Chapter 230: Domineering Cling

Thus, the ground beneath everyone's feet began to rise and fall, stretching all the way to the horizon, as if the entire desert had come alive at this very moment.

"This is... Armament Haki?!"

"Is the old man throwing his life away?!"

"Directly using a technique that burns lifespan!?"

Kizaru's forehead broke out in cold sweat, yet his body instinctively stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Aokiji, releasing Armament Haki to block the incoming shockwave.

Yet he could not stop the sand waves surging ever more fiercely beneath their feet, nor the wild winds gradually raging around them.

At this moment, the weaker Marines couldn't even stand steady; half their bodies were buried in the sand and dust.

The coats emblazoned with "Justice" fluttered wildly in the gale, snapping loudly.

Aokiji's gaze, however, remained fixed tightly on the two figures who had clashed and then retreated within the distant dust cloud, his eyes filled with barely concealed shock.

Speaking purely of Armament Haki, Zephyr is the number one within the Navy.

No!

Not just within the Navy; even across the entire world, the only one to enter the ranks of the strongest relying solely on martial arts and a thousand-times-refined Armament Haki is Zephyr alone.

How could such a person not possess a certain amount of pride?!

Or rather, without absolute confidence in himself, Zephyr could never have stood alongside Garp and Sengoku in that era to become a legendary figure within the Navy.

But that was already over twenty years ago, yet now it is replayed before Aokiji's eyes!

"The old man has actually recovered to this extent?!"

Aokiji couldn't help but let out an exclamation of surprise.

Even though he was aware of Zephyr's strength, he never expected that Zephyr was already not far from his own peak.

"Recovered?"

Kizaru murmured, his pupils constantly contracting:

"In terms of will alone, in terms of the application of Armament Haki, he has surpassed even his level from twenty years ago."

"It is just that this body is no longer what it once was, and he cannot fully unleash his powerful Armament Haki, but if he can achieve this degree..."

"This battle has no suspense left!"

Kizaru knew Gao Wen's combat power well, and even more so he knew Gao Wen's tenacity and willpower, which were like a wild beast, no, like a monster.

But facing Zephyr who was nearly at his peak, it was meaningless; this battle...

Gao Wen will surely lose!

At this moment.

Whether it was Kizaru and Aokiji around the battlefield, or the hundreds of Marines nearby, they all made the same judgment.

A crimson figure with wings sprouting from its back flew out from the dust cloud like a cannonball, smashing through several sand dunes in succession before barely coming to a stop.

"Cough, cough, cough—!"

Gao Wen slowly stood up, his face flushing crimson; he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood mixed with flesh fragments, his expression extremely grim:

"Ryou that invades the body and destroys it from within?!"

"That old man is truly formidable!"

Having said that.

Gao Wen took a deep breath, then raised his gaze to look at Zephyr charging at him again from afar.

The latter was also covered in blood from head to toe, but that spirit and vitality grew even stronger as the battle progressed.

Zephyr's once invincible belief was coalescing once more, and the Haki based on that belief was growing stronger and stronger.

That Observation Haki, which had become instinct after being forgotten, could even be called the natural enemy of future sight!

Future sight implies thought and choice, both of which require time, but instinctive, intuitive Observation Haki does not.

This tiny time difference, in battles between the strongest, is almost fatal.

If Observation Haki merely made Gao Wen feel it was difficult to deal with, then Zephyr's Armament Haki was simply feeding him shit.

Relying on intuitive Observation Haki to precisely intercept Gao Wen's slash and deflect most of the force, the remaining slash landing on his body could also be blocked by Zephyr's pitch-black Armament Haki.

If a frontal assault could not break through the defense of the battle armor, then he would use Ryou to directly inflict severe damage on Gao Wen's internal organs.

If he hadn't met Zephyr today, he truly could not have imagined that pure Armament Haki could actually be strong to such a degree?!

But...

Just like Zephyr, who was becoming increasingly excited.

Gao Wen's body also became unusually excited.

With the buffs of Balance, Harmony, and Heaven and Man, even though the desert battlefield prevented the Dragon's endurance from being fully utilized, Gao Wen's stamina was still monster-level.

The injuries caused by Zephyr just now had nearly healed in a mere few breaths, even making the battle spirit in Gao Wen's heart rise even higher!

In the void around him, crimson Lei Guang flickered into view.

The Conqueror's Haki, which should have spread outward like a shockwave, seemed at this moment to obey Gao Wen's command, gathering upon the charging Zephyr...

