"Not good!"
Lavishur's expression changed. Instinctively, he pushed both hands forward, transforming the air before him into an invisible shockwave that slammed into Regedor.
Bang—!
A dull thud, and a powerful gust of wind spread out.
Regedor was sent flying backward in mid-air. He let out a "wah-ha!" and spat out a large mouthful of blood, then deeply inhaled several breaths of fresh air, his expression a mix of pain and relief. However, in his hand, a ten-centimeter-long steel awl appeared, which he flung towards Lavishur.
"Spiral Awl!"
The steel awl shot out, spinning rapidly in the air like an armor-piercing round fired from a rifled gun. With a "buzz," a silver gleam flashed through the air like a meteor. Lavishur reacted incredibly fast, instinctively controlling his body to shift, but the steel awl's speed was too great, and the distance too short. He couldn't dodge it completely, only barely managing to avoid a vital spot.
Pfft—!
With a soft sound of flesh being pierced, three chunks of flesh were torn away by the steel awl. Lavishur felt a sudden chill in his right abdomen, where a horrifying bloody hole had appeared, blood gushing out like a fountain. Then, intense pain erupted from the initially numb wound, feeling as if a thousand needles were repeatedly stabbing his right abdomen.
Lavishur's face contorted. He gasped in pain, a "ho-ho" sound escaping his throat. He immediately lost control of his "Domain," and the transparent sphere centered around him rapidly shrank, retracting back into his body.
Rumble—Rumble—!
Immediately, the air in the area rushed back in, forming howling gales that swept through, accompanied by thunderous roars.
"This is really troublesome!" Cross frowned tightly, looking at Roberts, who was running towards them against the fierce wind. He couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Of their two main combatants, one was being corroded by some curse-poison and was on the verge of death. The other had been wounded in the abdomen, and their fighting capability was surely reduced.
Whoosh—!
Boom—!
Suddenly, a Haki-infused cannonball struck near Roberts, causing a deafening explosion. Scorching flames mixed with thick black smoke shot into the sky, accompanied by violent shockwaves that swept in all directions, making the very ground tremble.
Roberts was knocked to the ground by the shockwave-like blast. After rolling a few times, he knelt, holding Gae Bulg with both hands, his gaze sweeping around cautiously. His armor was blackened with gunpowder residue.
"Who's there?"
"Hahaha~ You didn't get blown to bits, huh? Want to take a few more shots from me?!"
A middle-aged Marine with salt-and-pepper hair laughed as he walked over from across the street, an experimental single-man bazooka from the Marine Science Unit on his shoulder. His Marine coat flapped wildly in the strong wind.
"Oh~ Vice Admiral Prodi, you're perfectly timed!" A smile appeared on Cross's face as he greeted him.
"I'm not old enough for retirement yet, Cross-kun! If you youngsters keep rushing to the front lines, I'm afraid when I retire, Kong won't even give me my pension!" Prodi laughed heartily, his gaze fixed on Roberts, the muzzle of his bazooka continuously pointed at him.
"Commander..."
"I know!"
Regedor looked at Roberts, his expression somewhat solemn. The latter waved his hand. Though his full-face helmet obscured his expression, a hint of coldness emanated from his gaze. He spoke in a deep voice, "One after another, it's endless. It seems Lent's side has been breached!"
Hearing this, Regedor listened for a few seconds, then said seriously, "The gunfire from the city gate is still going. There must be a lot of Marines!"
"So the reserve unit couldn't hold them back, huh..." Roberts nodded knowingly, his cold, chilling gaze meeting Prodi's.
The next second, Prodi's expression straightened. He directly pulled the trigger of the bazooka at Roberts. A Haki-infused cannonball shot out of the barrel, cutting through the air with a sharp, tearing sound.
Whoosh—!
Boom—!
Almost simultaneously, Roberts charged towards Prodi, agilely dodging the incoming cannonball. The projectile landed in a dilapidated house behind him, causing a devastating, sky-high explosion and a violent shockwave.
At this point, Prodi actively retreated, creating distance between them, and continuously attacked Roberts with his bazooka.
Boom, boom, boom...
For a time, deafening explosions continuously echoed. Balls of fire mixed with black smoke surged from the ground, accompanied by raging, hurricane-like shockwaves that shook the very earth.
Marksman vs. Spearman?
Cross watched the battle between the two, and this term suddenly popped into his mind. However, Vice Admiral Prodi, who hadn't completely aged, was in his prime. His strength was considerable; at least, when he said he was on par with Garp's fists in his youth, it might not have been an exaggeration. Those Haki-infused cannonballs, if Cross had to deal with them, would certainly leave him disheveled and in a sorry state.
"Brat, where are you looking?"
At this moment, Regedor roared and rushed over, the silver vambraces on his wrists spinning rapidly with a "buzzing" sound. He launched a nearly solidified spiral energy ball at Cross.
Geppo!
Cross leaped up, dodging the attack. But with a loud "boom," the ground beneath him was instantly blasted into a large crater, sending large amounts of shattered rock and dirt flying.
"Mushussu Attack!!!"
"Hmm?!"
Suddenly, a golden figure flashed from the distance, arriving in an instant like a golden bolt of lightning. Cross's face changed drastically. He immediately held Shusui horizontally across his chest.
Clang—!
A loud metallic clang echoed, a few sparks flew, and a visible circular air ripple rapidly spread outwards. Because it was difficult to gain leverage in mid-air, Cross plummeted like a meteor, smashing heavily onto the street with a loud "boom," raising a smoke column several meters high.
"Hiss hiss~"
A strange creature, entirely golden, appeared in the sky. It had a snake-like head with horns, constantly flicking its forked tongue. Its front legs were like a lion's, its hind legs like an eagle's, and a long scorpion tail swung freely behind it, moving effortlessly through the seemingly empty air, as if walking on invisible ground.
"Mushussu... as expected, it's a legendary ability!" Lavishur looked at the strange creature above with a complicated expression, muttering to himself.
"Royal Uncle, seeing my ability, you should understand that I am the chosen one!" The Mushussu lowered its head, its golden vertical pupils revealing arrogance. It spoke, "Join me. Strong individuals like us are the true masters of this country!"
Lavishur stared at the Mushussu, remaining silent for a long time. As a member of the Doma Royal Family, the meaning represented by the Mushussu was self-evident to him. However, he found it even harder to accept the other party colluding with external enemies for power and profit.
"Cough cough cough~"
At this moment, Cross slowly crawled out of the large crater in the street. He brushed the dust off himself, coughed a few times lightly, and slowly said, "I didn't even come looking for you, and you sneak-attacked me..."
"Hey, Lavishur! I'm going to finish this guy. You got a problem with that?!" The last sentence was a question delivered with a chilling tone.
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