Chapter 443: The Reputation of the Strongest in the World, A Myth Just One Line Away!

Boom—!

With just a single slash, the earth shattered, a crack several meters wide snaking all the way to the horizon.

Groundwater gushed forth from the fissure, spraying dozens of meters high, visually splitting the entire battlefield in two!

Redfield was instantly cleaved in half by this slash!

Even after activating the Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type, Vampire Form ability to reconstitute himself from a pool of blood, a bloodstain nearly splitting him down the middle remained on his face!

"If not for the abilities of the Vampire Fruit, that single slash alone would have already..."

"Are you kidding me!"

The Conqueror's Haki lingering within his body continued to irritate his flesh, sending waves of pain sufficient to make an ordinary person faint; even someone as strong as Redfield broke out in a cold sweat!

Looking once more at Gao Wen in the distance, that same feeling he had when he saw Luo Jie and Whitebeard surged into his heart again!

Is there really any meaning to fighting such a monster?!

Impossible!

No one can defeat this monster; back in the day, Luo Jie and Whitebeard weren't even worthy of carrying his shoes!

I...

The more he thought.

The more the hesitation and desire to retreat in Redfield's mind gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

Starting over, Luo Jie and Whitebeard were already dead.

He had thought this great sea would finally welcome his era, and that he would never retreat no matter what enemy he faced.

But only in this moment did he realize how absurdly wrong he had been.

Flee?!

Just as the thought from years ago resurfaced in Redfield's mind, two figures, equally young, equally vibrant, and equally filled with unparalleled conviction, flashed past him.

"Demon God Wind Leg: Beef Burst!"

"Gum-Gum: White Stamp!"

Straw Hat and Sanji unleashed their full power.

Azure flames engulfed the entire field, while a giant rubber fist swelled to the size of the Colosseum, crashing down toward Gao Wen in the distance!

In a battle wagered on conviction, even Sanji had no thought of holding back!

For him.

This very moment was the time to help Gao Wen reach the peak!

Even if it meant wagering his own life!

"Well done!"

Gao Wen exclaimed in praise.

The attacks of the others arrived at the same time.

Kaido's spiked club smashed down, S-Dragon breathed fire, Hawk-Eye launched a slash...

The entire battlefield collapsed into hell!

The most fierce death match truly began at this moment.

Combining the strength of six people, even Gao Wen's advance was momentarily halted.

Relying on the bloodline of the Lunarian tribe combined with the powerful physique granted by the artificial Azure Dragon Fruit, S-Dragon directly withstood Gao Wen's assault!

Straw Hat and Sanji coordinated with each other, joining forces to restrain Gao Wen's offensive.

Kaido and Hawk-Eye unleashed their killing moves; although they exerted their utmost strength and could not leave a wound on Gao Wen, they ultimately managed to temporarily curb his offensive!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Exaggerated collisions of force erupted frequently within the Colosseum, the violent impact tearing up the surrounding ground layer by layer, exposing the solid rock beneath.

Nearly half of the projected Den Den Mushi exploded on the spot, bursting into a spray of blood!

Standing aside, Redfield watched the crowd casting aside their fear of life and death, and finally understood why, in that instant he had seen Whitebeard and Luo Jie, he had felt ashamed by comparison.

It was a difference in capacity, fundamentally!

They all possessed the resolve to reach the summit even if it meant wagering their lives!

As the thoughts in his mind gradually clarified, the hand with which Redfield gripped his sword became increasingly powerful!

The blood vessels on his forehead bulged high; having transformed into his vampire form to defeat you, a slash mark left by Gao Wen still remained in the center of his body.

But now, what Zhan Heng brought him was no longer just pain.

There was also an indescribable scorching sensation that made his entire body boil!

It was as if his very soul was burning!

Zing—!

As his long sword hummed, Redfield resolutely joined the battlefield.

Joining forces with Hawk-Eye, he blocked a certain-kill slash from Gao Wen!

Clang—!

