"Bang! Bang! Bang!" While the two were thinking, Buggy and Zeta, who had unleashed their "limit" strength in the ring, collided again. Booms rang out from every corner of the arena.
Along with the booms came one crater after another, formed by the shock waves of their clashes.
Fortunately, both primarily fought hand to hand, limiting the damage they could do to the terrain. Though the aftershocks had left the entire ring riddled with pits, they had not damaged the island beneath it.
Neither could sustain his current state for long. If they could not settle the match quickly, both would soon lose the ability to fight.
Although the modified Ikoku Sovereignty was no longer limited to a single strike, this method of fighting, which mobilized all the strength in the body, consumed a terrifying amount of stamina.
Every punch expended a great deal of stamina. Although no individual punch could compare to a true Ikoku Sovereignty shock wave, after so many punches and kicks, Zeta's stamina could not hold out for long.
The same went for Buggy. A technique like Life Return suffered from terrifying diminishing returns. Without sufficient proficiency, every additional level of power unleashed could multiply the stamina cost several times over.
Even then, many people could not use it even if they wanted to. Most terrifying of all was the strain it placed on the body. If the body was not strong enough, it would simply collapse.
It was like the Eight Gates, except its enhancement fell far short of theirs.
Under these circumstances, Buggy's body could not last long at all, especially since he was only in his teens and had not even finished growing.
The burden and pressure Life Return placed on his body far exceeded what adults experienced, and a moment's carelessness could