Chapter 443: The Greatest Name of the Age, a Hair
BOOM—!
With just one slash, the earth shattered, a crack several meters wide stretching all the way to the horizon.
Underground water gushed forth from the fissure, spraying dozens of meters high, splitting the entire battlefield into two visibly distinct halves!
Rydfield was instantly cut in half by that single slash!
Even after activating the Bat Fruit—Mythical Zoan—Vampire form’s ability to reform from a pool of blood, a deep crimson gash still ran nearly down the center of his face!
“If not for the Vampire Fruit’s ability, that one slash alone would have already…”
“What the hell?!”
The lingering Conqueror’s Haki inside him still seared his flesh, sending waves of pain so intense even Rydfield broke into cold sweat!
When he looked again at Gao Wen, the same feeling he’d had when he first saw Roger and Whitebeard surged back into his heart!
Is it even meaningful to fight this monster?!
Impossible!
No one can defeat this monster—not even Roger or Whitebeard back then were worthy to carry his shoes!
I…
The more he thought,
the more Rydfield’s hesitation and desire to flee gnawed at his soul like a venomous snake.
Roger and Whitebeard were dead now.
He had believed this sea would one day belong to him, and that he would never retreat before any foe.
But now, at this moment, he realized how utterly wrong he had been.
Flee?!
As the old thought resurfaced in Rydfield’s mind, two figures—both young, both brimming with vitality, both radiating unshakable conviction—flashed past him.
“Demon God Wind Leg: Beef Explosion!”
“Gum-Gum: White Seal!”
Luffy and Sanji unleashed their full power.
Azure flames spread across the battlefield; the rubber giant fist swelled to the size of the Round Table Arena, crashing down toward Gao Wen!
For Sanji, this battle—fought on conviction—meant holding nothing back!
To him,
this was the moment to help Gao Wen reach his peak!
Even if he had to stake his own life!
“Come on!”
Gao Wen praised.
The attacks of the others arrived at the same moment.
Kaido’s spiked club smashed, S-Long’s breath, Mihawk’s slash…
The entire battlefield plunged into hell!
The most brutal battle truly began now.
Together, the six of them managed to momentarily halt Gao Wen’s advance.
S-Long, leveraging his Luna race bloodline combined with the Artificial Azure Dragon Fruit’s enhanced physique, stood firm against Gao Wen!
Luffy and Sanji coordinated, jointly restraining Gao Wen’s offense.
Kaido and Mihawk launched their deadliest strikes; though they poured everything into it, they couldn’t leave a single wound on Gao Wen—but they did temporarily curb his assault!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Exaggerated clashes of power erupted repeatedly within the Round Table Arena, violently tearing up the ground and exposing the solid bedrock beneath.
Nearly half the projection telephone ants exploded on the spot, bursting into clots of blood!
Rydfield stood aside, watching the others cast aside their fear of death, and finally understood why he’d felt inferior the moment he’d first seen Whitebeard and Roger.
It was a fundamental difference in stature!
They all possessed the resolve to climb to the top—even at the cost of their lives!
As his thoughts grew clearer, Rydfield’s grip on his sword grew stronger.
His forehead veins bulged; his body, transformed into Vampire form, still bore the scar left by Gao Wen’s slash.
But now, what that scar gave him was no longer just pain.
It also brought a strange, indescribable heat that made his entire body tremble with fervor!
As if his soul were burning!
CLANG—!
As his sword hummed, Rydfield decisively joined the battle.
He teamed up with Mihawk to block Gao Wen’s killing strike!
CLANG—!
Crimson Conqueror’s Haki clashed midair—and for a moment, they held!
“You…”
Mihawk glanced at Rydfield, a faint smile curling his lips:
“No wonder you were once ranked alongside Whitebeard and Roger!”
“No.”
Rydfield’s voice was calm, clear, and resolute:
“Back then, the one who stood shoulder to shoulder with those two wasn’t me—it was Golden Lion!”
“But things are different now, aren’t they?!”
Mihawk smiled faintly, then felt a sudden surge of force along his blade—he looked up to see Gao Wen’s exhilarated expression, and heard Gao Wen’s voice:
“Are you all just ignoring me? If you don’t take this fight seriously, you’ll die!”
“Damn it!”
Rydfield’s pupils shrank—he felt death drawing near!
If Gao Wen’s previous slash had been a test, this one was meant to kill.
Fortunately—
As the blade’s light flared, S-Long, wreathed in flames, leapt between them and took the blow head-on…
CLANG—!
A sonic wave exploded through the air; even the razor-sharp Shusui failed to pierce S-Long’s flesh!
As the World Government’s ultimate weapon developed from Luna race genetics, the Seraphim’s greatest strength wasn’t its green blood or lasers—it was its astonishing defense!
If Jin’s defense, even while burning, could still be breached with enough force,
then S-Long, whose base combat power surpassed Jin’s and who also bore the World Government’s human enhancement tech, was nearly invulnerable to direct assault!
In the original timeline, even Luffy, Zoro, and CP0’s Lucci and Kaku combined couldn’t leave a single mark on S-Long!
Remember, at that time, even without Gear Five, Luffy’s power had already reached legendary levels, enough to briefly stand toe-to-toe with Kaido.
Zoro, Lucci, and Kaku were all undisputed gold-tier fighters.
And S-Long, an anomaly among the Seraphim, possessed even greater defensive power!
It was his most prized ability.
“Looks like your blade’s gone dull!”
S-Long grinned.
Though Gao Wen’s overwhelming Conqueror’s Haki nearly crushed his breath, he had still held firm against that slash!
And as long as you can’t break through my defense, defeat is just…
Huh?!
In his triumph, S-Long suddenly felt a sharp sting on his skin.
He looked down and saw a faint blue aura blade clinging to Gao Wen’s sword—this aura had forcibly torn through his defense.
It was Gao Wen’s long-unused Jí Bīng, a technique that massively enhances cutting power.
On Drum Island, he’d used this very ability to shatter Jin’s defense, despite Jin’s Luna race heritage.
It forced Jin to realize prolonged combat meant defeat, compelling him to retreat.
Now, Gao Wen’s own power had risen by more than a tier—his Jí Bīng-enhanced slash could now ignore nearly all defense!
Even S-Long, the strongest Seraphim, was no exception!
Unfamiliar agony, and for the first time, the emotion called fear—made S-Long’s mind freeze for an instant!
“This isn’t possible!”
“Nothing’s impossible!”
Gao Wen exerted one hand, slicing S-Long clean away, then swung his blade to meet the next coordinated assault.
As the battle continued, the others gradually found their rhythm!
Rydfield regained his former spirit, his aura stronger than ever!
Luffy mastered Gear Five with increasing finesse; Mihawk’s strikes now carried the aura of a master; Barret was peerless!
Kaido had never experienced such a battle—completely crushed, where one misstep meant death—and his pride burned fiercer than ever; he would die before letting this monster remain on his throne!
End of Chapter
