With a thunderous boom, lightning intertwined in his palm, and a pillar of electricity like a roaring thunder dragon suddenly shot into the sky from Ian's hand!
In the blink of an eye, the lightning pillar struck after but arrived first, carrying terrifying force.
However, in that instant, Tailed Fox's pupils contracted sharply. Sensing danger, she moved with the agility of a fox, twisting her body in an unbelievable manner and barely evading the lightning pillar just before it hit her!
The lightning pillar tore through everything in its path, rising into the sky like a beam illuminating the surroundings and blasting a huge hole through the white clouds!
"As expected of a CP0 member. Your instant reaction was incredibly fast..." Ian sensed Tailed Fox's movement through Observation Haki and could not help praising her.
"Lightning of this level... is it the power of a Mythical Zoan?" After landing, Tailed Fox felt lingering fear. If she had been hit by that attack just now, even if she used Iron Body and covered herself in Armament Haki, she would likely have been injured!
Thinking of this, Tailed Fox's expression turned grave. She did not dare approach Ian. Instead, she flashed backward, and both her body and aura vanished completely.
"Some kind of Devil Fruit ability? You can even hide your aura... Observation Haki can't catch you?" Ian raised a brow, somewhat surprised.
Within the range of his Observation Haki, he could no longer sense Tailed Fox's aura.
It had been the same earlier. Tailed Fox's aura had suddenly appeared within his perception!
Ian did not move, keeping his Observation Haki vigilantly spread throughout the surroundings.
It had to be said that an ability capable of concealing one's aura from Observation Haki was indeed extremely powerful!
After all, Haki was a fundamental ability in this world. Being unable to use Observation Haki was like having one's eyes blindfolded while fighting someone in his previous life...
"Not coming out? Then I'll just ignore you." Ian merely smiled, unconcerned. Although her ability to hide her aura was troublesome, he possessed Observation Haki capable of Future Sight.
As long as she dared make a move, she could not escape Ian's Future Sight!
Thus, Ian ignored Tailed Fox and continued toward the box.
At that very moment, Ian's Observation Haki foresaw several seconds into the future. The air suddenly rippled, and Tailed Fox's figure abruptly appeared. She charged toward him at incredible speed, her index finger bent and its blackened tip aimed at the back of his head, intending to kill him in a single blow!
"Heh..." Ian sneered, stopping in his tracks and suddenly twisting around, his five fingers spread as he grabbed toward a certain direction!
The next moment, Tailed Fox appeared in that very area. Seeing Ian's hand reaching for her, her expression changed drastically. "Observation Haki that can see the future?"
However, her reaction was not slow either. A Six Powers expert possessed exceptional control over her body. In an instant, she halted herself and shifted her attack. Lowering her body, she lashed her long, shapely right leg toward Ian's head like a whip.
It was as though she had broken the sound barrier in an instant, producing a sharp air burst!
This attack was unstoppable, powerful enough to shatter a massive boulder.
Ian sneered as well. His hand shifted from an open palm into a fist, which he covered in thick Armament Haki before meeting the strike head-on!
With a thunderous boom, their fist and leg collided, erupting with a terrifying roar. Rings of air ripples spread outward from the point where they clashed.
The ground between them instantly collapsed and exploded, sending shattered stones flying as cracks spread outward!
"What terrifying strength!" Tailed Fox felt as though her kick had struck an unyielding boulder. Even with Armament Haki coating it, the pain was excruciating, and she even felt as though the bones in her right leg were about to break!
Moreover, a horrifying force traveled through her leg, sending her body flying backward uncontrollably like a cannonball. With a boom, she smashed a tall building behind her into pieces!
Dust billowed, and rubble buried her beneath it!
"Thunder Roar Cannon!" Ian did not stop his assault. Lightning gathered in his palm, and the Thunder Roar Cannon blasted forth!
"Iron Body!" Within the pile of rubble, Tailed Fox sensed the approaching danger with Observation Haki. Ian's attack was too fast for her to evade, so she could only grit her teeth and withstand it head-on!
Her muscles instantly tensed, Armament Haki covering her entire body as she endured Ian's Thunder Roar Cannon!
An explosion rang out as flames and black smoke surged into the sky. The next moment, a figure was blasted backward out of the black smoke!
