Chapter 841: A Battle of Equals
Chapter 841: A Battle of Equals
In the Combat Arena, two figures locked eyes—one standing above, the other below. In their gazes, battle intent burned fiercely.
Lida’s realization mirrored Kuro’s own. This opponent was an unarmed combat version of himself—or rather, a swordsmanship-versed Bartholomew.
Bartholomew’s abilities, Haki, and unarmed combat prowess matched Kuro’s, and in their clash, Kuro had sensed his physical strength was identical, though slightly more enduring. Kuro didn’t find this surprising—his own strength stemmed from cultivation, and there would always be those blessed with innate talent. Charlotte Big Mom had been unmatched at five years old; how could his own natural gifts compare? Someone like this would inevitably reach his level.
This opponent was barely forty, at his Peak Condition, not someone whose power was declining. He was extremely dangerous.
In speed, Kuro held the edge, but in raw strength, Bartholomew dominated. Worse, his ability seemed to counter Kuro’s, forcing him to avoid using the [Heavenly Treasure Vault] lest it be copied through ‘Conjoin.’ Yet Bartholomew’s attempts to channel the full might of Conjoin would similarly be disrupted by Kuro’s own techniques.
As a swordsman, Kuro’s offensive power naturally surpassed this opponent’s, but closing the distance carried risks.
Bartholomew, too, seemed to share this assessment, flashing a malevolent grin.
This was a true fifty-fifty duel.
Kuro narrowed his eyes, raised Autumn Water, and pointed its blade skyward.
Drip. Drop.
Rain began falling over the island.
Hwala!
The drizzle became a torrent, each droplet nearly the size of a fist, drenching the battlefield.
"Sea water?"
Bartholomew recognized the sensation instantly as the rain struck him.
"Azure Dragon Rain!"
Kuro’s voice rang out.
Boom!
Bartholomew immediately rooted his stance, shaking off the water as his Haki erupted outward in an external release, forming a barrier that deflected the fist-sized raindrops.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The droplets shattered against his Haki barrier like blades, their impacts ringing out like brittle chimes.
Bartholomew’s malevolent grin widened. Slamming his arm into the ground, granular Purple Mosaic surged from his palm, spreading across the earth. A wisp of the substance coalesced into a massive stone arm, which lashed forward, channeling Haki like blue-black ‘magic circuits’ as it lunged to seize Kuro.
Kuro’s eyes sharpened. He slowed the stone arm’s advance, then propelled himself downward in a straight line toward Bartholomew.
That Conjoin ability—even when applied to inanimate objects—remained formidable. Even if Bartholomew’s Haki-encased constructs were lifeless, Kuro couldn’t fully control them yet, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t interfere.
"Are you trying to insult me with something so clumsy?!" Kuro sheathed Autumn Water, diving like an arrow before unsheathing it mid-air, releasing three phantom slashes at once.
"Swallow Return!"
Space locked—single blade became three!
Bartholomew’s conjured stone wall shattered as he freed both arms, raising his fists to block the twin blade flashes aimed at his waist and back. His head twisted forward, intercepting Kuro’s third strike aimed at his neck.
Clang!
Two blade flashes vanished, but the physical blade—crackling with golden electric sparks—struck his forehead, drawing a thin line of blood that trickled down his cheek and dripped to the ground.
"Heh!"
Bartholomew bared his bone-white teeth in a snarl, his head jerking sideways to scrape Autumn Water’s edge before thrusting his skull forward to butt Kuro’s chest.
Kuro clicked his tongue, yanking Autumn Water back to deflect the blow. But at that moment, Bartholomew’s fist suddenly swung in from the side.
"Black Tortoise Body!"
Kuro’s pupils contracted. He flicked two fingers across Autumn Water’s blade with lightning speed.
Bang!
The rice-bowl-sized fist slammed into Kuro’s face, sending him soaring high into the air, ascending for several heartbeats before halting.
He tilted his head back, then slowly lowered it, blood trickling from his nose.
"Sturdy physique", Bartholomew muttered, licking blood that had trickled from his forehead to his lips before wiping his brow clean, revealing a fresh scar at his brow—a mark resembling a third eye.
"You damn bastard!" Kuro’s eye twitched as he wiped his nose, exhaling a mouthful of turbid energy before reactivating his ‘Black Tortoise Body,’ replenishing his defense.
That punch would’ve caved his face in without proper evasion.
Bartholomew’s physical resilience clearly surpassed his own.
But when it came to offensive power—
Zzzt!
Autumn Water erupted with even more violent golden lightning. Baring his teeth, Kuro roared: "I hate it when someone hits my face!"
Boom!
A sonic boom erupted mid-air as he rocketed forward, blades flashing toward Bartholomew.
"Hundred Shadows: Thousand Cutting Valleys!!"
A single slash became a hundred, each phantom radiating black-gold light, unleashing countless flying slashes that blanketed the battlefield—tens of thousands of attacks, all at point-blank range!
Except for Dracule Mihawk, who remained impassive, every spectator felt their scalp prickle.
"Combined real and illusions?!"
Bartholomew’s pupils contracted. Planting his feet, he unleashed shockwaves with his fists, creating afterimage-like strikes.
"But fakes are still fakes!"
He ignored the dense slash network, targeting the physical slashes first, shattering them with blinding speed. His fists danced, gradually dismantling the crescent-shaped black-gold slashes.
As the final slash disintegrated, Bartholomew reeled his fist back and lunged toward Kuro’s hiding spot amidst the illusions.
Boom!
His punch shattered the air—but struck only an afterimage.
"Ultimate Mystic Art!!"
Kuro materialized above Bartholomew’s flank, Autumn Water flashing with a yellow dragon phantom, erupting in golden radiance. As he descended, the light became a celestial-strike—a single line of death—slamming into Bartholomew’s back.
Hiss!
The slash tore through his clothing, carving a bloody line across his back, spurting blood.
"Hhrrrggh!!"
Bartholomew roared like a beast, twisting his waist with extreme speed. His Haki-coated fist blazed like blue flames as he swung sideways.
"Ultimate Giant Cannon!!"
Kuro hadn’t even begun adjusting his posture after the slash when the retaliatory punch struck his side, crumpling his body sideways. He flew like a stone skipping across water, bouncing heavily across the ground before crashing into a crater, clouds of dust exploding outward.
Whoosh!
The dust vanished instantly, swept away by a howling wind as Kuro rose.
Cracking his body with audible pops, he straightened his spine, exhaled sharply, and turned his head sideways.
"Phlegm!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, then glared at Bartholomew with a malevolent grin spreading across his face.
"You damned bastard!" Kuro bared his teeth coldly.
"And the same to you!" Bartholomew replied with a matching grin, eyes like a feral beast’s.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
