https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-399-Sword-Strike-on-Body-Heart-Strike-on-Will-/12933871/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-401-Remorse-Accumulation-Step-Fist/12933873/
Chapter 400: The Feast Prepared for You
Chapter 400: The Feast Prepared for You
"Tsk! The more I burn, the stronger it gets, but don't underestimate me, Catastrophe!"
Hwang Mu clicked his tongue, and the unburned trees surged like a tidal wave, about to converge towards him. Suddenly, a hand patted his shoulder.
"What are you doing? This is my territory as an Admiral," Hwang Mu glanced sideways and asked.
Behind him stood Kai Hai with a smile.
"Don't be hasty, take it easy."
Kai Hai patted Hwang Mu's shoulder a few times and took a few steps forward, chuckling, "The credit will definitely be yours. I'm not interested in the credit, but this is Catastrophe. Before we can be certain of an absolute victory, let's wear him down."
Hoo!
Kai Hai waved his feather fan, and a mysterious wind blew from the forest, blocking the fierce wind blades that were blowing wildly around them.
The mysterious wind didn't come from a single direction but blew from every direction within the dense forest. As it blew, it calmed the air, not only stopping the spreading wind blades and gusts but also gradually calming the raging flames, leaving behind a pile of charred trees.
Hwang Mu smirked, and with a slight finger movement, the charred wood sprouted green buds, reaching the ground to take root and transforming back into giant trees.
"Hey, Catastrophe, I ate the Sen Sen Fruit and became a Forest Dweller. I am a vast nature comparable to the mother of life in the great sea! Mere flames are nothing to me, even without anyone's help!"
He shouted towards the front, "But you are strong, and as a Marine, I uphold the 'Die-For-Justice' principle. Even if I have to use underhanded means, I will capture you!"
Boom!
As his words fell, a pillar-like Dominance aura shattered the newly grown giant tree, engulfing Hwang Mu and Kai Hai, and creating a path through the forest.
Sage clenched his fist and chuckled, "Forest? Wood Transformation, huh? Let's see what you've got!"
"As an Admiral, Hwang Mu is certainly not weak. He's much stronger than me."
Sage's attack seemed to have little effect, and Kai Hai's figure appeared on the tree trunk.
"Of course, you're also much stronger than me, but sometimes, battles at sea aren't just about brute strength, right?"
Kai Hai waved his feather fan, "So, let's see some of the surprises I've prepared for you! Shadow Concealment!"
Hoo!
There was no movement, and the mysterious wind that couldn't even stir the leaves blew through the trees right next to Sage.
Sage's mind didn't even react, and he kicked sideways.
Bang!
Ougreen suddenly appeared, blocking Sage's kick with his elbow and glaring at him.
"Oh?"
Sage exclaimed, "Can you block my strength?"
"Don't underestimate people!"
Ougreen grunted, and his elbow slid sideways, grazing Sage's foot. With his other fist, he struck a powerful punch towards Sage's waist.
"Tiger Roar!"
The Dominance aura mixed with the punch formed a shockwave, attacking even before the punch reached Sage.
Slap!
The shockwave that slammed directly towards Sage's throat was quickly blocked by the black fire-like Dominance aura that appeared on Sage's body surface.
"If you're going to project it externally, just do it. Why bother giving it a name? Do you think you're me?"
Projecting Dominance aura from a distance was the least powerful technique, yet these people loved giving it names.
Like 'Footless Solo' and the current 'Tiger Roar' and the like.
Unlike Sage, who casually threw out Dominance aura blasts without hesitation.
Sage's extended leg didn't retract as he whipped it sideways, lashing kick hitting Ougreen who had closed in.
Ougreen, who had closed in, quickly lowered his large body, displaying incredible flexibility as he curled up like a ball, dodging Sage's whip-like kick.
"Tiger Crawl!"
In the instant he dodged, Ougreen burst into action, his fists spread out with fingers extended, and he quickly grabbed upwards from Sage's lower body.
"Yo!"
Sage laughed and quickly changed the direction of his sweeping kick, striking down with force, the wind pressure causing Ougreen's expression to change as he quickly crossed his arms to block the attack.
