The third time was this Erudite advancement quest (continued).

Adrian gripped the hilt of the Black Blade Nidai Kitetsu with both hands, a sharp red glint flashing through his eyes.

Ink-black Armament Haki poured from his palms, mingling with wispy, pale Spiritual Pressure as both crawled over the cursed sword's black blade, tinting it an ominous, chaotic shade.

Manslayer: Ashura Karma!

Adrian's eyes narrowed, and he swung his sword with tremendous force.

The terrifying, interwoven black-and-white Sword Aura radiated a murderous intent that seemed bent on slaughtering and destroying everything, cleaving forward with the power to shatter heaven and earth!

Yet the Fleet Admiral's experience, honed through countless battles, was immense.

Even in his towering rage, a thread of clarity still held the line.

Enduring the Hollow-Hollow Fruit's terrifying Emotion Interference, Kong raised his platter-sized fist. Dense, dark Armament Haki coated it, turning it into a fist of cast steel.

Using Geppo, Kong stamped repeatedly on the air, forcing out a series of crackling sonic blasts. Rather than slowing, he accelerated.

He raised his right arm and met the oncoming Flying Slash with a straightforward Navy Straight Punch!

BOOM!!

An earth-shaking explosion rang out. Rolling waves of air spread in a ring from the collision between the steel fist and the terrifying Sword Aura, like a super hurricane erupting from level ground. Its violent winds swept across Peninsula 1 in an instant.

Crack, crack—

A series of crisp cracking sounds rang out.

Adrian's Flying Slash was, after all, rootless duckweed. Beneath the Fleet Admiral's iron fist, it held out for only a few seconds before several deep cracks appeared across the crescent-shaped slash of light.

With a soft snap, Kong's punch shattered the Flying Slash. Scattered fragments of Sword Aura sprayed across the battlefield.

"Not good!"

Noticing that the fragmented Sword Aura had lost little of its power, Kuzan's