The black longsword pressed down on the Named Sword "Ace," sparks flying.
Kane hovered three inches off the ground, air currents weaving into translucent wings behind him.
This posture gave him an absolute foothold in mid-air, drawing pressure from the void with every exertion.
"Mr. Roger, the era you carry is too heavy."
"Even your sword swings have become so sluggish."
Kane reversed his grip and pressed the blade, the edge of Tensa Zangetsu sliding along the spine of his opponent's sword.
At that moment, the air currents were compressed to their limit, forming a nearly transparent arc of light.
Storm: Silent Severance.
There was no sound of an air explosion—the air was cleanly sliced apart.
Roger tilted his head to dodge, a few strands of black hair severed, while a kilometer-long crack inexplicably appeared on the sea behind him.
"At this age, with this level of Haki... Are all young people nowadays this outrageous?"
Roger wiped away the bloodstain on his cheek left by the wind pressure, his gaze completely changed.
"For Justice, I've put in efforts beyond ordinary imagination."
Kane answered with righteous conviction, yet his feet executed Godspeed Luminous.
His figure vanished completely from the atmosphere.
Roger closed his eyes, his Observation Haki screaming warnings.
In his perception, the entire world had turned into wind.
Every wisp of air current was Kane's eyes, every gust of wind was Kane's blade.
"There!"
Roger swung his sword backward, the black Conqueror's Haki Emission exploding like lightning.
Divine Departure!
A crimson-black slash swept across the sky.
Yet Kane eerily appeared beside the slash, his left hand grasping empty air as the surrounding air was instantly drained.
Vacuum Prison.
Roger felt a sharp pain in his lungs.
In a highly vacuum environment, the human body undergoes a chain of collapse. Even the Pirate King cannot defy physiological principles.
Due to the sudden drop in air pressure, Roger's already ravaged lungs reached their ultimate limit.
"Pfft—"
A pool of dark red blood sprayed onto the ground, a shocking sight.
"Roger!"
Rayleigh shouted, no longer standing by.
He drew his own saber, his figure shooting like an arrow toward Kane.
"Oh? Finally willing to make a move?"
The curve of Kane's lips deepened.
He had long anticipated that Rayleigh wouldn't stand idly by, which was why he had pressed step by step, provoking Roger's illness.
Facing Rayleigh's charge, Kane remained calm, his wings flapping violently to create distance from Roger.
He turned toward Rayleigh, his gaze devoid of fear, instead revealing the playful look of a hunter eyeing prey.
"Dark King Rayleigh... What an honor to personally send off two legends!"
He swung his sword horizontally, lacking the domineering force of Getsuga Tenshō but carrying even greater speed.
As the blade swept through, the surrounding air shrieked, wind elements Coating the edge, enhancing its sharpness and impact.
Rayleigh swung his sword to block. The clash of blades sent a numbing shock through his arm.
This Navy brat had reached the pinnacle in both strength and speed, with an untamed, explosive power.
"Your words don't sound the least bit honorable!" Rayleigh retorted, his eyes deep and intense.
The battle instantly shifted from one-on-one to two-on-one.
Surrounded, Kane showed no sign of panic.
His movements were elusive, the Storm Wings allowing him to come and go like the wind.
At times, he became a blur, his blade gleaming coldly as he aimed directly at Roger's old wounds, forcing him to rely on life-draining Haki Defense.
Other times, he clashed head-on with Rayleigh, the Haki Infusion of Tensa Zangetsu colliding with the Underworld King's blade, each impact unleashing astonishing power.
The three of them moved at high speed around the center of the battlefield, blades flashing and shadows dancing, with black-red lightning occasionally erupting in the air.
Kane, with his own strength, was forcefully suppressing two legends.
Roger, after all, was gravely ill. His attacks gradually lost their force, and the intensity of his Haki Infusion began to wane.
Kane, however, with his monstrous physique reaching 90 points, could endure the toll of such high-intensity combat.
Every breath he took, every swing of his blade, was as steady as a perpetual motion machine.
"Kane, you shouldn't have gotten involved," Rayleigh said gravely, his blade techniques growing sharper as he tried to compensate for Roger's weakness.
"In this world, there is no 'should' or 'shouldn't,' only 'worth it' or 'not worth it.'"
Kane responded calmly, cleaving through Rayleigh's slash while his Storm Wings accelerated, dodging Roger's surprise attack from behind.
"And right now, the lives of two legends are worth a brand-new era."
As his voice fell, his Haki surged to its peak, and a Conqueror's Haki several times stronger than before erupted from within him.
"Conqueror's Haki Emission."
Tensa Zangetsu in Kane's hand was instantly coated in pitch-black Conqueror's Haki, arcs of electricity crackling as a low rumble echoed.
He no longer held back. With a powerful flap of his wings, he shot toward Roger like a black cannonball.
Roger felt the overwhelming pressure, his sickly body trembling uncontrollably.
He forced himself to muster his strength, coating Ace's blade with Conqueror's Haki as he met Kane head-on.
The moment their blades collided, it was no longer the sound of metal clashing but a deafening roar that shook heaven and earth!
The entire island sank violently, and the sea surface was pressed into a massive depression once more.
Roger's body could no longer withstand such immense force.
The bones in his sword-wielding arm emitted a sickening crunch, and Ace's blade slipped from his grasp, embedding itself in the ground.
Roger himself was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, thrown back by the shockwave before crashing heavily to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth once more.
"Roger!"
Rayleigh's eyes widened in fury. He knew Roger truly couldn't hold on any longer.
Kane did not pursue Roger.
He turned, Tensa Zangetsu in his hand tracing a perfect arc through the air, its target now Rayleigh.
"Now, it's your turn, Underworld King!"
Kane's entire body was infused with Haki, Tensa Zangetsu carrying the power to tear through the air, each swing stirring up miniature storms.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed. He could sense the aura of death emanating from this young man before him.
This Navy soldier's power had already surpassed all reason.
He had no way out.
He poured everything he had ever learned into this single strike.
"Underworld King Slash: Twilight!"
Rayleigh's blade was also coated in Armament Haki, tracing seemingly slow yet infinitely complex trajectories through the air, aimed directly at Kane's openings.
Their blades clashed, and their figures crossed in an instant.
Kane's white coat was sliced open, but he paid it no mind.
Rayleigh's back was grazed by the wind blades of Tensa Zangetsu, crimson blood seeping through his clothes.
"It's over."
Kane's voice carried an undeniable calm as he distanced himself from Rayleigh, hovering once more in mid-air.
The air currents around him surged wildly, carrying an irreversible, calamitous momentum.
The sky darkened once more.
An endless vortex of storms rapidly formed above Kane's head.