God Remained Unaffected

Thunder Bagua!

Yamato's ice-crystal-wreathed Iron Club slammed directly into a Samurai's face, crushing his entire face inward and freezing his head solid in the process.

Then, the ice crystals wrapped around the Iron Club spread into white mist. Yamato spun with the momentum, and the white mist instantly streaked a white trail through the air.

Phantom Blade!

Several surrounding Samurai were frozen into ice sculptures in an instant.

"Hehe! It's not over yet!"

The little girl wore the brightest of smiles. She lowered her body, her long legs suddenly bursting with force. "Divine Foot—"

Yamato turned into a white blur, darting back and forth through the Samurai closing in on her. "White Snake Drive!"

One Samurai after another was sent flying into the sky. Their limbs twisted grotesquely, and every place they had been struck was completely frozen.

The white blur shot into the air, then descended beneath a Samurai's terrified gaze. "Ice General Slash!"

Clang!

Amid the explosive crash, that unlucky Samurai was smashed directly into shattered chunks of ice.

"Lady Yamato! Please wait for me!"

Fukurokuju followed closely behind Yamato without stopping for even a moment.

He absolutely could not allow this lady to encounter any danger.

Still, she truly was Lord Kaido's daughter!

Even at only eight years old, she had beaten this group of elite Samurai so badly that they could not fight back at all.

Of course, she was still far inferior to His Majesty Ian. That lord was the true monster among monsters!

Hm?

Fukurokuju's eyes narrowed, and then he roared, "Get lost!"

His earlobes suddenly lengthened and lashed toward a Samurai wielding a pitch-black blade, knocking him straight back.

Lady Yamato might be strong, but Samurai capable of using Flowing Haki were still a little too much for her at this age.

He absolutely could not let them get close to Lady Yamato!

Besides him, the Oniwabanshu's elite ninja captains and the strongest Samurai were also guarding Yamato at this moment, allowing her to play to her heart's content.

At the same time.

BOOM!!

On one side of the battlefield, amid a massive explosion, a scarlet fire tornado soared into the sky, its surface covered in a layer of golden flames.

The earth-shaking sound seemed to silence the entire world, while the scorching Blast Wave that erupted outward seemed ready to vaporize everything.

"Oh! Ian made his move?"

Yamato gazed at the fiery tornado and grinned. "Then I can't fall behind either!"

Thunder Bagua!

The scarlet flames eventually began to dissipate.

The Golden Flying Dragon flapped its wings and slowly descended to the ground.

Ian panted softly.

His head was spinning, and his body felt as limp as noodles.

But the enormous expenditure had brought equally enormous destructive power.

Before him lay a deep crater. It was not very wide, but it was deep enough.

Yet after being struck by such extreme heat, there was no magma left within the crater. There were no shattered rocks or clumps of earth either; even the area around the crater was completely clean.

Because everything had been destroyed.

Whether rock or soil, all of it had been utterly erased from this world by the destructive flames, reduced directly to nothingness without leaving behind the slightest trace.

The law of conservation of matter had been completely broken at this moment. This was the destructive power of a god.

But.

"No way?"

Ian tilted his head.

At the bottom of that crater lay two charred figures. Their breathing was already incredibly weak, and they could no longer move.

Yet one guy was still standing.

He stood with his head raised toward Ian, proud and unyielding.

Even though his entire body was blackened, his skin and hair utterly destroyed, and even the outer layer of his muscles nearly burned away, making him completely unrecognizable, Ian could still identify him as Shimotsuki Ushimaru from his build.

But he was still standing.

Standing perfectly straight.

Could he still stand?

"Hah—"

Shimotsuki Ushimaru breathed slowly, his chest rising and falling bit by bit.

The blade in his hand had already been destroyed, so he drew a short wakizashi.

His body bent slightly, the muscles in his legs tensing.

The next moment, he turned into a bolt of lightning, sprinting along the steep wall of the crater and pouncing toward Ian.

"Divine Flame Cannon!"

Ian did not hesitate, opening his mouth and spewing flames.

Compared to when he was at full strength, the flames were much weaker now, their color even having faded to pale gold.

Shimotsuki Ushimaru merely swung his Haki-coated wakizashi, slicing straight through the surging flames. Then he leaped into the air, aiming directly for Ian.

Ian's enormous claws were wreathed in fire. He curled them and suddenly slammed them together, like a closing maw.

"Winged Dragon's Shattering Fang!"

Yet, to Ian's surprise, Shimotsuki Ushimaru had no intention of dodging. He simply coated his entire body in Haki and took the blow head-on between Ian's two hands.

"Urgh!"

Even though Shimotsuki Ushimaru's Haki was slightly stronger than Hyogoro's, he could not help crying out after taking Ian's attack squarely. After all, Ian's strength in dragon form far surpassed that of his hybrid form, and his hands were currently wreathed in flames.

What was this guy thinking?

He was already so badly injured, yet he still did not dodge my attack?

Could he power up through sheer willpower too?

I was even ready to turn into my ball form and take the beating.

Ian suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his palm.

His hand had been pierced through.

But this level of injury was nothing. It had not even reached the bone.

On the contrary, Shimotsuki Ushimaru had already been driven into a dead end. Ian had him caught.

But why had he done this?

"How could this be?"

Shimotsuki Ushimaru stared at Ian in his Golden Flying Dragon form, utterly stunned. "How could it not work?"

Ian was puzzled. What was this guy surprised about? Surely he had not expected to defeat him by stabbing his palm with a little knife?

"That was clearly..."

Shimotsuki Ushimaru muttered, "Seastone."

This had originally been meant for dealing with Kaido.

But why? Why did it not work?

What kind of monster was this brat?

Seastone?

Ian understood in an instant.

No wonder he would rather let his sword be destroyed than fail to protect that wakizashi.

It was a weapon made of Seastone.

If it had been any other Devil Fruit user, you really would have defeated them just now.

But unfortunately, even a god was unaffected!

Forget Seastone—Ian could even take a bath in the sea, then flap his wings and fly into the sky.

Incidentally, Ian's resistance came from his ability. Only after activating it could he ignore the effects of all kinds of negative abilities; in human form, it would not work.

If Ian in human form had touched Seastone, he would already be sprawled on the ground.

Since this guy's scheme had failed, then—

My turn!

Ian forced himself to endure the weakness wracking his body. He exerted his arms, gripping Shimotsuki Ushimaru tightly. Flames surged from his palms, burning Shimotsuki Ushimaru until he screamed again and again.

Then he raised both hands high and smashed them down.

"Winged Dragon's Heavy Hammer!"

The earth shattered, spiderweb-like cracks spreading in every direction.

"Gah!"

At the bottom of the newly formed crater, the blood spraying from Shimotsuki Ushimaru's mouth instantly evaporated. His ruined eyes had already rolled back white.

Ian took a deep breath. Refusing to let up while he had the advantage, he mercilessly pressed the attack, flames coiling around his hands.

Winged Dragon's Iron Fist!

Twenty consecutive strikes!

His fists rained down like a torrential storm, the massive blows shattering the earth as their aftershock whipped up a gale.

At first, Shimotsuki Ushimaru could barely defend himself with Haki hardening, but very soon, he could no longer even defend.

He had already been holding on by sheer force of will. Facing Ian's relentless barrage now, how could he possibly have any strength left to resist?

He could only watch helplessly as Ian raised both hands, the flames in his left and right hands merging into one. A massive fireball gathered above the golden flying dragon's palms.

Was this the end?

What would become of Wano Country in the future?

Winged Dragon's Blazing Flame!

The fireball crashed down.

The flames devoured everything.