"Gurararara! Roger, you've got some nerve! You dare try to poach one of our men right in front of me?! Looks like you don't give a damn about me!"
Seeing Roger try to poach Luo Tian so brazenly right in front of him, Newgate finally let his pent-up fury erupt.
He felt that his dignity and the reputation of his pirate crew had been seriously challenged.
That kid Luo Tian was a member of the Rocks Pirates now!
He was a future top-tier fighter whom both he and Shiki had their eyes on! You're an outsider—what gives you the nerve to poach him right in front of me?!
Besides, Shiki and he had both been trying, openly and behind the scenes, to build a good relationship with Luo Tian and pave the way to recruit him in the future. And now you, an outsider, want to barge in and steal the fruits of their labor?!
Whether you could poach him or not was beside the point. Doing this right in front of me was a slap in my face!
Whitebeard didn't waste any words. Gripping Murakumogiri, he charged forward and brought it down on Roger.
The space itself seemed to groan under the strain of the blade!
Seeing Whitebeard attack in genuine fury, Roger's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. He drew his sword and met him without backing down!
"Ha! Just what I wanted! Newgate, let's see if you've improved lately!"
"Divine Departure!"
It was the same Divine Departure, but this time Roger held nothing back!
The crimson slash collided head-on with the devastating Tremor Force surging from Murakumogiri's blade!
"Rumble—!"
Two top-tier powers, each capable of destroying an island, clashed head-on!
At the point of impact, space seemed to tear apart!
A terrifying spherical shock wave burst outward in every direction.
Where it passed, the ground was plowed over by an invisible giant blade; rocks shattered, and trees were ripped up by the roots and reduced to dust!
Crimson sword auras and white shock waves streaked wildly through the air, weaving a deadly web!
Faced with the cataclysmic collision between the two men, Luo Tian quickly retreated, avoiding being caught in the aftershock.
"Young man, let's not just stand around. How about a little sparring?"
With that, Rayleigh drew his sword and slashed. A concentrated silver slash shot through the air like lightning, straight toward Luo Tian!
Luo Tian's Spatial Perception was already spread across the entire battlefield.
The instant Rayleigh's shoulder shifted and his sword intent rose, Luo Tian sensed danger!
His gaze turned cold at the sudden attack. The Supreme Grade Blade Black Dragon at his waist gave a soft hum and instantly left its sheath!
Whoosh—
A surging azure Slash Wave, imbued with spiraling penetrating force, roared toward Rayleigh's silver slash!
"Shhk—!"
The two powerful slashes collided violently in midair!
They held for a brief instant before both the silver streak and the azure torrent ran out of energy and dispersed into the air.
Neither man had gained a clear advantage in that sudden exchange. They were evenly matched!
But Rayleigh had launched a surprise attack, while Luo Tian had been forced to respond on the spot. In a sense, Luo Tian's reaction and counter had already kept him on equal footing.
Rayleigh was taken aback.
He hadn't expected the slash he'd used to test Luo Tian to gain not even the slightest advantage. Luo Tian had easily defused it with an ingenious adjustment.
The young man's understanding of swordsmanship and ability to adapt were far beyond his expectations.
Having finished testing him, Rayleigh's body sprang toward Luo Tian like a compressed spring suddenly released!
The blade in his hand was completely coated in Haki, black and solid as if it were tangible. The air silently parted wherever its edge passed.
How could Luo Tian let Rayleigh close in so easily?
Luo Tian used Space Leap, vanishing in an instant and reappearing in midair.
At the same time, Haki spread across Black Dragon's blade in the blink of an eye, and a layer of spatial force covered it as well.
"One-Sword Style: Dragon Roar!"
Luo Tian twisted his waist and put all his strength into the strike. He swung his sword backward, slashing down from above!
A lifelike black dragon spread its fangs and claws and pounced on Rayleigh as he charged below!
Rather than dodge or block the oncoming dragon, Rayleigh raised his sword and thrust straight forward, pressing on without hesitation.
A glint of cold light came first, followed by a sword that surged forth like a dragon!
"Shhk—!!!"
The tip pierced the black dragon's forehead, then pressed on like a blade through bamboo, tearing the entire energy dragon apart from within, piercing through it and shattering it!
Luo Tian furrowed his brow, wary but not flustered.
No wonder Rayleigh was known as the Dark King.
Luo Tian raised his right hand!
"Bansho Ten'in!"
A terrifying pull that ignored distance suddenly surged from his palm, locking precisely onto Rayleigh.
"Not good!" Rayleigh cried out.
He felt as if an invisible giant hand had grabbed his entire body.
The next moment, he was hurled involuntarily toward Luo Tian in midair.
If he gets his hands on me, the consequences will be unthinkable!
The thought flashed through Rayleigh's mind.
He could feel Luo Tian's right hand already resting on Black Dragon at his waist.
Once he was pulled within range, a devastating slash would be waiting for him!
"Rayleigh!"
Roger's voice rang out in the distance, carrying a rare note of urgency.
He had just knocked back one of Whitebeard's heavy blows. When he turned around, he saw what was happening.
But Rayleigh had no time to respond.
He gave a low shout, and dark red Armament Haki spread across his body like a tide.
But it wasn't enough—the strange pull was still at work, only slightly slowing his flight.
"Then try this!"
A layer of flowing flames suddenly rose over the dark red Armament Haki covering Rayleigh's body!
"Ryuo... No, an even more advanced form!" Whitebeard's pupils contracted in the distance. "That bastard Rayleigh's been hiding quite a lot!"
"Break...!"
Rayleigh roared. His muscles bulged as he unleashed his Armament Haki with all his might, instantly breaking free of the pull!
And he didn't stop there. He used the momentum carrying him toward Luo Tian, wrapping the excess Ryuo around his sword as he slashed diagonally at him.
Luo Tian stood in midair, expressionless. He slowly raised his right hand and spread his fingers!
"Shinra Tensei!"
When Rayleigh was less than a meter away, a powerful Spatial Repulsion burst forth!
Rayleigh's heart lurched. "Damn—"
The next instant, a powerful shock wave of repulsion struck Rayleigh squarely, like a massive barrier.
"Boom—!!!"
Rayleigh's body shot backward, tracing a long arc through the air before crashing hard into the sea a kilometer away!
"Whoosh—!!!"
The waves churned, white spray filling the air.
The entire battlefield fell into deathly silence.
The Roger Pirates' crewmen stared with their mouths agape, their expressions shifting from shock to disbelief, then to utter confusion.
"V-Vice Captain Rayleigh... he was..."
"Blown away?"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"Who exactly is that Luo Tian?!"
After a brief, dead silence, the battlefield erupted in an uproar.
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