Chapter 139 CP0 (6)
Eric felt the immense power surging from his opponent and cursed frantically, "Damn, why does this feel like the Eight Gates technique?!"
His opponent was clearly prepared to give his life here, using moves that drained his life force so drastically. With the look on his face, it was certain he wouldn't see the sun tomorrow.
Although it wasn't as exaggerated as the massive power boost from the Eight Gates, Eric could estimate from his Kenbunshoku Haki that his opponent's power had at least increased six to seven times.
Eric's heart even wavered, unwilling to face him head-on.
'What should I do? Should I create some distance and Dragon this out? Or...' Eric instinctively wanted to take the safest, least dangerous route to win.
'I'll call on my companions to take him down.'
His [Heart Network] had already noticed that the other three CP0 members had all lost consciousness, lying on the ground, while all the navy soldiers were blocked by Kurumi's barrier and clones.
But just then, Eric realized he was being watched by his own companions. All their eyes were focused on him. Without needing his Haki or even his sight, he could feel the attention from everyone around him.
At this moment, it felt as though it was just him and his formidable enemy Karloff facing off.
Would dragging out this fight and winning really make him happy?
Why had he trained so hard under Scáthach's guidance?
If he couldn't even defeat a small CP0 member head-on, how could he ever reach the top of the world?
Moreover, this was a battle where his enemy was ready to give his life; he couldn't back down so easily!
"Come on!" Eric shouted, his emotions rising. "This is a duel between you and me!"
His blood surged.
"Vroom~"
Haki erupted from Eric once more, the Conqueror's Haki at a four-star level!
The Haki passed through the bodies of everyone present. Even the navy soldiers who hadn't entered Kurumi's barrier fainted from the sheer pressure, collapsing to the ground.
Eric's momentum skyrocketed, and Karloff's expression grew serious, his pupils narrowing like needles.
[ Ding... Kurumi's affection has increased, bond level unchanged ]
[ Esdeath's affection has increased, bond level unchanged ]
[ Scáthach's affection has increased, bond level unchanged ]
[ Kurumi's affection has reached its maximum, cannot increase further ]
Eric: "???"
'Did I just activate the CEO trope?'
[Shave]!
Karloff took advantage of Eric's brief distraction, swiftly closing the distance of several meters and appearing in front of Eric.
"Shit!" Eric was startled. 'No honor, a sneak attack!'
[Iron Block – Heavy Cannon]!
Karloff clenched his fists, slightly bending his arms, and rushed directly towards Eric's chest from both sides.
Clang!
In the nick of time, Eric twisted his wrist, raising the red spear in front of his chest to block the attack.
'This is heavy!' Eric's feet cracked the ground as his body was pushed back, leaving deep grooves in the ground.
The pain in his arms was excruciating, the bones creaking as though they might snap at any moment.
"Ugh!"
Karloff continued to push him back relentlessly.
"50,000 volts – Electric Shock!"
With his arms numb and his feet aching, Eric used the Thunderbolt power, firing an electric charge at Karloff at close range.
There was no time or space to dodge, and Karloff was immediately surrounded by blue lightning.
Eric could even smell a hint of grilled meat.
After the blinding blue light faded, everyone reopened their eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Karloff stood, his entire body showing only slight burn marks on his fists, and his once-white hair had been completely burned off, leaving him bald.
"Your lightning doesn't hurt me at all!" Karloff gritted through the pain in his body, grabbing Eric's spear with his left hand while retracting his right fist toward his waist.
[Iron Block – Uppercut]!
He forcefully pulled back his left hand, following it with his right fist, which snaked under the spear and charged directly for Eric's chin.
Bang!
The sound of flesh hitting fist rang out as Eric's chin shattered, his head flying up as his body was sent soaring into the air.
Eric shot straight upward, and for a moment, he even wondered if his height had been increased by a few centimeters from the punch.
The violent impact shot through his chin and into his spine, and a dizzying sensation followed. 'I can't pass out!' was Eric's only thought.
"Electrotherapy!" Unlike Enel's heart-stimulating shock, Eric focused the electricity on his brain.
"After shocking myself, I feel more awake than ever!" Eric gritted through the pain of his shattered jaw, exhaling smoke as the hair from his electric-induced explosion fell back into place.
Kurumi, who had been worried while clutching her hands in front of her chest, was relieved to see Eric's nonchalant demeanor.
'This bastard… making me worry like this... when we get back to the ship, I'll make sure he regrets it!' Kurumi silently vowed, imagining eighteen different ways to punish him.
Eric controlled his magnetic power to float in the air, reaching out to the spot where the fallen navy soldiers lay. "Electromagnetic!"
Swords and flintlock guns, all made of iron, were drawn toward Eric's magnetic field, floating in the air.
Click Kurumi tightly gripped her vibrating sword handle to prevent Muramasa from being pulled into the air as well.
Karloff, astonished, shouted, "Didn't you eat the Thunder-Thunder fruit?! Why do you have the powers of the Magnet-Magnet fruit?!"
"It seems you guys really have the Devil Fruit encyclopedia," Eric replied, "but you don't understand science. Let me educate you!"
At that moment, thousands of weapons without their masters floated behind Eric, immediately making Karloff's face turn pale.
Eric waved his right hand, and the magic spear, which had been knocked away earlier, moved as if on its own, swooping through the air twice before returning to his hand.
"Take this—Magnetic Thunder version of the King's Treasury!"
Eric held the spear firmly, pointing it at Karloff. The weapons began to sway dangerously. Accelerated by Eric's magnetic power and gravity, the weapons broke the sound barrier, creating sonic booms as they rushed toward Karloff.
[Shave][Kami-e]
The sheer number of weapons and their incredible speed made it impossible for Karloff to avoid them all, but with quick movements, he dodged them one by one. Even the debris from the weapons' collisions with the ground couldn't touch him.
Eric suddenly flashed in front of Karloff, aiming the spear straight for his heart.
[Iron Block – Hammer Punch]!
With both hands together, he slammed the spear's tip into the ground, the magic spear uncontrollably stabbing downward.
Meanwhile, weapons continued to rain down from above, covering both Eric and Karloff, attacking indiscriminately.
"Damn, my ultimate technique—Six Kings Gun!"
Karloff abandoned defense, enduring the falling weapons, using all his power to strike Eric with a shockwave.
"Piercing Death Thorn Gun!"
Eric, seemingly ready for mutual destruction, let countless weapons pierce through his elementalized body, aiming straight for Karloff's heart.
Boom boom boom!
At that moment, all the weapons fell, engulfing the two figures in a cloud of dust from the explosions.
"Eric!" This time, it wasn't just Kurumi, but even Akame cried out in concern.
(END CHAPTER)
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