Fortunately, at that life-and-death instant, Kozuki Oden did not completely give up resistance. Enduring the searing pain from his abdomen, he exploded with the last of his potential and violently retreated backward.
He would rather suffer a second injury than let Rosse seize the chance to unleash a chain of blows.
The blood-soaked Sea God Trident, dripping with warmth, was drawn out from Oden's abdomen.
At the same time, Kaido's thunderfire-wreathed kanabo finally came crashing down.
He had no time to care about Oden's wound. He had to block Rosse from pursuing him. Otherwise, if they lost even one man, all of them could end up dead here.
Rosse swung his trident backhand, casually, and easily parried Kaido's crushing strike.
BOOM!
Another deafening explosion. The violent shockwave spread like a tsunami in all directions.
Even in a hasty counter, Rosse fought Kaido, who had gathered full force, to a draw.
His strength now had far surpassed the tier where Kaido and the others stood.
One-on-one, even if Kaido steeled his will and belief to the fullest, Rosse would only need half an hour at most to cut him down completely.
This was absolute suppression.
BANG!
Kozuki Oden's body fell from the sky like a broken meteor, crashing miserably into the ruins of the Flower Capital.
He struck the rubble-littered ground heavily, stirring up clouds of dust. With difficulty, he stabilized himself, driving Enma and Ame no Habakiri deep into the earth to support his swaying body.
He panted heavily, coughing up blood again and again. His abdomen and back gushed blood, ghastly to behold.
Even for a top-tier monster like him, this was no minor injury.
His combat power now was perhaps sixty percent of his peak, and he urgently needed healing.
But on this battlefield, there was no time for that.
Just then, a faint pink sword aura, like mist, spread around, making Oden's face sting slightly.
"You?"
Oden focused his gaze upward, and with his keen senses and Haki, suddenly found Gion's figure, 'When did she appear here?'
Now, Gion held the famed blade Konpira, glowing pink, staring coldly at him.
And the one who should have been under her care, Black Maria, had been replaced by another tall woman, more mature and alluring than Gion herself.
"Damn it, why is she here?"
Seeing that mature figure, Oden's face darkened further.
'Nerona Vanessa!'
The name exploded in Oden's mind like thunder.
Though back at Mary Geoise he hadn't crossed swords with this mysterious woman much, his sharp senses and intuition for danger told him clearly, she was a genuine powerhouse, her strength no weaker than Zephyr's.
And at the same time, Oden knew, she was the current commander of the God's Knights.
World Government reinforcements, arriving this fast, was no good sign at all.
"So I really was underestimated."
Gion looked at the still-dazed Oden, gave a self-deprecating smile, and no longer held back. Konpira swung out, sending a flying slash at him.
As a swordswoman, she hadn't chosen to ambush.
But now that her challenge was ignored, she would show no mercy.
Above was Rosse's battlefield. Below, hers.
BOOM!
Oden hastily raised his swords to block, slashing with Enma and Ame no Habakiri, covering them in Armament Haki, barely deflecting Gion's flying slash.
That strike wasn't particularly strong, only a probing blow without killing intent, so he could block it.
But the moment he did, Gion's figure suddenly flickered like a phantom, and she was already before him.
She had entered the mythical Zoan form of her Vampire Fruit, transforming into pink lightning. Konpira shrieked through the air, its tip almost thrusting into Oden's eye.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Facing Gion's storm-like assault, Oden put forth all his strength, parrying with Enma and Ame no Habakiri.
It looked perilous, but he managed to block her.
Being so easily crushed by Rosse didn't mean he was weak. Rosse was simply too strong.
Against Gion's attacks, even injured and in terrible shape, Oden still had confidence he could defeat her.
Compared to Gion, it was actually Vanessa, standing aside and not moving at all, that filled him with dread.
But Vanessa never lowered her head, never glanced at the fight between Oden and Gion. Her deep, enchanting eyes remained fixed on the sky, watching the apocalyptic battle above.
That was what truly drew her, that was her stage.
And it was her true reason for coming all the way to Wano.
Her fruit was called the Pierce-Pierce Fruit. Not some ordinary wall-passing fruit, nor a target fruit for simple directed strikes, but a genuine high-tier spatial fruit.
In her mastery, any anchor point she marked, no matter the distance, no matter what obstacles lay between, she could pass through with ease.
This meant not only could her bullets ignore distance and pierce her enemies precisely, but she herself could use it to teleport between two points. An elite fruit for both offense and defense.
It was also thanks to an anchor point on Rosse that she could reach Wano so quickly.
This time she had come because of Rosse's special invitation. To witness a grand spectacle.
And the battle in the sky truly was one.
Whitebeard at his peak, and Golden Lion going all out, two men who stood atop the world.
Together, even Rocks at his prime could only have died in regret.
Yet now, those two, joined by Kaido and Oden, still couldn't do a thing against Rosse.
It hadn't been long before Oden was forced out, injured so badly Gion could use him for practice.
And Kaido too, under Rosse's overwhelming strength, had gained nothing.
If not for Golden Lion and Whitebeard's frenzied attacks forcing Rosse to divide his focus, Kaido would already be wounded.
"Transcendent-level strength… to reach this in his twenties, he might really be able to kill that man," Vanessa murmured softly, her full red lips curving upward in a tantalizing smile.
At the same time, her long dress swayed with the battle's aftershocks, perfectly outlining her ripened, peach-like figure, radiating her mature, intoxicating allure to the utmost.
She seemed to glimpse her long-sought future, so close at hand.
For that, she was willing to pay any price.
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