Wrapped in Xie Wen's Armament Haki, the flaming sword slash and lightning sword slash hurtled fiercely toward Rayleigh.
Rayleigh, who had originally intended to go easy on the cats, did not want to come unstuck against Xie Wen again and was forced to use Conqueror's Coating.
"Watch out! This one is no joke!"
Rayleigh shouted a warning before throwing his punch.
Yet Hua Mei Meow, who had just disrupted Rayleigh's Observation Haki Killer state with her Conqueror's Haki, appeared before him, lightning flashing all over her body.
"Thunderbolt · Single Plum Blossom."
Though her attack was also coated in Conqueror's Haki, Hua Mei Meow naturally could not match Rayleigh. But she had never intended to settle who was stronger; she only needed to hold him up for a moment.
After thrusting her sword, Hua Mei Meow did not choose to meet Rayleigh head-on. Following a brief stalemate, she immediately leaped backward with the force of his blow, dissipating most of its power while also clearing a path for Xie Wen's two sword slashes right behind her.
Rayleigh, however, could not dodge immediately after clashing with Hua Mei Meow's Conqueror's Coating. On his left was Meow Jūshirō's Heavenly Soaring Cat Flash, and on his right was Link Meow's charged Roundslash. Both cats had chosen to attack diagonally from behind him, cutting off every avenue of retreat...
No, there was still up!
Rayleigh crouched, then leaped high into the air, avoiding the combined assault from Xie Wen and the cats. But the moment he jumped, his face darkened, because his Observation Haki had already foreseen what came next...
Shalmeow, the lightning cat clinging to Xie Wen's left shoulder, extended a little paw likewise made of lightning and flung it into the clouds overhead.
"Lightning Release · Kirin, meow!"
The little cat paw