Pop—!

A shockwave that seemed almost tangible raised a cloud of dust, yet it could not hinder Zephyr's figure for even an instant:

"You can already slightly control Conqueror's Haki?!"

"Truly an enviable power."

"But the path to the summit has never been just one; swordsmanship refined to the extreme, Armament Haki refined to the extreme, or even developing one's own abilities to a new dimension are all viable paths."

"I..."

"Have never believed that one must rely on Conqueror's Haki to contend with those monsters!"

"I will insist on walking a path that belongs to myself!"

"Come!"

After a thunderous roar, Zefa suddenly accelerated, surging forward like a black shadow straight to Gao Wen's front.

It was at this very moment.

Gao Wen finally saw the old man's strange appearance before him.

The Armament Haki surrounding him was no longer merely clinging to his surface, but burning continuously like a layer of faint flame...

"This is..."

While Gao Wen was puzzled, a new name floated into his ear:

"Black Fist Style - Chaotic Arrow Barrage!"

Countless black fists instantly filled Gao Wen's vision; the oppressive pressure rushing toward him made him feel as if facing countless pressing mountains!

Is this... the power sufficient to contend with those legends?!

Interesting! Interesting! Interesting!

Gao Wen's eyes turned red; his feet stomped backward heavily, directly shattering the sand dune.

Using that force, he swung the long blade in his hand, unleashing a sky full of blade light in the blink of an eye, colliding with Zefa's incoming fist prints.

Not retreating half a step!

For both Gao Wen and Zefa knew clearly that retreating even once would mean defeat, and would leave a permanent flaw deep within their hearts, just like the former Crocodile.

Gao Wen did not want to become that kind of person.

The next instant...

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Dense sonic booms erupted again, raising a sand tide in the desert that flowed outward in all directions.

"Something is wrong!"

Aokiji abandoned using Armament Haki to block the damage and directly crouched down:

"Ice Age!"

Biting freezing cold spread outward from Aokiji as the center, instantly freezing the desert beneath everyone's feet and barely stabilizing their footing.

But the surrounding desert was not so lucky.

The surging sand waves were almost about to swallow everything around them.

The group of Marines watched this scene in shock, unable to speak a word for a moment; some had already begun to regret why they had forced themselves to stay here.

Even a stench of excrement came through the air at this moment...

Aokiji did not need to think to know what had happened; he did not turn back, merely speaking lightly:

"Justice does not represent fearless sacrifice."

"Even if you wish to prove your courage, wish to gain training and become stronger, you need not pay with your own lives."

"Leaving now is still in time."

The voice fell to the ground.

Everyone looked at each other; though unwilling, they understood even more clearly that regarding this battle, they probably did not even have the qualification to be spectators.

Only after turning their heads did they discover.

A retreat path made of ice lay right behind them.

Kizaru watched everyone retreat and did not stop them; he merely looked at the distant battlefield, his expression somewhat strange:

"Knight Gao Wen, has he already been able to attempt controlling Conqueror's Haki?!"

"But there should still be a road to walk before freely controlling Conqueror's Haki."

Aokiji glanced at him, paused slightly in surprise, then turned his head toward Kizaru with slight suspicion:

"If I remember correctly, the cultivation of Conqueror's Haki requires exactly battles, even life-or-death struggles fought from the jaws of death; only thus can one break through one's own limit."

"Senior Borusarino, you previously said you fought Knight Gao Wen many times; could it be that you were acting as his sparring partner?!"

Kizaru's expression stiffened:

"Under circumstances where I could not leave him, why do you think he was willing to stay here?!"

"Tsk tsk tsk~ But Mr. Sengoku or the World Government side might not think so; however, this matter could be big or small..."

"I don't want the wine you hid anymore..."

"What wine?"

Aokiji directly played dumb:

"I actually have a wine cellar, and it is still empty; look..."

"..."

"I understand."

"That would be so embarrassing?!"

Kizaru's corner of the mouth could not help but twitch:

"You would have that kind of emotion? Truly..."

"Hahaha..."

Aokiji laughed twice in loss, then turned his head to look at the distant battlefield.

After a roar, the two's battle had a momentary pause, then immediately became intense again.

Accompanying Zefa's explosion, Aokiji appeared somewhat Solemn:

"If the old man uses Armament, this battle has no suspense left; the only difference lies in how long Knight Gao Wen can hold out."

The Huang Yuan likewise wiped the expression from his face, his gaze sinking slightly:

"You are worried about the old man's physical condition?!"

