A Devil Fruit That Pierces Armament Haki

As the two finished speaking.

Bzzz!!

Their auras gradually spread from their bodies.

Then collided.

In an instant.

A wild wind rose, dust filled the air, and fierce gales swept through the mountain forest. Great trees swayed, grass and foliage shook, mountains collapsed, boulders shattered—everything churned restlessly amid the chaos.

It was as though an incomparably terrifying storm was about to descend.

"Watch out!"

Green Bull gave his second warning.

As soon as he spoke.

The ground beneath Lin Yan's feet violently loosened.

Then, a green plant transformed into a spear and shot out of the earth, stabbing straight toward Lin Yan.

It was incredibly fast.

So fast that there was no time to react.

Splat!!!

The plant instantly pierced through Lin Yan's body.

However.

The expected bloody scene did not appear.

Green Bull frowned. "An afterimage?"

That was right.

What the spear had struck was Lin Yan's afterimage.

Nearby.

Lin Yan landed atop a tree branch.

Looking at the plant spear that had thrust out from the ground, he calmly asked, "Is this your Devil Fruit ability?"

Green Bull still had both hands in his pockets, without moving in the slightest. "You'll find out soon enough."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

Countless vines appeared all around them.

The vines sealed in on Lin Yan from every direction.

Thousands of plants transformed into spears.

They stabbed continuously toward Lin Yan.

Observation Haki activated.

Lin Yan precisely evaded the vines' attacks.

Just then.

He suddenly discovered.

These vines actually possessed the ability to absorb nutrients from plants.

The grass and trees covered by the vines became withered vegetation in an instant.

From their previous lush vitality.

To their current wilted decay.

It was not hard to imagine.

If someone were caught by those vines.

They would surely be drained dry by their terrifying devouring force and reduced to nutrients for Green Bull!

Lin Yan had wondered before.

Why Green Bull could sleep for half a year at a time, and whether he could really endure without eating or drinking for so long.

Clearly.

Absorbing nutrients through his Devil Fruit.

Was the most important source of Green Bull's energy replenishment.

"Watch the plants around you. In this forest, Green Bull's combat power will rise sharply. I'm sure you've noticed that already!"

Issho reminded him from nearby.

"Hey, hey, hey, Issho, I'm your good brother!"

"How can you side with an outsider?"

Green Bull was immediately displeased.

"Fine!"

Lin Yan released the power of the Goro Goro no Mi from his hand, gathering countless bolts of lightning around it.

He used lightning to ignite flames.

Wherever the lightning passed.

Violent shockwaves swept in all directions.

At once.

Flames sprang up everywhere, and the surrounding vegetation was swept clean away.

Watching the flames burn everything before him.

Lin Yan could not help thinking, Even dogs wouldn't eat the Mera Mera no Mi!

Anyone could really come up with fire-based moves.

Watching the vegetation be completely swallowed by flames.

Green Bull remained utterly unmoved. "Well, well, all my means of attack have been burned away by one blaze."

He pulled his hands.

Out of his pockets.

Since all the vegetation had been cleared away.

He could only resort to the most primitive method of battle!

Green Bull lowered into a half-crouch.

Then, like an arrow released from its bow.

He moved so fast he was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.

He raised his fist.

And smashed it toward Lin Yan!

Faced with Green Bull's attack.

Lin Yan naturally saw that Green Bull wanted to suppress him through sheer strength and gain the upper hand in their clash.

But.

When had he ever feared a contest of pure strength?

Rather than retreating, Lin Yan advanced.

He met the attack with a punch.

Bang!!!

Their fists collided, and a sharp blast of air spread outward from the two of them.

The wind raged on, undercurrents surged, giant waves rose to the heavens, shaking the skies.

As the aftershock swept through.

Even the ground was torn up.

Under that single punch.

The mountain beneath their feet exploded outright.

Dust billowed, earth scattered, broken stones flew into the air, and wood chips danced in the wind.

