"I didn't expect you to have a similar ability to immortality. I underestimated you!"
Luck watched as the wound on Barnett's chest rapidly shrank and healed, his expression growing grave.
He had injured his opponent countless times, but each time the opponent could fully recover without leaving a single scar, much like the immortality of their God's Knights!
At first, he almost thought that the other party was an undercover agent sent by Imu, but the other party's aura did not have a familiar scent, so he naturally dismissed the idea!
There are countless Devil Fruit, so it's not surprising to find someone with similar abilities; it's just that quickly defeating the opponent becomes much more difficult!
Luck is the youngest God's Knights in the Holy Knights, who was added after Garling joined the Five Elders.
His Devil Fruit ability was indeed related to locking, just as Barnett had guessed; it was the Paramecia Lock-Lock Fruit ability.
Once a person or object is designated as the target, even if you turn your back and casually throw something or make a random slash, that object or slash will seem to have eyes, ignoring distance and direction, and accurately hit the target.
The goal he sets only needs to be seen with his own eyes; it's like a superior version of the Mark-Mark Fruit. It's this abnormal ability that makes Barnett's battles so difficult!
Of course, in Luck's eyes, Barnett was also a tough nut to crack. No matter how fierce his sword moves were or how tricky his slashes were, Barnett could always recover completely in the instant his wounds reopened.
This made him personally realize just how disgusting the ability of "immortality" truly was, and he finally understood the pent-up frustration with which his former opponents fell.
However, what he didn't know was that Barnett's ability wasn't immortality, but rather the Paramecia Replenish-Replenish Fruit, which allowed him to restore what he had lost. This would be a real test of its development!
With guidance from Vic and long-term development, Barnett finally mastered the power of the Replenish-Replenish Fruit to the point of Time Reversal, that is, to make up for lost time!
Therefore, he can return to the state he was in before he was injured, making it seem as if he possesses the ability to be immortal!
One locks onto everything, leaving the opponent nowhere to hide; the other rewinds time, essentially restarting from the spot. The two are evenly matched, and the battle instantly becomes a stalemate.
"Immortality? That thing has side effects, I don't want it."
Barnett's wounds not only healed completely, but even the holes in his clothes were repaired. This can't be explained by mere immortality!
Moreover, his Time Reversal has a fatal flaw: he can only use the ability while he is conscious and alive!
If the enemy is too powerful and can obliterate him in a single blow, he will not even have a chance to rewind time and will perish completely.
In this respect alone, his abilities are inferior to those of a true immortal.
That is why, even with the incredible ability to Time Reversal, Barnett still dared not slack off in the slightest, always ready to cover his entire body with Armament Haki.
He had to ensure that he wouldn't be instantly killed; this was his bottom line for remaining invincible.
"Take this!"
With a roar, Barnett stomped his foot on the ground, sending gravel flying everywhere!
Barnett was indeed intelligent. After guessing Luck's abilities, he kept an eye on the situation on other battlefields during the battle, which is why he knew that the God's Knights and the Five Elders had already been killed.
That means that immortality is not invincible; even someone without the strength of Vic can be defeated!
Luck is more troublesome because of his Lock-Lock Fruit ability, but he is not immortal. As long as he takes the initiative and goes all out, with his ability to rewind his body state, it should only be a matter of time before he takes down his opponent!
Barnett also has weapons. The two swords that Vic obtained from the Golden Lion — the Kogarashi and the Oto —were given to him and his wife. So when fighting with all his might, he will also draw his sword.
"Bite!"
The two swords clashed, producing a metallic clang. Luck also wielded a sword, so it wasn't surprising that the two could hold their own.
"You're a swordsman too? This sword looks familiar; it seems quite famous. But as a swordsman, you haven't been able to make its name known. What a failure!"
Luck held his sword with both hands, pressing it against Barnett's sword. The two swords overlapped, and the immense force caused sparks to fly between them!
Luck stretched his neck over the crossed swords, his face almost touching Barnett's nose, a hint of mockery and amusement on his face, staring into Barnett's eyes!
Of course he recognized the sword in Barnett's hand. It was the weapon that the Golden Lion had once used, and it was even recorded in the Famous Sword Manual. How could a swordsman like him not recognize it? He was just saying that to mock Barnett!
"I am not a true swordsman. To me, a sword is merely a weapon. Why should I let its name spread?"
Does its fame increase its power? No, so what you're saying is largely meaningless!
A sword is merely a tool, a weapon, and a vehicle for exerting power; you're placing too much importance on it!
Barnett isn't exactly a swordsman, just like Big Mom and Whitebeard. They both have swords, but does anyone call them swordsmen? No.
That is a pure weapon, used for fighting and killing enemies, which can save a lot of the consumption of Haki.
This is just a choice; there's no need to elevate it or assign it any other meaning. A swordsman's strength lies in the person, not the sword. A true swordsman can still cleave mountains and cut through seas, even without a sword in hand!
"Bullshit! Swords are a swordsman's closest companions, and you treat them merely as tools and weapons? You deserve to die!"
As if he had been greatly insulted, Luck flew into a rage, unleashing tremendous force from his hands to send Barnett flying. He then unleashed several Flying Slash slashes haphazardly, as if he had gone mad with rage, with no clear objective whatsoever!
But Barnett wore a wry smile. He didn't think so. Luck might seem crazy, but he wasn't worried about missing his strikes at all. He was just fearless because he knew Lak couldn't dodge them anyway!
Barnett lightly touched the ground with his toes and retreated several dozen feet, creating distance between himself and Luck, and prepared his Armament Haki defense. At this moment, slashes flying from all directions were already upon him.
"Pfft... pfft..."
Each slash vanished without a trace under Barnett's sword, the sound of blades cutting through flesh echoing continuously. Barnett held the sword with both hands, creating an impenetrable net of swords in front of him, his Observation Haki pushed to its limit, predicting the trajectory of each slash.
Luck's slashes were too numerous and too dense, almost all of them coming at the same time. Even with his lightning-fast reaction, he still had some oversights and couldn't land a single slash without missing a single one!
Several slashes broke through the sword net's blockade, striking his shoulders, back, waist, and abdomen with devastating force. His flesh tore open, and blood gushed out, staining his robes crimson.
Barnett didn't even flinch, as if the deep, bone-revealing wounds didn't exist.
He stomped his feet repeatedly, his figure rushing out like a ghost. His wounds healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in just a few steps, he was completely restored.
The next second, he had already reached Luck's side, his twin swords wreathed in a domineering Haki of thunder, slashing down fiercely towards Luck's head with a sharp sound that tore through the air!