"Half-Moon Burial!"
Diamante roared, swinging his sword.
Shhh!
The massive sword slash effortlessly tore through the earth like a knife through butter.
"Die! Heavy Axe!"
Dodging the sword slash, Herman Ernest, in his black ancient armor, swung his battle-axe at Diamante. There was no technique, just a straightforward axe swing with an imposing force that seemed to stir the air, creating a powerful gale.
"You're the one who's going to die, you bastard!"
Diamante's rapier became as flimsy as a piece of cloth. He pulled it back, wrapping the blade around itself to form the shape of a bullfighter's cape. It then returned to its original hardness, leaving a bullfighter-shaped blade on the end of the rapier.
"Matador Cane!" Diamante roared, thrusting the transformed rapier forward.
Clang!
The three-meter-long battle-axe and the matador rapier clashed in a deafening metallic screech. The force from the collision created a powerful vortex that exploded outwards, sweeping away everything in its path.
Diamante's body shook as he felt a tremendous force push against him, causing him to stagger backward.
"Such immense strength! What a brute!" Diamante finally stopped after five or six steps, a look of surprise on his face.
"Earth Rend!"
Ernest swung his three-meter-long battle-axe and brought it down hard on the ground.
Rumble!
The ground shook violently, and a huge fissure spread from the point of impact, as if the axe had carved a deep canyon into the earth.
"You're a true savage! Are you trying to destroy the entire ground?" Diamante dodged the attack and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"I will cut you down," Ernest said coldly. He swung his three-meter-long battle-axe as if it were a straw, bringing it down on Diamante again.
"Hmph! Don't look down on me! Sword: Great Sword!" Diamante snorted in anger, using his ability to return his matador rapier to its original form. Then he flicked the sword, making the blade grow longer and transforming it into a great sword.
Clang!
Diamante held the sword with both hands and charged forward. They passed each other, a crisp metallic sound ringing out as a dazzling flash of sparks erupted in the air.
"Such sheer brute force!" Diamante's long sword was now only half-length. He looked at his trembling hands, a grim expression on his face.
"Your swordsmanship… it's sharp enough," Ernest said, looking down at the sword mark on his chest armor. The blow had cut completely through his armor, almost injuring him.
Clink!
Diamante tossed the half-broken sword away. "I can't let my guard down for even a second!" he said solemnly. He then placed one hand on the ground.
"Ground Flag!"
In the next moment, the ground began to ripple up and down, as if the entire earth were a waving flag.
"What is this ability?" Ernest said, struggling to keep his footing. He quickly slammed his battle-axe into the ground to stabilize himself.
"Hehehehe! I'm a Ripple-Ripple Fruit user, a Flag Human!" Diamante said with a wicked laugh as he watched Ernest steady himself with his axe, "Round two has begun!"
Rumble!
A gigantic stone fist fell from the sky, causing the earth to shake and crack, creating a massive, visible hurricane of air that kicked up a storm of dust.
"High-Speed, Shadow Slice!"
Elroy held his cross-shaped ancient sword. With a flick of the blade, countless sword shadows flashed, engulfing the giant stone fist and slicing it into pieces before it fell to the ground.
"Ahhh!"
"Help me!"
"Run! Get away from here!"
"Oh my god! These monsters will kill us all if we get caught in that!"
Soldiers on both sides scrambled to escape. Some were thrown by the shockwave, while others were crushed by falling rocks. Those who ran had a chance of survival, while those who didn't were already dead.
Clink!
Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A massive figure crackling with electricity shot by. Vito, in his Thunder Basilisk form, and Elroy clashed fiercely, their claws and tails becoming lethal weapons that easily carved marks into the ground and rocks.
Hiss!
A huge, black python, twenty to thirty meters long, slithered in. Its triangular head flickered its tongue, revealing a mouth full of jagged teeth. It seemed to be able to tell friend from foe, as its brown vertical pupils were fixed on Elroy's ghostly figure, its gaze cold and sinister.
Hiss!
Hiding behind a rock finger, the black python coiled its body, as if looking for an opportunity. Suddenly, the python's body tensed and shot forward like a black lightning bolt, reaching Elroy in an instant.
"Get away!"
Elroy roared, shifting his body to dodge Vito's whip-like tail and countering with a backhanded slash of his sword.
Slash!
A sharp sword flash tore through the python's head as if it were tofu, severing it from its body in an instant. However, the python's vitality was extremely tenacious. Its body still writhed, and the severed head even bounced off the ground, lunging at Elroy.
Slash! Slash!
Elroy didn't even look as two more sword flashes cut through the air, splitting the python's head into three pieces that fell to the ground. The headless body continued to writhe on the ground, its tail lashing with enough force to crack rock.
Clang!
Elroy blocked Vito's claw with his sword and glanced at the python's body. He gasped, "What are these beasts? Were they raised and tamed from some kind of dangerous island?"
The python's vitality was too strong, and its scales and body were incredibly tough. Although his sword had cut through the python's body with ease, it was because his cross-shaped sword was a famous blade, incredibly sharp, and he had imbued it with Armament Haki.
A normal person couldn't even damage these beasts with a sword unless they were hit directly by a cannonball. Even a gun would only be effective at close range. And with that kind of attack speed, only someone with Observation Haki would be able to react.
A charge of dozens of these beasts would be enough to overwhelm an army of hundreds of thousands without a strong leader present.
"Hehehehe… They're not just animals," Vito sneered. "They're weapons."
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