Nightmare's "True Body" Strength
Roy flashed forward, shooting towards the Red Hair like an arrow released from a bow. The ancient and heavy Seven Star Sword exuded a bloodthirsty aura, freezing thousands of miles and banishing all things.
The Red Hair, whose hair stood on end from the terrifying aura, was not alarmed but rather delighted. He thought to himself, "That's right, it's that aura. The one he's holding is the Seven Star Sword, the ultimate divine weapon that Above Supreme Grade Sword. It seems that he has indeed made his move in his true form this time!"
For Red Hair, he wasn't afraid of Roy's strength, but rather of Roy using his infinite clones to wage a war of attrition against him.
You have to understand that every battle is like dancing on a knife's edge for him; one wrong move and he could die. But the opponent only loses a clone, which is insignificant. What's even more disgusting is that this clone might self-destruct when it's cornered, taking you down with it.
Therefore, Red Hair would rather Roy unleash his full power to fight him, even if he is completely overwhelmed, than engage in a meaningless battle with Roy's clone.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and his body reacted quickly. Griffin was drawn instantly, its cold light surging, and its sharp Sword Qi carried the will of an overlord, as if it were a sword that could destroy everything, causing ripples in the space.
"The most powerful... is also the most dangerous moment. While you are gaining power, you will also fall from the realm of immortality!" The Red Hair's eyes flashed like lightning. He knew that this was his last chance. If he could not turn defeat into victory, the distance between him and this monster would only grow further and further.
As they drew closer, the seven-colored Sword Qi and crimson slashes drew nearer. Despite their speed, which could traverse time and space, they appeared incredibly slow to everyone, as if time itself had been infinitely stretched, plunging everyone's senses into a chaotic fog.
"Boom!"
Like a massive explosion at the beginning of time, the sound resonated in everyone's hearts like a resounding bell. The entire world was bathed in dazzling silver-white light from the blazing sword light, giving people a sense of awe and spiritual cleansing, if one disregarded their hearts pounding and their eyes nearly bleeding.
"Ah! My ears, my ears, don't scare me! Listen carefully!"
"Impossible! I only glanced at it, how could I go blind? It's impossible!"
As the dust settled, the island was completely shattered, much like a broken glacier in the far north ocean, leaving only some "reefs" for people to stand on. The sea was filled with howls of despair. Those with stronger abilities were only slightly dizzy, but those with weaker abilities were directly riddled with holes by the dissipating Sword Qi.
The Red Hair Pirates and Roy's large force were both affected to varying degrees, but the Beasts Pirates suffered the most.
As mentioned before, if we compare the island where Red Hair is located to a point, the Beasts Pirates are the circle surrounding that point, while Roy's large force is the outermost circle, essentially forming three layers.
The battle between Roy and Red Hair took place right above the Beasts Pirates. In the instant of their clash, almost a third of the ship was sunk, and the rest fared no better, shattering into canoes that floated pitifully on the sea.
They weren't the main characters in this war, so why were they being treated so unfairly? The members of the Beasts Pirates seemed to feel a deep sense of malice from the world.
My heart is breaking!
Even if Kaido about his subordinates, seeing this scene made his eyes bloodshot, his tiger eyes almost bursting with tears of blood. He roared to the sky, his heart filled with fierce emotion, "Nightmare, Red Hair, you two bastards, I'll kill you!"
The crowd was jolted from their shock and disorientation by Kaido's shrill roar, and looked at the two protagonists of the battle as if waking from a dream.
Nightmare stood in the void, his gaze calm. A careful observer could even notice that in this fierce exchange, his clothes were not torn at all, as if what had happened before was nothing more than an insignificant sword strike to him.
On the other hand, the Red Hair's situation paled in comparison. He was kneeling on the broken rocks, his right hand holding Griffin and "inserting" it into the ground, and his body was trembling slightly.
Red Hair now only wants to retract his previous assessment. He would rather face Nightmare's clone than fight this monstrous "original body." This is not just suppressing him, it's crushing him. Red Hair even doubts whether Whitebeard in his prime could have done this.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Roy's clone is only 50% and 70% stronger. At their level, even the slightest difference can have a world of difference. As mentioned before, a bounty of 300 million is not the same as ten bounties of 30 million. Similarly, 1.4 Red Hair does not mean that he is only slightly stronger than Red Hair.
"With just one strike, Red Hair showed signs of defeat. Nightmare's strength is just too terrifying. Is Whitebeard going to hand over the title of the World's Strongest?" Doflamingo couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He suddenly felt that he should just remain a nobody in the Akatsuki. He even began to doubt whether he could really be effective against a monster like Nightmare, even if he obtained the Celestial Dragons' National Treasure.
"Such powerful swordsmanship! Although his swordsmanship is not as pure as mine, it is more vast. If I could fight him with all my might, I might be able to glimpse the true ultimate realm of swordsmanship!" Hawkeye's hands trembled slightly, itching to draw his sword.
"So... so strong!" Jinbe let out a low growl that was hard to decipher. "If it were Captain Roy, maybe one day our Fish-Man Race would really be able to go to land!"
"Red Hair brat, I think you should just be removed from the ranks of the Four Emperors as soon as possible. You're a disgrace to us." Kaido was almost trembling with rage, white mist billowing from his nostrils. Although he was reckless, he wasn't stupid. If Red Hair couldn't even withstand a single blow from Nightmare, what was the point of him being an ally?
Kaido wasn't worried about his own safety. Even if Nightmare truly grew to the level of Whitebeard in his prime, he was confident he could escape unscathed—a confidence stemming from his superior physique. His only concern was that if Red Hair couldn't rise to power, this long-awaited top-tier battle might not achieve the results he envisioned; a weak ending would be the best-case scenario.
"Well, well, well, Kaido, it seems your vision is still as short-sighted as ever. The allies you've chosen are really not very good!" Big Mom said smugly.
In her view, Nightmare was far superior to Red Hair as an ally, both in terms of strength, influence, and network of relationships, which made her quite proud in front of Kaido, her old friend and rival.
"Mad Woman, don't be too happy yet. Nightmare is just like us. Don't think that your foolish marriage will keep him in check. Once you're no longer of any use, you'll be kicked aside like a dog. Then you'll know how stupid your decision was today, hahaha!"