On the bay beach of an unnamed island, two figures moved at high speed across the white sand, like two torrents of different colors.
Sakazuki suddenly swung his left fist from his waist, black Armament Haki coating his knuckles as he aimed straight for Boer's temple. His fist was like a hurled iron hammer, trailing a sharp whistle through the air.
Boer's pupils contracted slightly.
He did not use Observation Haki-or rather, neither side could rely on Observation Haki for offense or defense anymore. In a fight at this level, instinctive reactions were all they could depend on!
He lowered his body.
Ducked.
The black fist whistled over his head, its wind sweeping his short, silvery-white hair backward. He could even feel the heat as that layer of Armament Haki passed less than two centimeters from his scalp.
The instant Boer lowered his body, he had already gathered his strength.
His left fist shot upward from below, like a spring compressed to its limit and suddenly released, aimed straight at Sakazuki's flank.
It was one of the human body's most vulnerable spots, protected by no ribs, only a thin layer of muscle and skin, with the liver underneath.
Thud.
A solid hit.
The sound of fist meeting flesh was dull and brief.
Boer's fist had landed.
But Sakazuki's body did not budge.
His abdominal muscles contracted violently the instant the fist made contact, like a taut steel plate, forcibly absorbing the impact.
His body indented slightly, then rebounded, bouncing Boer's fist away.
Boer narrowed his eyes slightly.
Sakazuki's right fist was already coming down.
It smashed down hard! Like an iron hammer raised overhead, it drove straight for the back of Boer's head with his full weight and acceleration behind it.
At that instant, Boer's body performed an almost impossible