Crimson Conqueror's Haki clashed head-on in mid-air, actually resulting in a momentary stalemate!

"You..."

Hawk-Eye glanced at Redfield, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly:

"As expected of a legend who once stood alongside Whitebeard and Luo Jie!"

"No!"

Ryderfield's voice was calm, radiating openness and resolve:

"The one who could compete with those two back then wasn't me, it was the Golden Lion!"

"But things are different now, aren't they?!"

Hawk-Eye smiled calmly, then immediately felt the force surging from the blade intensify. He raised his eyes and saw Gao Wen's excited expression, and at that very moment, Gao Wen's voice reached his ears:

"Do you think I'm not worth taking seriously?! In this fight, if you don't take it seriously, you could die!"

"Oh no!"

Ryderfield's pupils shrank sharply; he had already sensed the approach of death!

If Gao Wen's strike just now was merely a probe, then this one was aimed at a killing blow.

Fortunately.

As the blade light bloomed, an S-Dragon wreathed in flames had already positioned itself before the two, forcibly blocking Gao Wen's strike...

Clang—!

A shockwave exploded in the air; even as sharp as the Guanshi Zhengzong, it failed to cut cleanly into the S-Dragon's flesh!

The Seraphim, the ultimate weapon developed by the World Government based on the Lunarian bloodline, possessed a greatest strength not in its green blood or lasers, but in its astonishing defense!

If Akainu, while his flames burned, had high defense yet still held the possibility of being overcome head-on,

then the Seraphim, whose base combat power surpassed Akainu's and which also incorporated the World Government's human modification technology, almost held no possibility of being breached from the front!

In the original timeline, even with the Straw Hat, Zoro, and the then-CP0 members Roubo Luqi and Kaku joining forces, they failed to leave a single scratch on the Seraphim!

Keep in mind that the Straw Hat of that time, even without activating Gear Fifth, had combat power touching the legendary level, enough to briefly stalemate Kaido.

Zoro, Roubo Luqi, and Kaku were three iron-clad, golden-tier combatants.

And S-Dragon, the outlier among the Seraphim, possessed even greater defensive capabilities!

This was the ability he was most proud of!

"Seems your blade is a bit dull!"

S-Dragon grinned.

Although Gao Wen's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki nearly crushed him breathless, he ultimately withstood that strike!

And as long as you cannot breach my defense, defeat is merely...

Hm?!

In his moment of triumph, S-Dragon suddenly felt a sharp sting on his skin.

He lowered his gaze and discovered that Gao Wen's blade edge was coated with a layer of pale blue Qi blade; it was precisely this layer of Qi blade that forcibly tore through his defense.

It was the Ultimate Weapon, which Gao Wen had not used for a long time, capable of vastly enhancing cutting power.

Back on Drum Island, it was precisely by relying on this ability that he had directly breached the defense of Akainu, who possessed the Lunarian bloodline.

Causing Akainu to realize that prolonged battle would lead to loss, he was forced to choose retreat.

Now, Gao Wen's own combat power had risen by more than one tier; the strike, enhanced by the Ultimate Weapon, could almost ignore any defense!

Even S-Dragon, the strongest of the Seraphim, was no exception!

Unprecedented agony, and the emotion named fear felt for the first time, caused S-Dragon's brain to momentarily crash!

"This is impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible!"

Gao Wen exerted force with one hand, cleaving S-Dragon away in a single strike, then immediately swung his blade to meet the crowd launching a renewed joint assault.

As the battle progressed, the crowd gradually found their rhythm!

Ryderfield regained his original spirit, his presence even greater than before!

The Straw Hat's use of Gear Fifth became increasingly skilled; when Hawk-Eye drew his blade, he already possessed a touch of grandmaster demeanor; Barrett was truly peerless!

Kaido had never experienced a fight where he was completely crushed, where a single slip could cost his life; his pride burned even fiercer, and even if he had to fight to the death, he would drag this monster down from the divine throne!