Chapter 1249: Can Observation Haki Dodge My Attack?
Chapter 1249: Can Observation Haki Dodge My Attack?
"Your Observation Haki has been developed to quite an impressive level", Katakuri mused aloud.
Before the mochi strands could even reach him, a calm voice echoed from within.
The mochi strands striking Kuro's body began to peel apart inch by inch—or rather, they hadn't struck at all.
Katakuri could sense it: an invisible force had halted his mochi strands mere inches from Kuro's body, then slowly pushed them outward. As the strands retreated, Kuro emerged unscathed before Katakuri's eyes. A single finger descended slowly from his raised hand, as if this very motion had repelled the mochi strands.
Was this an ability factor?
Katakuri instinctively narrowed his eyes.
Kuro looked down at him with a smile. "You 'saw' this moment, didn't you?"
Though not an Observation Haki user himself, Kuro understood its nature well enough. He had foreseen this scene and acted preemptively.
But there was always that slight gap...
"Was the force insufficient?" Katakuri asked. "That's why you could stop it with your ability. Then—"
He removed his hand from the ground and stood. The extended mochi strands lost their momentum and began descending.
Kuro didn't interfere, letting the strands fall and sink into the earth.
"Hmph." Katakuri exhaled sharply, raising his fist. A brilliant white aura began glowing around it. "Then let's try something with more power! Unparalleled Donuts!!"
Kuro chuckled. "You make mochi, yet you call it donuts? That's just not right."
"Mind your own business—just try to take it!"
Katakuri clenched his fist, his lips curling into a sinister grin. "My techniques aren't easy to withstand!"
As he finished speaking, Kuro instinctively slashed his sword in a wide arc. A white mochi ring materialized around him. From within that ring, a massive Haki-infused fist erupted, hurtling toward Kuro.
"Strange Strength Mochi!"
Clang!
The fist collided with Autumn Water's Black Blade, producing a thunderous boom. But as the blade struck, Katakuri laughed, "Did you think I couldn't 'see' that?"
Almost the instant Kuro moved, another white ring appeared around him. From it emerged another giant arm, delivering a crushing punch toward Kuro.
He saw it!
He had foreseen it!
That's why he could act!
Boom!
The fist slammed into Kuro's body with a thunderous impact.
Yet Kuro's form remained utterly motionless. Upon closer inspection, the fist hovered just short of his body.
A phantom tortoise shell-like barrier materialized again, blocking the strike.
"Truly remarkable, this Observation Haki. Though not omnipotent, it reveals many convenient truths", Kuro remarked with genuine admiration.
He realized he envied many things—sometimes Logia-type abilities, sometimes Conqueror's Haki, and now this precognitive Observation Haki. Truly, he wanted every advantage imaginable.
Yet as this phantom barrier blocked the strike, Katakuri, as if anticipating this, threw another punch. Several mochi rings appeared before Kuro, each unleashing fists that smashed toward him.
"I can see everything!"
He maintained his 'premonition' throughout, knowing exactly how Kuro would act.
"Can you really see everything?"
Kuro ignored the rings, his body dissolving into afterimages as he reappeared behind Katakuri.
The moment Kuro vanished, Katakuri ducked low and kicked backward, feeling his foot strike something solid. His body split in half as a Black Radiance slashed through the exposed gap.
The ground erupted, mochi spikes surging rearward. Another ring materialized beside Kuro, who dodged the mochi spike by shifting to the ring's side. From it, a fist shot out to strike.
Whoosh!
Yet again, the punch missed entirely.
"Truly—"
"Clap Mochi!"
Kuro materialized above Katakuri in the sky. Before he could finish speaking, two mochi rings appeared on either side of him. From them emerged two jet-black arms coated in Armament Haki, clapping together.
"Ganryu Mochi!"
But as the hands came down, Katakuri created another ring in the sky. This time, instead of fists, the mochi ring expanded its Haki coverage, forming countless spikes radiating outward, all aimed at a single point.
Kuro had just appeared there, facing a barrage of Haki-infused spikes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The spikes rained down on the Black Tortoise Shield surrounding Kuro, sending ripples across its tortoise shell-like barrier.
"Tch!" Katakuri clicked his tongue, temporarily halting his assault.
He could see everything, but Kuro's speed and the strength of his defenses rendered him helpless. No matter how precisely he predicted Kuro's movements or preemptively attacked, he couldn't land a decisive blow.
But this was only natural. Kuro was an Admiral—one who had slain both a Yonko's mother and Kaido himself. He couldn't be compared to ordinary Grand Line combatants.
Watching the mochi spikes dissipate, Kuro shook his head and descended from the sky. Smiling, he asked Katakuri, "Had enough?"
"Not yet!"
Katakuri gritted his teeth, spreading his arms wide. This time, countless mochi rings filled the sky between them.
Kuro glanced upward, realization dawning. "A wide-area attack combined with your precognition? Impressive. You can strike enemies with pinpoint accuracy."
"Should I say thank you for the compliment?" Katakuri replied coldly.
"No need. I'm simply acknowledging your strength. After all, you're aiming to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. You wouldn't get far without power. You've certainly got that."
Kuro shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "But I've always wondered—can Observation Haki truly dodge my attacks? Let's test it. You may 'see' the strike, but can your body react accordingly? Or will these attacks in the sky be enough to stop me?"
He slowly sheathed Autumn Water, adopting an Iaijutsu stance. "Let's see. If you can dodge this strike, I'll accept that you're not worth my trouble. You needn't become a Seven Warlords of the Sea at all—set your own terms, and I'll ensure the Navy leaves you be."
Katakuri's pupils constricted. "I'm not your test subject, Kuro! I am Katakuri, current captain of the Big Mom Pirates! Mochi Chant!!"
From the rings, countless fists emerged, all targeting Kuro.
Kuro, however, merely smiled faintly and spoke softly: "Mystic Art."
The wind stirred, carrying Kuro's figure away in an instant. The next moment, that same breeze caressed Katakuri's body.
(End of Chapter)
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