Originally already moving at extreme speed, he now shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, a rocket piercing through the sky, advancing with wind-like swiftness.
His speed was so tremendous that the surrounding air friction created sharp, piercing sonic booms.
"Whoosh..."
In the blink of an eye, Lancelot swept through the midst of the ninjas.
As his figure passed by, he simultaneously swung his long sword.
Instantly, a mighty Sword Intent surged forth like raging waves!
This powerful Sword Intent formed a visible shockwave that rapidly expanded in all directions.
The ninjas had no time to react before being violently struck by the sudden shockwave.
Their bodies involuntarily arched like leaves caught in a gale, sent flying backward and soaring high into the sky before ultimately plunging into the sea.
Seizing this precise moment, Tengu keenly identified the perfect opportunity to attack.
The deaths of his subordinates seemed as insignificant as ants to him, failing to stir even the slightest ripple in his heart, let alone cause any substantial impact.
With swift hand seals, Tengu muttered under his breath, "Fire Dragon!"
Instantly, the surrounding fire elements converged frantically as if summoned by some mysterious force, rapidly coalescing into a massive, ten-meter-long flame dragon wreathed in roaring fire.
It lunged ferociously toward Lancelot with claws bared.
At that moment, Lancelot happened to be facing away from Tengu.
From Tengu's perspective, this guaranteed an element of surprise, solidifying his conviction that this was the ideal moment to strike.
Admittedly, it was a rare and golden opportunity—one that few others would likely escape unscathed.
However, Tengu's opponent was no ordinary foe but Lancelot, whose strength placed him among the world's top-tier elites.
Though his back was turned, Lancelot possessed an almost supernatural perception of danger from behind, as if he had eyes on the back of his head.
Without even glancing back, Lancelot casually swung his Shusui blade, releasing an incredibly sharp slash.
With a resounding "boom," the imposing flame dragon shattered like a fragile illusion upon contact, dissipating into scattered embers.
"Huh?"
Lancelot let out an involuntary exclamation, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
It wasn't the power of the flame dragon that startled him—after countless battles, such attacks were routine.
What truly caught him off guard was his acute Observation Haki detecting Tengu's sudden and complete disappearance from his previous location.
Just as doubt crept into Lancelot's mind, an intense sense of crisis surged within him.
He snapped his head upward to find Tengu already positioned directly above him.
To his astonishment, a pair of magnificent, enormous wings had sprouted from Tengu's back.
The wings beat at an astonishing frequency, propelling Tengu downward like a lightning bolt in a steep dive.
The sheer velocity generated a series of deafening sonic booms.
Narrowing his eyes, Lancelot fixed his gaze on the descending Tengu.
He mused inwardly, 'This guy does possess considerable skill. He's leveraging gravitational potential from the aerial descent, the propulsion of his wings, and the enhancements granted by his Devil Fruit ability... A triple amplification, pushing his power to unprecedented levels...'
Even he felt a hint of pressure.
Therefore, Lancelot did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent, abruptly unleashing his full power.
In an instant, an overwhelmingly terrifying Sword Intent surged from his body like raging tidal waves, causing the surrounding air to seemingly grow heavy.
Immediately after, Lancelot raised the renowned blade Shusui without hesitation and uttered in a low voice.
"One Sword Style - Sword Slash!"
With this utterance, Lancelot swung his arm forcefully, the Shusui in his hand instantly transforming into a dazzling radiance that shot straight toward the Tengu in the sky with earth-shattering momentum.
The slash carried the force of a thunderous avalanche, generating continuous sonic booms along its path—its power could only be described as utterly terrifying.
The sharp sounds of sonic booms tore through the sky.
"Whoosh..."
Descending like lightning, Tengu had no time to react before the devastating slash struck him with thunderous force.
Instantly, a gruesome wound split open across his chest, deep enough to reveal bone.
Scarlet blood gushed out like a burst dam, transforming into a crimson rain that scattered mid-air before staining the ground.
Sustaining such a grievous injury, Tengu completely lost his combat capabilities.
His body plummeted from the sky like a severed kite string.
This strike not only left a horrifying, nearly torso-splitting gash on his chest but also penetrated deep into his body, severely damaging multiple internal organs.
Pfft—
Another torrent of blood erupted from Tengu's mouth, forming a dense mist of blood that hung heavily in the air.
At this moment, Tengu's eyes turned hollow and indifferent, devoid of any trace of human emotion.
In his eyes, that slash resembled a divine technique performed by a god—its power so unimaginable it felt utterly unblockable.
It made him truly comprehend the realm of a master swordsman.
That overwhelming, indomitable, and peerless aura struck his soul like a heavy hammer, leaving him deeply shaken and lost in self-doubt before such a breathtaking display of power.
Just as he was about to crash into the ocean like a falling meteor, Lancelot materialized like a phantom beneath him.
With lightning speed, Lancelot's left hand shot out and seized Tengu by the throat.
Effortlessly, he lifted Tengu into the air.
Regaining his senses as if wGing from a nightmare, Tengu slowly raised his head.
His eyes fixed on Lancelot, and a bitter, resigned smile tugged at his lips.
"Heh… For decades, I believed myself exceptionally gifted—if not peerless, at least among the world's finest. Yet today, before you, I proved utterly worthless."
Tengu's voice was thick with desolation and defeat.
Lancelot responded with a cold smirk, disdain flashing in his eyes.
"Hmph! You're nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well. You have no idea how vast the world is, nor how terrifying true power can be."
With a flick of his arm, Lancelot hurled Tengu toward a distant warship as if discarding a rag.
Thud!
