"Clang!!"
Sparks flew.
The long saber Ochoku slashed horizontally was blocked by an upright pitch-black heavenly dragon halberd, creating dazzling sparks upon impact.
The massive recoil sent his long saber bouncing back.
But Ochoku's assault was far from over!
Gripping the rebounding saber, his figure spun counter-clockwise to the left like lightning; the blade swept in a wide arc behind him, slashing toward the left side of Carlos's neck!
The saber tore through the air at a speed several times faster than sound.
The sharp whistle of the wind hadn't even reached the ears yet.
The sharp blade was already pressing against the skin of Carlos's neck!
This exaggerated speed was not something simple martial arts could achieve.
This was a Devil Fruit power!
"The Paramecia-type Instant Teleportation Fruit?"
Although he was on guard.
But Ochoku's slashing speed was so fast that Carlos couldn't swing his halberd to block again.
In that case, there was only one way—
Use a Devil Fruit to counter a Devil Fruit!
"Garuda Form! Activate!"
In the split second the blade touched Carlos's neck, golden feathers sprouted from the skin on the surface of his neck.
A multitude of feathers, like finely linked scale armor, completely covered his neck and head.
Carlos's muscles swelled, his body size ballooning as if inflated; his bronze-colored muscles expanded, and he instantly transformed into the half-bird, half-human Garuda Hybrid Form!
"Clang!!"
Over a dozen golden feathers snapped and flew off Carlos's neck.
"Slash—!"
A spray of blood splattered.
Carlos, now six meters tall, was sent flying to the right by Ochoku's incredibly fast strike!
Seeing Carlos covered in golden feathers with wings on his back and a bird's head, Ochoku sneered.
"Even if you transform into a Mythical Zoan, you're dying today!"
"On this sea, no one is faster than me!"
"Teleport! Instant Slash!"
Holding his saber, he vanished from the spot without even a starting motion.
By the time he reappeared, he had already intercepted the flying Carlos, thrusting his blade straight at his eyes!
It was a critical moment!
Carlos's arm muscles bulged, and he swung the heavenly dragon halberd like a heavy hammer.
"Boom!!"
The heavy weapon blasted through the air, smashing a huge hole in the cabin blocking the way.
However, Ochoku, who had been there a second ago, vanished again.
Almost simultaneously—
"Puchi!"
A sharp pain came from Carlos's abdomen.
A splash of crimson blood flew as a long, narrow wound appeared on his abdomen!
"Whoosh!"
His wide wings spread, and Carlos adjusted his posture. Red light flickered in his eyes as he fully activated his Observation Haki to search for Ochoku's presence.
However—
Ochoku's presence was everywhere!
In Carlos's vision, dozens of overlapping afterimages of Ochoku suddenly appeared on the deck of the steamship.
These afterimages weren't fake; they were all the real Ochoku!
It was just that the speed of the Instant Teleportation Fruit was so extreme that there was no sequence, making it seem as if he appeared in dozens of places at once.
Before high-speed users like Kizaru with the Glint-Glint Fruit appeared, this was the first time Carlos had fought an enemy this fast.
Since he couldn't immediately distinguish Ochoku or judge his trajectory.
Then there was only one option—
Crush them all!
Red light shone in Carlos's eyes as he gripped the halberd with both hands and smashed it down!
"Boom!!"
The 129,000-jin heavenly dragon halberd crashed down. The air in front of Carlos seemed to ignite like a hundred tons of explosives, erupting in a massive white shockwave.
Like a bursting mountain torrent, it surged toward the dozens of Ochoku phantoms.
The violent force descended like a mountain, sweeping away the dozens of Ochoku afterimages.
Even the mountain of celestial tribute behind was partially swept away by the shockwave, crashing into the sea like a golden downpour!
Only then did Kaido react.
While feeling heartache over the gold and silver Berries flying everywhere, he angrily cursed Ochoku.
