Joy Boy, riding Zou, launched another attack from the sky. This time, Lloyd was ready. Violent blood energy surged continuously around his arm, injecting immense vitality into his body.
In the next instant, Lloyd pressed his bare palm against Zou's massive head. White energy intertwined with the surging blood energy and erupted outward, creating a devastating shockwave. Even at an altitude of ten thousand meters, the terrifying fluctuation stirred monstrous waves across the sea below.
For a moment, the waters near the Red Line were thrown into chaos. Fierce winds howled, and lightning as thick as pillars tore through the sky, casting the heavens into alternating flashes of light and darkness.
At the center of the storm, Lloyd held Zou in place with a single hand. At the same time, the Demon Blade Muramasa in his other hand shot forward on its own, spinning violently in midair. It transformed into a rotating black crescent, slicing toward Joy Boy atop Zou.
Joy Boy remained composed. With a casual flick of his wrist, the space before him twisted into a vortex. The moment Muramasa made contact, it was deflected, forced to circle endlessly around him without ever drawing close.
Now fully composed, Joy Boy's Nika power surged stronger than before. He glanced at the circling blade and let out a light chuckle.
"Trying that hard to take my head? Your killing intent is quite intense."
Lloyd did not respond. With a subtle curl of his finger, Muramasa returned to his grasp. His eyes opened slightly, revealing deep purple gravity rings forming out of nothing, encircling Zou.
Zou's massive body stiffened instantly.
Seizing the moment, Lloyd moved. He shot forward and raised his hand, pressing downward. The gravity intensified again, forcing Zou and Joy Boy downward through the sky.
As Zou plummeted, Lloyd pointed Muramasa forward. Endless darkness erupted behind him, cascading like a black waterfall from the heavens. It engulfed Zou entirely and crashed into the sea below.
The ocean turned pitch black in moments. Joy Boy and Zou vanished beneath the surface, not reappearing.
Lloyd descended calmly, his toes lightly touching the surface of the sea.
Standing atop the darkened waters, he looked down into the abyss. Then he bent slightly and placed one hand upon the surface.
The previously turbulent black sea suddenly erupted into even greater chaos. A massive vortex of darkness spread outward from his palm.
Lloyd's gaze remained unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss, as his awareness extended through the sea. Within a radius of ten thousand meters, the ocean had been completely assimilated into his darkness. It was no longer just water, it was an extension of his body.
With a single thought, he located Joy Boy and Zou.
It was not that Joy Boy refused to emerge. The oppressive power of the darkness made it nearly impossible. Any ordinary being would have been crushed instantly upon entering. Only Joy Boy, sustained by Nika power, could still move within it.
At that moment, Joy Boy shielded both himself and Zou with a white spherical barrier formed from Nika power, forcing his way upward through the crushing darkness.
The instant Lloyd locked onto him, Joy Boy sensed it. His expression changed, turning grave.
"Not good."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the surrounding darkness erupted violently. Vortices formed from every direction, converging upon him.
Joy Boy pushed his power to the limit, maintaining the protective barrier while accelerating toward the surface.
But before he could break through, Lloyd's cold voice echoed beside his ear.
"Darkness Great Funeral."
In the next moment, the entire sea trembled. A deafening roar erupted from the depths. The black ocean froze for a brief, unnatural instant, as if time itself had halted, before resuming its violent motion.
Lloyd slowly straightened, watching as a bright white light expanded beneath the surface. It surged upward like a rising sun and hovered before him.
As the light faded, Joy Boy and Zou reappeared.
Zou hung its head low, breathing heavily. The white clothing formed by Joy Boy's Nika power was riddled with holes, white smoke drifting from the damaged edges that refused to regenerate.
The attack had clearly taken its toll. Even Joy Boy had nearly been overwhelmed. The power of darkness was indeed among the most dangerous.
Yet Lloyd gave him no time to recover.
Without hesitation, he thrust the Demon Blade Muramasa into the surface of the sea. Rings of black ripples spread outward, followed by an overwhelming aura rising from the depths.
Gripping the blade, Lloyd spoke in a low, commanding tone.
"King's Command, Darkness Burapush."
Joy Boy's pupils shrank.
He had experienced this technique before, during his time within Roger. He knew its terror well. Without hesitation, he urged Zou upward.
His speed was extraordinary. In the blink of an eye, he had already ascended a hundred meters.
But at that exact moment, a colossal dragon head, spanning over a thousand meters, burst from the sea. Its jaws opened wide and swallowed both Joy Boy and Zou whole before plunging back into the abyss, sending massive waves crashing outward.
Not far away, Admiral Kizaru, Admiral Akainu, and the others stood atop a floating ice platform created by Aokiji.
Aokiji knelt on one knee, both hands pressed firmly against the ice, maintaining the structure with all his strength. The platform was barely a hundred meters wide.
Under normal circumstances, such an output would have frozen vast stretches of ocean, forming ice thousands of meters deep. But within this black sea, his power was severely suppressed.
Maintaining even this small platform required constant effort. Without it, the ice would be consumed within minutes.
Kizaru stared ahead, adjusting his glasses slightly, his tone carrying a hint of mock concern.
"Is it already over? If we are late, the Fleet Admiral might not be pleased, how frightening."
Admiral Aramaki clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on Lloyd with fervent admiration.
"As expected of Saint Lloyd. Even Joy Boy from eight hundred years ago cannot stand against him."
Behind them, Aokiji's face was strained, sweat pouring down as he struggled to maintain the platform.
"Aramaki, stop admiring him and help me. Can you at least create something to support this? I cannot hold on much longer."
Aramaki turned his head, irritation clear on his face.
"Do not interrupt me while I am watching Saint Lloyd. You are truly useless."
Aokiji's expression darkened, cold air beginning to seep from his body as he prepared to snap back.
Before he could speak, Akainu shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed firmly on Lloyd, who remained standing over the sea.
"The battle is not over yet."