Raiver Sky took a deep breath, the power within him surging relentlessly.
His body sank slightly as a dark red aura rose and swirled around the blade of Black Dragon in his hand.
Space Perception unfolded, perfectly merging with advanced Observation Haki!
The world became clearer before his eyes, the trajectories of all things seeming to slow down.
As Black Dragon's blade sliced through the air, it drew a cold gleam that tore through space.
All colors in his vision abruptly faded, leaving only an intensely pure, blinding crimson light that seemed capable of severing everything—
"Thousand Blade Style: Demonic Mayhem!"
The blade light exploded across the night sky.
Not just one streak, but hundreds, thousands—an endless torrent!
Countless sharp trajectories of dark red blade light shot out in all directions like a destructive rainstorm surging upward toward the heavens.
Each streak of blade light carried the will to cut through steel, precisely striking the rocky giant lions.
"BOOM—!!!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!!!"
Chain explosions erupted across the desolate island!
The island shook violently, as if it might disintegrate at any moment.
Layers of ground were torn up, soil, rocks, and trees turning into dust!
"Mamamamama… Has Raiver Sky already grown to this extent?!"
Charlotte Linlin stared at the scene on the island, the beloved dessert in her hand suddenly losing its flavor.
Her eyes were filled with shock, along with an undisguised, almost greedy glint.
She had originally thought Raiver Sky's strength was at most slightly superior to Wang Zhi's.
Never did she imagine that the combat power he was displaying now could rival that of a core officer like herself!
No, perhaps… even stronger!
The mad thought once again sprouted in her heart: If she could unite with him and bear offspring inheriting this terrifying talent… the future seas might very well belong to Charlotte Linlin!
Golden Lion wanted Raiver Sky, Charlotte Linlin also wanted Raiver Sky—to put it plainly, whoever gained Raiver Sky would gain the world!
At this moment, Charlotte Linlin's gaze swept back and forth over Raiver Sky's agile figure, as if appraising a rare treasure capable of altering the world's balance.
"Gurararara… Linlin, you'd better drop those thoughts of yours sooner rather than later."
Whitebeard nearby laughed heartily and bluntly exposed her intentions:
"That kid Raiver Sky wouldn't be interested in someone like you. You'd better give up!
Besides, with Raiver Sky's current strength, do you really think you have what it takes to 'take him down'?
Don't end up failing to get the man and instead get beaten up by that kid."
"Hmph!"
"None of your business, Whitebeard!"
Charlotte Linlin's face darkened as she snorted coldly, turning her head away from Whitebeard.
Indeed, Whitebeard's words held truth.
Raiver Sky's strength had now firmly placed him among the world's top elite.
Even if she faced him directly, she probably stood little chance of victory.
But so what?
The stronger and more perfect he was, the more immeasurable his "value" became in her eyes.
Wang Zhi and Kaido remained silent on the sidelines, having not spoken a single word from beginning to end, yet the shock in their hearts had already overwhelmed all their thoughts.
From the start of this duel until now, the strength Raiver Sky had displayed—
If they were in Shiki's position, could they withstand that storm-like, flawless onslaught?
Wang Zhi rapidly simulated over a dozen countermeasures in his mind, and the conclusion he reached sent a chill down his spine:
He would likely be completely crushed in an extremely short time, perhaps even… instantly defeated!
Kaido clenched his fists tightly, his bell-like eyes fixed intently on Raiver Sky, filled with resentment.
Why must Raiver exist when Kaido is already here!
Both sighed inwardly, shaking their heads slightly, overwhelmed with emotion.
Silence was the bridge of tonight!
The current Raiver Sky was no longer the newcomer who had just set foot on Hachinosu Island—remarkable as he was, still within the realm of being catchable.
Back then, though strong, he gave the impression that surpassing him was still possible.
But now…
Previously, Wang Zhi had planned to seek revenge and reestablish his authority after Raiver Sky returned from seizing the Celestial Tribute.
However, before Raiver Sky even sailed back, his terrifying achievements had already spread across the seas like a storm, forcing Wang Zhi to reassess his opponent's strength.
Now, witnessing this earth-shattering battle with his own eyes, all his resentment, grudges, and schemes dissolved into a helpless sigh, sinking deep into his heart.
Kaido was no different.
He had stubbornly believed that Raiver Sky was utterly unworthy of being an Officer, single-mindedly wanting to defeat him to prove that he was the stronger one and take his place.
Looking back now, how laughable his former self had been!
As for other Officers like John and Silver Axe, though they had learned of Raiver Sky's prowess through newspapers, the impact of "knowing" and "seeing with one's own eyes" existed on entirely different levels.
No matter how exaggerated the cold written descriptions in the papers might be, they couldn't compare to the soul-shaking spectacle of the heavens and earth being torn asunder before their very eyes.
The combat power Raiver Sky now displayed likely placed him, among the Officers, second only to Whitebeard, with only Captain Rocks above him!
Amid their shock, John, Silver Axe, and the others gradually grew solemn.
On these seas, especially within the Rocks Pirates—the top force in the New World that revered absolute strength—power was the very foundation of all authority and profit.
Whoever had the harder fists could claim the largest and choicest share of the spoils and wield greater influence in decision-making.
Rocks harbored the astounding ambition of overthrowing the World Government and the Celestial Dragons' rule, and powerful subordinates were indispensable cornerstones for realizing that ambition.
Whitebeard was the prime example.
As the crew's recognized peak combatant second only to Rocks, his status was effectively that of vice-captain, towering above all other Officers.
His share of the loot after each operation was also significantly larger than everyone else's.
They had originally thought that Raiver Sky's limit was, at best, on par with them, or perhaps even slightly inferior.
Now, it was clear how mistaken they had been.
The current Raiver Sky possessed strength capable of rivaling Golden Lion Shiki.
If he were allowed to continue growing at this terrifying rate, reaching or even surpassing Whitebeard's level was almost a foreseeable outcome.
By then, their status and influence within the pirate crew would inevitably be further diminished, and their share of the profit pie would undoubtedly shrink considerably.
The Officers each harbored their own thoughts, maintaining a surface silence as they watched the battlefield.
Yet the flickering light in their eyes betrayed their inner emotions.
Jealousy? Wariness? Unease?
Perhaps all of them combined.
...
At the center of the desolate island, the fierce battle raged on.
Shiki watched as all the rock lions he had summoned were utterly crushed into dust by the crisscrossing blade lights and Sword Qi of Raiver Sky.
The remaining sharp slashes swept toward him, covering the sky and earth.
"It's not over yet, brat Raiver—!"
His golden hair flying wildly, he roared, the dual swords wrapped in Advanced Armament Haki slashing at a speed beyond visual limits, leaving countless lingering golden afterimages in the air.
"Thousand Slash Valley—!"
Not one, but hundreds, thousands of them!
Each slash was more condensed, ferocious, and swift than the last!
Golden Sword Qi poured madly from Shiki's dual blades, weaving into a destructive net in the sky capable of annihilating everything!
The two faced each other from a distance, engaging in the purest exchange of Sword Qi barrages!
Countless golden and dark red slashes collided, exploded, and annihilated each other in midair!
In an instant, the figures of the two locked in fierce combat were completely swallowed by the endless tide of slashes.