A Rumble-Rumble Fruit User's Teleportation was actually quite simple. The planet itself possessed a sufficiently powerful magnetic field; all they had to do was use the Electromagnetic Field to move the current—their body—there. Since they themselves were lightning, aside from needing to eat, drink, and relieve themselves like normal creatures, they could hardly be considered human. This seemingly mystical, miraculous, and unbelievable method of movement was, on Earth, nothing more than a piece of data traveling through a network cable.
It was instinctive on the most fundamental level!
The only difficulty was how to capture the trajectories of magnetic fields and transfer through them.
Ron had not awakened Observation Haki, so he could only rely on a Lightning Person's keen perception of magnetic fields. But his strongest lightning was only Thirty Million Volts, a considerable gap from Enel in the future. Trying to contend with the planet's magnetic field was no different from a fool's dream, and he could not move freely between magnetic fields.
So he came up with a trick...
Elementalization!
His Elementalization was not merely used to evade Shuzuo's Haki-coated attacks. He also used this method, which continuously consumed vast amounts of stamina, to capture the Electromagnetic Field, using every thread of lightning within his body to outline nodes and facilitate Teleportation.
The Teleportation range was not far. After Elementalization, the area he could affect at most covered the platform. Unless he awakened Observation Haki, he could not capture magnetic fields farther away. But for now, it was enough.
Thus, at this moment, Shuzuo stared in shock at the empty space before him, his eyes wide with disbelief.
In that instant, Ron had not moved away from in front of him.
He had vanished into thin air!!
Any moving object left traces, and traces could be captured by Observation Haki!
No matter how fast it was, that remained true!
That was an absolute truth!
There was only the question of whether one could react in time after detecting those traces... For example, Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit, unrivaled in the world. Even if someone detected its traces, few could mount an appropriate counterattack.
Yet just now...
He had not detected any trajectory at all!
Ron had vanished from before him like a ghost, then appeared behind him.
There had not been the slightest trace throughout the entire process!!
"Could it be... that figure in front of me was an illusion?"
No, impossible!
The moment that thought surfaced, he rejected it... Observation Haki did not lie. Without the ability to create physical clones, if it had confirmed that Ron was in front of him just now, then it had to be Ron!
He had merely used some method Shuzuo did not understand to erase—or rather, conceal—his traces.
"You've been hiding quite a few things, Ron..."
In the stands, Zephyr curled his lips into a smile, in an excellent mood. He had likewise failed to catch Ron's movement trajectory, but he understood what ability this was. In order to teach Ron, he had dug up information on Rumble-Rumble Fruit Users from centuries ago. Naturally, he could recognize it. He had thought Ron had never managed it, yet Shuzuo's exaggerated offensive power had instead forced out one of Ron's trump cards.
"That little bastard even kept it from me!"
Though he cursed under his breath, the smile on Zephyr's face was plain for all to see.
On the platform, Kizaru and the others had also noticed the strangeness of Ron's movement through Observation Haki. Lacking detailed information on the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, they did not know what was happening. Still, that bizarre method of movement was especially suited for battle—particularly a battle where victory could be secured simply by dragging things out!
"From the looks of it, Admiral Akainu, you'll have your hands full in the days to come..."
"Hmph! The victor has yet to be decided. Just wait and see!"
"All right, whatever makes you happy..."
Shuzuo truly deserved to be one of the practical combat elites of Headquarters. Though he could not understand how Ron had done it, he clearly understood the key to this battle.
It was to defeat Ron!
So, after less than 0.3 seconds of hesitation, he stepped forward, halted his momentum, twisted around, and whipped out his leg like a lash!
Rankyaku!
Whoosh!
The kick was heavy and powerful, making the air howl under its force. A faint sharp edge could be seen!
But before he had even steadied himself, Ron had already prepared his attack.
"Be careful not to lose your balance with one foot off the ground, Brigadier General Shuzuo... Say, didn't you notice what was behind you?"
"What?!"
Whirling around, Shuzuo saw only lightning filling his vision. In an instant, lightning flared as electric currents surged!
Thirty Million Volts: Lightning Drill!
Turning lightning into animal forms was certainly flashy, but its destructive power was then limited to lightning itself. It was all style and no substance, not something Ron liked. He preferred things simple, brutal, and powerful!
Condensing lightning into a drill reduced the area of impact and enhanced its power, making it perfect for a surprise attack. At the same time, the rotating torrent of lightning would churn the Electromagnetic Field into even greater chaos, making its power impossible to underestimate!