The Blue Pheasant nodded:

"Armament Hardening is a secret technique the old man developed in his youth, based on his own Armament Haki refined to the extreme."

"By compressing and tempering the Armament Haki within his body, he could massively boost its intensity and offensive-defensive capabilities for short periods; it was his most representative skill back then."

"Those arms wreathed in black smoke are precisely the origin of his name, 'Black Arm'."

"But his body, after all, is no longer what it was in those days; this ability places an immense burden on him and even consumes his lifespan, so it will likely worsen his physical condition."

"This is unavoidable."

"Mm."

The Huang Yuan acknowledged with a sound, then lifted his head to gaze at the distant battlefield.

The duel between the two gradually reached a fever pitch; every clash of moves and techniques was executed with full strength.

Gao Wen was nearly completely suppressed by Zephyr, countless wounds marking his body, yet only his eyes grew brighter and brighter...

He felt some kind of new power flowing—no, it was will!

"Not bad, that fighting spirit."

The Huang Yuan offered a praise.

Originally, he had been extremely confident in Gao Wen's combat power.

Over these years, he had fought many renowned members of the new generation; one could say that among them, Gao Wen was the one closest to the pinnacle of strength.

Apart from the Four Emperors, the Admirals, and the legends of the past, the Huang Yuan could not even find a single powerhouse worthy of standing against him.

Zephyr, who was no longer at his peak, should have also fallen into this category.

Alas, such is the time, such is fate~

Gao Wen's act of capturing Zephyr back then had instead become the final piece of the puzzle for Zephyr's rebirth.

This elder, who had already been in the twilight of his life, had erupted with entirely new vitality; his furious power now bore several traces of his peak period...

"What a pity—"

"Hm?!"

Before the words could even land.

The Huang Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, for the figure sent flying backward this time was not the Knight Gao Wen, but Zephyr.

"What happened?!"

The Blue Pheasant let out a startled cry.

It was simply because the battle situation had reversed so quickly, exceeding everyone's expectations.

Even Zephyr, who was in the midst of the battlefield, was now slightly dazed, until a familiar pain appeared on his shoulder...

Hiss!

The wound split open, exploding into a mist of blood in mid-air.

Yet it lasted only an instant before Zephyr manipulated his muscles to stop the bleeding.

But Zephyr displayed a look of horror for the first time tonight:

"This feeling is... Conqueror's Haki? A slash imbued with Conqueror's Haki?!"

"This fellow..."

Whoosh!

The wild wind howled.

Gao Wen swung his blade, scattering all the dust and smoke that had enveloped him.

His figure once again appeared before everyone.

Upon his pair of dragon wings were torn wounds spread all over, with several parts of the wing limbs even clearly fractured.

Upon his chest were numerous dents left by Zephyr's fists.

But these wounds were secondary; more severe was the Armament Haki Zephyr had blasted into his body, which was continuously destroying his internal organs.

Yet his spirit, his will, was climbing higher and higher with the passage of time.

Upon the long blade in his hand, crimson lightning coiled; merely looking at it would intimidate those with unsteady wills, causing them to lose consciousness on the spot.

At this moment.

Gao Wen was not aware of what had happened to his body, but what he could perceive was that his condition was better than it had ever been.

Everything within his body submitted to his will.

From the cells within him to his bones and organs, the dragon wings behind him, and even the originally unruly Haki...

I am the King!

The moment this thought arose, Gao Wen felt a strong impulse.

To dye this world in his own color.

Immediately, his gaze fell upon Zephyr, and he said in an indifferent voice:

"We... continue!"

"The third round!"

Zeng—!

As an explosive roar rang out, Gao Wen appeared behind Zephyr.

Instinctive Observation Haki caused Zephyr to reflexively extend his prosthetic arm, intercepting Gao Wen's slash in advance.

But the prosthetic limb, which should have obeyed his commands like an extension of his own arms after days and nights of tempering, now transmitted a sense of stiffness, as if invaded by another will!

This strange sensation was one Zephyr knew all too well.

He had felt it countless times in battles against the Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Roger, and even Garp and Sengoku.

"Conqueror's Haki coating!"

"He actually mastered such a technique mid-battle?!"

"A monster!"

After this exclamation,

Zephyr realized what had happened and instinctively tried to remedy it, but he was ultimately a step too late.

A prosthetic limb flew into the air, dropping powerlessly to the side; at the joint, threads of fresh blood still trickled.

(End of Chapter)