Chapter 205: Battle the Jin Shizi! The Might of a Supreme Ruler!

"You're really going backward as you live."

"I still prefer how you were back then, wild and untamed, just like this fellow."

"Ambition, arrogance, hubris…"

"Those are the core qualities of a pirate!!"

Jin Shizi's gaze fell on Xiang Gaowen, the appreciation in his eyes utterly undisguised:

"Although you weren't my original target, the surprise you've brought me is no less than that thing. How about considering becoming my vice-captain?"

Twenty years later, Jin Shizi made his comeback, having assembled a flying fleet of several dozen pirate ships beneath him, faintly bearing the grandeur of his world-conquering heyday.

But only he himself knew that this fleet was far from comparable to the one that had driven Luo Jie's crew into a corner during the Battle of Edd War.

Because aside from himself, there wasn't a single combatant worth mentioning in this entire fleet!

The crocodile, twice brutally defeated and with his faith nearly shattered, couldn't capture Jin Shizi's attention—but Xiang Gaowen, whose momentum was currently soaring and whose combat power was nearing Emperor-level, was more than enough to earn a second glance!

Compared to gentle persuasion, the lure of profit, or the affirmation of ideals and beliefs,

Jin Shizi preferred to use absolute power to bend the spine of his opponent — because this method was efficient and effective.

Just like Crocodile now — that crushing defeat at Whitebeard's hands back then, even after more than twenty years, still lingered like a nightmare, deeply etched into his heart.

Jin Shizi didn't mind becoming that nightmare in Xiang Gaowen's heart.

"Whether it's presence, combat power, or potential — you have the qualifications!"

Accompanying his words,

the domineering aura around Jin Shizi pressed toward Xiang Gaowen like a mountain.

The howling presence stirred up a gust of wind around them, and the surging seawater in the harbor reversed course in an instant.

Heaven and earth changed color.

The biting cold, the extremity, and that bone-deep, utterly unrefusable will of a supreme ruler — what it revealed was the undefeated belief of a once-legendary figure.

Even in his twilight years, old and frail, Jin Shizi's might remained as heavy as a thousand pounds!

Crack—!

The ground beneath Xiang Gaowen's feet instantly spread with cracks, and at this moment he felt as if a mountain range were weighing on his shoulders.

He finally realized just how terrifyingly powerful those top pirates who had once dominated an era, nearly unrivaled, truly were.

Apart from the three Ancient Weapons, they were walking natural disasters!

"But… I refuse!"

Within Jin Shizi's raging domineering aura, Xiang Gaowen's voice was nearly drowned out completely.

Yet Jin Shizi and the gasping Crocodile beside him heard it perfectly clearly.

"Interesting."

Jin Shizi froze for a moment, a savage smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He had originally thought that the Conqueror's Haki he displayed was enough to let the young man before him see the gap between them — a gap like a natural chasm.

But now it seemed things weren't developing as he'd anticipated; he even saw a burning, fiery battle intent in Xiang Gaowen's eyes.

"Still a hard-headed one?!"

"Then let me test your mettle!"

"Let's see if the blade in your hand deserves your arrogance!"

The words fell.

Jin Shizi's figure vanished from the air in an instant, and when he reappeared he was already before Xiang Gaowen.

The two legs he'd severed when escaping Impel Down had now been reattached with his two beloved swords.

Sakura Ten, Muku.

The number of famous blades and swords in this world is as countless as the hairs on a cow; among them are certainly some swords not listed in any so-called ranking, yet their inherent power remains undeniable.

Jin Shizi's two swords were precisely such a case.

Having accompanied him on campaigns for years, clashing head-on with the Supreme Grade Blades in Luo Jie and Whitebeard's hands without falling behind — that alone proved their might.

Now the twin swords, black as ink, slashed unhesitatingly toward Xiang Gaowen's chest…

Screech—!

Sparks flew in all directions.

The savage grin at Jin Shizi's mouth froze at this moment, because the rebounding force transmitted from his legs nearly made him think he'd struck steel.

No!

Even a body forged of steel would be cut in half by this sword!

"A defense that even my Armament Haki can't cut through?!"

"A special ability of a Mythical Zoan?!"

Although from the very first glance at Xiang Gaowen, Jin Shizi had already recognized that the man before him was a Mythical Zoan user — far rarer than a Logia.

But Mythical Zoan users weren't something he hadn't encountered before; yet never had any of them possessed a physique as monstrous as Xiang Gaowen's.

A defense-specialized Mythical Zoan paired with flight ability…

If the beast form were large enough, then paired with my Float-Float Fruit ability, it would be an aerial fortress capable of crushing any warship.

Coming and going freely, unbreakable, and able to control the earth, ocean currents, and everything around.

