— — — — — — —
Clang!
The crisp sound echoed clearly through the battlefield.
Katakuri, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino.
A fierce clash between four titans.
The battle had been raging for nearly seven hours now, yet it showed no signs of ending.
"Huff—" Katakuri let out a deep breath, his sharp gaze unwavering.
It was obvious. Seven hours of intense combat had pushed him to his limits.
A Silver Rank 2 warrior facing three Silver Rank 1 opponents.
"Huff—" Exhaling deeply once more, Katakuri murmured to himself, "This is a tough situation. These three are no joke. If I continue like this, it'll be extremely difficult to keep up."
He understood this fact clearly.
His stand 'Invincible Death' was powerful, but—At this level of combat, every fighter had an acute sense of perception, coupled with exceptional mastery of Observation Haki.
Using Invincible Death effectively was no simple task.
Although it allowed Katakuri to relax slightly, the trade-off was a double increase in stamina consumption.
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki charged forward again, his attack precise and ruthless.
BOOM!
A torrent of magma erupted violently, as if seeking to obliterate everything in its path.
Katakuri remained calm and composed.
Swish!
Invincible Death manifested before him.
A single strike—The attack was effortlessly cut apart.
Simple. Effortless. Unshaken.
As if it was the most natural thing in the world.
That was Invincible Death. Against attacks like these, countering them was far too easy.
"Oh my~"
Suddenly, Borsalino appeared beside Katakuri, his signature lazy tone carrying a hint of amusement. "This is truly terrifying!"
Though his words seemed lighthearted, his actions were anything but.
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
Countless laser beams rained down, their sheer volume threatening to consume everything in their wake.
Katakuri's eyes gleamed red.
His movements were incredibly subtle.
To an outsider, it looked as if he had barely moved at all.
Yet—That tiny shift in movement allowed him to evade every single attack effortlessly.
Borsalino's eyes widened in shock. "This level of Observation Haki?!"
Even he hadn't anticipated this outcome.
The strength of Katakuri's Observation Haki was simply beyond reason.
"Heh."
A smirk formed on Katakuri's lips as he lowered his head slightly. "Just as I thought... Only under extreme conditions can I truly grow stronger. Are you all ready?"
Swish!
The moment he finished speaking, Katakuri launched himself into the air like a shooting star.
BOOM!
In an instant, he shot straight toward Borsalino.
"Ice Glove!"
Kuzan moved quickly, stepping in to intercept.
But—The massive frozen fist he summoned was instantly shattered by Invincible Death.
It didn't even slow Katakuri down. With a single slash, it was destroyed.
And that—Was just the beginning.
Swish!
In a blink, Invincible Death was now aiming directly at Kuzan.
But—Katakuri's expression remained cold as he scanned the battlefield.
He had already soared high into the sky.
Invincible Death had a maximum range of two meters.
A very short range.
This was why Katakuri always engaged in close-quarters combat.
In melee combat—Invincible Death could unleash its full potential.
"Mochi Fist!"
Like a spiked club, Katakuri's fist came crashing down toward Borsalino.
"Oh my~" Borsalino swiftly retreated, letting out a dramatic sigh. "That was a close one! You really are a terrifying monster!"
Swish!
Just then, midair—Katakuri's attack seemed to have missed. But suddenly, Invincible Death materialized once more.
Short sword and greatsword intertwined—And unleashed a devastating strike.
The attack came so fast, Borsalino barely had time to react.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Kuzan suddenly appeared, arms crossed.
"Ice Shield!"
A thick ice barrier, reinforced with Armament Haki, instantly formed before him.
The attack was halted.
Kuzan's expression was grim. "His ability is unique. It carries an incredibly destructive force. If we don't counter it properly, we could be in serious danger."
Borsalino nodded in agreement. "Indeed!"
Just then—Sakazuki joined in, fists blazing with fury.
"Hell Hound!"
His fiery punch hurtled straight toward Katakuri's head.
This time—Sakazuki was fueled by pure rage.
He had been pushed to his limit.
Three-on-one, yet they were still struggling? That was unacceptable.
Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino—They were still young, in their prime, full of arrogance.
How could they possibly accept this humiliation?
Their fury could only be quenched by Katakuri's defeat.
BOOM!!!
An earth-shattering explosion rang out.
"Burning Mochi!"
Katakuri's voice cut through the chaos.
BANG!
The four warriors landed back on solid ground, staring each other down.
"Huff—"
Katakuri exhaled deeply, his mind racing.
"I see now."
Facing the three opponents surrounding him, he remained eerily calm. "I think I understand. I can't say for sure yet... but I've begun to grasp this unique power. So this... is the true strength of a Devil Fruit?"
"???!"
His words stunned his three opponents.
They stared at him, confused.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, the ice beneath their feet began to shift. No—The material itself had changed.
"What is this?!" Sengoku and Garp, watching from the sidelines, were equally stunned.
"Stay put," Perospero said with a serious expression. "Sengoku, Garp—please, do not interfere. I won't deny that we aren't your match, but this fight is already beyond external interference."
At that moment—The battlefield itself had turned into mochi.
Devil Fruit Awakening! The most terrifying evolution of a Devil Fruit's power had emerged.
Before, Katakuri had reached a semi-awakened state, but he couldn't control or use the power again. But today, it was official—Katakuri had broken his limits once more.
"Flowing Mochi!"
Katakuri pressed one hand against the ground.
The terrain instantly shifted.
All of Kuzan's ice morphed into mochi and surged toward the three.
"Hmph?!"
The trio tensed. They had never expected this.
In the midst of their battle, Katakuri had reached the level of Awakening.
If one had the potential, they could break through instantly.
It was like a barrier. Once shattered, Awakening became a reality.
But if one lacked that talent? No matter how strong they became, they would never awaken their fruit.
And now—Katakuri had shattered that barrier.
The battlefield had changed in an instant.
"Rainfall Mochi!"
His hands struck the ground, and countless hardened mochi projectiles launched into the sky, coated in Armament Haki, falling like raindrops onto the three enemies.
"Great Eruption!"
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
"Light Speed Kick!"
The three countered immediately, dispersing the attack.
But Katakuri wasn't done.
Floating above him—Massive donuts of mochi appeared in mid-air.
"Pant... Pant..."
Katakuri exhaled heavily, his eyes burning with determination. "I've only just awakened, but this is enough. Now... let me show you my true power!"
"Unstoppable Donuts!"
The floating mochi donuts trembled as more and more of them materialized in the air.
"Damn it! You're just a pirate!"
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki charged, fists blazing.
"Power Mochi!"
Katakuri remained unfazed.
He swung his fist—And from one of the floating mochi donuts, an identical fist shot out!
Coated in Armament Haki, it smashed into Sakazuki.
This was Charlotte Katakuri—The strongest warrior of the Charlotte Family after all.
"Light Speed Kick!"
"Ice Block: Partisan!"
Borsalino and Kuzan attacked simultaneously, seeing Sakazuki being sent flying.
Katakuri, however, merely said, "I can already see all of your attacks. There's no point."
"Nine-Headed Mochi!"
From nine of the floating mochi donuts, nine powerful fists emerged, each coated in Haki.
This kind of coordination was impossible for most fighters.
But for Katakuri? With his mastery over Observation Haki—He wielded all nine arms as if they were his own.
His speed was unmatched. His power was overwhelming.
This was the terrifying control he possessed over himself and his abilities.
In a three-on-one battle—Not only had he held his ground—He had surpassed his limits.
His strength, his Haki, his Devil Fruit—All had evolved to another level.
And this was only the beginning of his legend, not just in this world, but across the entire multiverse.
.
.
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