"Carlos! Take it easy! You're sweeping all the treasure into the sea!"
"And Ochoku! You bastard! Are you trying to rob us openly?"
Neither of the two men being addressed had time to pay attention to Kaido.
Having swung his halberd, Carlos didn't relax for a second, quickly pulling the heavenly dragon halberd back.
At the same time, the wide golden wings behind him spread, covering his body like a golden eggshell.
"It's useless!"
"I told you, on this sea, my speed is invincible!"
"Teleport! Instant Slash! Instant Purgatory Kill!"
His voice was heard, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Ochoku's voice came from all directions.
Along with it came cold, flickering blades.
From every angle and direction, cutting, slashing, piercing, or paring, they all attacked Carlos at the center.
"Squelch squelch squelch—!!"
In an instant! Countless crimson slash marks erupted across Carlos's body.
A large amount of splattering blood quickly stained his tall frame red.
Even the pair of golden wings were dyed golden-red.
And Carlos's right hand, which held the heavenly dragon halberd, received special attention from Ochoku.
In less than a tenth of a second.
Carlos's right wrist, which gripped the halberd, was slashed more than a dozen times by Ochoku's saber!
The skin and muscles on the surface of his wrist were torn open.
If Carlos hadn't fully released his Armament Haki for defense.
His right hand might have been severed by Ochoku!
"Get... off me!"
"Boom!"
The pitch-black heavenly dragon halberd swept in an arc, smashing over a dozen of Ochoku's afterimages.
Carlos was covered in blood, but his eyes remained calm to the point of madness.
With his Observation Haki fully active, the golden wings behind him flapped outward.
"Swish swish swish!"
Golden feathers shot out from the wings, firing in all directions.
At the same time, Carlos flapped his wings and rapidly ascended.
Ochoku could teleport.
But he couldn't necessarily fly!
Perhaps he could use this advantage... Slash!!
A sudden, tearing pain came from his right shoulder.
Carlos looked down and saw a huge gash had been slashed across his entire right shoulder!
Blood gushed from the wound as if it were worthless.
Many muscles inside were severed, leaving his right hand, which gripped the heavenly dragon halberd, weak.
Just then, a powerful force came from the heavenly dragon halberd.
It was pulling the heavenly dragon halberd, trying to wrench it from his hand!
Ochoku's figure appeared in mid-air. One hand gripped his blood-stained saber while the other grasped the tip of the heavenly dragon halberd, a triumphant sneer on his face.
"Carlos, the heavenly dragon halberd is mi—"
"Boom!!"
A black and red storm suddenly erupted from Carlos's body, slamming into the caught-off-guard Ochoku. He let out a muffled groan, his eyes momentarily glazing over.
"Buzz buzz—shoo!!"
Two crimson lasers shot like lightning, striking Ochoku in the face.
Ochoku screamed as his head snapped back, and he was blasted away from Carlos.
"You want the heavenly dragon halberd?" Carlos grinned and voluntarily released his right hand, letting the heavenly dragon halberd fall.
The moment the heavenly dragon halberd fell, his right foot kicked out like lightning, striking the end of the halberd.
The heavy halberd shot straight down.
Under Ochoku's shocked gaze, it plunged straight into the undulating sea below, sinking toward the unknown depths!
"You bastard!! Look what you've done?! My heavenly dragon halberd!!"
Seeing the heavenly dragon halberd disappear into the sea, Ochoku's mind exploded. Gripping his saber, he teleported repeatedly, flickering through the air like a lagging video, and lunged angrily at Carlos!
"I'm going to kill you!"
Against a speed-type enemy like Ochoku, the heavy heavenly dragon halberd had become a burden for Carlos.
Now, without the influence of the heavy heavenly dragon halberd, Carlos was completely unrestrained. The golden wings behind him unfurled with a whoosh, and the Garuda's high-speed movement erupted!
"It's I who's going to kill you!! Ochoku!!"