Tengu's body arced through the air before crashing heavily onto the warship's deck.
Lise, who had been waiting nearby, immediately directed her subordinates into action.
Several robust soldiers stepped forward, swiftly and skillfully restraining Tengu with specially crafted Seastone handcuffs.
Afterwards, they dragged the incapacitated Tengu into the temporary prison on the lowest level of the warship and tightly closed the door to prevent his escape.
Sai was grinning from ear to ear at this moment.
In his view, the actions of the Sakura Country were utterly foolish.
They had completely cut off their own retreat... From now on, it might not be their Kano Country that would be blockaded in these waters,
but the Sakura Country instead.
Moreover, Tengu, one of the Sakura Country's top three combatants , had been captured by Lancelot.
A group of ninjas had also been killed.
Their strength had been significantly weakened in an instant... For their Kano Country, this was nothing short of a tremendous boon!
If this news were to reach the Kano Country, even the King and the entire nation would likely laugh in their dreams.
.....
Lancelot had also returned to the warship by now.
Seeing Sai, who couldn't stop grinning, he couldn't help but smile slightly himself.
"Things have unfolded exactly as you wished... So, I'll give you another gift. All the weapons in these merchant ships originally intended for the Sakura Country will be sold to your Kano Country instead."
Sai's smile widened even further, and he nodded repeatedly.
"Excellent, excellent... To show our sincerity and gratitude, we'll pay 50% more than the original price for this batch of weapons."
Lancelot was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.
"Can you make that decision?"
Sai replied, "Of course... Our King is a rare and wise ruler. In matters like this... he would only offer his full support."
Lancelot nodded. "Good! I accept your sincerity."
Baby-5 stepped forward. "Master, in that case, once we deliver the weapons purchased by the giant tribe to their island, our mission in the West Blue will be complete."
Most giants live in the Giant Country of Elbaf, but not all giants reside there.
In the West Blue, there is a small tribe of giants.
The weapons of giants are exceptionally large and cannot be forged by ordinary people.
Although the giant tribe in the West Blue has blacksmiths capable of crafting weapons, their skill is limited, and they cannot produce weapons of the "fast blade" grade.
Hence, they had to place an order from the Grand Line.
The merchant convoy, in turn, delivered the weapons directly to the Four Seas Exchange.
Though they earned slightly less this way, it helped them avoid many dangers.
After all, the West Blue is far from peaceful.
Lancelot waved his hand.
"Set sail... for the giant tribe."
.....
The ruler of the Sakura Country wore an extremely grim expression.
"Bakayarou..."
By now, he had received news of Tengu's fate.
As one of his three top combatants, Tengu was naturally one of the three most powerful figures under his command.
Tengu had dedicated his entire life to the nation.
He had contributed greatly in resisting the Kano Country.
Therefore, whether for public or private reasons, the ruler was deeply pained by Tengu's death.
His gaze then fell upon the two remaining combatants, Golden Fox and Black Ghost, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
Because he knew.
With Tengu's death, it meant their Sakura Country was now pitted against that rear admiral.
Not only would future trade become problematic, but they also had to guard against the possibility of the navy directly intervening in their war with the Kano Country.
He was now caught between a rock and a hard place.
Golden Fox and Black Ghost exchanged glances.
Of the two, the former was a woman.
She was clad in crimson, her slender neck leading down to a bosom of creamy white, half-concealed yet alluring.
Her slender waist seemed almost too delicate to grasp, while her long, moist, and perfectly proportioned legs were bare, and even her dainty feet exuded a silent, bewitching charm, issuing a tantalizing invitation.
This woman's attire was undoubtedly provocative, yet compared to her demeanor, it seemed almost subdued.
Though her large eyes held a fierce glint, they also carried a teasing, coquettish allure.
Veiled in misty allure, her charm rippled through the air.
The corners of her small mouth lifted slightly, her red lips parting as if inviting a taste of their richness.
This was a woman whose seductiveness emanated from her very bones, seemingly ceaselessly enticing men and tugging at their nerves.
The latter was a Black Demon, an exceptionally tall man with two demonic horns on his head.
His appearance was as grotesque and fearsome as a demon, striking terror in those who beheld him.
These two were, respectively, an Ability User of the Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan: Nine-Tailed Fox Devil Fruit, and an Ability User of the Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan: Shuten-dōji form.
This was also the foundation of Sakura Country's confidence in establishing its three great admirals.
With the addition of the deceased Tengu, they possessed three Mythical Zoan users.
In terms of Devil Fruits alone, their rarity surpassed even that of the Logia type.
Coupled with the trio's strength, the entire West Blue had come to acknowledge the title of the three great admirals.
Golden Fox furrowed her brows slightly at this moment.
"Your Majesty, I never agreed with provoking that Rear Admiral from the start. I even suggested we should build a good relationship with him... After all, this guy directly took out one of Doflamingo's top officers... and Doflamingo could only resort to placing a bounty in the underworld.
Even Crocodile and Moria, who were fellow Shichibukai with Doflamingo, fell by his hand.
Even if it was by taking advantage of the situation... one still needs the strength to seize such opportunities."
The King's face darkened, his heart already filled with rage.
Hearing Golden Fox's words, he nearly lost control and erupted.
"Huff..."
The King took a deep breath, then glared at Golden Fox.
"There's no need to dwell on that now... What's done is done. Finding a solution is the most important thing at present."
Golden Fox rolled her eyes.
She inwardly grumbled: 'The previous generation's king was so brilliant and heroic, transforming this ordinary kingdom into the second strongest in the West Blue.. How did he end up with such a dumb descendant?'
'Could it be because this guy is the product of inbreeding?'
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator