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"Shua shua..."
Waves of darkness surged, tumultuous without cease.
The crimson figure stood tall, filled with ferocity, staring directly at the Golden Lion above.
"Darkness? What the hell is this weird stuff!?"
Golden Lion Shiki's expression had already turned somewhat grave. He began to seriously regard this opponent who, though young, possessed strength that truly could not be underestimated.
"However, it's merely somewhat troublesome, that's all!"
The next moment, veins popped on Shiki's forehead, radiating cold killing intent. His legs instantly became afterimages. "Shishi: Senjindani! (Lion: Thousand Deep Valley!)"
"Swish, swish..."
The sound of air being torn shrieked endlessly!
One blazing slash after another sliced through the atmosphere, shooting violently from those two famed swords, bombarding Ichiji in unison!
Muscles rippled all over his body, veins bulging, accumulating and brewing terrifying power.
"Asakujaku!!! (Morning Peacock!!!)"
Ichiji's pitch-black fists lifted, striking out in an instant.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh——" The air was rapidly frictionized; the fist imprints actually ignited!
One crimson fist imprint after another, astonishingly fierce, carrying intense flames, continuously bombarded those terrifying slashes!
"Boom boom boom......"
Huge rings of explosion manifested, violent air currents raging.
Before the intense gales, countless fragments of rock, grass, and trees were sent flying wildly, swept clean away.
"Zanpa!! (Slashing Wave!!)"
Just at this moment, Golden Lion suddenly lifted his leg, and another massive, blazing slash chopped down!
Fierce sword ki tore the atmosphere, dazzling beyond compare.
"Pa!"
The air cracked.
His figure flickered like a ghost, dodging the massive, violently incoming slash like lightning.
"Boom..."
The exaggerated slash directly struck the ground behind, creating a shocking fissure, kicking up a large cloud of smoke and dust.
"Muei Tōjin! (Shadowless Razor!)"
Ichiji charged directly forward!
Dense darkness continuously rolled and surged.
Wreathed in black qi, Ichiji's entire being resembled a black hole, even swallowing the surrounding light completely, carrying a gloomy and terrifying aura.
"Clang!!"
In a flash, the piercing sound of metal clashing rang out.
A fierce kick and a sharp sword edge violently collided!
An intense hurricane blew; golden hair and clothes whipped about. Ichiji's pitch-black right fist violently swung out!
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
"Bang!!" Showing no weakness, Golden Lion Shiki's right fist, coated in powerful Armament Haki, blocked Ichiji's incoming fist.
As one of the pirate overlords of the previous era, even if his own strength had declined significantly, his Haki cultivation wasn't so weak as to be shattered in one blow. But ultimately, he wasn't skilled in taijutsu. He was directly jolted by the powerful force, his palm numbing, his entire body pushed back.
"Actually staying airborne without using Geppo... this shouldn't be your ability..."
Golden Lion, having stabilized his figure, narrowed his eyes, staring somewhat surprisedly at the strange boots that were continuously ejecting gas, allowing Ichiji to remain suspended in mid-air.
"This is Germa technology. Pretty good, right?"
Ichiji sneered, his right hand turning black as ink and swirling with roiling darkness, aimed directly at Golden Lion. "Kurouzu! (Black Vortex!)"
"Boom!"
"What!?" His entire body jolted violently, as if his heart would burst out. Golden Lion's expression changed drastically; his body was actually flying uncontrollably towards Ichiji!
"Damn it! How is this possible!?"
Golden Lion's face was filled with shock and fury, staring somewhat incredulously at the approaching Ichiji ahead.
Ignoring the thought of why the opponent could directly pull him over from a distance, he lifted his legs, flashing the sharp famed swords like lightning!
"Shishi Chōbaku! (Lion: Thousand Volume Curtain!)"
One incomparably sharp sword ki slash after another continuously cut through the atmosphere, making onlookers couldn't help but change color.
If it were any other Dark-Dark Fruit user, they would likely only dodge. But Ichiji was different.
"Rankyaku: Bōfūu! (Tempest Kick: Rainstorm!)" His legs similarly became afterimages, continuously kicking out massive and ferocious crescent-shaped slashes, meeting the incoming, incessantly shooting, blazing sword ki head-on.
"Boom boom..."
Blazing slashes continuously collided in mid-air, brilliant and dazzling, making it somewhat difficult to look directly at.
Ichiji, wearing the Germa battle suit and coated entirely in Haki, was forced back continuously by the slashes.
No matter what, he was once the world's greatest swordsman. The slashes delivered by Golden Lion using his swords were clearly far more terrifying than Rankyaku. If Rankyaku hadn't nullified most of the force, he likely wouldn't have fared well under this wave of attacks.
"Boss, be careful of his strange ability..."
Just then, "Raging Tiger" Boris, having forced Gin back, shouted towards this direction: "If touched, it's very likely you won't be able to use your Devil Fruit ability!"
"What!?"
Golden Lion, who already had some suspicions, had a drastic change in expression: "How could such an ability possibly exist in this world!?" He had never heard of an ability specifically designed to counter Devil Fruit users existing in this world; it was simply unbelievable.
But clearly, even though he tried his best to retreat using his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability, he couldn't escape that strange gravitational pull, only managing to slightly delay being pulled over.
"Swish swish..."
Sensing the crisis, Golden Lion desperately kicked out slashes continuously, showing no intention of stopping!
The blazing slashes shooting over made it somewhat difficult to keep one's eyes open.
"So what if you know? It's too late......"
Suddenly, Golden Lion found that irresistible gravitational pull vanish in an instant.
Before he could rejoice, a crimson figure bizarrely dodged the blazing slashes, forcefully streaking to his side. A pitch-black right palm, vortex swirling, aimed directly at him!
"Kurouzu! (Black Vortex!)"
"Boom!"
Golden Lion's whole body jolted, his expression changing wildly as he was pulled over!
"Detestable brat, go die for me!!!"
"Kachi! Kachi!"
Two pitch-black sword edges violently kicked out, directly striking Ichiji's dark body, which was covered in Haki and wearing the battle suit. They slashed two shocking fissures onto the battle suit, sending flecks of blood flying.
His right hand directly clamped onto Golden Lion's shoulder. Ichiji, wreathed in roiling darkness, his face carrying a trace of savagery and ruthlessness—if he hadn't wanted to avoid killing Golden Lion directly just yet, this attack would have been a punch aimed straight at his veritable solar plexus!
"Bang!!"
Clutching Golden Lion's body tightly, his pitch-black right leg violently bent, then slammed like lightning into Golden Lion's abdomen!
"Waah......"
Golden Lion's eyes bulged dramatically, his face contorting. He vomited blood, his entire body shooting backward, crashing towards the earth!
But the next moment!
"Kurouzu! (Black Vortex!)"
The terrifying suction force once again locked onto his body, forcefully pulling him back!
Giving him absolutely no chance to breathe, Ichiji violently kicked out a massive and blazing crescent moon-shaped slash: "Rankyaku: Ittensen! (Tempest Kick: Single Line Sky!)"