Solidified Flame, Flame Equipment

"Hooray! Time for another fight!"

Facing the aggressively advancing Great Whirlpool Spider Pirates, Yamato cheered.

She had been looking for a good fight.

"Brother Ian! Let's go!"

Jack and the other approached. He drew his custom weapon from his back. It was a pair of peculiar blades, straight at the base and curved like scythes at the top. The man was clearly eager for battle.

Black Maria also carried her weapon, even more peculiar than Jack's. The top of an iron rod was connected to a wheel-like head, resembling a special heavy hammer.

Beyond their strange appearances, their weapons were no ordinary tools.

They were all finely crafted weapons personally forged by Kozuki Sukiyaki and brought to Onigashima. By the standards of the seas, they were likely all of the "Good Fast Blade" quality.

"Then let's face them," Ian said calmly.

"Hooray!"

With a cheer, Yamato prepared to charge first. "That guy with the big sword is mine—"

But Ian grabbed her ponytail and chuckled, "No, he's mine."

"Huh!"

Yamato turned back, unhappy. "Why?"

"Testing something," Ian pushed his goggles up onto his forehead and stepped forward. "The rest are up to you to handle."

He hadn't fought seriously in years, aside from his battles with Teacher Kai, and lacked a proper understanding of his true strength.

This Great Whirlpool Spider would be a suitable opponent.

The captains under the Whitebeard Pirates generally possessed strength comparable to a Marine Vice Admiral—though the gap between the strongest and weakest Vice Admirals was ridiculously wide.

Regardless, they should be more than enough as a target.

"Then I'm going!"

Without waiting for Yamato's reaction, Jack transformed into his beastman form and charged.

Like Maria, Jack's beastman form had the upper body of a human and the lower body of an animal. At this moment, Jack resembled a centaur, charging forward with a thunderous rumble on his four legs.

"Rankyaku!"

His massive body moved with astonishing speed, enhanced by Rankyaku. He tore into the pirate ranks, leaving two long trails of blade light. In a single charge, he decapitated several pirates.

The pirates around him only had time to raise their weapons, not even swinging them before white spider webs flew in, covering them all.

The sticky webs bound the pirates tightly.

"Well done, Maria!"

Jack roared with laughter, swinging his dual blades. "Tempest Kick!!"

Two blue slashes howled through the air, sending a large number of pirates flying.

Jack couldn't sense the "Breath of All Things," but after mastering Rokushiki, he could indeed release Rankyaku through his blades.

"I'm glad you praised me," Black Maria said. She wasn't going to just watch. She was also using Rankyaku, but her speed was a significant leap ahead of Jack's.

After all, she used all eight of her spider legs to execute Rankyaku simultaneously, moving at a speed that was like a phantom. The moment her enormous, peculiar weapon swung, it brought forth flames. This was something she had specifically requested from Kozuki Sukiyaki: a weapon that could emit fire.

"Sode no Shirayuki!"

Despite her gentle and weak personality, Black Maria swung her heavy hammer with exceptional ferocity. The pirates bound by her webs had no way to dodge and could only watch in terror as they were all sent flying with a single blow.

"Spider Finger Gun!"

While swinging her heavy hammer, her eight spider legs also struck out, piercing the bodies of surrounding pirates like lances while maintaining her stance.

In an instant, the Great Whirlpool Spider Pirates suffered heavy losses.

"Damn you! Don't get too cocky!"

Pirates in the rear raised their guns, and a barrage of gunfire erupted.

But.

"Tekkai!"

Jack and Black Maria said in unison.

Their bodies, now harder than steel, easily blocked all the bullets.

However, something more dangerous than bullets was coming.

"Die, brats!"

A man dressed like a knight leaped forward, brandishing a long lance. The sharp tip aimed at Jack.

The end of his lance was stained with a dark hue!

Armament Haki, Harden!

"You two are just as sneaky as Ian!"

As the girl's unhappy voice rang out, a white blur streaked through the air. "Don't you dare try to take them from me! Phantom Blade!"

"What?"

The man turned his head in disbelief. The girl wielding the mace had transformed into a white wolf-like creature and had already appeared instantly by his side!

How could she be so fast? He couldn't react at all.

The mace, wrapped in white mist and Haki, descended from above.

"Brat! Don't look down on people!"

His spear suddenly changed direction, sweeping towards Yamato.

"Just some basic Haki hardening!"

"Mine is actual hardening—"

"Crack!"

The spear, covered in Haki, snapped directly. The mace mercilessly smashed into the man's forehead, embedding itself deeply into his skull and freezing his head solid.

The man's head was so badly battered it nearly sunk into his chest, making a sickening crunching sound. His body crashed down, leaving a large crater in the ground.

His Haki was indeed stronger, but the difference in raw power was too vast.

Haki didn't represent everything.

