"Why are you forcing me to do this, Rocks?! We could clearly resolve this with the best possible solution, so why won't you agree?"
Harald's voice was hoarse with extreme restraint. As his words fell, his greatsword, wreathed in Conqueror's Haki, came crashing down toward Rocks's head like an iron mountain falling from the sky.
Before the blade reached him, the thick layer of rock underfoot had already been pulverized beneath the crushing air pressure, cracks spreading in every direction like a spiderweb.
With nothing supporting his feet, Rocks plunged the instant the ground shattered.
But rather than counterattack immediately, he looked up and roared, "Are you still the Harald I knew?!"
"For Elbaf, for Elbaf, for your own ideals, you're dumping all that misfortune onto Ron! What about him?! What did he do wrong?! Was he born to be sacrificed for your grand cause?!"
"This is his very first time in Elbaf! He's never even met you! Why should he have to sacrifice himself for your Elbaf?!"
Harald's blade paused ever so slightly in midair. It was so brief that it was almost imperceptible, but Rocks caught it.
"Harald!" Rocks raised his voice again. "I will never agree! Nor will I accept any conditions you offer! If you want a fight, I'll fight you to the very end!"
With that, he swiftly struck upward, his blade slamming into the greatsword at a single point.
The instant the two forces of Conqueror's Haki collided, a tangible ring of shock waves exploded outward from the point of impact. Beneath their crushing force, the ground collapsed, heaved upward, and went flying.
Crackle!
Dense, dark red arcs erupted at the point of collision, bursting outward in every direction like a spiderweb.
Harald gritted his teeth, pressing his greatsword against Rocks's blade as he