Jin Shizi didn't dare imagine such a scene.

At this moment Jin Shizi's eyes suddenly blazed, for a moment even outshining the moon in the sky.

This man — I must have him!

But for such an arrogant, untamed newcomer, one must first break his spine!

The instant this thought flashed through Jin Shizi's mind, an extremely sharp aura came rushing toward him.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a pitch-black blade slashing toward him, but what truly caught his attention was the pale blue luminescence on the blade itself!

"Something's wrong!"

"This kind of slash..."

With no time left to think, Jin Shizi immediately withdrew and retreated violently...

Hiss!

Silver light sliced through the mid-air, cutting the haori behind Jin Shizi in two, which then drifted down slowly.

In that instant, the howling sea wind surrounding them and the Conqueror's Haki radiating from Jin Shizi both came to a halt; only the two figures standing in the center of the arena gazed at each other.

Xiang Gaowen looked down at the white scratch mark on his chest, and only now did he gain a profound understanding of the Battle Armor's defensive capabilities.

If Crocodile's power was insufficient to test the Battle Armor's defense, then Jin Shizi's sudden slash just now was more than enough to explain the situation.

Aside from top-tier swordmasters, Armament Haki as strong as Zephyr in his prime, or Devil Fruits focused on piercing defenses, the only thing capable of breaking through the Battle Armor's defense would likely be Conqueror's Haki Infusion, representing the pinnacle of this world's combat power.

While pondering this.

Xiang Gaowen's gaze fell upon the distant sea surface; seeing that Miss Kalifa and the others had long vanished without a trace, he finally set his mind at ease.

If he had to split his focus to protect his crew during the upcoming battle, even with his abilities, it would be impossible.

Especially in Alabasta, where the ley line energy was nearly exhausted.

As early as when he first set foot on this land, Xiang Gaowen had already perceived this fact.

But given Crocodile's strength, it was utterly impossible for him to force Xiang Gaowen into such a desperate situation where he would have to rely on a blood-sea tactic to overwhelm him.

Therefore, he had not paid it much attention.

Jin Shizi's appearance was completely unexpected, yet it also brought Xiang Gaowen another surprise.

Conqueror's Haki, which relies on willpower, must be tempered through battle after battle to go further.

The battle with King back then had caused Xiang Gaowen's experience points to surge by over a thousand; so how much gain could Jin Shizi, whose combat power far exceeded King's, bring?

Even if he couldn't win, with Xiang Gaowen's comprehensive abilities, escaping would pose no problem whatsoever!

Thinking of this, Xiang Gaowen couldn't help but stick out his tongue and lick his lips.

Sensing Xiang Gaowen's will, Guanshi Zhengzong emitted an even more extreme hum, blooming in this moment!

The great battle begins!

"Again!"

Accompanied by a fierce roar, Xiang Gaowen shifted from defense to offense.

He stomped heavily, shattering the stone slabs beneath his feet; with the boost of Flash Step, his Finger Pistol technique erupted at an incredibly terrifying super-high speed in that instant.

So much so that the roaring sound only exploded forth the moment Xiang Gaowen's slash approached right before Jin Shizi!

Clang!

Blade met blade.

The earth beneath their feet suddenly collapsed by nearly two meters.

Ripple after ripple of shockwaves poured outward in all directions, plunging into the seawater and stirring up surging giant waves.

So much so that Crocodile, who had just barely recovered his senses, nearly lost his footing.

Yet at this very moment, Crocodile could no longer care about anything else; his eyes held only the two individuals locking strength in the distance.

"Why don't you flee! On what grounds do you not flee!"

In the battle just now, although he had suffered a crushing defeat at Xiang Gaowen's hands, he had basically figured out Xiang Gaowen's combat power.

Strong?

Very strong!

Extremely fast speed, monstrous defense, plus swordsmanship comparable to a Great Swordmaster.

Combining these three factors, Xiang Gaowen's combat power, just below the level of supreme powerhouses like Admirals and Emperors, firmly secured him a spot in the first tier.

But compared to that monster, Jin Shizi, there remained an incomparable gap.

Jin Shizi's slash just now looked frightening, but Crocodile understood just how strong those monsters standing at the pinnacle truly were.

That attack was, at best, merely a probe.

Crocodile opened and closed his mouth, muttering to himself:

"What I can perceive, you must be able to sense as well... so why?"

"What exactly is the difference between us?!"

Both facing a legend, both facing the supreme powerhouse of this world, yet Xiang Gaowen displayed a will completely opposite to his own!

At this moment, he inexplicably realized he had lost, yet he didn't know where he had lost, causing his entire demeanor to become increasingly manic.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot red.

