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Chapter 281: Onigumo's Transparent World
Vista held his sword with one hand, pointing it distantly at Onigumo. The reflection of the flames danced in his pupils, making him look like an awakened demon.
"Are you ready, Marine?"
"What comes next... is going to be very hot!"
"Hmph! Playing tricks!" Onigumo snorted coldly, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying rather than diminishing. "It doesn't matter what sword you switch to! Before my speed, it's all scrap metal!"
"Total Concentration: Eight Sword Style: Spiral Pierce!"
Onigumo's body spun abruptly!
He transformed into a high-speed rotating black drill! Accompanied by a screeching sound that tore through the air, he shot toward Vista in an instant!
"Then come and try it!"
Vista didn't retreat; he advanced! The Mugenjin in his hand slashed out violently!
"Flower Sword Secret Technique: Crimson Lotus Arm!"
BOOM—!!!
Crimson flames and pitch-black sword light collided mid-air with a deafening roar! It was as if a burning meteor had smashed into a storm of blades.
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward instantly! Countless shards of rock, carrying sparks, shot out in all directions like bullets. The withered grass and trees were ignited in a flash.
The originally desolate island was transformed into a blazing purgatory in the blink of an eye!
"That is..."
Watching from a distance, Jozu's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. "That broken sword... it can actually produce fire?!"
Standing on a reef, Red-Haired Shanks narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze was fixed dead center on the sea of fire, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful arc.
"Interesting... It's not just the sword that's special. That Onigumo's breathing rhythm... it's changed."
Inside the sea of fire, two figures clashed and separated instantly!
Onigumo landed and retreated several steps. His long hair, usually as hard as steel, had been scorched in a large patch, emitting a pungent burnt smell. Across his chest, a hideous burn mark ran horizontally!
Although the wound wasn't deep, the searing pain caused his breathing to stagnate for a split second.
"Cough, cough..."
Onigumo clutched his chest, staring deadly at his opponent.
The elegant Great Swordsman stood amidst the raging fire. The serrated long sword in his hand was still dripping with burning oil.
"Is this your limit?" Vista gently flicked the sparks off his blade, the ends of his mustache curling up slightly. "If this is the extent of your speed, then next... this sword is going to eat a human!"
BOOM!
Another violent collision! Sparks and sword light flew in unison!
Vista's figure retreated violently again, his feet ploughing deep furrows into the earth. His chest heaved violently, his breathing becoming incredibly heavy. His magnificent suit was now tattered, covered in dense, tiny cuts. Blood flowed down his arm, dripping onto the crimson serrated blade, making a sizzling sound as it evaporated.
"What is going on..."
Vista stared at Onigumo with eyes full of shock and suspicion.
If the Marine was simply fast before, the current situation was downright bizarre! No matter how Vista changed his moves, no matter how he used his Observation Haki to predict, it was useless. Even a feint, or the tiniest twitch of a muscle, was instantly captured by the opponent!
Every time Vista swung his sword, Onigumo blocked his attack route half a second in advance! It felt like... he was standing naked before the enemy, all his secrets laid bare!
"Hah... Hah..."
Onigumo stood not far away, his steel-needle hair dancing wildly in the wind. The eight sabers spread out slowly behind him like the legs of a spider.
In his eyes, the world had completely changed!
Colors faded away, leaving only black and white lines.
In this world constructed of lines, Vista's body had become a transparent shell! The contraction of red muscle fibers, the pumping of blue blood vessels, even the trajectory of oxygen entering the lungs and blood being transported by the heart—everything was clearly visible!
"I see it... I see it all..."
Onigumo's mouth cracked open, revealing a hair-raising grin. His voice was hoarse, carrying an uncontrollable excitement.
"Your muscles are screaming. Your blood is trembling in fear. Vista, your next move is... a thrust with your left hand, feinting to the right, but actually retreating, correct?"
Vista's pupils shrank to the size of needle points!
