[Half-Moon Requiem]
This was Diamante's only technique not reliant on his Devil Fruit—a testament to his swordsmanship.
"Devil Fruit users really are a pain," Lance muttered, his eyes flashing as he swiftly dodged the oncoming slash of sword aura and leaped across the split and fluttering arena floor.
Having fused the strength of many powerful pirates from the New World, Lance's speed and movement technique had reached unprecedented levels. The short distance of several dozen meters took him less than a single breath to cross!
In a flash, Lance appeared before Diamante, fingers curled into claws, thrusting directly at Diamante's heart.
"You think you can get close to me? Keep dreaming! Hahaha!"
Diamante laughed arrogantly and suddenly transformed into a fluttering flag, drifting across the air, gliding over the water and toward the spectator stands.
As a Hira Hira no Mi (Flutter-Flutter Fruit) user, he could briefly float by manipulating wind currents.
"Arrogant fool!"
Lance scoffed coldly. "Kuro Ni, it's your turn."
Suddenly, a dark humanoid shadow—Kuro Ni—who had long been waiting among the spectators, lunged forward at lightning speed. He appeared behind the smug Diamante and slashed with his long, razor-sharp claws!
RIP—
Diamante felt a sharp, soul-piercing pain from his back, and a shower of blood sprayed through the air, shocking the entire audience.
"Wh-what… how?!"
"My Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) didn't sense anything at all?!"
"And my cloak—it's made of steel!"
Blood gushed from Diamante's mouth. He couldn't believe it. His steel cloak, empowered by the Flutter-Flutter Fruit, wasn't supposed to even be scratched—yet it had been cleanly torn apart, and worse, the attack had hit his actual body!
As one of the Donquixote Family's highest officers, Diamante possessed both Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) and Kenbunshoku Haki. He was a genuine powerhouse, and yet—he'd been critically injured here, so easily.
"Kuro Ni, push him to me."
Lance gave his command, and Kuro Ni immediately shoved Diamante from behind, sending him flying straight back toward Lance's waiting strike.
THUD!
Lance's hand pierced into Diamante's body. It didn't go clean through, blocked by his durable defenses.
BOOM!
Even so, the force of Lance's blow was overwhelming. Diamante's body was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing into the spectator stands and collapsing a huge section of the stone seating in a cloud of dust and debris!
"Busoshoku Haki, huh?"
"Good."
Lance's eyes gleamed coldly. "That will be mine too, soon enough."
On the spectator stands, the panicked audience scrambled to flee for their lives, fearing they'd be caught in the crossfire.
Crash...
Stones crumbled and dust filled the air as Diamante struggled to rise, his face twisted in pain and fury.
"I won't lose… I'm a top officer of the Donquixote Family! I'm going to be Doffy's most trusted right hand! How could I lose here? Impossible!"
He screeched in rage, glaring at Lance. "You'll never win! You dare challenge the honor of the Donquixote Family? Unforgivable!"
As he roared, Diamante pulled several launchers from his coat and fired them into the sky. They exploded into a rain of fluttering paper slips drifting through the air.
"I didn't want to use this move… Once these fall, even I won't be able to stop it. Everyone in the arena will die!"
"But you forced my hand! If they die, it's on you!"
"Now go to hell!"
[Death Stardust]
The fluttering paper instantly transformed—becoming countless spiked iron balls raining down like a deadly storm!
Anyone caught underneath would suffer serious injury at best—instant death at worst. There was no escape within the blast radius!
"The one who dies… is you."
Lance's voice was icy.
In that moment, Diamante found himself frozen in place. Two massive, bandaged hands gripped his arms. Another two restrained his legs.
He was locked down—unable to move even a muscle!
Lance kicked a few stones into the air, leapt up, and used them as steps to reach the spectator stands.
He landed in front of Diamante.
"Two months ago, you 'killed' me once. Now it's my turn."
Murderous intent flashed in Lance's eyes.
THWACK!
Lance's hand drove forward—piercing straight through Diamante's heart!
"I… I don't accept this!"
Diamante's eyes filled with despair and disbelief. Lance drew his blood-soaked hand back, staring coldly as Diamante's lifeless body collapsed at his feet.
"No way… He's dead! Lord Diamante is really dead!"
"The myth of the Donquixote Family has been shattered! The man-eater actually defeated him!"
"Even Lord Diamante couldn't beat him! We've got no chance! What are you standing around for—waiting to be eaten?! Run!!"
Lance, however, stood calmly. Kuro Ni, with his towering frame, spread his arms to shield Lance from the falling spiked iron balls, blocking the deadly downpour entirely.
"What's going on… why so many screams?"
"Did Diamante use that move? Is he slaughtering the whole arena?"
At that moment, the one-legged soldier finally arrived—too late.
He had just gone to teach a lesson to the classmates who had mocked Rebecca. Just as he was about to return to the colosseum for work, he heard news of the man-eater's appearance and rushed over.
But he was too late. He didn't witness Diamante's brutal death firsthand.
All he saw was Diamante's corpse lying cold at Lance's feet, and the once-glorious arena turned into a hellish battlefield.
"He… he really killed Diamante…"
(End of Chapter)
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