The giant sand monster's hand suddenly compacted a large sword from yellow sand, then thrust it hard from top to bottom.
Busoshoku Haki flowed on the sword's surface, instantly increasing the sand sword's hardness level several times. Moreover, the sand on the large sword's surface flowed at high speed, making it as sharp as a cutting machine.
*SPLURT!*
Elder Centipede's hard shell only provided slight resistance before being completely penetrated, pinned dead to the ground by that giant sand sword.
"An insect with a hundred legs won't die immediately even after falling."
Elder Centipede was indeed a monster with very tenacious vitality. Its giant body kept writhing, letting out very heart-wrenching shrieks from its mouth organs. Countless trees fell crushed, and dust and smoke rose high around.
"This... Haoshoku Haki!"
Shirohige and the others, who jumped back to avoid Elder Centipede's final rampage, widened their eyes.
They stared at that sand monster in disbelief. They could clearly sense mental pressure emanating from inside that sand monster's body.
Although this power had just formed, its density level was very high. In terms of level, its strength didn't even lose to Shanks'.
Shanks also narrowed his eyes: "Unexpectedly, this person can awaken Haoshoku Haki. Truly a surprise!"
People who possess Haoshoku Haki without exception are those who have great potential and qualifications to become kings. In the future, they definitely won't be ordinary people. This had become common knowledge in the One Piece World.
Initially, it was impossible for anyone in the One Punch Man World to awaken Haoshoku Haki. At most, King's mental level would break through limits and finally awaken as a psychic power user (Esper), equivalent to Tatsumaki. But after the Three Worlds' unification, certain rules began to mutually share, which allowed King to awaken Haoshoku Haki in one go.
Not only that, King who was wrapped inside the sand monster felt his heart beating faster and faster, blood flowing rapidly, and body temperature increasing drastically. This rapid blood flow also stimulated areas of his brain, making him feel his head hurt so much it seemed about to explode.
*PLOP!*
As if an air valve inside his head forcibly opened. King instantly felt fresh and clear; he felt the entire world had changed.
"Be still!"
King felt everything around him could be moved as easily as moving his own fingers. He gripped the air hard. Invisible force suddenly pressed Elder Centipede's body.
Elder Centipede's body which had been still struggling suddenly seemed shackled by something, unable to move anymore.
"Hmm?" King suddenly turned to the side. His gaze was very sharp, he shouted loudly: "Come out!"
Invisible force struck the right side, and a shadow figure fell revealing itself. That was a human beetle-shaped monster (Asura Kabuto), who currently looked disheveled with a face showing panic.
"You awakened Telekinesis!" Tatsumaki sensed power that wasn't inferior to hers at all and felt very shocked.
She already counted as an extraordinarily talented psychic power user, awakened at a very young age until she could reach her current level. But this King, once awakened immediately had power this great, how could she not be shocked?
But she didn't know. King was initially just an ordinary human, but he always walked among various monsters while having to maintain an extraordinarily calm and cold attitude.
The psychological burden King bore could be imagined. Added with his heart's special condition with terrifying blood supply capability, his nerve stimulation cycle was also very frequent, making his mental strength trained to an unimaginable stage.
The current King was: Once awakened, unmatched in the world!
He now had Haoshoku Haki, Telekinesis, plus protection from Shukaku. He already fully qualified to sit in the top three positions of Hero Association S-Class heroes. This was real strength, no longer just mere bluffing like before.
"This King...!" Asura Kabuto stared at Elder Centipede who was pressed under the sand monster and could only twitch slowly.
His face looked very bad. He knew Elder Centipede's strength; his vitality was very strong, even if his entire body perished he could rise again because he had terrifying super-fast regeneration ability. But now, he was pressed to death by King without being able to resist.
Truly worthy of carrying the title Strongest Man on Earth.
Asura Kabuto began intending to retreat. He regretted a bit why he was so rash to appear earlier. The previous King alone was already very strong (according to rumors), now he awakened new power, how could this fight be continued?
"Retreat!" Asura Kabuto's figure shot up, flying to escape into the distance.
To hell with Bijuu or Elder Centipede, nothing was more important than his own life.
Seeing Elder Centipede's tragic condition, other monsters hiding in darkness also began to flee. There were too many experts here; once discovered, it might already be too late to run.
"Unexpectedly there are so many little rats hiding here, are they all from the Monster Association...?" King's Telekinesis swept quickly and immediately found those monsters' presence. Tatsumaki also became aware and spread her psychic power too.
"Don't let them escape!" shouted Bang.
He leaped high like a giant grasshopper, chasing Black Sperm who was flying to escape. This time quite many monsters came; if they could be held here, many cities in the future would be spared from threats. Now the Bijuu incident was almost over, cleaning up a bunch of monsters was a good thing for them.
"Need help?" Asked Shirohige in a loud voice.
The World Council had just been formed, establishing good relations with forces from other worlds wasn't a bad thing. Moreover, communication routes between worlds had already opened; after the Bijuu incident finished, there was no use in them fighting to death.
"Hold him!" Tatsumaki wasn't hesitant at all, she pointed toward Asura Kabuto who was shooting very fast.
Asura Kabuto's speed was indeed extraordinary, even Tatsumaki's telekinesis was slightly difficult to lock him.
"Alright!" Shirohige laughed uproariously. His right hand clenched into a fist, and he launched a long-range punch toward Asura Kabuto.
"Kageki (Air Quake)—"
*CRACK!*
Space before him cracked like glass, those cracks spread quickly into the distance. Space shook violently.
Asura Kabuto suddenly felt his world shook, he couldn't maintain his movement momentum and fell from his high speed.
"This is bad!" Asura Kabuto's face changed drastically.
Without hesitation, he directly thrust himself into the ground. He apparently had excellent ground-digging ability; the ground beneath his feet was scooped quickly like tofu until forming a large hole, and his figure disappeared.
"Truly a ground rat indeed!" Shirohige snorted coldly, then planted his Naginata hard into the ground: "Jishin (Earthquake)!"
A violent tremor occurred, the earth split, large ditches appeared. Under the terrifying power of Gura Gura no Mi, the earth's crust in that area completely changed.
Everyone then saw clearly: a human beetle (Asura Kabuto) was butt-up and trying hard to dig soil, soil scattered behind him while his mouth kept cursing. Suddenly he felt the air around him become cold and the earth stopped shaking. His figure froze in place, then slowly looked up.
"Try running again!" Tatsumaki floated in front of Asura Kabuto with a mocking face and repeated cold laughter.