At this distance, the spiral grooves on the lightning drill were clearly visible. An invisible pushing force suddenly arose, making Shuzuo unable to stop himself from leaning backward.
That was an electromagnetic pulse, a chain reaction produced when Ron released lightning. Lightning attacks from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit were not merely thunder and electricity; all phenomena permitted by the physical world existed alongside them, such as the destructive chaotic currents and indiscriminate shockwaves now enveloping the entire platform.
The Lightning Drill and shockwave struck Shuzuo's supporting leg almost simultaneously, then violently exploded!
Boom... Rumble!!!
Rolling thunder resounded through the sky, making the spectators clutch their ears. The explosion's impact spread to the other platforms one after another, bringing their battles to a halt.
In the stands, Kizaru narrowed his eyes slightly and sensed the situation with Observation Haki before saying regretfully, "The idea was good, and he seized the opportunity well, but unfortunately..."
"Yeah, his only chance was wasted..."
Aokiji calmly picked up the thought, glancing toward the platform.
Having suffered once, Shuzuo would not make the same mistake a second time. Ron was still a little too naive.
Or rather, he had yet to clearly understand the definition of "power."
The chaotic, violent currents scattered in every direction, making Ron narrow his eyes and take half a step back. Then he sent electric waves into the surrounding space, ready to Teleport at any moment as he patiently awaited the outcome.
By all rights, after suffering such a heavy blow while standing on one leg, even Shuzuo should have been unable to maintain his balance.
Earlier, after evading the attack, Ron had deliberately retreated to widen the distance, landing at the edge of the platform. As expected, Shuzuo had immediately launched a fierce assault, only to be distracted by Ron's Teleportation. Now, using the Lightning Drill to ambush his support point and make him lose his balance... every step had linked perfectly, all within Ron's calculations. By all logic, falling off was Shuzuo's only possible outcome.
The platform defense challenge did not care whether one flew or burrowed underground. As long as one's horizontal movement exceeded the platform's edge, one was the loser.
However...
Aokiji was right.
"I have to say, well done, Ron!"
Suddenly, a deep voice came from the edge of the lightning-wreathed platform. Ron was startled and instinctively took another half-step back. Then, a large black hand swept forward, dispersing the lightning and revealing the figure behind it.
Shuzuo slowly emerged from the smoke and dust. The edge of the platform behind him was charred black all around. Yet the wooden block where Shuzuo had stood was completely intact, save for a footprint at its center... a footprint only two centimeters deep, one that had neither pierced through the plank nor left even the slightest crack!
At that instant, Shuzuo had forcefully stomped down. Amid the momentum of twisting around to sweep his leg, he had forcibly relied on the resistance provided by the wooden plank to block Ron's carefully planned winning blow! The force had been neither too much nor too little. It had completely canceled the impact without damaging the plank in the slightest!
One could imagine that if the plank had shattered, Ron would definitely have followed up with another attack. At that point, even with Geppo to return, Shuzuo could not have guaranteed that he would not cross beyond the platform's edge.
Hiss!
After understanding the technique Shuzuo had used to keep himself from falling, Ron sucked in a breath and sincerely exclaimed,
"A monster! Is this the power of Rokushiki?"
Or rather... Life Return!!!
He could never hope to possess such terrifying control. Only by training the Marine Six Powers to the utmost limit and perfectly controlling every trace of strength in one's body—even one's hair—could one achieve it!
It was simply inconceivable, beyond comprehension!
"Of course!"
Hearing that, Shuzuo suppressed the faint alarm in his heart and smiled. "The Marine Six Powers are not merely simple offensive techniques!"
Though he had fought Ron for only a short time, that feeling of being intellectually crushed like he had been a month ago still lingered in Shuzuo's mind. Over the past month, he had seen Ron's ferocious beast-like fighting style and training perseverance so often that he had nearly forgotten Ron's true terror was not his strength, but his sinister, cunning control over the battlefield and his ability to plan every move!
Ron could not envy Shuzuo's powerful control over his body, and Shuzuo could not compare to Ron in his grasp of the battlefield.
But the same move would not work twice against a Saint Seiya... Shuzuo would not be caught by it a second time!
This sneak attack had failed. There would be no second chance!
And after failing to defend the platform last time, there definitely would not be a second time!
Before you continue