The Erudite Advancement Quest, Continued

Adrian had no intention of backing down or dodging.

His eyes narrowed slightly. A surging aura erupted from his body, stirring his clothes without a breath of wind. His horizontal slash with the Cursed Sword Kitetsu grew faster still.

Ikoku Sovereignty!

The Cursed Sword Kitetsu unleashed a massive, pale-white cylindrical shockwave. Carrying overwhelming destructive force, it slammed straight into Shu-Kit at point-blank range.

Boom!

The black, downy Hair Cage looked impregnable, but it held for only a moment before emitting a teeth-grating series of creaks.

Ikoku Sovereignty had clearly exceeded the limit of what Hair Cage could withstand!

Before Shu-Kit's horrified eyes, the black Hair Cage shattered into fragments. With nothing left to stop it, the shockwave struck his rigidly braced Iron Body!

Under the immense force of Ikoku Sovereignty, Shu-Kit was like a frail mantis standing before a rolling wheel. The blast sent him flying through several walls and straight out of the Fantasy Gallery.

Boom, boom—

The shockwave carried Shu-Kit along a bustling stretch of the Pleasure District, carving an enormous, ugly scar through it. Every building in its path was destroyed, as though a typhoon had swept the street clean!

It had all happened in a flash.

Adrian had struck second but landed the first blow. Not only had he smashed through the dual defenses of Shu-Kit's Devil Fruit power and Iron Body, he had also rendered Shu-Kit's offensive Dead-Hair Sword Dance useless before it could even begin!

Stussy stepped through the air with Geppo, her movements light and graceful. Her mood was anything but. Her lips tightened bitterly.

I knew it! White Ghost came here to destroy the Pleasure District!

And the Marines' intelligence was right! That monster really has mastered Charlotte Linlin's terrifying move!

Stussy glanced warily at the trail of destruction left by the