"Too slow."
Bang!
The descending leg suddenly retracted, and like a straight sword, it stabbed Ougreen's face, kicking his body away.
Ougreen stumbled backward several steps, and with a final forceful stomp on the ground, he flew forward again, his fists clenched and aimed at Sage's temples.
"Tiger Pounce!"
He took advantage of the moment when Sage had just finished exerting force and hadn't retracted his leg, striking with full force.
It might have some effect on others, but for Sage, he could clearly see every point of force in this guy's body.
"With his exceptional body techniques, he needs no Perception Color; nothing escapes his eyes, and he sees through all intentions."
Sage twisted his standing leg, shifting his body without using his hands, and once again swung the leg that was supposedly too late to retract, fiercely striking Ougreen's chest.
Bang! The blow sent Ougreen flying, crashing into a tree and creating a massive dent.
Within the dent, Ougreen quickly regained his stance and rebounded at the moment of contact, swiftly landing on the ground with a sullen face, saying nothing.
"Not bad overall," Sage praised. "In terms of killing techniques, you're quite skilled. You can be considered a 'Body Technique Expert'."
Even the strongest of men on the high seas have their weak points. Striking the heart and the arm yields vastly different results.
Ougreen's moves targeted these vital points, including the most vulnerable areas of a man.
There was no room for disdain for low blows or underhanded tactics; body techniques were just that, and killing was killing, with no distinction of nobility or ignobility.
So Sage said, "Not bad."
"I don't want to be just 'not bad' in your eyes," Ougreen said in a deep voice. "My goal is to defeat you, not to let you boast and critique me!"
"No, no, no, you've got it wrong. I'm not arrogant," Sage said, extending a finger and shaking it with a smile. "Isn't there a rumor on the high seas that I'm the 'Fist Master'? It's not false or exaggerated; I truly am..."
"A peak achiever!"
He opened his mouth, "When I say 'not bad,' you should feel honored."
Ever since his battle with Garp, he had been certain of his status as one of the top body technique practitioners.
After a long time and battles with three Pirate Kings, he confidently confirmed his status as the peak achiever in body techniques!
Without exaggeration or boasting, it was the genuine truth! Whether acknowledged or not, Sage stood as the unparalleled master of body techniques, even if his overall combat power might be debatable.
Just as the title of 'World's Greatest Swordsman' was bestowed upon Hawkeye, despite not being the strongest in combat power.
"It's just an exaggeration of your powerful physique. I won't acknowledge it!" Ougreen extended his finger and grimaced, "I alone am the peak achiever in body techniques. People like you rely on talent and physique to elevate yourselves. If we were on equal footing, I'd be the strongest!"
"Let me show you. With my first punch, I didn't use Dominance, but when I touched you, I activated my ability..."
Ougreen spread his five fingers and shouted, "I ate the Forbidden Fruit and became the Forbidden Person. I can restrict all objects, including myself, to a single, original, and equal state!"
"So, let's restrict it! That so-called talent and aptitude for body techniques! Let's fight on equal terms, with the most exquisite combat skills and in the most primitive battle!"
A strange light burst from Sage's body, causing him to pause and glance at his hands.
"Hehehe, that's right! Success!"
Kai Hai clapped his hands, standing tall on the tree trunk, and said, "I've been researching you for a long time, ever since you conquered Garess. I knew then that someone capable of defeating a Celestial Dragon would have grand ambitions upon entering the New World and occupying a kingdom."
"I anticipated your expansion and prepared for your inevitable attack."
"Long ago, I began gathering methods to counter you, including finding ways to deal with your subordinates. I've found ways to counter each of them."
"Even this island was carefully chosen. You don't know this yet, but this is Whitebeard's homeland. I've brought in the Phoenix, Marco, to counter you."
"Your subordinates will initially be attacked by Hwang Mu's forest. The plan was to wear down most of them before you noticed, but you arrived sooner than expected. It doesn't matter; the ordinary people won't hinder the overall plan, and I have counters for your executives."
"For 'Ghost Man' Agin, the counter is heat-resistant quartz."
"For the 'Magician' and the 'Strange Monk', the counters are reversed curses, physical restraints, and a little ability of my own."
