The Burning of Life: The Mysterious Black Sphere

"Damn it! We have no choice but to fight with our lives. Don't underestimate justice." Gilman took a breath, turned around, and exchanged a glance with Nickt.

The two were in perfect sync, both seeing a resolute glint in each other's eyes. The combat power they had gained by sacrificing their lifespan and vitality was not something they could simply waste.

However, they also knew in their hearts that the gap between them and Teach was too great. In just one year, Teach was no longer the new Admiral he had been; he was a true monster.

With monstrous strength, top-tier Armament Haki, top-tier Observation Haki, and the powerful Dark-Dark Fruit ability, they have almost no chance of winning against such an opponent.

But that doesn't mean they've given up. "We have to fight him with physical skills; that's the only way to defeat him."

Many people are aware of this: Devil Fruit User suffer double the pain, and due to the limitations imposed by Devil Fruit abilities, they can only rely on physical combat.

But they had tried this before; Teach's powerful physique and superior martial arts skills meant that even with the disadvantage of double the pain, they were still no match for Teach.

There are very few people in this world who can surpass Teach in physical skills. Teach's physical skills have reached the world's top level. His "Yaochi-onna" move alone is enough to make them tremble with fear.

This was a dead end, but it was also the only way they could go. As for escaping, they had never even considered it.

Their fists clenched, heat emanating from their bodies. They needed even greater power, power beyond their limits, power to defeat the formidable foe before them.

Teach raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He understood their method: burning their own lives to gain greater power.

He was very familiar with this move; the two Marine Vice Admiral had just used it to heal their injuries. Mass is conserved, and so is the conversion of life through Life Return.

For example, if you strengthen your muscles, your strength and weight will increase, which means you will be slower.

This is a common practice for Life Return during battle, allowing the body to adjust without any physical exertion.

His oldest memory is from five years ago, of the Marine Vice Admiral who died at his hands. More importantly, he almost died at the hands of this Marine Vice Admiral, and that final, life-burning blow is still vivid in his mind.

It was at that time that Teach Awakening Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, and at the same time, became a Swordmaster, giving his strength a substantial leap.

That's what they are now—wanting to burn their lives, and they've already done it.

As Teach said, this was their last chance to live, and even if it meant death, they would kill Teach or make Teach pay a heavy price.

According to Teach's Observation Haki, their auras were rapidly increasing, and their bodies were visibly expanding, or rather, their muscles were growing stronger. Their power was increasing, and at the same time, their speed was also increasing, giving them even greater explosive power.

"How interesting!" Teach couldn't help but smile. Vice Admiral Gilman and Nickt had undergone comprehensive physical enhancements, which could now pose a threat to him, but their strength hadn't increased by much.

At this level, further improvement becomes extremely difficult. Those who are already weak will find it even harder, but the power unleashed by burning their life force will be incredibly strong, causing their strength to surge.

However, for the strong, burning life doesn't significantly increase their strength, but the all-around improvement has made them vastly different from before.

Like Saiyans transforming, the two unleashed a powerful aura, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble as if an earthquake had occurred, with cracks appearing on the ground.

Gilman and his group have piqued Teach's interest and excited Teach, because they can put some pressure on Teach.

"Pirates, you're staying here today!" Gilman clenched his fists tightly, taking control of the surging power within him. This immense power gave him some confidence.

While maintaining his Human-Beast Form, Gilman felt that his strength was no less than Teach's. He knew this was an illusion, but he believed he could hurt Teach.

The same goes for Nickt; this is the power they gained by burning their lives.

At the same time, the few remaining black hairs on their heads turned gray. With their life force depleted, they knew their days were numbered and that they couldn't maintain this level of fighting strength for much longer.

So they attacked directly at Teach, their bodies launching out like cannonballs with a loud bang, instantly creating a large crater beneath their feet as they stomped on it.

This is evidence that they cannot fully control their own power, but it also demonstrates how powerful they are now.

Nevertheless, they posed little threat to Teach, as their improvement in strength was not alarming and they were still far behind Teach. Furthermore, Teach, possessing top-tier Observation Haki Teach, was not afraid of any opponent.

With their strength increased, the two charged directly at Teach. Gilman was faster and appeared in front of Teach first, throwing a powerful punch at Teach.

However, Teach nimbly dodged it and retaliated with a punch that Gilman couldn't avoid. The punch landed squarely on Gilman's chest. He took the Teach head-on, and then Gilman grabbed Teach's arm with his scaly hand, trying to restrain Teach.

Gilman held on tightly, refusing to let go, and with his other hand, he threw a punch at Teach's head. Teach turned his head to the side, avoiding the punch.

However, Gilman was creating an opportunity for Nickt, an opportunity to attack. Nickt was a little slower, but he was ready.

"Explosive Sound Fist!"

Nickt appeared beside Teach, and with a punch, he concentrated all his power into his fist, aiming directly at Teach's head.

I didn't expect them to use this method of trading injury for injury, but it's the best way. Only in this way can they inflict damage on Teach more quickly. And since they've already disregarded their own lives, why would they care about such a small injury?

Gilman grabbed Gilman's arm, and after dodging Gilman's punch, the other hand gripped Teach's left shoulder tightly.

At this point, Teach couldn't dodge the punch either, but that didn't mean he needed to.

"It seems you haven't grasped the difference in our strength." Teach sneered, extending his free arm to grab Gilman's neck.

