Facing the frenzied Joy Boy, Carl stood motionless. Blinding white light radiated from his body as a spherical repulsive force expanded outward, forcefully stopping Joy Boy's fist in its tracks.
Maintaining the forcefield didn't hinder Carl's movements. He charged through the barrage of white fists, stepping directly in front of Joy Boy. A deep purple gravitational wave materialized out of thin air and instantly compressed Joy Boy's body.
Pop!
Joy Boy's form snapped back to normal. Despite being crushed under the pressure of gravity, he sprang up, his torso stretching bizarrely from the waist up. Spinning several times mid-air to gather force, he then headbutted Carl.
But Carl's body wasn't soft rubber. Flames surged from the back of his neck—he had entered the unique Lunarian defense mode. His body was as hard as iron, and when Joy Boy's head slammed into him, it rang out with a metallic clang.
Because of the absurd properties of the Nika Fruit, Joy Boy's forehead instantly swelled into a huge bump, making for a ridiculous sight.
Under normal circumstances, Joy Boy would've pulled an exaggerated grimace, but now he was in no mood. Instead, he raised a hand and forcefully pressed down on the bump, flattening it with raw strength.
Crackle!!
Black and red haki lightning surged around Joy Boy's body. Arcs of electricity danced near the corners of his eyes. His expression turned ice-cold as he said:
"Carl... I haven't been this angry in a very long time..."
Carl sneered, the corners of his mouth lifting mockingly.
"Oh? Then I suppose I should feel honored?"
Joy Boy narrowed his eyes. Without another word, he began pouring the power of Nika into his left arm.
In the blink of an eye, his arm swelled to a size far beyond that of any Giant. Swirling patterns, like those of a Devil Fruit, spread across his skin in spirals of jet-black haki, emanating an overwhelming aura of strength.
His fist slowly retracted into his wrist, emitting a teeth-grinding screech like a spring being compressed to its limit.
Meanwhile, Carl floated the cursed blade Muramasa by his side. Rings of deep purple gravitational energy spiraled around his hand, mingling with streams of red, liquid-like haki.
Both Carl and Joy Boy had reached the pinnacle of Devil Fruit mastery and haki strength. Neither had thrown a punch yet, and already, the air itself seemed frozen in place.
...
A bolt of lightning split the sky, thunder roaring in its wake. Simultaneously, Carl and Joy Boy struck.
BOOM!!!
Their fists collided without touching, and the explosive sound echoed through the heavens and earth. The shockwave tore through the skies, even severing the lightning bolt in midair.
Above the clash, a curtain of darkness surged upward, forming a massive vortex at its center. Several black cyclones rose from the dark sea below, stretching skyward in a catastrophic spectacle—a forbidden zone of life itself.
At the center of it all, the gravity rings on Carl's arm hummed violently, pouring out a force strong enough to topple mountains. On Joy Boy's side, the haki markings writhed wildly, surging with equal might.
Neither man gave an inch. A stalemate.
...
Carl's mind moved, and the cursed blade Muramasa shot toward the airborne Joy Boy in a streak of black light. Joy Boy frowned, his straw hat spinning off his head, growing in size and transforming into a shield that hovered protectively beside him.
However, ever since being imbued with the "Shadow of D," the hat's power had significantly weakened. With a soft thud, Muramasa pierced straight through the top of the hat.
The blade lodged into the hat, and Carl's eyes flared with dark energy. Muramasa began to spin violently, tearing a large hole into the straw hat.
As the damage spread, the two other D clan warriors on the battlefield trembled. Their bodies became increasingly translucent. Before the God's Knights could act, they dissolved into glowing white particles and vanished.
Seeing his beloved straw hat destroyed again, Joy Boy quickly reached out and grabbed the brim with his free hand. With a fierce flick, he sent Muramasa flying away.
But that split-second distraction weakened the force in his left arm. In a clash of this magnitude, even a moment of divided attention was fatal.
Carl seized the chance. The gravitational rings on his arm burst with eerie purple light, forcing Joy Boy's punch backward. By the time Joy Boy realized what had happened, it was too late—no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't stop Carl's offensive.
Joy Boy's arm trembled violently, eventually being blasted away. Haki and gravity surged over him like a tidal wave. He let out a sharp gasp, white vapor spewing from his mouth as his body deflated like a punctured balloon.
...
Just then, Zunesha, its trunk severed, rose from below atop a cloud of white flames. It stepped in front of Joy Boy, buying him precious recovery time.
Joy Boy immediately beat the drums of liberation, reigniting life into his shriveled form. But Zunesha wasn't so lucky. Taking Carl's attack head-on, its body split open—skin flayed, organs crushed into pulp.
Zunesha let out one final mournful cry to the heavens before its body collapsed, shredding apart into bloody chunks. Crimson sprayed over Joy Boy, drenching him.
Joy Boy wiped elephant blood from his face. Combined with his twisted expression, he looked like a demon risen straight from hell.
Carl had no intention of letting him grieve. Even as steam still rose from Zunesha's torn flesh, he was already charging forward. Joy Boy's drums still beat on his chest, but his wounds hadn't fully healed. Unable to fight back, he dodged desperately, chased through the sky like a dog by Carl's relentless pursuit.
...
Thunder flashed through the darkened sky. In the brief flickers of lightning, Joy Boy's figure appeared, running wildly through the air—just like the legends of the "Warrior of Liberation."
And behind him, the silhouette of a sword-wielding figure loomed relentlessly.
Anyone watching could see the truth: this so-called "Warrior of Liberation" was running for his life.
On top of Mary Geoise, Wanda and Carrot exchanged a look, the same thought flashing through their minds—
"If Pedro saw this scene... his expression would be priceless."
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+150 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg