Rayleigh's body traced an arc through the air, his golden hair whipping wildly amid the pale shock waves.
His vision warped from the violent vibrations, leaving nothing but a shrill ringing in his ears.
But his sharp eyes remained clear-he had seen it.
He had seen Gern's figure break down into countless vibration particles in the sunlight, scattering into the air like stardust.
"So that's how your Tremor Flash works..." Bloody foam spilled from Rayleigh's throat, yet he managed a smile.
"Developing an ability of this caliber... you're truly terrifying."
The next second, the scattered particles reassembled directly above Rayleigh.
Gern's half-elementalized figure hung upside down like divine punishment descending, his fists wrapped in Ryuo Armament Haki, their knuckles compressing high-frequency shock waves that warped space.
"Black Quake Hundred Forms: Vibration Core Barrage." Time seemed to freeze at that instant.
When the first punch struck Rayleigh's abdomen, the shock wave formed a spiral pattern at the point of contact.
The second punch followed immediately, hammering the same spot and layering the vibration patterns.
The third punch, the fourth...
Gern's fists blurred into afterimages, each strike injecting a high-frequency vibration core. A hundred punches landed in a single instant!
For a moment, the dull impacts merged into one prolonged roar.
Rayleigh's body shook relentlessly in midair, the black sheen of his Armament Haki intertwining with the pale shock waves to form an eerie cocoon of light.
Everyone aboard the Oro Jackson watched their vice-captain endure impacts from every direction, as though nailed to an invisible cross, unable even to fall.
Gern counted silently, his punches growing faster and faster.
"I've got... the rhythm!" As the third hundred-punch barrage struck him, Rayleigh suddenly twisted at the waist.
He barely managed to block the lethal blow aimed at his heart with his sword's