With their physiques and Haki shared, Apophis was actually considerably weaker than Longinus.
After all, swordsmanship relied entirely on seeking out challenges and arduous training, while Martial Arts had been guided in turns by powerhouses like Garp and Zephyr. Which was stronger and which was weaker was obvious.
Of course, weaker was only relative. At the very least, Apophis was far stronger than the likes of Eric.
The reason Eric and the slave owners had misjudged him and even delivered themselves to his doorstep was mainly due to faulty intelligence.
After all, in their eyes, how strong could a swordsman who drifted around Paradise be? If they had not feared Apophis growing stronger in the New World and seeking revenge against them, they would not even have mobilized such a large force in the first place.
In the field, the ancient Long Sword and the heavy katana crossed in an "X."
Crimson sword light clashed fiercely against purplish-black lightning. The ground cracked like a spiderweb, while the surrounding doors and walls were blasted with needle-sized holes by the scattered sword energy. Even the bloody mist was dispersed considerably.
After a brief deadlock, Eric was violently sent flying into a beam. He spat out a mouthful of blood, yet he was delighted rather than worried.
"This guy isn't much stronger than me. The only troublesome thing is his Devil Fruit ability—it accelerates the depletion of our Armament Haki. We must kill him in the shortest possible time!"
Eric roared, clearly mistaking the bloody mist for Apophis's Devil Fruit ability.
This clash also gave the slave owners hope. Although their opponent was indeed powerful, he was not unbeatable at this level.
Hearing Eric's call, they swiftly coated their entire bodies in Armament Haki and rushed into the bloody mist.
"Prepare yourself,