Joy Boy's fist burned with the assimilating power of the Nika Fruit. Stepping on the air, his body rebounded like a compressed spring, launching forward as his punch aimed straight for Lloyd's heart. His roar thundered across the battlefield.
"I have waited eight hundred years for this moment! How could I allow you to ruin it!"
The Demon Blade Muramasa in Lloyd's hand emitted a deep black radiance, darkness coiling around the blade like a living entity. With a casual backhand motion, he unleashed a horizontal slash that collided directly with the incoming rubber fist.
Clang!
Joy Boy's Haki-coated fist struck Muramasa, producing a sharp metallic ring that echoed through the sky.
Lloyd's ink-dark eyes reflected Joy Boy's face without emotion.
"Waiting eight hundred years to die must have been unbearable. Today, I will grant you release."
Darkness surged along the blade like flowing water, spreading toward Joy Boy. Its devouring force gnawed at the Nika power surrounding him like a venomous serpent.
Joy Boy frowned. A white, flame-like aura ignited across his body, and the Nika power flared violently as he retreated, creating distance between them.
After landing, he looked up coldly.
"It seems your darkness has surpassed that of your ancestor, Cassilias."
Lloyd flicked Muramasa lightly, his tone indifferent.
"Eight hundred years have passed, Joy Boy. You are nothing more than a relic abandoned by time."
Joy Boy sneered.
"An era is shaped by people. How could it abandon me?"
Lloyd did not argue. Instead, he nodded slightly, as if acknowledging the logic.
"There is some truth in that. Then let me rephrase."
He raised his gaze, locking onto Joy Boy.
"My era has no place for someone like you."
An overwhelming surge of darkness erupted from Lloyd's body. It spread outward like an ocean tide, forming a massive black void high in the sky, spanning ten thousand meters. It resembled a colossal eye of darkness staring down upon the world.
Even those fighting on the outer battlefield noticed the terrifying anomaly.
Admiral Aokiji's expression turned grave.
"Lloyd has made his move."
Admiral Ryokugyu gazed upward with fanatical excitement.
"That bastard Joy Boy's end has come! I'm going to assist Saint Lloyd!"
Admiral Akainu said nothing. His body transformed into magma as he launched himself toward the Red Line. Yet even his speed could not match Admiral Kizaru, who had already moved ahead using the Eight-Foot Mirror technique.
Kuma remained behind, continuing to suppress the Mink Tribe and Giant Tribe forces still resisting alongside the Marines.
On the Red Line battlefield, Joy Boy stood within the torrent of darkness, his body faintly glowing with white light.
Feeling the immense pressure of darkness closing in from all directions, Joy Boy inhaled deeply. His body expanded like a balloon before compressing back down.
When it settled, his physique had changed. His muscles were sharply defined, as though carved by a blade. The youthful vitality that once lingered on his face had vanished, replaced by a profound sense of age and experience.
Lloyd narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So you have finally shed your disguise, Joy Boy."
Joy Boy's expression remained steady. His fists tightened as his muscles swelled.
"Why would I need a disguise?"
Lloyd's lips curved faintly. He raised Muramasa, pointing it directly at him.
"Then stop hiding behind that repulsive appearance and fight properly."
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
A dense purple beam shot from the tip of Muramasa, layered with rings of gravitational force. Joy Boy extended his hand, palm open, and blocked the incoming attack head-on.
The immense weight pressed against him, yet he held firm.
With a flick of his wrist, he dispersed the remaining purple energy. However, a slight numbness lingered in his arm. Blocking the attack had not been effortless.
"The power of the Gravity Fruit is indeed formidable," Joy Boy said. "Tell me, how do you possess multiple Devil Fruit abilities?"
Lloyd's answer was simple.
"Die once, and you will understand."
In the next instant, he vanished.
A blur of motion cut through the air as Lloyd reappeared before Joy Boy, Muramasa glowing with gravitational energy as it slashed downward.
"Gravity Blade, Infinite Hell."
Joy Boy's expression shifted. Two overwhelming forces pulled at him in opposite directions, compressing his body instantly. Even with the resilience of his Nika form, he was flattened into a disc-like shape, unable to recover immediately.
Before he could respond, Lloyd lifted him with the tip of Muramasa and spun him violently through the air.
Joy Boy focused his Haki at the exact point of contact to prevent the blade from piercing him.
At his level, his perfected Nika body could normally ignore blades entirely. But Muramasa was different. Eight hundred years ago, it had been this very blade that shattered his defenses and led to his defeat.
Lloyd had no expectation of ending the battle here. His intent was far simpler.
Humiliation.
Joy Boy's Nika form thrived on absurd and humiliating tactics. Lloyd merely returned the favor.
As Joy Boy spun uncontrollably, he quickly realized Lloyd's intention. Rage surged within him.
With a roar, a milky white halo burst into existence around his body. Its elastic force expanded violently, bending even the blade of Muramasa.
Seizing the moment, Joy Boy broke free. He landed in the distance, still encased in the glowing sphere. After several rebounds, the halo faded, revealing his distorted form slowly returning to normal.
Crack!
Joy Boy's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Red and black lightning surged around his body, coiling like wild serpents. His fists compressed, forcing the air to explode outward with a piercing sonic boom.
Advanced Conqueror's Haki surged across his form. Under its power, he shattered the restraining forces and restored his body completely.
Energy gathered within his fists.
Then, with both hands, he struck forward.
The space between him and Lloyd twisted violently. Waves of force surged like a raging sea, layering upon each other as distortion intensified, rushing toward Lloyd.
The warped space disrupted Lloyd's phasing ability, slowing his movement significantly.
His expression darkened.
In response, his shadow power condensed into a pitch-black spherical barrier, encasing him completely.
Crack, crack, crack!
Fine fractures spread across the surface of the shield.
Lloyd let out a cold snort. A brilliant white light erupted from his body, releasing a powerful repulsive force. It spread outward like an invisible hand, forcibly crushing and flattening the distorted space back into stability.