A Test of Endurance

"Are you saying I have no value?" Daz Bonez clenched his fists, anger rising within him.

"You're saying my battles are meaningless?"

Daz Bonez was furious.

"Then let me shatter your lightning, you mere thirty-million-berry pirate!" Daz Bonez turned his feet into blades and actually slid across the ground, rapidly closing in on Ling Donglai.

Terrifying lightning strikes came at him head-on. Daz Bonez was always half a beat slower than the lightning, so he crossed his hands before him and used sharp slashes to cut through the thunderbolts.

Ling Donglai glanced sideways and narrowed his eyes slightly. The horse whinnied nervously and backed away a few steps.

Flying sword slashes... Had this man already become capable of releasing a swordsman's flying slashes?

Ling Donglai coated his hand in Armament Haki and threw a fist wreathed in Azure Thunder at Daz Bonez's arm.

"How is this possible? Flesh and blood actually blocked my blade slash!" Daz Bonez cried out in shock.

Daz Bonez had extensive combat experience. Even though he was astonished that Ling Donglai had caught his attack barehanded, his attacks never stopped.

"Looks like I'll have to stand up and fight you." Ling Donglai nodded, acknowledging Daz Bonez's strength. More importantly, the carriage was starting to buckle under the shockwaves from their clash.

There were supplies they had just bought on it. If it got wrecked, they would have to buy everything again.

"Ten Thousand Nations Heaven-Shocking Palm!" Electricity wrapped around Ling Donglai's entire body before bursting free. He thrust out his palm, blasting Daz Bonez away with lightning containing tens of millions of watts.

Ling Donglai planted his feet on the ground. "Let me see what else you have besides speed."

Fine currents surged upward. His cap flew away in an instant, and his hair stood on end, making him look like a Super Saiyan.

Nami raised her fist. Electricity surged as though drawn by some force, and the flying cap was pulled into her hand.

"That's amazing!" Vivi watched Nami's move.

"Hehe, it's nothing special. I still can't fight, but I can use the electricity hidden in my body to attract certain things—usually metal objects. I could only attract this cap because the captain wore it for so long."

Nami closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of the electricity in her body being drawn forth. With this kind of perception, even with her eyes shut, she could vaguely sense where the captain was fighting.

"Spiral Slash!" Daz Bonez swung his arms, crossing them before his chest as sword energy surged toward Ling Donglai.

"Hah!" Armament coated his hands, and Current Drive was pushed to its peak. This punch contained ten million volts of electricity. It struck Daz Bonez's crossed arms, and the current rushed directly into him.

Even though Daz Bonez could not feel pain, the scorching current still left him deeply uncomfortable.

"How many punches like that can you take?!"

Ling Donglai unleashed a rapid barrage of blows. With every collision, thunder brutally flooded into his opponent's body. Anyone would struggle to endure the internal destruction caused by such a high-speed barrage. Daz Bonez was a Paramecia Fruit user, his entire body as tough as steel. Gritting his teeth, he was still able to endure.

"You really are a troublesome prey. Now I'm getting excited!" Daz Bonez was struck by an uppercut and sent flying into the air.

"Roar, thunder that pierces through an age of chaos!"

Ling Donglai could fight both up close and from afar. Even after blasting Daz Bonez into the air, he could continue his combo. Bolts of lightning exploded toward Daz Bonez, blasting him away again and again.

"It's useless. Your attacks can't break through my defense—Slicer!" A metallic glint flashed across Daz Bonez's body, and Ling Donglai could clearly feel that this man's defense had risen to another level!

"Is that so? Let me tear open your body and see how your internal structure has been altered by your Fruit power!"

"Meteor Finger Stab!"

Twenty million volts of lightning were compressed and condensed, then released after charging. In an instant, it pierced through Daz Bonez's left arm!

"How?!" Daz Bonez was shocked and enraged as he unleashed two more sword-energy slashes.

"In all these years, you're the first person to break my defense. Spiral Blade Slash!"

Daz Bonez's arms transformed into continuously spinning blades, sawing toward Ling Donglai like chainsaws.

Ling Donglai directly caught Daz Bonez's fists with both hands.

"I knew you would defend like this. Every part of my body can become a blade. Accept my embrace!" Daz Bonez grinned and squeezed hard, pressing his body directly against Ling Donglai.

His legs were the first to be cut through, his defenses breached as blood gushed from large wounds.

Ling Donglai's Armament could only cover his fists, which meant the rest of his body could not withstand his opponent's blades.

"So now it's a contest of willpower? Fine!" Ling Donglai acted as though he could not feel his injuries as massive amounts of electricity poured into Daz Bonez's body through their points of contact.

Continuous discharge!

Daz Bonez's expression changed. This had now become a pure contest of strength. In terms of power, Ling Donglai was actually no weaker than him. Daz Bonez had not expected that.

"Your efforts are all in vain!" Daz Bonez's eyes flickered as he felt the scorching current being violently forced into his body. His body was beginning to heat up.

"I'm made of steel!"

Daz Bonez encouraged himself.

So hot... Daz Bonez's clothes were already soaked with sweat!

Half an hour later... the chainsaws on Daz Bonez's arms stopped spinning. "How did I..."

"Competing in endurance with a Zoan user? Are you sure you aren't courting death?" Ling Donglai whispered into Daz Bonez's ear.

Daz Bonez could no longer withstand Ling Donglai's continuous discharge. Under the accompanying heat, his body began to soften, and his internal organs had all turned red.

I'm burning alive!

He was the first opponent to die after being worn down in an endurance contest against Ling Donglai!

"I've grasped the wavelengths of the life force field!" Ling Donglai casually tore off his tattered clothes, revealing a body covered in wounds.

His pants were even more shredded, completely sliced apart.

"Is this what a battle between monsters looks like?" Vivi watched as Daz Bonez's body toppled backward.

A clash between ability users was no different from a battle between monsters!

"Captain, you're seriously injured!" Nami had already taken out medicine and bandages to treat Ling Donglai's wounds, wrapping white bandages around his body layer by layer.

"Let's get back to the ship first. Some rats probably think I'm exhausted."

After leaving combat, Ling Donglai felt searing pain throughout his body. At the same time, he sensed many people secretly watching him, like a flock of scavenger crows waiting for the moment he fell so they could become the final straw that crushed him.

What they did not know was that with his stamina, he could keep fighting like this for an entire day!

--

An extra chapter for holding steady at twenty-first on the contract rankings.

The novel got a recommendation slot. Next week's extra chapter conditions will be adjusted into small goals: 1. Reach 5,000 favorites. 2. Every additional 1,000 recommendations. 3. Rise from twenty-first on the contract rankings and hold steady in the teens.

This trial recommendation only came after 100,000 words, so it is extremely important. If it performs poorly, there will be no more recommendation slots.