How is that possible?!
He hadn't even had time to exert force for that move; it was just a thought that had flashed through his mind! His muscles had only made the most microscopic preparatory twitch!
Is this guy reading my mind?!
"This is the second gift that the [Dungeon] bestowed upon me..."
Onigumo slowly raised the dual blades in his hands. The hair behind him curled around the other six blades, emitting a trembling hum that thirsted for blood.
"This state is called—[Transparent World]!"
Shua!
Before his voice even faded, Onigumo's figure vanished again!
No! He left a long afterimage on Vista's retina!
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Centipede: Hundred-Legged Zigzag!"
The ground collapsed instantly!
Onigumo didn't sprint in a straight line. Instead, moving in a bizarre posture that defied human biomechanics, he refracted crazily across the ground in a zigzag pattern!
Fast! Too fast!
This erratic movement, combined with those eyes that could see through everything, rendered Vista's Observation Haki completely useless!
"Over here!"
Relying on the intuition of a Great Swordsman, Vista slashed fiercely to his right!
CLANG!
Sparks flew!
However, before he could change his move, Onigumo's other seven blades came strangling from all directions like a meat grinder!
"Too slow! This muscle contraction is too slow! The opening here is too big!"
Pu-pu-pu-pu-pu—!
Blood sprayed wildly! Several flowers of blood instantly bloomed on Vista's body!
"ARGH!!!"
Vista let out a roar, forcing his waist to twist despite his injuries, trying to pull away. But Onigumo was like a maggot attached to bone! He stuck to him deathly tight!
The eight blades wove an airtight web of death!
Blocking the path forward! Cutting off the retreat! Even the air above and the ground below were filled with fatal sharp edges!
"What's wrong?! Is this the swordsmanship the Whitebeard Pirates are so proud of?! Is this the so-called 'Flower Sword'?!"
Onigumo laughed maniacally while swinging his swords frantically! The pleasure of toying with a strong opponent sent him into a state of sheer ecstasy!
"Before these eyes, you are like a frog on a dissection table! I can cut wherever I want!"
Splurt!
Another deep wound, exposing the bone, appeared on Vista's thigh! He stumbled, nearly kneeling on the ground.
Despair! True despair!
Even when facing Hawk Eyes Mihawk, he had never felt so powerless! The opponent was not only faster but had seen through him completely! It was like playing Rock, Paper, Scissors where the opponent always threw half a second later and could see exactly what you were going to throw!
How the hell do I fight this?!
"It's over! Flower Sword Vista!"
A scarlet killing intent flashed in Onigumo's eyes! The eight blades behind him closed instantly, thrusting straight toward Vista's heart like the stinger of a poisonous scorpion!
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter!"
This strike was unavoidable! The aura of death instantly enveloped Vista's entire body!
On the distant reef.
"Jozu! Go help!"
Marco finally couldn't sit still. His face, usually wearing a lazy expression, was now incredibly grave. Yasopp had already lost. If Vista fell here too, the face of the Four Emperors' crew would be completely lost today!
"A battle of this level..."
Whitebeard suddenly reached out and stopped Jozu. His crescent-moon eyes stared fixedly at the figure in the sea of fire.
"It's not over yet. My son is not that fragile!"
In the center of the battlefield.
Facing that sure-kill strike, Vista didn't dodge. He didn't even try to block. He simply lowered his head slightly.
In his blood-blurred eyes, a trace of absolute resolve flashed.
Since my techniques are seen through...
Since my movements are predicted...
Then...
I'll use absolute power! Absolute destructive force! To burn everything... to ash!
"Huu..."
Vista took a deep breath. It was... an extremely scorching breath!
The serrated long sword Mugenjin in his hand began to tremble violently as if it had come alive! The oil on the blade was boiling! Those hideous serrations looked like hungry mouths, craving more fuel!
"Since you want to see..."
"Then I'll let you see enough!"
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