Rocks: What Kind of Monster Are You?

The disbelief on Rocks's face had yet to fully fade when it was replaced by deep suspicion.

His gaze remained fixed on Ron, as though he were trying to decipher an inscrutable mystery.

"This isn't the power of Haki... nor is it the power of a Devil Fruit. The source of this power is the body itself? Is it some kind of physical technique that enhances one's own strength?"

The suspicion on Rocks's face turned to shock once more. He had sailed the seas for so many years and seen countless strange abilities, yet this was the first time he had witnessed such a terrifying physical technique. That explosive power, that speed, that pure violence of turning the body itself into a weapon—it had completely surpassed his understanding of "taijutsu."

More importantly, Ron had very likely figured out this physical technique himself.

If it were used alongside top-tier Haki, its effects would become downright horrifying.

All of a sudden, Rocks felt that this "bargain crewmate" he had picked up along the way might not have such a simple background.

"Whoa hahahaha." Rocks suddenly chuckled. "Interesting... truly interesting. Then let me see just how strong this terrifying 'physical technique' really is."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

At that moment, Roger, who had been sent flying earlier, had already steadied himself. His longsword dragged a dazzling streak of cold light as he charged straight toward Ron.

Haki surged into the longsword in his hand like black waves, and dark red arcs of lightning flickered across the blade.

As the distance closed, Roger shouted, "Divine Departure!"

Bzzzt!

A piercing sword cry tore through the air as dark red arcs of lightning burst from the blade, writhing and leaping across the ground like venomous snakes.

Facing Roger's Divine Departure, Ron did not dodge. He spread his legs slightly, lowered his center of gravity, and held his hands before him. While channeling his own Haki, he compressed the air to its limit before releasing it forward in a single burst.

"Daytime Tiger!"

Boom!!

A grayish-white tiger maw abruptly formed in midair. Its gaping jaws carried a violent torrent of air as it roared deafeningly and crashed head-on into Roger's Divine Departure.

When the two entirely different forces collided, they first tangled, tore at, and devoured each other. The dark red lightning and grayish-white currents of air clamped onto each other's throats like two savage beasts, neither willing to let go.

The space between them groaned under the strain of those two forces. The air was compressed to the limit, then exploded with a violent crash.

Rumble!!

A thunderous blast echoed through the surroundings.

The aftershock carried devastating force as it swept outward at incredible speed. The ground was peeled away layer by layer, shattered rocks sprayed everywhere like bullets, and the surrounding trees were uprooted, hurled into the air, and torn to pieces.

Even Roger himself was not spared. Faced with the flood-like shockwave, his body was swallowed whole, and he was sent flying backward out of control.

In midair, Roger quickly adjusted his balance and forcibly steadied himself. The instant he landed, his longsword struck the ground with a clang to absorb the impact.

His feet skidded dozens of meters across rubble and mud before he barely came to a stop.

"This guy..." Roger raised his head and stared solemnly at the distant figure still wreathed in blue steam. "What's going on?"

Not long ago, when they had fought, Ron's main combat method had merely been transforming into the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon and firing Tailed Beast Bombs—a relatively straightforward fighting style.

But how long had it been since they last met? His entire style had changed. He had gone from a long-range artillery platform to a close-combat beast, as if he were a different person.

"Could it be... that he had been hiding his strength all along?" Roger guessed, but quickly dismissed the thought. During their first clash, he had clearly sensed that Ron had been serious. That desperate fighting spirit could not have been an act, nor had it seemed like Ron was holding anything back.

Whoosh!

As Roger's thoughts churned, a path leading straight toward him suddenly erupted in a wave-like cloud of dust.

In the blink of an eye, Ron had already arrived before him with his fist raised.

Roger's pupils contracted sharply. He had no time to think and instinctively held his longsword across his body, flooding both arms with Haki as he gritted his teeth and braced for the incoming blow.

Thud!

After a dull, heavy impact, Roger was launched away once again like a cannonball.

But this time, Ron did not continue pursuing him. He stood where he was, the blue steam around his body slowly dissipating.

He already had his answer regarding the power of the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates.

At the same time, Rayleigh leaped high into the air. Seizing the opening while Ron pursued Roger, he rapidly charged the longsword in his hand before swinging it down with force.

A crescent-shaped slash tore through the air, carrying a sharp whistle as it cut toward Ron's flank.

"Is it your turn?" Ron turned his head, his gaze falling upon the rapidly approaching slash. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Then next comes the second step."

The moment he finished speaking, frigid air suddenly billowed from his body.

A freezing aura spread from beneath his feet. A layer of white frost formed across the ground at a visible rate, and the frozen area rapidly expanded in every direction.

Ron lightly clapped his hands together before suddenly swinging out his right arm. His fingers spread wide, his palm aimed in Rayleigh's direction.

"Ice Release: Ice Dragon!"

Whoosh!!

An enormous mass of freezing air erupted from Ron's arm, rapidly condensing in midair and transforming into a majestic Ice Dragon that soared upward.

Rayleigh's eyes narrowed slightly. He was not intimidated by the Ice Dragon; what truly put him on guard was Ron himself.

"An ice-type ability?" Rayleigh frowned, his gaze fixed tightly upon the Ice Dragon. "This guy... could it be that his Devil Fruit has awakened and developed a new ability?"

Rumble~~

The Ice Dragon collided with the slash in midair. The slash instantly dispersed, while the Ice Dragon continued flying toward Rayleigh.

Rayleigh did not pause for even a moment. He immediately swung his sword again.

Slash! Slash! Slash!!

Streams of sword energy formed an impenetrable net.

The Ice Dragon shattered completely beneath the dense barrage of slashes. Glittering ice crystals poured down like a waterfall, striking the ground in a rapid series of sharp sounds.

At this moment,

Rocks, who had been watching the show, was completely dumbfounded.

What kind of monster was this kid?

You said you had eaten an incredibly powerful Devil Fruit. Fine, that was certainly something to envy.

What? You also said you had mastered an "Ultimate Taijutsu" capable of unleashing such horrifying close-range power? Fine, that worked too.

And now you were telling him that your Devil Fruit seemed to have awakened, giving rise to a new ice-type ability?

All these heaven-defying buffs were stacked onto one person? Were you even going to let anyone else live??

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