The pitch-black vortex suddenly expanded, becoming a formless beast made entirely of darkness that lunged at River from point-blank range, biting and tearing.
This darkness could devour everything, including living beings. Anyone touched by it would be in peril.
"Fire Fist!"
River growled.
The flames in his hand swelled in an instant, their temperature soaring as they surged toward the darkness ahead.
Boom!
Darkness and flame collided, sending out violent shock waves.
River's gaze sharpened slightly as he sensed the power radiating from his opponent. Clearly, Blackbeard had grown stronger since the Summit War.
Power surged through his right hand, and the flames expanded again, sweeping forward over a wider area with even more searing heat.
"Zehahahaha!"
"River, is that all you've got?"
Marshall D. Teach laughed, likewise increasing the output of his Dark-Dark Fruit.
The elemental forces clashed relentlessly, sending waves of overwhelming power sweeping outward. In the blink of an eye, the area around the two men had split into two sharply defined zones.
Even the sky behind them was divided, black on one side and crimson on the other.
The people fighting nearby instinctively steered clear of them, retreating into the distance.
"Of course that's not all!"
"Teach!"
River lowered his voice, his expression icy.
The next second, his entire body shuddered, and his eyes widened as Conqueror's Haki erupted from him. At the same time, the crimson flames visibly grew hotter, beginning to turn white.
Hummmmm!
In an instant, everything around them was burning, and the air became suffocating.
Blackbeard's expression shifted slightly. To his shock, his darkness could no longer devour the endless torrent of flames sweeping toward him.
A second later, white flames spread from River in a ring, rolling outward in every direction.
In a mere instant, they swept across the entire island,