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Chapter 283: The Golden Kingdom's Rending Slash
Chapter 283: The Golden Kingdom's Rending Slash
The heavy sword, after unleashing its overwhelming might with that powerful chop, now emanated a noticeably weakened aura.
Sarge let out a low chuckle as he stared intently at William, whose arms bulged with protruding veins as he forcefully pushed the heavy sword downward.
Of course, one couldn't rely solely on aura as a shield. After all, it was an amplification, and only someone as extravagant as Sarge would lavishly project his aura outward in such a manner.
Although the aura surrounding the heavy sword had diminished, the combination of William's strength and the physical blade was still enough to tear through that black flame, slashing diagonally and grazing Sarge's shoulder near his neck.
Ding!
A crisp sound rang out as the sword blade made contact, and throughout this prolonged battle, the heavy sword had clashed with Sarge's body countless times, repeatedly slicing open wounds. Although they healed swiftly thanks to Life Return, the sword's might still left its mark.
But now, the blade merely struck Sarge's body, blocked entirely by his aura, without even breaking the skin.
Sarge clenched his fist, his face contorting with ferocity as he said, "Can you still keep up with my fists at this level of aura?"
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, William's face visibly caved in, and he was sent flying backward by a tremendous force, blood gushing from his nose and spraying into the air as he went.
William flew backward for a good dozen or so meters before finally landing with a heavy thud. His face was taut, and he gripped the heavy sword tightly with both hands. But if one looked closely, they would notice his chest heaving in an increasingly irregular manner, and the red dots representing the Sight Color flashing in his irises only to quickly fade again as he furrowed his brow.
"Oh, it seems you can't anymore." Sarge remarked with a smile. "You've expended too much energy, and now you can't keep up?"
Keeping up with a hundredfold increase in speed was no easy feat.
Or perhaps William had never truly kept up to begin with. Maybe he had relied solely on the sensory predictions of the Sight Color to prepare himself in advance, creating the illusion that he could match Sarge's movements and engage in combat.
This was a common tactic among powerful fighters at sea.
When facing elusive opponents, whether they possessed extraordinary speed or unique abilities, the Sight Color always proved invaluable.
With a hundredfold boost, Sarge's speed was incredibly fast, nearing the level of Yellow Monkey. He was far beyond what most individuals could handle with their naked eyes and physical prowess alone.
Unlike the inertial force that came with speed enhancement, which could be countered with Armament Haki and one's own strength, Sarge also possessed formidable might. This was why, after a full day of fighting, William could still hold his ground and trade blows using his Armament Haki.
However, when it came to speeds that defied capture, only the Sight Color could provide the necessary sensory perception.
But the Sight Color demanded focused and concentrated willpower, and as willpower fatigued, one might be able to muster a final burst of Armament Haki, but they would never regain the mental clarity needed to employ the Sight Color again.
This man was clearly exhausted.
"Not bad," Sarge said. "To endure until now against me in this state is commendable."
Even so, Sarge didn't show any signs of disdain or condescension. Instead, he extended his hand toward William and said, "I rarely extend a second invitation. It would be a waste for someone with your level of strength to perish here. Tell me your wishes; perhaps they won't conflict with mine."
William replied in a low voice, "I, too, will respond a second time. My sea is this country."
"Is that so?" Sarge shook his head. "What a shame."
Pa!
"Meteor Cluster!"
Sarge's outstretched hand suddenly clenched into a fist, and black flames gathered in his palm. He swiftly threw out bursts of aura, firing them like bullets from a machine gun.
William's pupils contracted, and he sidestepped to his left, narrowly dodging the barrage of aura bullets that shot toward him in a straight line. But just as his foot touched the ground, a figure suddenly appeared before him.
"Too slow."
Sarge's hands swept through the air, creating afterimages that lingered for a moment before vanishing from sight.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
William's body seemed to explode, his feet lifting off the ground as he hung briefly in the air, his entire body imprinted with fist marks.
His aura defense had failed!
"Instant Hundred Rends."
To sustain a prolonged battle against Sarge, one would need to match his strength and maintain that level throughout the fight.
However, all humans grew weary, and after a full day of intense combat against Sarge, William's physical and mental energies were severely depleted, a fact that was irreversible.
While Sarge had also expended a considerable amount of energy, his aura... never wavered.
Thus, to surpass was to crush!
Maintaining his aura at its peak, Sarge effortlessly shattered William's aura defense. His aura penetrated William's body with each punch, causing internal damage.
Puh!
William's body sprayed blood. Each fist mark on his body acted like a tiny fountain, drenching him in his own blood. He fell to the ground, his body swaying as if he might collapse, but after a moment of unsteadiness, he stood firm, gripping his heavy sword and lunging at Sarge with all his might.
