Chapter 284: Suppression
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Sakazuki and Rhodes' offensive power was roughly equivalent—one possessed superior endurance, the other overwhelming speed. In such large-scale combat, determining superiority was difficult.
The two moved at incredible velocities, constantly clashing head-on, their battlefield affecting most of Punk Hazard.
Wherever they passed, the earth split apart and the sea overflowed—a terrifying spectacle.
The battle itself hadn't lasted particularly long, but because both had gone all out from the very beginning, the momentum was immense.
It was clearly visible that half the island near the naval warships had fractured, massive chunks of rock and earth tumbling into the sea and creating towering waves.
"Meigomu—Enjomo!"
Blood trickled from Sakazuki's mouth. He was seriously wounded, yet his eyes remained absolutely resolute, revealing fierce, death-defying determination.
"Hmph!"
Rhodes snorted coldly, slashing outward with his blade and shattering the magma fist while simultaneously evading the ensuing magma explosion.
Whoosh.
Amidst the scattered lava, Rhodes flashed to an open area dozens of meters away, catching his breath. He too had sustained injuries.
A bright red burn mark marred his left shoulder—the result of being struck by a magma fist.
Of course, inflicting this wound had also cost Sakazuki dearly. He'd suffered a deep sword gash across his chest when he'd been unable to transform into elemental form in time.
"I'll kill you!"
Sakazuki roared, billowing black smoke rising from his body. His entire form glowed as if erupting from a volcano itself, charging forward with immense power, prepared for a life-or-death confrontation with Rhodes.
Rhodes was fearless. His lightning power surged rapidly, his entire being blazing intensely like a thunder god descending—dazzling and radiant.
The two clashed again like lightning striking earth, like mountains colliding. The terrifying explosions shook the entire Marine fleet, nearly causing sailors to collapse from the shockwaves alone.
BOOM!
Sakazuki exerted all his strength, pushing his Magu Magu no Mi powers to their absolute limits, unleashing dark crimson light aimed at obliterating Rhodes.
The air trembled, the ground collapsed, and abyssal craters appeared.
The two crossed through the sky, meeting at the center and unleashing their most devastating attacks.
BOOM!
Shusui collided with the black-red magma fist, an unprecedented explosion suddenly resounding through the heavens.
The atmosphere froze momentarily before violently shaking in all directions, forming a terrifying shockwave that rippled outward.
CRACK!
Magma and lightning surged as the ground between Rhodes and Sakazuki was violently torn open, creating a horrifying abyss that extended toward both sides.
This devastating tremor reached all the way to the island's edge, causing the surrounding sea to surge with massive waves.
Buzz...
Sword and fist clashed, sending out continuous shockwaves.
Rhodes and Sakazuki's eyes met, but both remained silent—they had pushed their powers to absolute limits, leaving no capacity for words.
Yet each could see unwavering conviction and absolute confidence reflected in the other's pupils.
As their physical powers collided, lightning and magma also clashed continuously, weaving together astonishing energy fluctuations.
"Raikō Tsuki!"
Rhodes gripped Raigiri in his left hand, its tip infused with intense lightning power, maximizing its penetrating force. This thrust seemed capable of piercing through heaven and earth itself!
Sakazuki, undeterred, prepared to attack and defend amidst his surging magma.
But in that instant—
A dazzling light flashed in Rhodes' eyes, followed by an overwhelming aura that suddenly erupted skyward, sweeping in all directions.
In a flash, the mist filling the air due to magma's intense heat was completely dispersed. The boiling sea was suppressed. Ordinary soldiers aboard the naval warships collapsed in droves.
Even among the Marine officers, only a handful remained conscious.
Even the Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals standing at the forefront of the deck were greatly affected, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads as they nearly groaned aloud:
"Haō... shoku Haki! What incredibly powerful Haōshoku Haki!"
The Marines who remained conscious watched as those around them fell one after another, utterly shocked. Looking toward Rhodes' direction, fear was already visible in their eyes.
The one most affected was Sakazuki himself.
Being at the forefront, Sakazuki bore the full brunt of the Conqueror's Haki eruption.
