The Big Drunkard's Trump Card

Big Drunkard was, after all, a peak powerhouse of the North Blue. He quickly steadied his emotions and calmed down. "Is that so? I don't know how you did it, but since I was able to defeat you once, I can naturally defeat you a second time. I refuse to believe you have an immortal body."

"Heh, then go ahead and try. But I really did underestimate you before. I never expected to encounter someone in a place like the North Blue who had grasped Armament Haki."

"Burp, you know about Armament Haki too? I see. No wonder I couldn't hit you no matter what. Looks like you're someone who has grasped Observation Haki as well."

Big Drunkard was equally surprised. He had originally thought that there would be no second person in the vast North Blue who had grasped Haki, yet he had actually encountered one in this tiny kingdom—and one who had cultivated Observation Haki, no less.

"But, kid, I'll use my fists to tell you that Observation Haki has no future. In the end, it's nothing more than trash that hides in dark corners and fires cheap shots. Only Armament Haki is the true destination of the strong."

"Heh, you ignorant idiot. Observation Haki is... forget it. There's no point talking to someone like you." Roy was not at a loss for words. He had merely suddenly realized that arguing with Big Drunkard over whether Armament Haki or Observation Haki was stronger was like arguing over whether sweet or savory tofu pudding tasted better. The whole vibe had abruptly changed, and he had completely lost his passion for fighting.

Besides, in Roy's view, all three types of Haki were standard equipment for the strong. Arguing over which was stronger was utterly meaningless.

Now that he had exposed his Armament Haki, Big Drunkard naturally no longer hid it. A layer of black wrapped around his right fist, metallic luster flowing across it as it gave off a heart-palpitating aura.

Yet Roy merely chuckled. "Heh, it looks like you've only just begun cultivating Armament Haki. You can only cover part of your body with it?"

"So what? Even the lowest level of Armament Haki is enough for me to defeat you."

He pushed off hard with both legs and shot toward Roy like an arrow loosed from a bow, accompanied by the thunderous collapse of the ground beneath him, like an enormous cannonball.

Though Roy spoke contemptuously, he had already raised his guard internally. Armament Haki was something that had practically vanished even in the first half of the Grand Line. Taking a punch from Big Drunkard would definitely not feel good.

As Big Drunkard charged at him like a wild bull, Roy rapidly shifted and dodged across the ground with unparalleled agility. Though the ground had already been wrecked into a pitted mess, under the perception of his Observation Haki, it was as easy as walking on level ground and did not hinder his movements in the slightest.

Big Drunkard, on the other hand, was in a different situation. He did not care about the changing terrain at all; every obstacle in his path was destroyed by his charge.

But Roy was not one to take hits without fighting back. All kinds of powerful slashes erupted within the confined space.

Big Drunkard had gone all out as well. Unless Roy's blade itself was bearing down on him, he simply shielded himself with both hands against ordinary slashes and continued charging. The force of Roy's slashes was clearly still insufficient to break through Big Drunkard's Armament Haki defense.

Kikuichimonji was one of the Great Grade Sword 21 Works. If it landed on Big Drunkard, he would certainly be cut in two with a single stroke. But Big Drunkard was no fool either; whenever Roy tried to close in with his blade, he quickly dodged away.

Their battlefield kept shifting. It began near the city gate, then moved from the gate to the streets, and from the streets toward the Royal Palace. Fortunately, the citizens had already entered emergency shelters. Otherwise, the consequences would have been no less terrible than a massacre.

Bang!

Big Drunkard had no idea how many times he had been sent flying. After crashing through another two houses, he still clawed his way out of the rubble as though nothing had happened and continued tangling with Roy.

Roy was starting to get a headache. These Body Technique specialists really were a nuisance. They had almost no obvious weaknesses, especially those who had cultivated Armament Haki. Not only were their defenses powerful, but their recovery abilities were astonishing as well.

Roy took a deep breath. His original purpose in dragging out the fight had been to exhaust Big Drunkard's Armament Haki. After all, once Big Drunkard's Armament Haki ran out, he would be meat on the chopping block, free for Roy to carve up.

However, Roy had not cultivated Armament Haki himself, so he had no idea how long it could sustain combat. Moreover, he only knew that Armament Haki could be overused from his previous life. Who knew whether anything might differ in reality?

The longer this dragged on, the more likely things were to change. Roy knew he had to make some adjustments. Against an enemy like Big Drunkard, there were probably only two methods.

The first was to use an indestructible force to shatter his defenses head-on. The second was to use speed beyond the limit—even beyond his reaction speed—and kill him in the instant before he could activate his Armament Haki.

Roy knew that he was not a strength-focused fighter. For him, the second strategy was clearly more reliable.

At the same time, Big Drunkard was also considering his options. The Haki within him was not inexhaustible, and after such a long battle, there was very little left. He was only putting on a hard front now, forcing himself to appear unruffled.

"Fast reactions and incredible speed, huh? Looks like I can only further expand my attack range. As long as his speed is restricted, he'll be a tiger with its teeth pulled—nothing to fear." Big Drunkard encouraged himself.

Big Drunkard pulled down the gourd that had been strapped to his back all this time, yanked out the stopper, and took huge gulps from it, making loud glugging sounds.

Though Roy did not understand the purpose behind this, he knew his opponent was very likely about to unleash a trump card. He immediately heightened his focus and prepared himself.

"Burp, what a delicious taste. Now it's your turn to accept the judgment of fine wine." After smacking his lips, Big Drunkard's entire body began swaying unsteadily again.

Pfft!

Big Drunkard suddenly raised his head and slammed both hands hard against his belly. He actually sprayed out all the wine he had just drunk in one burst, like a fountain.

Roy's expression twisted at the sight. What kind of joke was this? He was a germaphobe! How had this fight suddenly taken such a disgusting turn? It was practically on par with that snake guy from Naruto.

Wine Rain fell onto the ground, even producing sizzling sounds. Quite a few pirates who failed to dodge in time melted away before they could even scream.

Roy cursed inwardly like mad. What kind of monster was Big Drunkard? Was it really okay to keep something like that inside his body?

But he had no time to keep complaining. If even a little of that filthy stuff touched him, he would not be able to eat properly for days. At the same time, anger rose in his heart. If someone killed him in battle, it would only mean he lacked strength, and there was nothing to resent. That was something he had understood from the very first day he set foot upon the sea.

However, what Roy hated most was when people disgusted him in battle. Every exhilarating battle was like the finest delicacy to him, while Big Drunkard's actions were like mixing a pile of shit into the most exquisite food—and poisoning the shit, at that.