"Bas--tard!!" Gaban roared, charging forward with his axe like a tiger from the jungle. "Do you really think you can take us down just by relying on this barrier!?"
He raised both axes and brought them down with a clang.
Gaban himself was knocked backward, his palms numbed by the impact.
"How's that!? My barrier technique is the ultimate defense!!" Charcoal Semimaru said smugly.
Charcoal Higurashi sneered. "You Roger Pirates can just obediently wait for Captain Rocks to deal with you!"
Seeing the arrogance on the faces of the Charcoal duo, the Roger Pirates glared at them one after another.
At that moment.
Rayleigh reached out and patted the fishman Sambel beside him, signaling for him to lower his head. Then he whispered a few words into Sambel's ear.
Sambel's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.
Afterward.
Rayleigh looked toward the Charcoal duo and suddenly smiled. "Devil Fruit abilities always have certain weaknesses or flaws..."
"You've been maintaining that particular hand gesture this whole time because it's necessary to sustain the Devil Fruit's ability, right!?"
As he spoke, he noticed Charcoal Semimaru's expression seemed to grow tense.
That strengthened his conviction even further!
Rayleigh leaped into the air, his body darting forward like a cheetah. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, as if he might draw it at any moment.
Shing--
A dazzling sword flash suddenly lit up, like lightning that flared and vanished in a pitch-black rainy night, or a meteor that streaked across the summer sky and disappeared in an instant.
"I said, there's no..."
Charcoal Semimaru had not even finished saying the word "use" when he suddenly froze in shock.
He felt his field of vision rising.
He knew it was no illusion. Rayleigh had sliced horizontally through the rubble beneath their feet,