Even though he'd known Rhodes' Haōshoku Haki was extraordinarily powerful—capable of suppressing both Blackbeard and Doflamingo simultaneously—and had made mental preparations in advance, he still wasn't immune to this overwhelming force.
Facing Conqueror's Haki rivaling that of the Yonko themselves, both Observation and Armament Haki were almost completely restricted and disrupted.
Simultaneously, Sakazuki's defensive movements inevitably faltered for a critical moment.
Swoosh!
Raigiri pierced through the void, breaking through Sakazuki's hastily organized defenses in an instant, thrusting toward Sakazuki's heart!
"...!"
Though startled, Sakazuki remained composed. Logia-type elemental transformation was actually quite effective against swordsmen's slashes. If one transformed preemptively, such attacks became completely ineffective.
However—
In that very instant, Rhodes flicked his wrist, and the blade abruptly changed direction at lightning speed. It wasn't aimed at the heart at all—it had been a feint!
If his Observation Haki hadn't been disrupted, Sakazuki wouldn't have been deceived by this feint. But under Conqueror's Haki's influence, both his mind and Haki were compromised, instantly revealing a massive opening.
Recognizing this, Sakazuki's pupils contracted to pinpoints, sensing an intense mortal threat. In a flash, his reaction was incredibly swift.
He didn't even attempt blocking the thrust. Instead, he directly transformed his heart and brain—his vital organs—into magma.
Swoosh!
Rhodes hadn't actually expected this strike to kill Sakazuki outright, so the blade pierced straight through Sakazuki's left lung, leaving a gruesome bloody wound.
Just as Rhodes prepared to expand his advantage, Sakazuki suddenly grinned maliciously, grabbed Raigiri's blade to prevent its movement, and roared,
"Magma—Bakuhatsu!"
Magma coating his entire body suddenly erupted like ignited explosives, scattering toward Rhodes like a deadly rain.
Those masses of magma, infused with Armament Haki and possessing tremendous kinetic energy, weren't to be underestimated.
Rhodes frowned slightly, generating a sphere of electromagnetic energy from his left hand and merging it with Raigiri. Without hesitation, he released the sword's hilt and evaded the splashing magma.
"Hmm?"
Having forced Rhodes back, Sakazuki coughed up blood, somewhat surprised that a swordsman like Rhodes would abandon his weapon.
In Sakazuki's assessment, this exchange had been worthwhile.
Although the price—a pierced left lung—would significantly reduce his stamina, his physical endurance was inherently superior. And Rhodes had lost one sword as well—not a bad trade.
With this thought flashing through his mind, Sakazuki watched Rhodes charge forward again after dodging the magma explosion.
Without thinking further, he pulled Raigiri from his body, tossed it far away into the ocean abyss, then concentrated magma power to clash with Rhodes.
BANG!
This time, however, the result proved quite different.
Although Sakazuki could endure the pain from his pierced chest, his combat effectiveness was inevitably affected. In the head-on collision, he was forced to stagger backward by Rhodes.
"Damn it!"
Sakazuki roared in frustration, molten lava pooling around him as if expressing his rage. He felt unwilling to accept this outcome.
The existence of Conqueror's Haki was fundamentally unfair to the Marines.
Because Marines could almost never awaken Haōshoku Haki.
In this respect, they were perpetually at a disadvantage.
What proved even more unbelievable to Sakazuki was that Raigiri—which he'd thrown into the ocean abyss—returned to Rhodes' hand with a casual gesture and the word "Modore!"
The battle had raged on, he'd sustained multiple wounds, yet hadn't gained the slightest advantage!
"Sever!"
Rhodes crossed both swords and delivered a devastating cross-shaped slash.
CRASH!
Blood sprayed, light scattered, and Sakazuki was blasted away—landing on the shore and smashing a hardened reef to pieces.
"How is this possible?!"
The Marines were utterly shocked—their Fleet Admiral was being completely overwhelmed and suppressed!
On the battlefield, Rhodes' long hair flowed freely, each strand shimmering. His entire body radiated dazzling silver light while simultaneously exuding a mysterious, overwhelming aura. Aside from his tattered clothing, his injuries were minimal and barely noticeable. His earlier burns were gradually healing.
He looked down at Sakazuki and said coldly,
"Fleet Admiral? Nothing more than that."
(End of Chapter)
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