"Oh really…? Then go ahead and try… catch me if you can!"
In an instant, Grimm closed the distance and appeared right in front of Zephyr, his right fist rocketing forward.
Zephyr struck out to block, but suddenly realized something was wrong.
At some unseen moment, Grimm had put away his shield and drawn an enormous greatsword, which now came sweeping down toward him.
How could he switch weapons that fast? And where on earth was he keeping them?
"Farewell." Grimm spoke softly.
"Iron Body!"
Zephyr's physical defense had long since reached the absolute limit of human potential. Yet as Ashbringer fell, a deep, bleeding gash was carved into his shoulder.
Grimm didn't let up. He pushed off the ground violently and charged straight at Zephyr's much larger, more muscular frame, carrying him crashing through countless walls without slowing down.
When Zephyr was finally sent flying backward and suspended in mid‑air, he suddenly kicked against empty space and vaulted higher, using Geppo — the Moonwalk technique.
"Six Powers, I see… truly impressive!"
Grimm transformed into a streak of golden light and shot upward, reforming into his human shape directly in Zephyr's face.
CLANG~
He summoned his shield again and swung it straight at Zephyr's head. Zephyr thrust a single finger forward to intercept.
As the shield and Finger Pistol clashed in mid‑air, neither man slowed down. Zephyr's fists, coated in Armament Haki, met Grimm's bare hands, ringing out like steel striking against steel.
BOOOOM!
Shockwaves rippled outward in all directions. Zephyr's eyes widened.
"Daring to trade blows with me head‑on… even Sengoku wouldn't dare try that. You set sail late in life, boy — have you never heard what they call me? Do you not know my reputation?!"
"Zephyr of the Black Arm, isn't it? Hah… though these days you're about as sharp as Whitebeard — that old man who's lost all his ambition. You've spent the last few years doing nothing but teaching students, haven't you?"
"And I do it to raise a new generation strong enough to stop the scum like you!"
Zephyr suddenly unleashed a massive surge of power, blasting Grimm backward through the air.
"Scum?! Hahaha!" Grimm laughed aloud while floating high above.
"If I am scum… then what exactly are the World Government and the Celestial Dragons? And what are you Marines? Hahaha, Zephyr… you really know how to tell jokes!"
"Save your sharp tongue!"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Zephyr kicked off the air, creating blasts of compressed atmosphere as he rocketed upward.
He caught Grimm's leg while he was still flying backward, flipped him upside down so his head faced the ground, and then slammed them both downward with crushing force.
CRACK!
The ground, already shattered and unstable from earlier, was completely peeled apart by the impact. Debris sprayed everywhere, revealing the bedrock beneath.
Suddenly, Zephyr's pupils contracted sharply. He realized that the body he was holding had suddenly erupted in blinding Holy Light.
He leaped backward instantly. The figure in his grasp dissolved, transforming into nothing more than an ordinary two‑winged angel.
"A decoy…?" Zephyr muttered.
He spun on his heel and slammed his Haki‑coated fist into the ground, roaring, "Such cheap tricks won't work on me!"
Grimm had just landed safely some distance away. As Zephyr charged him again, Grimm raised his shield to block the blow.
The shield itself held firm, but the sheer force of the impact shattered the bones in Grimm's shield‑arm completely.
Sensing an opening, Grimm dismissed Guardian of Truth, drew Ashbringer once more, and unleashed Divine Storm.
The swirling energy not only repelled Zephyr but instantly healed every injury on Grimm's body.
He didn't press the attack afterward. Truth be told, Grimm was only fighting today for amusement; he had no real desire to destroy or kill Zephyr.
"It seems… you aren't quite the retired old man I took you for," Grimm mocked.
"I have seen enough arrogant young pirates who think they are strong," Zephyr shot back coldly.
He refused to back down and charged yet again. This time, he didn't use his full destructive power.
The two flashed across the ruins of the palace grounds, clashing lightly at first, then crashing into one another again and again as they raced across the landscape.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Grimm suddenly hurled a chaotic assortment of weapons: spears of light, judgment hammers, and more. Zephyr raised two fingers and deflected them continuously with precise strikes.
Gurgle~
A sound like boiling water bursting from a cauldron rose from directly behind Grimm. He blocked instinctively with one hand and felt the intense, searing heat. He narrowed his eyes. Sakazuki.
"Oh… you finally dealt with my highest‑ranked Archangel in Paradise?"
Grimm looked at Sakazuki, who had attempted a backstab. Although it wasn't severe, there was now a fresh bloody gash across Sakazuki's face — proof he had taken some damage.
As expected of an Archangel. Even though such beings were a tier below the Four Archangels like Tyrael, they still possessed power equivalent to a Marine Vice Admiral.
Zephyr seized the moment and attacked from the opposite side. Suddenly, Grimm was caught in a pincer movement, like meat sandwiched between two slices of bread.
"Truly merciless, aren't we? And from the Admiral famous for 'Not Killing' no less!"
Grimm summoned his healing mace, The Silver Hand, and while fending off attacks from both sides, continuously cast spells to restore his own health.
Zephyr didn't waste breath on replies; he simply intensified his strikes, pushing harder and harder to crush Grimm beneath the weight of his blows.
The immense pressure from both sides squeezed inward relentlessly. Finally, the collision erupted with a deafening roar.
With the combined might of one Emperor‑level fighter and one Marine Admiral, the resulting shockwave didn't just devastate the palace — it shook the surrounding streets violently.
A massive mushroom cloud slowly rose from the battlefield, thick and dark enough to block out the sun.
Sakazuki breathed heavily. Dealing with that damned winged creature had taken considerable effort, and setting up that surprise attack had cost him dearly in stamina.
"Now's our chance!" Sakazuki stared into the heart of the thick smoke.
Zephyr reached behind his back. Although they still weren't entirely sure if Grimm was a Devil Fruit user, Zephyr had come prepared. He gripped a set of Sea Prism Stone manacles.
If Grimm was indeed a user, these would drain his strength and secure him instantly.
That was just Zephyr's way — he never delivered killing blows against pirates, which was also why he rarely fought with his absolute full strength.
SWISH!
A strange sound cut through the air, followed by a cold wind that blew the smoke aside, revealing Grimm's position.
He was gone.
A flash of surprise crossed Sakazuki's eyes. But Zephyr — who had been fighting Grimm for nearly an hour now — spoke calmly:
"Stay focused. Even if he turns invisible, he cannot escape the perception of Observation Haki."
The moment Zephyr finished speaking, countless beams of pure white laser light rained down from the sky above.
Turn invisible?
Grimm couldn't actually do that. But flying very, very high? That was no problem at all.
Right now, Grimm had simply activated the Second Awakening of his Paladin powers. He hovered at an altitude far beyond what ordinary fighters could reach.
Watching the dense barrage of light raining down upon them, Zephyr could only mutter in shock:
"This density…!"
Even Sakazuki, arrogant as he was, didn't dare ignore or dodge these beams.
The deadly aura radiating from them told him clearly: If I get hit just once… I'll be injured badly — no, I'll be crippled.
"AAAAHHHH!"
While dodging the onslaught, Sakazuki transformed both hands into magma and fired back furiously, sending hundreds of molten fists flying upward toward the source.
"Sakazuki! Keep your head! Do not waste energy striking blindly! Preserve your stamina and fight efficiently!"
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off