"You fool. Imu's strength is unquestionable—how dare you speak to the God of this world like that?"
Sword Saint Bickley roared from the ground, trying to assert his importance. He wanted to curry favor with Imu, to make Ashveil pay for his audacity. Yet what awaited him was far beyond his expectations.
A bolt of purple lightning struck suddenly. Even Bickley's renowned Observation Haki could not sense it in time. The attack landed at his feet, exploding with a deafening boom that shook the sky and earth.
Purple arcs of electricity crackled across the battlefield, and the elder beside Bickley, terrified, fell to the ground, his white beard infused with Armament Haki wrapping around him protectively.
Garp, Sengoku, Kong, and other nearby veterans narrowly avoided the strike. The force was so overwhelming that if it had been aimed at them, survival would have been impossible.
When the energy dissipated, all eyes turned to the fallen Sword Saint Bickley. The strongest Celestial Dragon in eight hundred years now lay charred and smoking, his body emitting a faint smell of burnt ozone.
The crowd gasped in unison, unable to believe that a single strike from Ashveil had brought down such a powerful figure.
If Ashveil had hidden his true strength before, this attack proved that he had grown even stronger. Even a being like Imu could face mortal danger from him if underestimated.
Kaido of the Beasts and Charlotte Linlin approached, astonished at the sight of Bickley's blackened form. Katakuri, following Mama closely, bowed slightly before her.
"Mama, I just used Observation Haki to probe," Katakuri said, astonished, "and there was no Haki in that attack. None at all."
Mama's bloodshot eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief.
"What are you saying, Katakuri? That's impossible! Night Feather defeated Sword Saint Bickley without using Haki?"
Katakuri nodded firmly, cupping his fist in respect. "Yes, Mama. That strike relied entirely on his Devil Fruit ability. Observation Haki confirms it contained no additional Haki."
Even Kaido felt chills at the revelation. A mere Devil Fruit ability, wielded with such precision and destructive force, was terrifying in its own right. Ashveil's Haoshoku had been his trump card, but now a strange ability alone could obliterate a figure second only to Imu.
The Whitebeard Pirates watched in stunned silence.
"Bickley… defeated with a single strike?" Marco muttered, incredulous.
Diamond Jozu's jaw dropped as he stared at Bickley's smoking body.
"Yes, he fell instantly. Though Bickley had lost his Holy Sword, that alone couldn't account for such a swift defeat," Jozu added.
It was undeniable: Ashveil's strength had surged once more.
All eyes lifted to the sky, where Ashveil hovered, unshaken and confident. Hawkeye Mihawk gripped the Holy Sword he had received from Ashveil even tighter, lost in thought.
Even with countless lifetimes of training, Mihawk realized he could never match Ashveil now. Sword Saint Bickley had been overpowered effortlessly. In contrast, Mihawk's own skill would only ever reach Bickley's level, never surpassing it.
Whitebeard Edward Newgate himself looked on, astonished. He had once considered Ashveil powerful, yet even he could not have imagined such mastery over both Haki and Devil Fruit abilities.
On the battlefield, Ashveil smiled at Imu, a playful glint in his eyes. His Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability had struck true, demonstrating that he was not only growing in strength but also in cunning.
The duel between god and human was about to begin.
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