Before the words were even finished, the ground beneath Roger and Whitebeard exploded. Their figures blurred into afterimages as they charged at each other once more.
Their weapons clashed again.
"Clang, clang, clang—!!"
The dense sound of metal on metal rang out like a torrential downpour. Sparks flew with every impact, and each collision stirred up a small hurricane of wind and sand.
"Let's go, boys! Attack!" On the Whitebeard Pirates' side, Marco the Phoenix was the first to react. His arms transformed into wings of blue flame, and he soared into the sky.
"Yeah!"
"Let's take all of the Roger Pirates' treasure!"
On the other side, Rayleigh pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the glint of clashing steel. He drew the longsword from his waist and pointed its tip toward the ground. Beside him, Jabba slammed his two giant axes together with a sharp clang, his face lit up with excitement.
"Well then…" Rayleigh's voice was steady and clear as it carried across his crew's formation. "We can't let the Captain have all the fun by himself!"
He and Jabba raised their weapons at the same time, pointing them at the surging wave of Whitebeard Pirates.
"All hands—"
Just as Rayleigh was about to give the command to charge, a figure descended from the sky like a meteor, landing silently between the two of them. It was Kyle. He had one hand casually tucked in his pocket, and his black and gold naginata was resting on his shoulder, as if the world-shaking clash from moments before had been nothing more than a gentle breeze.
"You can't have all this fun without me."
He turned his head, a playful smile on his face as he looked at Rayleigh and Jabba. Then, he took a step forward, clenched his right fist, and aimed it at the dozens of Whitebeard Pirates charging at the front of the line.
"Alright, let's start with a little warm-up!"
Kyle threw a simple, ordinary-looking punch. But in the air just a few feet in front of his fist, the space suddenly twisted and compressed, forming a visible, rapidly spinning ring of air. The next moment, that compressed shockwave was unleashed.
"BOOM—!!!"
An invisible cannon of air blasted forward in a wide arc, carving a deep trench in the sand wherever it passed. The dozens of pirates at the very front didn't even have time to react before they were hit by the violent impact and sent flying through the air like bowling pins, instantly clearing a large space on the battlefield.
"CHARGE!!!"
Like ignited barrels of gunpowder, the Roger Pirates erupted with all their pent-up fighting spirit, letting out an earth-shattering roar. They surged past Kyle, Rayleigh, and Jabba, transforming into a massive wave that crashed head-on into the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The chaotic melee had begun.
"Diamond Impact!"
"Diamond" Jozu roared as half of his body transformed into shimmering crystal, reflecting the bright sunlight. He crossed his arms in front of him and charged through the crowd like an out-of-control truck. The regular members of the Roger Pirates were completely unable to stop him and were sent sprawling.
"Hahaha! This rock is a tough one! Leave him to me!" Jabba's loud laugh rang out. He stomped his feet and charged straight at Jozu. The two giant axes in his hands whistled through the air as he brought them down hard on Jozu's diamond body.
"CLANG—!!"
A deafening roar of impact spread out, and sparks flew everywhere. Jabba felt a massive shockwave travel up his arms, but the excited grin on his face only grew wider.
On another part of the battlefield, "Flower Sword" Vista fought with a completely different style. The longsword in his hand was light and graceful, and every swing sent a shower of beautiful rose petals flying through the air. But beneath this beautiful display was a deadly intent to kill.
"Dance of the Tuberose!"
The petals scattered in every direction, each one as sharp as a razor blade, sealing off all escape routes for several of the Roger Pirates. Just then, a flash of silver light appeared.
"Clink, clink, clink!"
Amidst the crisp sound of metal, every single petal was precisely deflected. Rayleigh had appeared in front of his crewmates. He casually twirled his longsword, his calm eyes observing Vista from behind his glasses.
"That's some fine swordsmanship," Rayleigh's voice was as steady as ever. "However, I'm your opponent now."
Vista's expression grew serious. Just by standing there, the man in front of him gave off an incredible sense of pressure.
