But before Ghost Spider could even catch his breath, a calm voice descended from above once more.
"It seems your so-called purity is only this much. In that case, allow me to test your limits again!"
The moment he finished speaking, Will raised his leg and kicked downward fiercely.
"Tempest Kick: Vortex!!"
—!!
Ghost Spider's face changed drastically the instant he heard the attack. A terrible premonition surged through him as he looked up.
A spiraling, light-blue slash was tearing through the air toward him, spinning violently as it closed in.
"It's too late…!"
Gritting his teeth, Ghost Spider's expression turned grim. He swiftly raised all six of his swords, attempting to block the incoming strike head-on.
The next second—
Clang! Clang! Clang—!!
The spiraling slash slammed into the blades with a deafening roar, spinning relentlessly as it ground against the metal. Ear-piercing screeches of steel filled the air.
In the end, Ghost Spider couldn't withstand the overwhelming force. He was violently driven downward by the vortex slash.
—!
With a heavy crash, he smashed into the warship's deck, creating a massive crater. Thick smoke billowed upward from the impact.
However, Will, still hovering in the air, had no intention of stopping his assault. Sensing Ghost Spider's presence moving beneath the deck, the corners of his lips curled slightly. He adjusted his stance and immediately launched two more enormous crescent-shaped slashes downward, crossing as they hurtled toward a specific spot on the warship.
"Damn bastard…"
"Not only is he a master of the Six Styles, he also wields both Armament and Observation Haki, and can even conjure flames from nothing. Just what kind of monster is this guy?!"
Hidden beneath the deck, Vice Admiral Ghost Spider's face twisted with rage. Realizing he couldn't block the incoming attack, he decisively abandoned the warship once again. He slashed open a large hole in the hull and vanished through it.
The other Marines on deck, however, had nowhere to run. They could only watch with wide, furious eyes as the massive cross-shaped slashes roared down toward them.
—!!
A thunderous explosion erupted.
The sturdy warship was sliced apart like tofu. It broke into pieces and slowly began sinking into the sea.
"He escaped again," Will muttered, his gaze shifting into the distance. His eyes flickered with cold indifference.
"If even someone like him can become a Marine Vice Admiral, how can the Marines ever hope to improve?"
Without hesitation, he accelerated in the direction Ghost Spider had fled, his aura surging even stronger.
On a nearby warship, the Marines screamed in panic as they saw Vice Admiral Ghost Spider flying toward them.
"Don't come over—!"
If Ghost Spider landed on their ship, that terrifying man would surely follow. After witnessing the destruction of the previous two warships, they had no confidence that theirs could survive the battle.
But Ghost Spider had no time to care about their fear. The moment he landed on the deck, he immediately turned to face his enemy. He could clearly sense that the madman Will was still chasing him relentlessly, his aura completely unconcealed and growing more powerful by the second.
The next moment, Will caught up to the warship.
Not willing to give the Vice Admiral any chance to escape again, he raised both hands, palms facing each other, fingers extended and tensed. After rapidly gathering power, he thrust both arms forward.
"Armament Haki Release: Dragon Devour!!!"
—!!
A massive, lifelike dragon-head-shaped air cannon blasted forward with terrifying force. It was as if a real roaring dragon had opened its jaws to devour everything in its path.
The air dragon carried Will—who showed no signs of slowing down—straight into the side of the warship.
BOOM—!!!
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the dragon-head air cannon smashed a gigantic hole through the warship's hull and continued pushing violently onto the deck.
Ghost Spider, now standing directly in its path, watched in horror as deck planks shattered and flew apart before his eyes. Unable to dodge in time, he instinctively raised all six swords with everything he had, trying to block the attack head-on.
Bang—!
The instant the air dragon collided with the blades, the overwhelming force shattered all six swords. Even Ghost Spider's hair was torn apart by the violent wind pressure.
The air dragon then slammed directly into his body without resistance. Ghost Spider's head snapped back violently as he coughed up a massive mouthful of blood. His eyes rolled back instantly.
After blasting Ghost Spider clear off the warship, Will refused to let him simply fall into the sea. As the air dragon dissipated, he stepped through the air, chased after the Vice Admiral, and grabbed him by the head.
Ignoring the crumbling warship behind him, Will soared high into the sky while holding Ghost Spider.
After ascending hundreds of meters, he stabilized his position and looked down at another intact warship below. Confirming his target, his right arm—which was gripping Ghost Spider's head—turned jet black in an instant.
Two red lights flashed in his eyes as black-and-red lightning began crackling violently across his arm.
"Air Drop!!!"
With a low roar, Will's arm exerted terrifying force as he slammed Ghost Spider downward toward the warship below.
Whoosh—!!
The unconscious Ghost Spider was completely powerless to resist. He was hurled downward with overwhelming momentum.
The Marines on the deck below had nowhere to run. They could only stare upward in terror at the figure wrapped in black and red lightning falling toward them at high speed.
