But when Sengoku didn't take these attacks seriously at first, he regretted it in the very next second.
In that moment, the blades shot toward him at an astonishing speed.
Each strike carried immense force, and when they hit, a shockwave erupted—visible to the naked eye.
Sengoku suddenly realized that, although these weapons were made of ice and stone, they contained a terrifying power he couldn't understand.
His expression darkened. Seeing the blades again, he no longer dared to treat them lightly. He swung his fists, smashing them apart with overwhelming strength.
But no matter how much force he used to shatter the stone blades, more icy energy would materialize in the next instant.
He was growing weary of this endless barrage. The rain of blades was becoming more troublesome by the second. Their numbers continued to grow, and each one struck with even greater power.
Sengoku couldn't believe it. How could this woman possess such an incredible level of control?
What shocked him even more was the devastating force within each blade. The pain from their impact was like getting hit by a speeding train.
At that moment, Esdeath, still floating in the air, looked momentarily dazed. But soon, a smile curved at the corner of her lips as she turned her gaze toward the cruise ship in the distance.
In truth, it wasn't Esdeath who was attacking Sengoku—it was Kaos. At that moment, Kaos gently stroked Rika Minami, who was resting against his chest.
A faint, knowing smile played on his lips. Yes, he was the one assaulting Sengoku now.
He was using his mental power to control each blade from several thousand meters away, pouring tremendous spiritual energy into every strike.
For some reason, Kaos's spiritual power had seen a significant boost since he last used his mental power.
Over the past few days, he'd noticed this increase continuing steadily.
It was a dramatic improvement, and he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason why.
He remembered that when the system had given him the Teigu, it never mentioned that it would gradually increase his spiritual power.
Kaos looked at Rika Minami lying in his arms, gently brushing her hair aside. Then, he pulled out his Teigu.
The weapon emitted a dim glow, slowly nourishing his mind. His spiritual energy continued to rise, growing visibly stronger with each passing moment. From over three thousand meters away, he was still maintaining perfect control. That used to be the very edge of his range.
Normally, going beyond that distance would drastically reduce his precision and power.
But now, his control radius had extended to a full ten thousand meters.
It was an unexpected blessing. Kaos could now lift over ten thousand tons using only his mental strength.
So, for him, each of the blades surrounding Sengoku felt weightless. Every swing carried hundreds—or even thousands—of tons.
The ice blades alone weighed hundreds of tons. The ten blades had been specially compressed by Kaos, dramatically increasing their mass and destructive force—each one now packed several thousand tons of power.
These attacks didn't have the power to kill Sengoku, but the pain they inflicted was substantial. Kaos knew exactly how to control his strength to avoid crossing the line.
In the distance, Sengoku was already feeling worn down and frustrated. He had only intended to defeat Esdeath, not to kill her. But the constant pain he was experiencing was making him feel aggrieved and humiliated.
Each time he destroyed one blade, another quickly replaced it. The ice blades caused relatively minor damage, but the stone blades bit into him with chilling force.
Even his Armament Haki had its limits. If this continued, his Haki would be pushed to the edge, and even his golden form would begin to suffer internal damage.
The more Sengoku fought, the more alarmed he became. This woman's strength had nearly reached the level of a top Admiral...
Then, a sudden realization hit him.
Kaido and Bullet had both been killed recently—and no one knew who the culprit was. He'd only learned of their deaths today.
Akainu had been sent to hunt down Bullet.
But if Akainu had actually fought him, the outcome would've been mutual destruction at best.
It was impossible for Akainu to have killed Bullet—and Kaido as well.
After all, the two had teamed up. Sengoku doubted Akainu could survive ten rounds against them together.
And yet, both Kaido and Bullet were dead. That alone was deeply suspicious.
Could it be...?
A chilling thought flashed through his mind.
Could the deaths of Kaido and Bullet have been caused by Kaos?
Or... was it the woman in front of him?
Her strength was simply beyond reason. No ordinary fighter could take her on. Anyone who stood against her would fall.
"I ask you—did you kill Bullet and Kaido?!"
Sengoku destroyed another volley of blades mid-movement and shouted the question.
Esdeath, seeing he still had time to talk, chuckled. "What do you think?"
Her response left Sengoku momentarily speechless.
But in the next second, Esdeath made her move. After all, this was her prey.
She slowly closed her eyes, lifted her hands slightly—and then, the ground began to tremble violently.
Cracks split the earth, and colossal chunks of rock tore free and floated into the air. This time, it wasn't just a few stones—it was the entire island.
The whole island fractured and rose. Countless massive boulders floated high above them.
Sengoku saw this, and immediately tensed up.
An entire island? If that thing falls, who the hell is going to survive!?
He couldn't help it anymore. The woman in front of him was completely insane.