The burst of speed granted by lightning, coupled with some property that blocked perception, nearly made the slash a success-it fell just short of splitting his opponent open from the crotch.
"Arrogant fool!"
Enraged, his opponent stepped half a pace forward, pinning the blade with one hand while the other shot toward Rossi's sword wrist like lightning.
"Want to get in close?"
Rossi released the hilt with his left hand and raised it, meeting the incoming palm with precision.
His five fingers abruptly locked tight!
"I used to be very good at this, though I don't use it much anymore-"
Haki clashed fiercely between their interlocked fingers.
Veins bulged on the backs of both hands, every finger bone bearing the pressure of their attempts to crush each other.
In this contest of pure strength, the slightest lapse on either side could end only in shattered finger bones.
"Then let's see who gives out first!"
His opponent was clearly confident in a contest of strength.
Fine golden sparks danced once more, this time spreading along their interlocked palms and flowing continuously into his opponent's body.
"Lightning of this level..."
"Heh, it's more than just 'this level.'"
The sword in his right hand remained locked against his opponent's left, while his left hand gripped his opponent's right, leaving them briefly balanced.
And that balance gave Rossi exactly enough time-for those seemingly tiny sparks to quietly accumulate inside his opponent.
Though his opponent was right that this little electricity could not hurt the Cipher Pol Aigis Zero captain's thoroughly tempered body, the true killing blow did not come from Rossi-
"Ready."
The half of the warship they stood on had already been reduced to fragments in the fierce battle.
On the other section of tilted hull, a man whose cape spread like pink