After returning, Vic didn't say anything. He flipped his hand and unleashed several Sword Gang at Mantis. Mantis reacted quickly, wielding his great Black Blade. The Sword Gang were mostly dispersed, but two of Sword Gang were still too late to defend against.
Two Sword Gang struck the Nether Mantis's abdomen, but to no avail. Two metallic clangs rang out, and the Nether Mantis's abdomen didn't even leave a mark. Due to its body structure, the mantis's twin swords were not as agile and flexible as the swords it held in its hand, and there were always places it couldn't hit.
"It's no use. My body is harder than Great Grade Sword. My entire body is like that. No ordinary attack can break through my defense."
Mantis said calmly, "The Nether Mantis's body reflects a metallic sheen, but it is even more durable than metal."
"Is that so? It seems I really can't deal with you without improving my swordsmanship!"
Vic was also somewhat impressed. Mantis was a man of both offense and defense, and really had no weaknesses. No wonder he was even above Kaido before he ate a Devil Fruit. That made sense.
Vic stopped using Sword Gang attacks, realizing he had wasted his Sword Qi without any results. Instead, Vic wrapped his twin swords in Armament Haki, turning Black Blade, before slowly walking forward.
The two immediately engaged in close combat, Two-Sword Style against Two-Sword Style, fighting fiercely. Sword Qi crisscrossed the arena, cutting down all the small trees nearby, leaving the area bare, and even the ground was not spared, turning into chunks.
Vic brandished his twin blades so fast that those around him couldn't see them clearly, making it seem like he was fighting bare-handed. Mantis was no less formidable, flicking his twin blades back and forth, parrying attacks with equal speed, occasionally unleashing a powerful slash—the sheer size of the blades was astonishing!
Vic's attacks were clearly more ferocious, faster, and more refined in technique. His deadly tactics had little effect on Mantis.
Mantis could lock onto and prevent attacks from a distance thanks to his compound eyes, but it was more difficult at close range. Even if he caught the attack, there might not be enough time to react. Mantis kept getting slashed, but Mantis wasn't injured. The swords covered in Haki couldn't hurt him either.
When Vic got serious, his attacks became powerful and heavy, forcing Mantis to retreat repeatedly. Even though he couldn't break through Mantis's defense, Mantis couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could he? It's only right that he should take a few steps back after being hit.
Rebecca was also encouraged to see Mantis being forced to retreat by Vic. The morale of the Elite Camp was greatly boosted, and they reversed their previous defeat.
Meanwhile, Mantis's underlings went from excitement to worry, and the situation reversed, though neither side on the battlefield saw it that way.
If Vic doesn't have any other options, Vic 'll definitely lose if this drags on. Mantis's physical defenses haven't taken much to spare, and he hasn't even used Haki yet. Plus, Zoan are known for their high vitality. If Vic gets slashed by Mantis, he might be cut in two, which is very unfair.
However, Vic isn't worried at all. His stamina is not an issue at all; he can fight for days and nights without hesitation. He's also using his Haki only on his two swords, so he's being quite economical.
In addition, it recovers as it's used, so it should last for two days without any problems. Therefore, if there are no new developments in the battle, this will be a protracted war.
Vic isn't planning to use Ryuo in the fight yet. He believes that if he used Ryuo, he could definitely break through the Nether Mantis's defenses, since it's an ability to destroy from the inside. No matter how strong the surface defense is, it's useless. Vic wants to hone his swordsmanship first. Opportunities with such strong defenses are rare!
Vic focused his mind, practicing his swordsmanship while making moves; Mantis would temporarily serve as his whetstone.
After hundreds of moves Mantis stopped passively defending and flew into the sky, spreading his wings. Vic followed with Geppo. Before that, Mantis had been standing there taking the blows and had not actively attacked Vic.
But now that he's in the air, Mantis uses the power generated by flight to make his moves simpler and more direct, but with several times more power.
The two clashed and weaved through the air, the clanging of metal echoing incessantly. The clash of blades produced plumes of white mist that swirled around them, a mist created by the violent impact shaking the air and causing water droplets to condense.
The two were moving too fast, often making contact only to be gone in an instant, the huge impact shaking the air and creating gusts of white mist and strong winds.
The wind caused the clothes of those watching from below to flutter loudly. Apart from Zephyr, no one could clearly see the battle between the two. Rebecca could only see some things with the help of her Observation Haki, and Frodeku could only occasionally see a scene from the future. Ordinary people could hardly even open their eyes.
Mantis's hand-blade blocked Vic's twin blades once again. This time, the two did not separate. One used his wings to flap forcefully to increase forward momentum, while the other used Geppo Frenzy Kick to exert force forward as well.
The two moved back and forth, locked in a stalemate for a long time. Then, Vic suddenly did a front flip and landed on top of Mantis's head. Before Mantis could fly forward, Mantis kicked him on the head.
"Boom"
A huge cloud of dust billowed from the ground, obscuring everyone's view. When the smoke cleared, they saw Mantis crawling out of a large pit, unharmed except for being a little dirty.
Vic flashed through the air repeatedly, continuing his attack on Mantis. His twin blades moved with impenetrable force, creating a powerful gust of wind that caused the branches and leaves of the distant trees to sway uncontrollably.
Mantis's greatsword was no mere decoration; it was a hand sword comparable to the Supreme Great Grade Sword, each strike powerful and heavy. Vic's sword was like a toothpick in front of the hand sword, but the two small toothpicks were exceptionally sturdy, remaining undeformed no matter how much it was chopped.
In fact, Vic's two swords are already very close to the Supreme Great Grade Sword, while Mantis's hand swords, although comparable to the Supreme Great Grade Sword, are only comparable, just reaching that level, so there is no difference between them and Vic's dual swords.
Vic grew stronger with each battle, and his understanding of swordsmanship deepened. Each strike became more profound, and Mantis was hit more and more often. His compound eyes could no longer fully capture the landing points of Vic's twin swords, because the swords had changed and were no longer straightforward.
"This? Breaking through while fighting? Good lad, using me as a whetstone! So young, yet so exceptionally talented?"
Mantis grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. This kid was constantly improving, his talent was terrifying, even more so than the monsters on their old ship.
"Cut it down! Cut it down!" Vic screamed frantically in his heart, with only one thought in mind: to cut through that unparalleled defense.
In terms of physical defense, Kaido is no match for Mantis. Kaido's defense is strong, but that's only in his physical form. If his slashing attacks are strong enough, he can be injured even without Advanced Armament Ryuo.
However, the surface of Mantis's Nether Mantis can no longer be considered flesh; it's more like a layer of true armor, and it's at the level of Great Grade Sword.
Zoro trained under Hawk-Eye for two years. If it weren't for Enma's Auto- Ryuo, even if Mantis stood there and let Zoro cut him at will, he wouldn't be able to move him.
Even if Enma was used, it would only cause internal damage with Ryuo, and would not damage Mantis's armor at all. It is estimated that only Hawk-Eye could wound Mantis. However, Mantis did not use Haki to defend, which is the most terrifying thing. It can be said that Mantis is the nemesis of swordsmen.