhi raised his hand and shouted.
---------
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