"The 'Hammer Fist' and 'Wet Crow' are up against the unyielding 'Diamond' Joze and 'Floral Blade' Vista, who are both outmatched in terms of strength and power."
"As for your Vice Captain, the 'Sword Maiden', she'll be handled by the 'Phoenix' Marco. After all, no matter how sharp she is, she can't sever immortality."
"The former Seven Seas Admiral, Moriah, is a bit of a nuisance. I was planning to deal with him myself, but after some thought, I realized that taking you down first is the most important thing."
"The newly joined Wibbur is a bit tricky. Fortunately, he's targeting the remaining captains of Whitebeard's crew, so I can use them to my advantage. It's no big deal to take them down one by one; he can't possibly defeat the combined might of all of them."
"And as for you, the great hero with exceptional body technique, I've been searching for a long time to find the right person to counter you, and I believe Ougreen is the perfect choice to restrict your body technique."
Kai Hai chuckled, "Well, the plan might have deviated a little, but it's more or less on track. After all, once you're defeated, everything will fall into place."
"I know you, the great hero, enjoy hosting banquets, so I've prepared a Feast of Death just for you. Take a look and see if it's to your liking!"
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, a strange light burst from Sage's body, shattering it.
Boom!
A black-and-red torrent erupted, breaking through the forest's shadow above and transforming into a black-and-red lightning of Tyrant Aura, relentlessly destroying the surrounding forest.
Even the trees that Hwang Mu had cultivated were no match for the Tyrant Aura, crumbling as they came within its range.
Sage raised an eyebrow, looking at Kai Hai with a hint of confusion, "You're saying you spent a long time thinking, and this is the ability you came up with to counter me? Or is it the ability's effect?"
Are you kidding me?
Ability users are one thing, but ability effects are another. They may seem similar, but they are entirely different in application.
If it were a straightforward ability with immediate destructive power, then they could just fight it out.
But ability effects are all about the clash of aura and abilities.
Unfortunately for Kai Hai, Sage's aura completely overwhelmed Ougreen's ability.
In fact, Sage didn't even bother to find out what Ougreen's ability was.
To him, with his Tyrant Aura and mastery over aura, Ougreen's ability was useless.
Not only could he negate the applied ability, but—
Buzz!
Sage glared at Ougreen, and his Tyrant Aura surged, causing Ougreen to break into a cold sweat, his body trembling slightly, and his mind briefly going blank. He couldn't even muster the strength to use his ability, let alone throw a punch."
"If you're using your ability, I can counter it with my Tyrant Aura," Sage said with a mischievous grin.
"Hey! I spent a lot of energy gathering information to counter you!"
Kai Hai's temples throbbed with anger, but upon closer inspection, his eyes remained calm, as if he had anticipated this.
"Is that so?"
Sage glanced at him dismissively and then turned his attention back to Ougreen, "Hmm, let me think about how it felt... Physique? You think that by neutralizing individual physiques, you can level the playing field? No, it's about negating the effect of the physique?"
Sage let out a mirthless laugh, "Your body's quality isn't bad. Why would you have such a wish?"
Devil Fruits choose their hosts based on their desires or obsessions.
"You know nothing! It's people like you who ruin the sea! Iron Fist, Black Arm—they're just brute force and aura, falsely labeled as body techniques! They're just mindless punchers with no skill!"
Ougreen protested, "Including you! You're just more perceptive, with a better body and greater strength! Is this what you call the pinnacle of body technique? I will reclaim that title!"
"You..."
Sage shook his head with a smile, "What's the big deal? So you're a weakling."
"What do you mean? I'm not weak!"
"Yes, you are. A weakling who's shackled by your techniques. What do you think body technique is? A ruthless killing technique? Or some flashy martial arts? Body technique is—"
"Of course, it's about greater strength, a stronger body, enhanced reflexes, faster killing with the body, and better self-improvement. These are the very essence of body technique, not some narrow specialization."
Crack!
Sage's body twitched, his bones creaking, "Never mind. Since you're a body technique user, I'll teach you a lesson using the same strength as you."
(End of Chapter)
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