Chapter 322

Luo Jie stared fixedly at Rocks before him; although his expression remained heroic, his right hand, gripping his famous blade, was already fully focused, concentrating all the strength in his body.

"Give it up!"

"Your ideas will not succeed!"

Luo Jie's direct gaze seemed to pierce through Rocks, seeing the Celestial Dragons he had trapped behind him to use as hostages, bargaining chips, and threats.

To be afraid of breaking the vase while catching the rat...

Perhaps it was a good strategy.

But...

If things went out of control, it would easily force a dog into a corner to jump over the wall!

"Brat!"

"Arrogant!!"

"In my presence, you have no qualifications to preach, you arrogant brat!!"

Rocks' eyes were cold.

Heavy breaths, like long plumes of steam, exhaled from his nostrils.

"If you have something to say—"

"Beat me first and then talk!!"

"Tiny weaklings have no right to impart wisdom!"

Facing Luo Jie's powerful slash.

Rocks transformed into an afterimage and lunged forward. Endless shadows permeated from his body; he was clearly also a top-tier Devil Fruit user. It was only because he had been obscured by the endless flames of 'Flame' earlier, and the shadows possessed an inherent stealth characteristic, that others hadn't noticed.

His strikes were fierce, and they were kill shots from the start.

It fully displayed his personality: if he could use force, he wouldn't waste words.

"Shadow: Thousand-Fold Assault!"

"Shadow Thorn: Thorn Rain!"

Countless shadows whistled in from all directions; wherever there was shade, there was a dark impact.

The filthiest, deepest darkness instantly transformed into thousands of thorn spears. These giant spears, a full zhang in length, were thrown down like a rain of arrows. Each thorn spear whistled with a 'sobbing' sound as it pierced the air.

"Only this much—"

"Brat! You are still far from enough!"

"I! Am the King of the World! The King of the World, Rocks! I am the one who will surely win!"

"Death..."

"Is merely a necessary sacrifice on the path to success!"

Rocks' face was ferocious.

His twisted expression was like a demon or Asura from hell.

His powerful offensive was actually suppressing both of them. He gave them no room to breathe, relying on his immense strength and rich experience to use wide-range attacks to divide the battlefield, engaging them one by one and denying them the chance to team up.

The thorn spears pierced the void.

As attacks from such a powerhouse, none of them were weak.

They not only possessed terrifying piercing power, capable of easily penetrating famous blades, but upon impact, they would also instantly trigger massive explosions.

Boom—!

Surging shockwaves erupted, and the black airflow embodied by the thorn spears instantly spread along with the shockwaves.

Pure black and odorless.

Yet it gave one an indescribable sense of unease.

Like...

Darkness devouring everything.

It continuously covered the surrounding light, as if to shroud everything in darkness.

"Is... is it poisonous?!"

Twisted black light shot wildly across the field, seemingly distorting the very stance of the battle. When hit by the light, the power within their bodies began to drain uncontrollably in an unknown way.

No!

It wasn't just draining; it was weakening, causing their entire bodies to become uncontrollably powerless.

Just like...

Just like a Devil Fruit user encountering seawater.

Their bodies... being eroded and imprisoned by 'PYROBROIN'... just like that.

Wait?!

PYROBROIN?!

"My body—"

Rocks' pupils constricted. An indescribable sense of weakness suddenly surged from within his body. Even the Devil Fruit power he drove within him began to decline uncontrollably. An unprecedented weakness struck him from within.

A familiar situation flashed through his eyes.

This tycoon of the sea instantly pinpointed the cause of the mutation within his body.

PYROBROIN?!

It was definitely the mysterious factor in the sea—PYROBROIN?!

This feeling!

It couldn't be wrong!

It was the state formed when a Devil Fruit user was rejected by the sea and touched seawater...

And!

It was an extremely large amount of seawater!

The level of seawater splashing in ordinary combat would have no effect on him at all.

Only! A high concentration of 'PYROBROIN' factors gathered together!

—

"Finally..."

"Did it take effect?"

Garp's expression, half-hidden under his naval cap, looked somewhat complex.

"Cough, cough..."

"Truly worthy of being... cough, cough... a monster who has roamed the seas..."

Luo Jie couldn't help but cover his chest and cough lightly.

In the short, intense battle just now, the heavy weight within his body had actually seemed on the verge of erupting uncontrollably.

Terrifying strength.

Even with Garp teaming up with him, it was difficult to gain the upper hand.

They could only barely hold on under his assault.

Should one say...

Is he worthy of being the man who would become the King of the World!

Only terrifying strength could give birth to terrifying ambition. Given Rocks' achievements, he was clearly not some ignorant, arrogant person.

Although Luo Jie and Garp had not yet fully reached their absolute peak.

But—

Hadn't Rocks also just experienced a great battle, killing the peer-level powerhouse 'Flame', leaving him in a severely injured state? Even if he had no irreversible wounds, the power consumed in the previous battle was real!

Terrifying!

Horrifying!

The only thing to be thankful for was that that guy... had been caught!

"You—"

"Schemed against me?!"

If he couldn't react to this now, Rocks would be too stupid.

The physical strength constantly draining from his body and the weakening of his fruit power were clearly the effects of 'PYROBROIN' factors. And he hadn't even entered the sea; how could he be eroded by seawater?

"It's! Seastone!"

Rocks' tiger eyes widened, and a terrifying aura surged from his body toward the sky. ===== CHAPTER 324 =====