In a corner of the battlefield, two young apprentices stood back-to-back, panting.
"Shanks, big guy on your left!" Buggy yelled without looking.
"I know! That's the right, you idiot!" Shanks cursed back, but his sword didn't waver. He precisely parried a scimitar that had been aimed at the back of Buggy's head.
"You're so annoying! Take this, Red-Hair!"
"Who are you calling Red-Hair, you big Red-Nose!"
Even though they were arguing, their teamwork was becoming flawless. Thanks to Kyle's "special training," their strength had grown far beyond what it once was. In a huge brawl like this, they were not only able to protect themselves, but they could even find moments to launch counterattacks.
Deep in the jungle, Kozuki Oden, who had been sent flying by Roger's Divine Departure, staggered back onto the battlefield. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the excitement on his face stronger than ever. Seeing the massive melee, he let out a huge, roaring laugh.
"Ohohoho! Now this is what being a pirate is all about! This is so much fun!"
He ignored the pleas of his own commanders and charged into the battle with Ame no Habakiri and Enma swinging. Like a tiger let loose among sheep, he began indiscriminately attacking both friend and foe, making the already chaotic battlefield even more uncontrollable.
"Hey! That samurai! You're attacking your own men!"
"Captain Oden! Roger is over there! Watch out!"
At the center of all the chaos, Kyle strolled leisurely across the battlefield. His Observation Haki and unique Wave Motion vision covered the entire area. He could predict any attack, whether it was a sword or a bullet, a step before it happened and easily dodge it.
Suddenly, a cyan blur tore through the air, descending from the sky with a sharp whistle. It was Marco the Phoenix. He was in his half-human, half-bird form. His feet were sharp talons, coated in Armament Haki and wrapped in his azure flames of regeneration, and he aimed a fierce kick straight at Kyle's head.
"So you're the 'Wave Guiding King,' yoi? Let's see what you've got!"
Marco's voice was playful, but his attack was as fast as lightning. To a normal person, he would have looked like nothing more than a streak of falling light. Kyle simply tilted his head up slightly, a smirk forming on his lips from under his sunglasses. He didn't block or dodge. He just opened his mouth and let out a silent wave of energy aimed at Marco.
"Hmm?!"
The instant Marco's sharp talons were about to hit Kyle, his brain suddenly seized up, as if it had been hit by a bolt of lightning. Immediately after, his own voice exploded in his mind like a demonic song, endlessly looping and amplifying until it became a grating noise.
"So you're the 'Wave Guiding King,' yoi? Let's see what you've got!"
"...see what you've got, yoi!"
"Got... got... got..."
The bizarre attack caused his incredible speed and focus to freeze for just a fraction of a second. But when masters fight, a fraction of a second is all it takes. In that moment of weakness, Kyle's figure vanished. He reappeared ghost-like at Marco's side.
"Good reflexes, but unfortunately..."
He bent his middle finger back and flicked it hard at the side of Marco's head.
"!"
Marco's Observation Haki screamed a warning, and the hairs on his body stood on end. He didn't have time to think. At the last possible second, he twisted his body and blocked the attack with a wing that was hardened with Armament Haki.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed as Marco was knocked back over ten meters, carving two deep trenches in the sand with his feet. He shook his slightly numb wing, and for the first time, the look he gave Kyle was completely serious.
"A mental attack, huh? What a troublesome ability, yoi..."
Kyle didn't press his advantage. He just casually adjusted his collar, which had been ruffled by the wind from their clash.
"Right back at you."
Kyle grinned and held up his right hand, pressing the tips of his index finger and thumb together until there was only an almost invisible gap between them.
"The difference in power between you and me is only about this much."
Marco's eye twitched. Is this guy making fun of me?!
He took a deep breath, and the azure flames on his body flared up, his aura becoming even more powerful than before.
"Is that so? In that case, I'll just have to burn that little finger of yours, along with your arrogance, to a pile of ash!"
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