Puh, puh, puh, puh!
But just as he swung his sword halfway through the motion, his body seized up, and a more substantial flow of blood gushed from his body. It was as if all the meridians in his body had exploded, and with each tremor, a booming sound reverberated within him, causing his body to stiffen in place.
"Impressive willpower."
Sarge praised, "You managed to land every single blow."
The strong men of the high seas were all tough as bulls, and the Hundred Rends could only explode their opponent's insides. This was already a common occurrence, and Sarge was not surprised. What surprised him was that this guy was still standing.
But just as he finished speaking, the heavy sword that had been swung halfway suddenly stopped again. Sarge didn't even bother to look as the sword blade reached his neck before it abruptly halted.
Thud.
William fell to the ground, panting.
"No matter how strong your will is, without a body to match it, it's useless," Sarge remarked.
Looking down, he said, "To fight me to this extent, I admit that you are the strongest warrior in the Kingdom of Galess. As my fame grows, your name will also be celebrated. To die here would not be a disgrace."
Such a man would never accept an invitation if his life were spared.
Moreover, Sarge sensed that this exhaustion wasn't merely a matter of willpower. It was as if something was forcibly pushing him forward, even as his will and body reached extreme fatigue. He continued to attack despite it all.
Just like now.
William's arms trembled slightly as he tightened his grip on the heavy sword, which had never left his hand. Slowly, he raised it toward Sarge's chest and stabbed.
Tap.
The faint clink of the sword blade meeting Sarge's chest rang out incongruously.
"Bang!"
Sarge's leg swept through the air, creating afterimages as it forcefully struck William's head, sending him flying far away like a cannonball into the West District, piercing through a cluster of buildings like a straight line, and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Sarge patted his chest and said expressionlessly, "You should be dead."
As he spoke, he extended his arm toward the cloud of dust, releasing a surge of overwhelming pressure that ripped through the disordered remains and hit the dust cloud.
Boom!
A wave of impact rippled through the dust cloud, dispelling the haze and causing Sarge to furrow his brow slightly.
He had missed?
No, something had blocked it.
As the dust settled, William could be seen lying there, his fingers loosened from the sword hilt. He was on the brink of death, and beside him, a black-robed small figure knelt, their hand pressed against William's back.
The black-robed figure emanated an air of arrogance, creating a shield-like barrier that deflected the arrogance attack.
"That's enough."
A soft, androgynous voice emerged from within the black robe, "You've done well to endure this far."
William forced his eyes open, gazing at the black-robed figure, and his hand that had loosened from the sword hilt seemed to want to reach out, but it lifted only halfway before falling back limply.
"I..."
He spoke with difficulty, "...must protect..."
"Yes, you've always protected me."
The black-robed figure spoke gently, "You've always upheld your vow, but now you've reached your limit. It's my turn to protect you, Sode."
The hood that shrouded the figure's head slipped off, revealing a head of fiery red hair. Beneath the hood, the face was ambiguous, bearing both the delicate beauty of a woman and the resolute handsomeness of a man. The figure appeared young, perhaps around fourteen or fifteen years old.
"Ah, a pirate."
The figure turned their head, peering through the ruins toward Sarge in the distance. Their voice was soft, but their words carried clearly to Sarge's ears.
"A rare strong one, indeed. From your actions, I sense an intense desire, but this is wrong."
"Only when humans are free from desire can they attain peace and progress. But you, as a formidable warrior, will unlikely heed my words, just like Kaido. And so..."
The black-robed figure bowed their head, resting it on William's back, and their neck craned to face Sarge's direction as they spoke, "We shall forge a path to peace through force, establishing a nation devoid of desire. I, William."
The fiery-haired figure seemed to melt into the body of the man on the ground, becoming thinner and lighter. And as they did, the man on the ground seemed to let go of something, his eyes closing.
"Along with my guardian, Sode, we shall jointly accomplish this."
A fiery-red cape appeared on the knight's back, as if it had ignited in flames, spreading across his body and emitting sporadic sparks, as if being seared.
With these sparks dancing upon him, William's body levitated off the ground, standing upright. The sparks also jumped to the heavy sword, coating it with a reddish tinge.
Overbearing aura!
A more potent aura than before!
Hum!
William's closed eyes snapped open, and within his irises, a fiery glint flickered, burning with intensity. He swung the heavy sword forward and then slashed horizontally.
Whoosh!
Sarge's pupils constricted as he crossed his arms instinctively.
"Bang!"
A massive black slash bore down on his crossed arms, altering its trajectory to skim over Sarge's head and slash upward diagonally into the distant sky.
Whoosh!
