Chapter 328: Similarity Breeds Weakness
Chapter 328: Similarity Breeds Weakness
Sabo and Kerla dashed into the village.
The Crow flock followed, condensing into a humanoid form in the distance before entering the village.
Kuro didn’t spare them a glance. Gripping Autumn Water, he fixed Yi Xiao ahead with a stare. "I said, Brother, the guy’s already unconscious. How about we call it quits?"
Yi Xiao ignored him. His eyes rolled upward, staring blankly at Kuro as he murmured, "Yellow, red, blue—none stain black but instead overflow with gold, Brother? Your aura and colors reek of vile taste. I cannot trust you."
"Also, I’m merely a wandering ronin. When encountering powerful men like you, I have no desire beyond testing my blade. The World Government won’t brand me ‘wanted’ for this, right?"
"That won’t happen", Kuro exhaled a plume of smoke. "They’re not that stupid. Brother, you’re strong as a Monster—no one’s reckless enough to push you into opposition."
Watching Yi Xiao slowly draw his cane-sword, Kuro sighed faintly. "Well then, Brother, let me ‘verify’ whether you’re a suspicious member of the Revolutionary Army. Show me mercy, alright? I’m quite weak, you know."
"Brother’s humor hasn’t dulled."
Yi Xiao reversed his grip on the blade, his voice heavy. "In my eyes, Brother’s strength rivals a Monster’s too."
Whoosh!
The wind swept the prairie, flaring their robes and tousling their hair tips.
Bam!!
A golden and violet slash erupted simultaneously through the heavens and earth, colliding in a wisp-thin shockwave that flattened surrounding grass.
Swoosh!
Clang!!
Kuro blurred into a phantom, rushing Yi Xiao. The black blade of Autumn Water clashed against Yi Xiao’s sword, ringing sharply.
Creak—creak—
Kuro pressed his blade forward, forcing Yi Xiao’s weapon back with a grinding screech.
"Brother, your strength isn’t light", Kuro grunted.
"Nor is Brother’s."
Yi Xiao twisted his grip, flicking his blade upward to deflect Kuro’s. His arm vanished into afterimages, a dense flurry of strikes like rain. White arcs blazed toward Kuro.
Clang—clang—clang—clang!!
Black and white clashed repeatedly. Kuro staggered back under the relentless assault.
"This guy’s power’s no act!"
Blocking Yi Xiao’s blade, Kuro spun his sword, sending the attack ricocheting. A ripple spread around him like water, vanishing from Yi Xiao’s front to reappear at his flank.
"Afterimage Slash."
As Kuro raised his blade, Yi Xiao crouched, feet sliding. Reversing his grip, he thrust his cane-sword sideways, striking the hilt with a palm. The blade rocketed toward Kuro.
Clang!
Kuro rotated his sword, blocking the strike with the flat of his blade.
"Blindness means I won’t see your body movements", Yi Xiao said coolly. "Your illusions won’t fool me."
"True enough. After all, Brother’s Observation Haki is terrifyingly strong." Kuro grinned.
Yi Xiao’s Observation Haki ranked among the elite. Normally, using it required calmness—losing reason nullified it, a flaw even Kuro shared.
But Yi Xiao was different. Even maddened, his Observation Haki remained unshaken.
Is being blind that convenient?
"Careful, Brother. Next, I’ll use a special technique."
The moment Yi Xiao spoke, Deng Shi—a crushing gravity descended on Kuro. With a Peng! the ground beneath him collapsed.
Gravity!
"Hell Journey."
Boom!!!
The earth under Kuro’s feet erupted into a wisp-like abyss, its depths obscured.
"This is..."
Hovering above the chasm, Kuro peered down, startled. "Terrifying indeed."
"Odd. Does my ability not affect you, Brother?"
Yi Xiao turned toward Kuro, faintly puzzled.
"Brother, I’ve eaten the Float-Float Fruit, becoming the Floating Man. Gravity’s pull means nothing to me. I command my own forces freely." Kuro smiled.
Yi Xiao wielded the gravity Devil Fruit, a "gravity person" or "gravitation" user. In Kuro’s mind, Yi Xiao’s mastery had transformed it into raw gravitational control. Likewise, Kuro had twisted the Float-Float Fruit into telekinesis.
Yi Xiao’s power imposed gravity on nearby objects, now extending to non-contact manipulation. Kuro’s ability countered by nullifying forces on contact, redirecting them as his own—including his body.
Their powers were similar yet mutually suppressing, not hierarchical.
Would gravitational mastery crush telekinesis, or vice versa? The victor hinged on whose skill ran deeper.
Kuro might lag behind Yi Xiao in manipulating external objects, but against Kuro himself, Yi Xiao held no advantage.
"I see. The Float-Float Fruit once belonged to Shanks—now it’s yours?"
Yi Xiao nodded, shrugged his shoulder forward, and thrust his sword sideways to shove Kuro aside.
"Try this—Gravity Blade: Tiger Rampant!"
His reversed grip cane-sword slashed downward. A violet aura solidified into a wisp-thin arc, hurtling toward Kuro.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth ruptured beneath the strike, debris swirling into a vast dust cloud aimed at Kuro.
"Horizontal gravity? Exaggerated."
The gravitational wave pushed Kuro backward. He slashed, releasing a wisp-thin blade aura, but the Flying Slash reversed course under gravity’s pull, flying back at him.
Even sword auras couldn’t escape this force.
"This… can’t be controlled."
Kuro reached toward the debris, finding his telekinetic grip feeble. Withdrawing, he fled sideways from the gravitational wave.
The force had no effect on him directly.
As the horizontal gravity passed, Yi Xiao’s front became a wisp-like trench—a meteor’s path gouging the earth, annihilating the forest behind. Trees vanished, roots torn free. Where a vast woodland stood, now lay flat land.
"Hey… You’re kidding?"
Lida, watching, gulped. "Is this even humanly possible?"
A single strike wrought such devastation?
Klah pushed his glasses up, his forehead drenched in sweat.
This scale left him speechless.
They weren’t even in the same league.
Behind them, the Navy gawked, stunned by the power-wrought spectacle.
"Your ability seems unshaken by mine." Yi Xiao scratched his head. "Truly troubling."
(End of Chapter)
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