Yamato took a deep breath without a care, "Mouth-Tearing Ice Fang!!"

Her breath, like a laser, swept out, freezing the surrounding pirates solid.

"Big sis Yamato—"

Jack was quite exasperated.

Couldn't he have a turn too?

"Let's just watch the show."

Black Maria was quite pragmatic. Watching Ian perform wouldn't be bad either, right?

Clang, clang, clang!

Compared to Yamato's overwhelming victory, Ian's fight against the Great Whirlpool Spider was quite intense.

Squard's blade was ridiculously large, but in his hands, it was incredibly obedient, like a trained hunting dog. He wielded it with absolute precision, attacking wherever he pleased. The massive blade swung with breathtaking elegance.

In contrast, Ian's moves were much stranger.

He met Squard's blade bare-handed.

This was, of course, no easy feat.

After all, Squard's Haki was much stronger than his. If he were to actually catch the blade with his hand, his hand would be severed instantly. Without using his abilities, his defense was no different from an ordinary person's.

Therefore, when Squard's blade chopped down, Ian's hand would twist like a snake, and then with a flick, he'd strike the side of the blade, deflecting the edge.

Kami-e, Serpent Fist!

Although the two were engaged in a lively exchange of clangs, Squard's most dangerous blade had never once touched Ian. Ian hadn't even used Haki.

While blocking Squard's attacks, he even had the leeway to flick his hand, striking Squard's face like a whip.

"Urk!"

Squard was sent reeling by the blow, stars dancing in his eyes, questioning his very existence.

This brat's strength was astonishing! He couldn't suppress him at all!

And what was even more exaggerated than his strength was his combat technique.

It was impossible to discern the style, but it was terrifyingly effective!

How could a mere thirteen or fourteen-year-old kid so easily deflect every single one of his slashes? Even with awakened Observation Haki, he couldn't do that!

If Ian knew of Squard's astonishment, he would likely scoff. Compared to Teacher Kai, your attacks are as slow as a crawling turtle.

If I can't even react to attacks like yours, haven't all these years of getting beaten up been for nothing?

Squard's expression grew grim.

Because Lady Toki had said that these two brats were Devil Fruit users! Mythical Zoan users!

If they were this strong without using their abilities...

"Hah!"

With a roar, the great sword slashed down.

Ian, like a willow in the wind, bent his body and evaded the strike.

"Die!"

Squard drew another katana from his waist. A deadly iaijutsu strike unleashed a brilliant flash of light.

"Such a fast blade."

Ian exclaimed.

The blade chopped down onto his chest.

But before Squard could even flash a triumphant smile, the sensation, as if he'd struck Seastone, made his face change drastically.

"How can it be this hard!"

"Impressive,"

Ian had already instantly entered his beast form. His large wings spread, fanning out a wave of heat that forced Squard to retreat repeatedly. "That last strike almost injured me."

He didn't even have time to dodge; the slash was indeed very fast.

"..."

Squard didn't speak. He merely gripped his greatsword with his right hand and held a katana in his left, his face tensed.

A full-power strike couldn't even break this brat's defense?

Ian glanced behind Squard.

He saw a ground covered in ice sculptures. Yamato had already finished her fight over there.

So.

"Let's end our side too."

Ian extended his right hand. Flames gathered in his palm, stretching into a sword. It was a sword engulfed in flames, entwined with Haki.

His five years of Return to Life training had already bloomed and borne fruit.

He could condense flames into various forms at will. Ian called it Flame Equipment.

Flames?

Squard found it hard to comprehend. Flames solidified into a physical form?

And that's Haki?

This brat can use Haki?

What kind of monster is this?

"Here I come."

Ian chuckled and suddenly transformed into a golden phantom. The next moment, he was already in front of Squard, his flame sword slashing down.

So fast!

There's no time to dodge at all!!

It's too close; I can't even use my greatsword!

Squard gritted his teeth. There was only one thing he could do!

He let go of his greatsword with his right hand, gripped the katana with both hands, covered it in black Haki, and swung his blade to meet the attack!

Scrape!

A flash of fire flickered.

"Oh?"

Ian stopped behind Squard. He examined the flame sword in his hand. "So it's this sharp? It wouldn't cut Teacher Kai at all."

Indeed, I shouldn't use Teacher Kai as a benchmark.

Clang.

This was the sound of the blade falling to the ground.

"Ugh—"

Squard's tall body slumped to his knees. The katana in his hands snapped in half. The broken edge was melted, and molten iron flowed down the blade.

And on his chest, a diagonal, downward-slashing wound was incredibly conspicuous.

However, no blood flowed from the wound. The wound hadn't even had time to bleed before it was instantly carbonized by the intense heat.

Ian turned back, looking at Squard kneeling on the ground with his back to him.

What the heck, I'm pretty strong.

I could instantly kill twenty guys of this level.

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