Issho raised an arm before himself, canceling out the shockwave.

After dispelling the aftershock, Zephyr looked at Lin Yan and Green Bull, who were locked in battle, and sighed. "The younger generation is truly formidable!"

Bang, bang, bang!!!

The two exchanged more than twenty punches again.

However.

Right then.

Green Bull discovered in shock.

That Lin Yan's strength was actually above his own!

Every clash based purely on strength.

Ended with him at a disadvantage.

It seemed.

This was Lin Yan's specialty.

He could not continue tangling with him in that regard.

Thus.

Green Bull leaped back and clenched one hand. "Earth Spikes!"

No sooner said than done.

The ground suddenly split open.

Plant roots beneath the soil shot out fiercely, forming spears from their tangled mass as they stabbed toward Lin Yan.

Lin Yan flashed aside.

Barely avoiding them.

"Didn't I burn all the plants away?"

Lin Yan was filled with confusion. How could there still be Earth Spikes traps beneath the ground?

"The plants above ground may have been burned away by your fire, but don't forget—the unseen roots underground are where those plants' essence is concentrated!"

A breeze drifted past, causing Green Bull's green hair to flutter continuously.

As the saying went, a towering building rose from level ground. To grow into a towering tree.

Some plants' roots could even extend hundreds of meters underground!

"Besides, you didn't seriously think that burning those plants would leave me helpless against you, did you?"

Green Bull straightened up, spread his hands, then slammed them onto the ground.

Just like some Konoha ninja's Three-Bedroom-One-Living-Room Technique.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

The plants whose roots still remained instantly grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Before long.

The mountain forest that had just been littered with dying embers returned to its previous lush state!

Green Bull grabbed a vine.

The vine straightened, turning into a spear.

Green Bull viciously thrust it toward Lin Yan.

A layer of Armament Haki covered Lin Yan's arm.

Relying on his Armament Haki, Lin Yan blocked Green Bull's strike with his bare hand!

But at that moment.

The corner of Green Bull's mouth lifted slightly. "You fell for it!"

Before Lin Yan could react.

The vine that had just been a spear wrapped around Lin Yan's arm with lightning speed.

Even through a layer of Armament Haki.

The vine was still absorbing Lin Yan's strength!

"What?"

Looking at the vine absorbing nutrients through his Armament Haki, rare surprise appeared on Lin Yan's face. This was something he had never encountered before.

Was this Green Bull's Devil Fruit ability?

Even Armament Haki was useless against it?

That was right.

After years of training.

Even Armament Haki's defenses could still be penetrated by Green Bull's ability.

That was where his advantage lay.

And one of the most important trump cards that would allow him to become a Marine Admiral in the future.

"Once you're caught by my vines, breaking free is almost impossible. The victor has already been decided, little brother!"

"You lost!"

Green Bull confidently said to Lin Yan.

"I lost?"

Hearing that, Lin Yan's expression remained as still as an ancient well, without the slightest visible change.

"After our exchange just now, your strength is indeed impressive. In terms of overall power, you may not even be weaker than Issho or me!"

"The only reason you lost to me is because you weren't familiar with my ability."

"Stop now. If this continues, you'll be drained dry!"

Green Bull paused, then calmly said, "Of course, unless you have defenses even stronger than Armament Haki, enough to forcibly break free from my vines!"

"But I doubt there's anything in this sea harder than Armament Haki!"

A defense even stronger than Armament Haki?

Hearing Green Bull's words.

Lin Yan slightly raised his head.

For anyone else.

Perhaps this move truly had no solution.

But if they were talking about a defense stronger than Armament Haki.

Lin Yan...

Just happened to have one!

In an instant.

A scarlet gleam flashed within his eyes.

Mangekyo Sharingan.

Activated!

Lin Yan looked at Green Bull before him and said, "All along, I haven't really wanted to use this move. Green Bull, you're the first!"