Chapter 895: Nigerrudayo!!
Chapter 895: Nigerrudayo!!
William, his form stabilized, glanced at his subordinates' dismembered remains. His expression darkened.
"You three go ahead and wait for me at the ship", he said slowly.
"William, you can't fight alone—" Elmira interjected with concern.
"Move now, or I'll make you regret slowing me down!" He shot Elmira a sharp glance. "Unless you'd prefer dying by my strength?"
Elmira swallowed hard. "I understand."
This is William when he's truly angry.
He retreated slowly, injured body dragging, and asked, "Sverre, can you still move?"
"Better than you."
Sverre's eyes flickered. Without rising, his half-kneeling form suddenly vanished in a blur, reappearing silently beside Montblanc. Grasping Montblanc's wrists, he hoisted him up effortlessly before retreating quickly with him.
Kuro didn't interfere, watching William intently.
William tightened his grip on his rapier. "My abilities might not work on you, but that's not all I've got!"
William considered himself no fool—plenty of clever people existed in this world, himself included.
The air pressure from Kuro's earlier slash had proven to William that his abilities were practically useless. Kuro could easily dissipate his steam. And he could fly too.
Rumors spread across the Grand Line that the Marine Headquarters' Vice Admiral Golden Lion had gained Shanks' strength. Now it seemed those rumors were true.
William could fly too, using steam propulsion. If he'd planned earlier to flee by taking to the skies, that option had just vanished.
Guess it was time to go all out!
He gripped his rapier, taking a deep breath.
Kuro descended silently, glancing at the severed pirates behind William. "You don't seem angry."
"Why should I be?" William replied. "Whether pirate or marine, death comes with the trade."
He truly felt no rage. He'd lost subordinates before. These pirates were cannon fodder absorbed from other crews—his core elite wasn't even here. As long as his three trusted allies survived, that was enough.
Most importantly, facing such overwhelming power, he'd already prepared himself for casualties. No need for rage or shock.
"Is that so?"
Kuro narrowed his eyes, killing intent flickering in his gaze.
A man determined to stay in the East Blue… better kill him now than let him become a nuisance. Even if this man was his neighbor.
"I've been looking for ways to surpass you."
William's body leaned forward, eyes locked on Kuro. "Ever since that day, I've wondered how to become a great pirate while you're still active. Twenty years I've thought about this. Twenty years I've spent building influence and enhancing my strength."
"Whatever strengthened me, I pursued. My trusted ally Elmira mastered Observation Haki and marksmanship—I learned from him. Montblanc excelled in unarmed combat and Armament Haki—I trained under him. Sverre mastered speed—I followed his teachings."
"Rain or shine, day or night, I never slackened. Finally, I succeeded—developing my ultimate technique!"
"Every step of this journey was to face you one day, to show you my strength and shatter the fear haunting my heart!"
Kuro blinked, momentarily stunned.
What the hell? Did he dig up my ancestors' graves?
They'd never met before, even as neighbors. Why such hatred?
"Watch closely."
William held his rapier forward, one hand dropping to a dueling stance. "This is my ultimate strike!"
Bang!
The moment Kuro focused, gunfire exploded.
"Steam Gunshot!"
From William's hip, a pistol suddenly emerged, steam hissing from its grip. Projectiles infused with Haki flew at incredible speed. Kuro instinctively dodged sideways, the bullet grazing past.
"What the—"
Kuro turned to curse—
When suddenly, William's body erupted in massive steam, forming a towering steam giant roaring toward him. Scorching heat radiated from its aura, a tidal force of oppressive power.
Kuro twirled Autumn Water, preparing to slash the steam away.
Truthfully, such insubstantial things—clouds, fog, or smoke—posed no challenge. With his mastery of wind swordsmanship and psychokinetic-like abilities, he'd effortlessly dispersed Logia users far larger than this.
But as he swung—
"Wrong!"
Kuro's blade paused. Within the steam giant, a shadowy afterimage darted forth.
William's stance widened, body lowering. His rapier poised for a piercing strike, its aura instantly familiar to Kuro.
That was 'Kenbunshoku no Ki' (Observation Sword Aura)!
Instantly, Kuro understood—this swordsman's technique confronted nature itself! Cutting wood, stone, wind, rain, and lightning!
Steam erupted from William's arm, adding propulsion to his strike. Flowing Haki surged along the blade, radiating an aura of shattering all things. In a silent blur, he closed the distance on Kuro.
"Shandora Flash!!"
The blade moved in a near-instantaneous flash, thrusting directly at Kuro's throat.
It would connect!
William's eyes lit with a flicker of triumph—this was it!
The earlier bullet and steam giant were mere distractions. The true kill move was his own blade.
Finally, he could face the man who'd haunted him since youth!
"Ultimate Mystic Art!"
Suddenly, golden light erupted before the blade. The black blade Autumn Water, glowing gold, instantly clashed against his rapier, knocking it skyward in collision.
Boom!!!
A shockwave erupted, instantly dispersing William's steam giant.
William's body scattered into steam from the impact, rapidly reforming behind.
"Blocked?!" His expression turned grim.
Before him, Kuro held Autumn Water, face darkened.
"Haki at the Internal Destruction level", Kuro sneered. "Impressive. A hair slower and I'd have been done."
This strike forced him to use an instant-cast Ultimate Mystic Art, even adding Unified Haki!
Not only high Haki proficiency, but blazing speed and immense power amplified by steam propulsion. A direct hit wouldn't just mean external destruction—internal organs would crush and burn, turning to mush.
A formidable opponent who'd mastered combining Haki with abilities!
"Funny enough."
Kuro's eyes blazed with killing intent, unleashing torrents toward William.
Crackling electricity!
He swung Autumn Water, golden lightning igniting the black blade.
"That's right—come on!"
William roared, his body erupting in steam once more, swirling vision ahead.
"Fight me, Kuro! I'll break this curse in my heart! Take another strike!"
Kuro narrowed his eyes, holding Autumn Water sideways, two fingers resting on the blade.
"Nigerrudayo!!" William's voice rang out.
Kuro blinked, instinctively dispersing the steam ahead—empty space.
Far away, William's figure blasted downward through the air propelled by Steam Impact.
From the sensing range, all other auras except William's had already retreated.
"Hey, Kuro, they're fleeing", Sky said, Lida standing on a floating earth platform pointing below at a ship moving rapidly across the Grand Line. "Moving fast—steam rising from the ship."
Kuro watched William descend, fingers twitching before relaxing. Unified Haki faded from his blade.
A faint smile touched his lips. "My fellow townsman's actually interesting."
Kuro hadn't come to kill. William's methods hadn't crossed his lines. This was a pirate he could choose to ignore—provided they didn't seek him out.
Certainly not like Luffy, who kept buzzing around like flies despite his attempts to avoid them.
William seemed the type to avoid causing trouble. Maybe even feared Kuro seeking him out.
Cautious, but that caution annoyed him.
"Time to use this chance and force you out of the East Blue!" Kuro gritted his teeth.
(End of Chapter)
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