In their recent clash, Black realized that Garin's attack power could penetrate the triple defense he had built: Armament Haki emission, Armament Haki tempering, and Iron Balloon.
Moreover, Garin's swordsmanship had a deeper understanding of defense than Hawkeye's, making it impossible to breach quickly.
Prolonging the fight would inevitably lead to disaster.
Want to win?
Then push yourself to the brink of death to survive!
Blood streaked the corner of his mouth as Black gripped the sword lodged in his abdomen. Muscles coiled, anchoring divine judgment within his body.
His right hand shot out, seizing Garin's throat, slamming him to the ground with immense force.
Garin twisted at the last moment, yet the shockwave rippled outward, stone fragments raining like a storm.
As Garin hit the ground, his body flexed like water, displaying astonishing suppleness.
Divine judgment whirled back, aiming for Black's neck.
Without hesitation, Black opened his mouth, biting the sword teeth shattering in the process.
"Didn't expect that, huh? Zephyr's martial arts taught me this secret move!"
Lowering himself, Black's right elbow, imbued with Armament Haki, struck Garin's chest with full force.
His left hand, lodged between Garin's ribs, pressed inward, piercing the opponent's heart.
Not finished, Black swung again.
Bang!
The fist landed on Garin's temple. The young Celestial Dragon dissipated into blue light. Back in System Space, Black's wounds healed instantly; the pain vanished.
"Phew…"
He exhaled deeply:
"Conqueror's Haki Infusion… it's simply too powerful."
Garin's swordsmanship wasn't much superior to Hawkeye's youth. Garin was more balanced, Hawkeye sharper each with unique strengths.
Yet, Conqueror's Haki Infusion amplified Garin's overall attack power several levels above Hawkeye's.
Even with a body tempered by Armament Haki beyond Charlotte Linlin, Garin's strikes shattered bones.
Victory was only possible by adopting a near-mutual-kill style.
It made sense: Linlin never had defenses broken because her opponents were weaker and mostly dealt blunt force damage, which rarely caused external injuries. That's why she often allowed attacks freely.
Yet, when Kizaru's Pacifista laser fired, Linlin dodged it was pure piercing damage. Iron Balloon alone couldn't suffice.
Since his transmigration, Black had never been so challenged. Even as a minor pirate, he would exit the Card Space if defeat was inevitable.
Now, he discovered a latent ferocity and battle lust within himself.
"No… I must stay calm. This isn't my style."
He shook off the sudden ambition. He had leveled up to crush weaker foes with numerical advantage, not struggle with equals.
Composing himself, he inspected the Ability Card in his hand.
No swordsmanship style he desired appeared.
"Conqueror's Haki boosts combat power… but I still want a Celestial Dragon-style swordsmanship."
He crushed the card, insatiable greed in his eyes.
An immense aura erupted from Black; System Space trembled.
Dark red lightning crackled around his fists.
Seeing the arcs of lightning, Black's regret vanished:
"Finally… I've comprehended it!"
Having endured Conqueror's Haki Infusion repeatedly, his desire for mastery had peaked.
From now on, hesitation before top-tier foes would be gone.
Black's strength leapt again, reaching a pinnacle.
Roughly, his current power rivaled Luffy post-Onigashima training. Though Luffy had an awakened Nika Fruit, Black's mastery of all three Haki types and physical strength surpassed him.
Black now had the credentials to contend for supremacy at sea.
"Luffy became a Yonko at 19… and I reached this level at 19."
"No… is that right?"
"You're the one with the cheat, aren't you?"
Initially, Black believed his abilities significant. In comparison, they seemed less impressive.
Shaking his head, he discarded these thoughts, testing his new power.
Many Conqueror's Haki users existed, with varying intensity and application.
Red Hair, for example, wielded long-range Haki to intimidate on Onigashima. Whether it nullified Devil Fruits or opponents chose to yield is unclear.
Imu's Conqueror's Haki nearly annihilated Elbaf warriors, reputedly the strongest giants. Even the fleet couldn't arrive in time to assist.
Similarly, ancient giant Emitt stored a Conqueror's Haki linked to Joy Boy, terrifying the Gorosei.
Among users, Haki intensity varies greatly. Black, already strong, had stacked Conqueror's Haki from young Ace and young Garin.
He sensed he might approach Imu's level, though whether it could affect Devil Fruits required testing.
Black left System Space, ignoring lounging or games with Perona.
He stood at the ship's bow, eyes on the calm horizon, contemplating his strength.
"My power has plateaued. Significant growth will be difficult now."
"Imu's Devil Fruit must rival Nika's. None of mine, nor my Devil Fruit intel, approaches that level."
"This path… temporarily blocked."
Black was pragmatic. A blocked path meant finding another.
He raised his hand; Black mist wove between his fingers…
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