Expanding the area of a shadow without restraint did create terrifying power, but it also enlarged the area that could be hit.
At the same time, it spread out the Armament Haki covering the shadow.
This limitation in understanding abilities had indeed become common knowledge.
But beneath that common knowledge, what was easily overlooked was Maud's Shadow follows.
Just as he had said moments ago.
Wherever there were shadows, he would be there.
The enlarged area that could be hit was certainly an unavoidable drawback.
But it also meant Maud could use shadows as a medium for instantaneous movement, appearing wherever he wanted before catching his enemy off guard.
In precisely this way, Maud's clean, decisive slash, coated in Armament Haki, stabbed straight through Aokiji's heart.
However,
If Aokiji, one of the Marine Admirals' top combatants, could be killed so easily,
then,
the title of admiral would be far too cheap.
Relying on Observation Haki above the nine-star level—stronger and more refined than Maud's,
Aokiji had narrowly elementalized in advance as Shusui came at him with its icy gleam, leaving a hole in his heart large enough for the blade to pass through.
Creating a hole in advance for an attack to pass through was a technique Logia users employed to evade Armament Haki.
For a Logia ability user of Aokiji's caliber, his mastery of this technique had long since reached perfection.
Therefore, no matter how sudden Maud's attack was, as long as Aokiji's Observation Haki remained unaffected in a one-on-one battle, he could evade any form of lethal attack under any circumstances.
This was also the fundamental reason Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu, as Logia users, could stand firm within the Armament Haki system dominated by countless powerful fighters.
The seemingly insolvable technique for avoiding damage could also create opportunities