"Now, who has captured whom?" Teach asked with a smile, causing Gilman's expression to change.

Nickt's expression also changed. This was a familiar scene. Nickt couldn't attack Teach because he knew that if he did, Teach would Gilman as a shield and let Gilman take the brunt of his powerful punch.

He immediately stopped his attack, but by then he had already reached Teach's side.

Upon seeing this, Teach grabbed Gilman by the neck and forcefully shoved him aside, hitting Nickt directly. At the same time, he released his grip, and Gilman's body flew out, along with Nickt.

However, the two Marine Vice Admiral's offensive could not be explained so simply. They quickly steadied themselves and charged towards Teach from the left and right.

They knew that only in this way could they defeat Teach, and Teach once again faced the combined attack of two martial arts masters.

Gradually, Teach was suppressed. The two's strength was increasing, or rather, their control over their power was improving. With their teamwork, they could no longer take down one person at a time as quickly as before.

However, Teach was no pushover either. Facing the combined attack of two martial arts masters, he only felt extremely satisfied, a slight smile on his face, completely Teach the pain in his body.

The only one who could hurt him was Nickt, whose invisible armor made it impossible for Gilman to break through Teach's defenses. Only Nickt's ability could overcome Haki and injure Teach's body.

Therefore, in order to injure him, besides having some special abilities, Haki must reach the highest level, to the point of causing internal damage.

Teach wasn't the type to passively defend; his hands transformed into sharp claws, tearing everything apart as they attacked, constantly inflicting severe injuries on them, though they were rapidly recovering.

Gilman's Ancient Species possessed powerful regenerative abilities, while Nickt's body was more fragile, causing him to accelerate the burning of his life force to heal his injuries.

There's no need to fully heal the injuries; just stop the bleeding so it doesn't affect your combat ability.

The Yaochi-onna is a general term for Teach's Claw Technique. After Teach used the Yaochi-onna, the situation was reversed in an instant. Even when two people were facing Teach, they were at a disadvantage. They were fighting desperately, exchanging injuries for injuries, in order to defeat Teach.

It's worth mentioning that, compared to the current one, the previous Titan Python was easier to deal with. Its Armament Haki covering its entire body made it look very powerful, but in reality, it was extremely vulnerable.

Because its Haki is not strong enough and not solid enough, the human form is its strongest state.

Even though Teach's Yaochi-onna can break through defenses and have great destructive power, it's not that exaggerated, especially considering that both of them have improved their strength now.

The battle lasted for some time, and they continued to expend their lives to maintain their fighting spirit.

In Teach's perception, although the two had strong life force, they exuded an aura of death, which could be sensed even though it was invisible.

He had felt this deathly aura in the dead, and in the elderly who were nearing their end.

This means that they are not far from death, or rather, they don't have many years left to live.

The vigorous vitality is merely a facade; it is now just a final burst of energy before death.

Teach didn't want to delay any longer. He leaped backward, quickly creating distance, and Teach used his ability to fly into the air.

Seeing the two rushing forward, Teach waved his hand, and an aura emanated from Teach palm, connecting with the Darkness Space within his body. Before the eyes of many, a black sphere emerged from Teach's palm.

Then it floated in the air, right on Teach's shoulder.

Many people are curious and don't know what this is.

His body floated in the air, motionless, watching Gilman and Nickt rush forward.

"Rokushiki Ogi: Rokuogan!"

"Explosive Sound Fist!"

The two attacked simultaneously, heading straight for Teach.

Even Teach wouldn't dare to take such a powerful attack head-on so easily.

But Teach remained unmoved.

Just then, the black sphere floating on Teach's shoulder moved. In an instant, the round black sphere changed its shape, extending into a black shield that completely enveloped Teach.

The next moment, everyone was startled. What had happened?

Gilman and Nickt saw the black sphere surrounding Teach and recognized it as Teach's defensive move. Without hesitation, they unleashed their full power, blasting directly at Teach and striking the black shield blocking Teach path.

Two powerful impacts shook the earth, causing the ground to sink in a short time. The powerful airflow generated by the impact spread in all directions, bending the originally upright trees.

Meanwhile, the animals that had been hiding because of the fighting were startled and scattered, fleeing to other places.

A powerful impact, like a raging storm, forcefully bombarded the black sphere.

Gilman and Nickt had exerted all their strength, gritting their teeth and staring intently at the black sphere in front of them. The veins on their arms were bulging and throbbing, their faces were flushed red, and steam was rising from their bodies.

Their hearts pounded violently, and the two straightened their backs, their arm bones seemingly trembling.

The two held their breath, their eyes wide with disbelief, as did the group of people watching the battle.

After burning their life force, the two Admiral candidates are now incredibly powerful, having reached the Admiral level. However, their all-out attack is so powerful that it can be seen from the impact on the surrounding area.

But it remained as stable as a mountain in the face of this mysterious black sphere. Under the two powerful attacks, it showed no change whatsoever, no bumps or cracks.

What is this thing? It's so sturdy that even the full-force attacks of two top-tier experts from the ocean had no effect on it.

This black sphere, floating in mid-air, encloses Teach inside, like an eggshell.

Such defensive power was unbelievable. Seeing this, Nickt refused to believe it and threw another punch, refusing to believe that his full-force attack had no effect.

"Explosive Sound Fist!"

This punch, just like the previous one, possessed immense power and strength, yet it left not a single mark on the black sphere.