In midair, Tailed Fox twisted her body, drove both legs into the ground, and dug her hands into the earth as well. With a screech, four long trenches appeared in the ground. Tailed Fox forcibly stopped herself and stared gravely at Ian ahead, her heart filled with shock.
After only a brief exchange, she, a member of CP0, had been blasted away twice in a row. The enemy's strength far exceeded her expectations!
"So strong... Is this the monster with a bounty exceeding 1.1 billion?" The shock in Tailed Fox's eyes did not fade. She had been suppressed in nearly every aspect.
His Armament Haki was stronger than hers, and his Observation Haki could likely see the future. Otherwise, ordinary Observation Haki could never have caught her earlier surprise attack after she concealed her aura!
Against such a monster, she had no chance of winning!
"Are the World Government's lapdogs, the strongest CP0 of Cipher Pol, only capable of this much?" Ian strode forward step by step, his aura steadily growing stronger as he approached!
With a boom, Ian's gaze sharpened. Terrifying Conqueror's Haki descended upon the battlefield like a storm ravaging the sea, pressing down on Tailed Fox!
"Conqueror's Haki..." Sensing this powerful Conqueror's Haki, the wariness in Tailed Fox's eyes deepened. Even the ground beneath her feet could not withstand its pressure, cracking with sharp snapping sounds!
Run... In an instant, that was Tailed Fox's only thought. The enemy was too strong. He was simply not someone she could fight!
Perhaps on this island, only her captain, one of CP0's few commanders, had any chance of defeating him!
CP0 was organized into squads, generally operating in groups of several.
The leader of each group was the squad captain!
Among CP0, those who could be called commanders were few even within CP0 itself!
Every commander possessed combat power on par with a Marine Admiral!
And her captain was one such CP0 commander, bearing the single-word codename "Owl" and answering directly to the Five Elders!
Tailed Fox gave Ian a deep look. Without almost any hesitation, she turned and fled. Changes also began occurring to her body. Her figure gradually blurred, while her aura continued weakening until it became nearly imperceptible!
She was the user of the Concealment Fruit. She could hide her aura and blend into her surroundings, even concealing her killing intent and hostility so that Observation Haki could not detect her!
As long as she remained completely still, even an Observation Haki expert walking right past her would be unable to sense the slightest trace of her aura!
Of course, even a Devil Fruit ability could not conceal one's aura completely. There would still be some flaws!
The moment she moved, the air would shift because of her actions, and sharp Observation Haki could detect it!
However, that window was extremely brief. Combined with her mastery of the Six Powers, her flawless speed, and formidable strength, few people targeted by her had ever managed to escape!
Yet the assassination techniques she took such pride in had been effortlessly countered by Ian. In a sense, Observation Haki capable of Future Sight truly was her nemesis!
Faced with someone who completely overwhelmed her in every aspect, she did not stand even the slightest chance!
"An ability that can block Observation Haki? But you want to run? It won't be that easy." Ian narrowed his eyes as Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted from his body and surged in all directions.
This time, Yoruichi did not control its range. Wherever the Conqueror's Haki passed, people around them fell like harvested wheat!
Although Tailed Fox was fast, she was not fast enough to instantly leave the range of Ian's Conqueror's Haki.
"Damn it!" Tailed Fox felt her body grow heavy. Her forward momentum suddenly stalled for an instant, and the force beneath her feet increased from the sudden pressure, shattering the ground!
"Found you!" Ian spread his Observation Haki across the area and instantly caught the anomaly. He rushed over with Flash Step, pointing forward. "Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
Six golden beams suddenly appeared, locking onto Tailed Fox's body and freezing her charging figure in place!
"What kind of ability is this?" Tailed Fox was horrified. Her Haki erupted as her muscles tensed, and she struggled with all her strength against the six beams binding her!
With a boom, the beams restraining her suddenly exploded under her force, turning into motes of light that scattered away.
But it was already too late!
Ian had already charged forward. Hyorinmaru left its sheath at his waist, sword intent erupting from his body as he slashed down. "Nameless Divine Wind Style: White Tiger!"
With that slash, the phantom of a fierce tiger appeared, its roar echoing across the battlefield. The next moment, a horrifying slash that seemed capable of severing everything burst from Ian's blade, charging forward with unstoppable force!