The buildings behind Sarge were sheared cleanly through, their cross-sections smooth as if sliced by a sharp blade.
"Merely the lingering force of a Domineering aura slash!"
Sarge clenched his hand, and a wisp of white smoke rose from his arm as he stared at the wound that had been ripped open by the slash and was now healing. He exclaimed, "You're also at Stage Two, aren't you?!'
'William' swung his heavy sword and raised it, his flaming cape dancing as he gripped it with both hands. He declared in a deep voice, "'William' is the Cape Fruit user. He possesses an extremely strong will, but is limited by his physical body and unable to display his full power. And I am his protector and agent. Now, strong one, behold!"
He took a step forward, and the flaming cape behind him suddenly split open to the sides, forming flame-like wings that fanned out and transformed into a flaming meteor, shooting straight at Sarge in the air. With the heavy sword glowing red-hot, he slashed downward with mighty force.
"Continue the fight until a winner is decided!!"
Sizzle!
Boom!!
An immensely heavy and powerful sword strike was blocked by Sarge's crossed arms. As he held it off, even Sarge grit his teeth, and the ground beneath them, already cracked from the battle, sank further, forming a huge pit. Electric sparks shot up from the sword blade and enveloped Sarge's entire body before conducting into the ground, causing the deep pit to collapse further and creating a series of massive fissures.
The electric attribute had been completely activated by the Dominance aura, and with this strike, it was like an unending wave of Dominance aura impact, directly covering the ground and creating such a terrifying scene.
Indeed, the aura was much stronger than before!
After blocking the heavy sword with his arms, Sarge immediately kicked out, but 'William,' now restored to his full willpower, had already sensed it. The flaming wings on his back expanded and fanned out, sending out sparks and lifting his body into the air, dodging Sarge's kick.
Boom!
A residual image swiftly followed, and as 'William' looked on in astonishment, it reached above him in the air and, like a whip, lashed against his shoulder, sending him crashing forcefully into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"You've recovered and gained a little more strength, so you feel more confident now?" Sarge asked.
He landed on the ground, white smoke constantly rising from his body as he healed the wounds sustained from the previous block. Pointing at 'William,' who was standing up from the cloud of dust, Sarge said, "Is this your new full power? But you're forcing it."
The aura of power, which was now at its peak, should be as strong as it could get. With this stance, it would be a sure victory for him; it was only a matter of time.
Previously, they fought for a day and a night. If they continued like this for another two days, it would still be his victory.
However, there was no need for that anymore.
He had fought for so long purely because he admired this man and wanted to invite him onto his ship after defeating him. But now, it was completely meaningless.
"'I haven't even used my full strength yet!'"
Hiss!
White vapor shot out from Sarge's nostrils once more and dispersed on the ground.
His three-meter-tall physique expanded further, and his armor-like muscles thickened. His chest muscles became a chest plate, the outer muscles twisted upward, the shoulder muscles continued to intertwine and form a third layer, and two air vents appeared at the base of his neck, emitting white smoke that coiled around his arms and formed faint white flame clouds.
His white hair shimmered with a lustrous glow as the white smoke swirled around it.
"One hundred percent of one hundred percent!"
Boom!
A series of smoke rings exploded in the air as Sarge's body instantly soared into the sky. He stared intently at 'William' below, his pupils gleaming with a crimson light as a black and crimson torrent surged downward. He had locked onto the man's aura.
...the intimidation of the Tyrant's Aura, the insight of the Omniscient Aura, and the...
Sizzle!
He raised one hand skyward, and black flashes radiated from his hand blade as his combat color aura reached its zenith and appeared to grow stronger still, rendering his midair form even more tangible.
One hundred percent of one hundred percent, or what could be called Stage Three. Unlike the eighty percent and one hundred percent stages, this move consumed a massive amount of energy but allowed him to fight using this body to the fullest.
In the past, when he used this move, his rapid regenerative ability meant he didn't have to worry about any damage.
But now, with the fruit ability, some things could be utilized.
The Momo Fruit wasn't just about acceleration.
With this body, Sarge didn't have to worry about the relative damage caused by amplifying his body.
"Ten times is enough!"
His solid body increased tenfold in weight and, likewise, tenfold in strength.
"When I say you will die, you will die. Don't believe me? Watch!" Sarge proclaimed.
Boom!
The already fish-belly white sky turned gloomy, and in this overcast sky, an exceptionally bright comet suddenly flashed.
"Your death omen star is shining!"
A hundredfold speed boost! Sarge's hand blade slashed down like a bolt of black and crimson lightning.
"Kongguo Liezhan (Golden Kingdom's Rending Slash)!"
One strike to shatter you!
(End of Chapter)
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