Crocodile watched the battle in the distance, but in the next instant, his line of sight was blocked by the dust and smoke stirred up by the two fighters.

At this very moment, he even felt a strange sense of anticipation arise within him.

Will he win?

Can he win?

Even when facing those legends who once stood at the pinnacle, even when the opponent is far, far stronger than himself?!

If that is truly the case... then can I do it too?!

"I..."

That crushing defeat from the past flashed through Crocodile's mind once again.

Whitebeard had merely struck a single blade; the exaggerated destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit had directly sunk his fleet into the sea, and he had even lost his left arm in that battle.

And the betrayal he encountered afterward made him utterly scoff at the so-called concept of comrades.

In the end, they were nothing more than tools to be exploited.

At the true moment of life and death, the only one you can rely on is yourself.

Is that not so?

The instant this thought arose, Xiang Keluo's pupils contracted slightly.

For amidst the swirling yellow sand in the distance, the tall figure of Daz Bones, with his cold, hard face, was struggling forward, his gaze sweeping everywhere.

Very quickly.

It landed upon Xiang Keluo.

"BOSS, can you still walk?"

"This place has become a battlefield for those two monsters; if we stay here, even we will die."

"Let us... retreat!"

Xiang Keluo froze for a moment, for an instant unable to even feel the pain of his severed arm.

Countless possibilities, countless questions, flashed through his mind and vanished, yet what finally left his lips became a single question:

"You... why have you come?"

Long before this operation began, he had already revealed his identity before the upper echelons of Baroque Works, yet he never expected that someone would actually come here.

Once the battle between Xiang Gaowen and the Jin Shizi begins, this entire port might sink beneath the sea; staying in such a place, those without sufficient strength cannot even flee.

Daz Bones' eyes were calm:

"I believed you could not defeat the Knight Xiang Gaowen, so I came."

"You will die too."

"Humans are destined to die anyway."

"Heh..."

The corners of Xiang Keluo's mouth stretched wide:

"Truly utter nonsense."

"Hahahahahaha—!"

A dry, hoarse laughter squeezed out from Xiang Keluo's throat, yet he showed no intention of moving.

He merely turned his head to gaze at the battlefield in the distance, which was growing increasingly turbulent.

"I will stay here and watch that monster meet its end; if you wish to leave, you may go."

"Understood."

Daz Bones replied with a single sound; needing no further words, his body had already made its decision.

Just as in the past, he stood behind Xiang Keluo, his entire person cold and hard like a block of wood.

"A Bai Chi seeking death!"

Xiang Keluo sneered, his spine straightening rigidly in that instant, and he could not help but ask:

"Who do you say will win?"

After a brief hesitation, Daz Bones gave his judgment:

"It should be... the Jin Shizi."

"Famous for decades, he once even contended with that Pirate King; although he suffered a crushing defeat, it was due to the timing of heaven, not human effort."

"No matter how strong the Knight Xiang Gaowen is, he cannot surpass such an existence."

"Is that so?"

Xiang Keluo reached into his breast pocket, took out a cigar, lit it, and took a deep drag of smoke; when his gaze turned once more toward the distant battlefield.

He had already recovered some of his former calmness and composure.

"For my part, I hope that fellow wins."

"No."

"He will definitely win!"

As the words landed.

The howling gale in the distance suddenly choked, then reversed course with even greater speed.

Muffled thunder rolled through the high sky, crimson lightning danced wildly in mid-air, scattering the clouds across the heavens.

The Jin Shizi's arrogant voice erupted explosively from the distant battlefield:

"Lion's Might - Thousand Cutting Valley - Cross Slash!"

The Jin Shizi slashed out two sword energies, one vertical and one horizontal, pressing down from the horizon.

Their momentum was unmatched, their power boundless, as if intending to cleave heaven and earth apart!

Such power had already exceeded the so-called limits of human capability, reaching another level, the level of the supreme strong.

The cigar tip that had just ignited on Xiang Keluo's lips, and the faint warmth that had risen in his heart due to Daz Bones' arrival, turned into utter coldness in this instant.

Such mighty power...

Such mighty power...

Is it truly something attainable by human strength?

Indeed, these monsters are born to stand at the apex of this world; they are the hegemon chosen by heaven.

People like us, even after a lifetime of striving, can never reach such heights; indeed, merely wishing to survive under their hands is a luxury!

In a flash.

Time in this moment seemed to be pulled back twenty years.

Xiang Keluo once again truly experienced that kind of... despair etched into his bones!

How can human strength contend against monsters that dominate the world?

Only an Ancient Weapon that is likewise a monster! Only an Ancient Weapon that is likewise a monster! Can truly threaten such an existence!

(End of Chapter)