BOOM—!
A massive crater was blasted into the warship. At the same time, countless black and red lightning bolts erupted wildly from the hole, tearing the entire vessel apart.
Within just a few seconds, the warship exploded violently outward from the crater. Its broken hull scattered into pieces across the sea, sending huge waves crashing outward.
Will sensed that the Vice Admiral's presence had sunk into the sea and was rapidly fading. He then turned his gaze toward the last remaining warship.
The Marines aboard it were completely stunned by the carnage they had just witnessed. Their expressions had gone numb with shock.
The man floating high in the sky, whose face they couldn't even see clearly, now appeared like a god—or a demon—to them. Such overwhelming power was simply not something ordinary people like them could hope to oppose. Even Vice Admiral Ghost Spider had been effortlessly crushed.
Looking down at the Marines who had completely lost their will to fight, Will ultimately chose not to wipe them out. He casually kicked out two massive crescent slashes to destroy the final warship, then spread his Observation Haki outward.
After confirming the situation, he turned and rushed toward the other three undamaged warships in the distance.
"Remember this: if you want to live, don't come near Water 7 again!"
As his voice reached the surviving Marines on the wreckage below, a series of deafening sonic booms erupted from the sky. The terrifying figure vanished from their sight like a god or demon departing.
The surviving Marines secretly breathed huge sighs of relief, feeling as if they had been granted a new lease on life. Every single one of them burned the man's parting words into their hearts, not daring to disobey even slightly.
On the other side.
Just as Will sliced through three incoming cannonballs and charged toward the five warships, Issho had also successfully deflected the shells aimed at him.
Navy Vice Admiral Doberman, standing on the central warship, immediately suspected a Devil Fruit ability when he saw this. Without hesitation, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and gave a stern order:
"All ships, fire three more volleys at the target ahead!"
"Yes sir!"
About ten seconds later, the three warships unleashed a coordinated barrage.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!
A massive swarm of cannonballs tore through the air, trailing smoke as they flew toward Issho.
Issho remained standing calmly in place. He slowly drew his sword.
As the giant cannonballs approached, his staff-sword flashed out.
Hum—!
An invisible force spread outward instantly, engulfing all the cannonballs and flinging them straight back the way they came.
"As expected, he's a Devil Fruit user."
Doberman lowered his telescope, his earlier suspicion now confirmed. Facing the returning barrage, he didn't bother ordering another interception. Instead, he leaped high into the air, drew his long sword in one swift motion, and unleashed several light-blue crescent slashes.
The slashes streaked across the sky and detonated every cannonball mid-air with deafening explosions.
After landing back on the deck, Doberman sheathed his sword, thought for a moment, then took out his Den Den Mushi again.
"All ships! Raise the cannons and bombard the city behind the target with full artillery coverage!"
He had no intention of rushing in blindly against an unknown Devil Fruit user. Using their long-range advantage, he planned to continue probing the blind swordsman's abilities with cannon fire. If the opponent's power had a limited range, he could simply bypass him and destroy the city directly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—!!
Amid the relentless roar of cannon fire, Issho noticed the warships adjusting their aim toward the city behind him. Connecting this with the Marine commander's refusal to engage him directly, he quickly understood the man's plan. His brows furrowed slightly.
Though he could still easily deflect the shells, his expression grew more serious.
Not coming over at all, huh? This makes things rather difficult for this old man.
Originally, he had only planned to deal with the leading officer and then sink the three warships. He had no desire to massacre the ordinary soldiers.
But now that the Marine commander was stubbornly hiding on his ship, Issho felt somewhat restricted. Unlike his captain, he didn't possess high-speed flight capabilities. Even if he used his ability to float over, there would be risks.
As a Devil Fruit user, he knew all too well what falling into the sea meant. Even with his strength, he wouldn't last long in the water.
If he made a mistake and was defeated, the civilians behind him would suffer the full brunt of the Marines' artillery.
Just as Issho was blocking the cannon fire while quietly weighing his options, his expression suddenly changed.
Through his Haki, he sensed that the three slower warships in the other direction had already drawn close to the city's waters—and no one was there to stop them.
Knowing he could hesitate no longer, Issho slightly opened his eyes. A cold glint flashed in his otherwise white pupils.
"Though this old man is reluctant to create too much slaughter…"
"Compared to the safety of the innocent civilians behind me, it is far more fitting for you Marines—who seek to destroy an entire city—to die instead."
The moment his words fell, Issho made his decision. He drew his sword and swung it upward, releasing several blue-white sword lights above him. Then he quickly sheathed it again.
The next second—
A massive, bright purple halo appeared above him, expanding upward in successive layers into the sky. It formed a series of enormous, spaced-out purple rings that pierced through the clouds and vanished into the heavens.
Issho no longer paid any attention to the three warships. He simply muttered in a low, deep voice:
"Whether you survive or not… will depend on your own luck."
With that, he disappeared in a flash, rushing off in another direction.
--
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