Everything in its path was cut in two!
"Maximum Wheel: Tempest Kick: Whip Lash!!" At the critical moment, another CP0 agent wearing an owl mask suddenly rushed out and landed in front of Tailed Fox. His body transformed violently. His already nearly two-meter-tall frame grew even larger, while bulging muscles tore apart his clothes!
He raised his eagle-clawed right leg high. Just as Ian's slash was about to fall, he violently unleashed a terrifying wind blade, which collided with Ian's slash!
BOOM!
The two equally powerful attacks collided like a meteor striking the earth. A violent blast of air instantly ravaged the battlefield, while scattered sword energy carved gashes into the ground!
The two attacks remained locked in the air, fiercely clashing against each other. The raging currents grew increasingly violent, even blowing countless surrounding buildings apart!
Finally, an incomparably terrifying explosion resounded throughout the entire island. Wave after wave of shockwaves spread outward, destroying everything in their path. The earth was ripped up, stones flew everywhere, and the battlefield became a complete mess!
Ian stood in the middle of the battlefield, completely unaffected by the impact. His Observation Haki spread out, and when he saw Tailed Fox and the newly arrived man being swept away by the blast and sent flying while coughing blood, he let out a cold sneer.
Did they really think a Great Swordsman's slash was so easy to block?
Although Ian had acted quickly in order to deal with Tailed Fox and had not used his full strength in that slash, it was still not something just anyone could withstand!
These two CP0 agents before him were still incapable of taking his slash without injury!
The one wearing the owl mask was codenamed "Night Hawk," a user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Night Hawk Form.
Yet even with the physique of a Zoan user, he had been injured by the earlier impact.
The main reason was that the collision point of the two attacks had been too close to him. The power that erupted in an instant gave him no time to defend himself, and he had been struck directly. He could not help coughing up blood. "Cough, cough... This guy is actually this strong?"
"Cough, cough..." Tailed Fox coughed up blood as well and climbed to her feet. Her physique was inferior to Night Hawk's, but Night Hawk had stood in front of her earlier and absorbed part of the impact for her, so her injuries were not too serious.
"Go, get out of here now. We're no match for that monster!" Tailed Fox urgently spoke to Night Hawk. Ian's successive attacks had already allowed her to judge the difference in their strength.
Even with Night Hawk, they were no match for that monster!
If they remained here, there would be only one outcome: death!
"Let's go!" Night Hawk nodded as well, his gaze toward Ian filled with gravity.
He had not held back earlier. When he saw Tailed Fox in danger, he had rushed over and attacked with full force, yet he had still been forced back by a single slash from the enemy. Both of them had also been caught in the aftermath and injured!
How could they dare stay here any longer?
After exchanging a glance with Tailed Fox, they rushed in one direction!
"Did those guys take the chance to escape?" Ian looked back. The men in black suits had already fled amid the chaos, but Ian was not worried. As long as they were still on this island, finding them would not be difficult!
Furthermore, when he spread out his Observation Haki, he discovered that fighting was also taking place at the underground port.
If his guess was correct, Fujitora Issho had encountered another group of CP0 agents!
CP0 usually operated in teams of several. Aside from these two before him, there should be other CP0 agents as well!
"Hmph, as if I'd let you escape that easily!" Ian snorted coldly and gave chase with a movement of his feet. He swung his sword again, unleashing a majestic slash that tore forward with unstoppable force!
"Block it!" Night Hawk sprinted forward at high speed. Sensing the attack coming from behind, his expression suddenly changed, and he shouted at Tailed Fox.
He abruptly stopped, drew a deep breath, and unleashed another incomparably powerful Tempest Kick!
"Flying Finger Pistol: Fox Claw!" On the other side, Tailed Fox did not hesitate either. She stopped alongside him, turned around, and slashed down with her fingers curled into claws. Five wind blades shot forth with unstoppable force!
BOOM!
Another terrifying explosion rang out. This time, the two joined forces and unleashed tremendous power. Their attacks collided with Ian's slash, erupting with a deafening boom as shockwaves shook the surroundings. They barely managed to block Ian's slash!
Without hesitation, the two turned and fled again, not daring to stop...
Before you continue