Chapter 219

A dazzlingly brilliant ray of light swept across the sky, slicing the heavens itself apart.

"It's Admiral Huang Yuan."

The mole beside Akainu said in a low, grave voice.

"Looks like he crossed paths with him first."

Clad in a justice coat, a Marine cap on his head, Akainu stood with arms folded on the sea far from the warship, his expression cold and murderous, his eyes chillingly sharp.

"That brat…"

A trace of killing intent laced his tone.

"This time, I must kill him!"

……

On the Red Line, not far from Sabaody Archipelago.

The Holy Land of Mariejois.

One of the Five Elder Stars of the World Government gazed at the dazzling ray of light cleaving the sky in the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly:

"Huang Yuan, huh… That brat actually made him get serious."

"How rare."

"It seems his strength has improved quite a bit compared to two years ago."

"He's becoming more and more troublesome. I didn't expect him to actually launch an assassination on the Celestial Dragons." The bald Elder Star holding the First Generation Kitetsu said with cold, grim eyes: "Is this a formal declaration of war against our World Government?"

"Heh, making an enemy of the heavens — overestimating himself."

The Elder Star with snow-white long beard sneered coldly.

The Elder Star wearing a flat cap with a fluffy white beard sat on the sofa and spoke: "CP0 and Akainu have already gone. As long as Huang Yuan holds him off, we can completely surround and kill this thorn in our side at Sabaody Archipelago this time."

The bald Elder Star, eyes closed, said: "I only hope nothing unexpected…"

Before he could finish his words.

A crimson slash soared up from afar, and the firmament was instantly cleaved apart.

Sensing the power of that sword, all five Elder Stars changed color.

"This is… the Moon?!"

The bald Elder Star holding the First Generation Kitetsu flashed a look of disbelief in his eyes: "Wasn't this sword erased from history? How could it appear again?!"

"Such swordsmanship… is indeed no inferior to that Hawkeye."

"No, combined with this kind of Haki, he's even stronger than that Hawkeye. I'm afraid even the Third Seat may not necessarily be his match."

The bald Elder Star said in a low, shocked tone.

"To have reached such a level at only twenty years old…"

The blond, bearded Elder Star's expression darkened: "Without a doubt, his danger is far greater than Luo Jie's, Bai Huzi's, and the rest of theirs!"

"This time we must eliminate him at any cost!"

"Can Huang Yuan hold him off?"

"……"

…………

Taotu and Tina arrived at the coast together.

At a single glance, they spotted the two figures clashing on the sea beyond Sabaody Archipelago.

Seeing Huang Yuan covered in wounds, both women's eyes contracted slightly.

"Admiral Huang Yuan… actually beaten to this state…"

Tina muttered in shock, a storm surging within her heart.

Taotu was also badly shaken.

She had originally assumed that Luo En, wielding the blood blade Moon, was at best evenly matched with Huang Yuan, and that in a prolonged fight Admiral Huang Yuan would probably lose out.

But now it seemed… it was more than that!

One had to know.

Admiral Huang Yuan, a Glint-Glint ability user, had never taken such wounds even when going up against the Four Emperors.

Could it be that…

A startling guess rose in Taotu's heart.

The combat power Luo En now possessed had already surpassed an Admiral?!

……

"Yasakani no Magatama."

"Round Dance!"

Huang Yuan was sent flying a thousand meters by a single slash from Luo En, who wielded the blood blade Moon.

A bottomless circular slash-mark appeared on the sea below.

Huang Yuan barely managed to steady himself in midair.

Luo En flashed to a position above him, and within Huang Yuan's contracting gaze, the blood blade Moon in his hand — its blade dripping a vivid, blood-like crimson — wreathed in the dense black flames born of Flowing Sakura Haki and sword intent, came slashing down at him.

"Flame Tiger!"

"Inugami Hotarubotan!"

A gigantic dog-headed mass of magma surged up from afar, crashing into the black-flame giant tiger formed by that slash!

The two sides collided violently!

A terrifying blast wave of searing heat surged out in all directions.

Countless drops of magma and black flames fell onto the sea, and the ocean below was instantly brought to a boil, steam and bubbles churning madly!

Huang Yuan, blood dripping from his shoulder, both hands, and left leg, stood in the air, turned his head to glance at the warship that had appeared on the sea behind him, and could not help but let out a breath of relief:

"They've finally come… If they hadn't, these old bones of mine really wouldn't have been able to hold on any longer."

Draped in a justice coat, his face utterly cold, Akainu leapt high from the warship's deck, wrapped in terrifying killing intent, and once again hurled a magma-fused massive right fist toward Luo En above the sea.

"Great Eruption!"

Facing the terrifying magma below that resembled a volcanic eruption,

Luo En, standing in midair, curved the corners of his mouth into a slight smile.

This level of momentum—do you really think I'm still that boy from four years ago on the North Sea?

Akainu Sakazuki, you really are arrogant enough.

You think unleashing this level of strength is enough to kill me?

In that case…

Luo En released his entire aura completely.

Rolling waves of pressure spread out from his body in all directions, dark clouds tearing apart, the sea churning.

lv8 Armament Haki, advanced Flowing Sakura, coiled around his entire body, nearly taking on solid form!

He raised the slender, dripping-crimson blood blade in his hand; Flowing Sakura Haki coiled spirally up the blade, and a powerful sword intent surged skyward.

In an instant, the blood-colored sword-light filled the entire sky.

Under the wide-eyed gazes of Peach Rabbit and Tina.

The blood blade in his hand came cleaving down vertically.

192, Akainu's severed arm—the joint attack of two Admirals!

When Luo En killed a Celestial Dragon on Sabaody Archipelago, drawing Admirals Huang Yuan and Akainu, and shocking the world,

in the first half of the Grand Line, the Kingdom of Alabasta

was also in the midst of a great battle.

Facing the rebel army about to storm the capital, and Crocodile—who had led Baroque Works to occupy the royal palace—Princess Vivi, in this desperate situation, recalled the second sentence Luo En had spoken to her that night.

"If this country ever reaches a very dangerous moment, you can tell Crocodile that the stone tablet was taken by me."

And so, when the Kingdom of Alabasta faced the crisis of imminent collapse, she, with a resolute expression, faced Crocodile, who was laughing triumphantly at the great gate of the royal palace, and said: "I don't know what you want to obtain in this country, but many years ago a person told me that he had taken from this country a stone tablet originally kept in the Spirit-Sacrifice Hall."

Crocodile's laughter stalled; his eyes turned icy as he looked at Vivi on the broken street: "You said… what?!"

"That stone tablet should be what you've been wanting to obtain." Vivi met his gaze without the slightest fear: "If you want it, go find that person and take it from him."

Crocodile's face darkened; he reached out toward Princess Vivi and clenched the air, yellow sand forming a giant hand that gripped her tight.

"Who is it?!"

"A traveler. Luo En."