In the blink of an eye, the sword aura heavily struck the wooden human.
With a loud "bang," the wooden human's body was forced back repeatedly by the powerful impact.
"Is this... the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Hashirama Senju widened his eyes, staring intently at Roy's eyes, trying to uncover the mystery of this mysterious power.
"The power of time? Truly formidable." he murmured.
The power of time—how mighty and mysterious it was.
—
"Bang, bang, bang," a series of deafening explosions rang out, mixed with flying sand and stones.
Blackbeard was hiding behind a dune in the distance, his eyes fixed intently on the two figures confronting each other on the battlefield like gods or demons, a fervent and greedy light flickering in his gaze.
His breathing was rapid and heavy, his chest heaving violently, as if a blazing fire were burning inside him.
"So this is power that can rival the old man's."
Blackbeard's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of undisguised excitement and agitation.
His gaze darted back and forth between Hashirama Senju and Roy, his eyes filled with longing and aspiration for that immense power.
In his memory, the terrifying strength of Old Man Whitebeard had always been an insurmountable peak in his mind, and now, the power displayed by these two men before him could both match the old man.
"As long as I can get the old man's fruit, I can obtain power like this, even stronger."
Blackbeard clenched his fists, his joints making "cracking" sounds from the force.
He could almost see himself standing at the pinnacle of the world, looking down upon all beings after obtaining the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"But, this Marine Admiral, is he actually this strong?"
A flicker of disbelief and caution crossed Blackbeard's eyes.
He had originally thought that even if a Marine Admiral was strong, he could never contend with Hashirama Senju.
Yet, the reality before him forced him to reassess his understanding.
Roy's powerful Perfect Susano'o and the mysterious, terrifying power of his Mangekyō Sharingan made him feel an unprecedented pressure.
"Even now, he can still match Hashirama Senju."
Blackbeard muttered to himself.
"Doesn't this mean that the Marines' strength is also about the same as the old man's?"
Blackbeard frowned, a doubtful look appearing on his face.
He was unwilling to believe the Marines could be this powerful.
"It must be that the old man is too old. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit will surely unleash stronger power in my hands." Blackbeard gritted his teeth, trying to encourage himself inwardly.
He firmly believed that once he obtained the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he would surely surpass Old Man Whitebeard and become the most powerful existence on these seas.
However, just as he was lost in his aspirations, a chill suddenly ran up his spine.
All the hair on his body stood on end involuntarily, as a sensation of creeping horror instantly enveloped him.
Startled, Blackbeard instinctively jerked his head up, his gaze sweeping the surroundings sharply like a hawk.
When his eyes landed on the center of the battlefield, his heart constricted violently, and his pupils shrank sharply.
He saw the towering Perfect Susano'o, radiating a golden chakra light, slowly turn its massive body, directing its gaze toward his location.
And Roy, hovering within the head of the Perfect Susano'o, who had been focused on his battle with Hashirama Senju, now acutely sensed an unfamiliar presence.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing within them.
"Blackbeard, huh?" The corner of Roy's mouth curled into a faint, ambiguous smile.
He thought to himself, this guy truly was audacious, daring to observe his and Hashirama Senju's battle from such close range—practically disregarding him.
"Let's test your mettle." Roy's gaze suddenly turned cold, killing intent instantly spreading around.
He was curious about this future arch-villain and wanted to know just how much power Blackbeard possessed at this point in time.
He decided to teach Blackbeard a small lesson, to make him understand that before absolute power, any ambition or scheme would be laid bare.
With a mere thought from Roy, the mountain-like body of the Perfect Susano'o suddenly spun around, and the long sword formed from condensed chakra in its hand was instantly unsheathed.
Susano'o raised the sword high and swung it down fiercely, unleashing a world-shaking sword aura that tore through the void and raced toward Blackbeard.
This sword aura was like a colossal mountain range spanning between heaven and earth, and wherever it passed, the air was torn apart instantly, emitting a piercing shriek.
The surrounding sand dunes collapsed under the residual force of the sword aura, and the entire desert trembled before this immense power.
"Not good." Blackbeard's face instantly turned deathly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He felt an unprecedented fear, the aura of death tightly enveloping him.
Facing the sword aura that carried the force of annihilation and pressed down like a mountain range, Blackbeard's heart felt as if it were being brutally squeezed by an invisible hand.
But almost instantly, Blackbeard exploded with all his strength. The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit surged wildly from his palms, twisting and distorting the surrounding air due to this dark force.
He stomped forward fiercely, letting out a roar, trying to use the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to devour all to block this terrifying sword aura.
A torrent of black dark matter surged forth, rapidly coalescing into a thick barrier before Blackbeard.
However, the power of the sword aura far exceeded his imagination. The moment it made contact with the dark matter barrier, the barrier trembled violently under the assault, cracks rapidly spreading across it.
Blackbeard gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his hands braced firmly before him as he struggled to maintain the barrier's stability.
Yet the residual force of the sword aura crashed against his defenses like an overwhelming tide.
Finally, the dark matter barrier couldn't withstand the strain and exploded with a "bang," shattering. The sword aura, like a sharp blade, stabbed fiercely into Blackbeard.
Blackbeard had no time to react further before being brutally struck by the sword aura's impact.
His body was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily into a distant sand dune.
Blackbeard struggled to his feet from the crater, then immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
His eyes were filled with terror. He was so insignificant before this power.
"Captain!" Several of Blackbeard's crew members witnessed this scene, their faces turning deathly pale, terror in their eyes.
They cried out in fear, not daring to hesitate for a moment, and rushed hastily toward Blackbeard.
Blackbeard, enduring the intense pain in his body, shouted to his crew: "Hurry, run!"
Then, he turned and staggered away into the distance, his several crew members closely following behind him, the group fleeing in disarray across the desert.
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