At this moment, Lancelot appeared as a detached spectator, serenely observing the breathtaking spectacle.
Who could believe, without witnessing it firsthand, that he had been at the very epicenter of that explosion just moments ago?
As for Machvise, he was no longer suspended in midair by Lancelot but lay collapsed to the side, his body charred black and utterly disheveled, as if scorched by hellfire.
Witnessing this, Violet and Gladius were left dumbfounded, scarcely able to believe their eyes.
Especially Gladius, whose face had turned deathly pale. His body trembled uncontrollably as he muttered under his breath.
"How is this possible... No... no... It can't be!"
Only he truly understood the sheer destructive power contained within that explosion.
Even their formidable young master, if caught in such a violent blast and forced to endure its full force like this man had, would likely struggle to emerge unscathed—at the very least, he would suffer severe injuries.
Yet this Marine Vice Admiral had not only survived the terrifying explosion completely unharmed but hadn't even lost a single strand of hair!
The unimaginable gap in strength plunged Gladius into unprecedented despair.
"Soru..."
With that soft exclamation, in the next instant, Lancelot's figure vanished from his original position like a ghost.
"Not good..."
Gladius' heart jolted violently, his face turning deathly pale.
Although he had long understood that he likely couldn't escape today, the deep-seated fear of death within him still couldn't be completely erased.
Even if destined for destruction, he refused to leave without putting up a fight.
At the very least, he wanted to exhaust all his strength to cause some trouble for this terrifying opponent before him.
Buy a little more time.
"Full Body Explosion!"
Gladius roared, unleashing his final ultimate move.
His body began to swell at an astonishing speed, as if inflated by a powerful force.
In the blink of an eye, his originally normal form became as round and bloated as a balloon, appearing extremely bizarre and terrifying.
Lancelot had now appeared, standing right before him.
What was even more shocking was that Lancelot's entire body was enveloped in a layer of Armament Haki.
Moreover, this Armament Haki wasn't in its ordinary form—it was in a flowing, magma-like state of Ryuō.
"This..."
Witnessing this scene, Gladius felt tidal waves of shock surge in his heart, standing frozen on the spot as if struck by lightning.
Only at this moment did he finally understand how Lancelot had emerged completely unscathed from that earth-shattering explosion earlier.
To think that such a terrifying intensity of Armament Haki—aside from the unfathomably powerful Vergo—no one else in the entire family possessed it!
Even their highly revered young master's mastery of Armament Haki paled in comparison to what this Marine Vice Admiral was displaying now!
Yet, at this moment, he felt no fear.
Because right now, he was in a special state.
If anyone dared to attack him with external force while he was in this condition, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Once attacked, Gladius would instantly trigger an earth-shattering explosion, like a volcanic eruption.
The energy released by this explosion was immense, enough to blast every enemy within a certain radius to smithereens, utterly annihilating them!
Not only that, along with the explosion, millions of "Explosive Hair Strands" would shoot out from his body.
These incredibly sharp strands, imbued with astonishing destructive power, would rain down like a storm, rapidly striking distant targets and inflicting severe damage.
Truly, Gladius' technique was extraordinarily formidable!
Both in terms of its sheer power and its extensive range, it reached the pinnacle of excellence.
It perfectly combined close-range and long-range attack methods, making it difficult for enemies to escape severe injury or destruction, regardless of distance.
Its power far surpassed the shock of the previous explosion!
He thought to himself that this time, Lancelot definitely wouldn't escape unscathed like before.
Yet, facing such a dangerous situation, Lancelot showed not the slightest hesitation or fear.
Even though he clearly knew that the guy before him was a bomb that would explode at the slightest touch.
But so what?
Lancelot extended his right hand without hesitation, moving with lightning speed as he reached directly for Gladius's head.
In that instant, a deafening "BOOM!" echoed, shaking the very world around them.
Immediately after, an overwhelmingly powerful shockwave accompanied by raging flames swept through, instantly engulfing Lancelot completely.
The explosion sent flames soaring into the sky, resembling a blazing sun bursting apart midair.
At this moment, even Caesar Clown's eyes flickered with surprise, for the destructive force of this explosion was truly terrifying.
As for Violet, her face was etched with deep concern.
From the moment she chose Lancelot, their fates had become intertwined—prosperity and peril shared alike.
Thus, she absolutely did not wish for any harm to come to him.
As everything gradually calmed and the dust settled, the onlookers were astonished to find Lancelot standing there completely unscathed.
Meanwhile, Gladius hung suspended in midair, his head firmly gripped by Lancelot.
No matter how fiercely he struggled, he could not break free from Lancelot's grasp.
"Release Gladius…"
Just then, three figures rapidly approached from the distance. Leading the charge was a bald old man with bulging veins on his forehead.
His speed was astonishing, completely contradicting his aged appearance.
He had already reached the edge of the crater and, with a burst of strength, leaped into the air, positioning himself directly above Lancelot.
Lancelot glanced upward.
"Lao G?"
He recognized the newcomer at a glance.
Within the world of One Piece, Lao G was far from top-tier, merely a captain-level fighter.
However, in the realm of physical combat, he was undoubtedly a master.
Not only had he developed the "Jion-Ken" martial art tailored for the elderly, but he had also refined it to its ultimate secret technique.
The ultimate secret of "Jion-Ken" was a form of Qigong that allowed Lao G to store the strength of his youth within his body, enabling him to fight even when ill, injured, or weakened by age.
In this state, Lao G's physique and muscle mass would explosively multiply, restoring his strength and skills to their peak.
However, this technique seemed unsustainable for long, as his body would eventually revert to its original form.
Even so, it was an immensely formidable martial art.
If Whitebeard had mastered this technique and unleashed it suddenly during the Summit War, at least one of Akainu or Blackbeard would have fallen.
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