Realizing that his opponent's lightning-enhanced blade was about to strike him, Weevil didn't hesitate to grasp his massive naginata with both hands. Coating the weapon in Armament Haki, he swung it directly toward the incoming attack with all his considerable strength.
However, Cavendish rushed forward at literal lightning speed, showing absolutely no intention of changing course or avoiding the collision.
A dazzling blade of pure electrical energy cut through the air like a shooting star, passing cleanly through Weevil's guard. The brilliant slash moved so fast it appeared to slice through both space and time itself.
The crisp sound of metal meeting metal echoed across the battlefield. Weevil's massive frame froze completely in place, his powerful swing stopping mid-motion as if time itself had been suspended.
Countless bolts of lightning danced around his body, the crackling of electrical current drowning out everything except a faint hissing sound. The acrid smell of burning flesh began to fill the air.
Then, a tremendous sword wound appeared across Weevil's torso, blood erupting from the gash like a high-pressure fountain. The sheer force of Cavendish's technique had cut through both his Armament Haki and his naturally tough skin.
Several seconds passed in eerie silence before Weevil's body—now charred black from the electrical assault—toppled backward and crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact. Wisps of smoke rose from his unconscious form.
This was Cavendish's ultimate technique: the complete fusion of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power pushed to its absolute limits, combined with his Hakuba personality's enhanced physical abilities, all supplemented by advanced Armament Haki and his refined swordsmanship. It represented his current strongest possible form.
Since this peak transformation could only be achieved by perfectly combining multiple states and abilities, Cavendish had spent countless hours in secret training to barely master it. This marked the very first time he had used the technique in actual combat.
If he hadn't been facing an opponent with such extraordinarily tough defenses, and if he hadn't been eager to finish the fight quickly—plus his uncontrollable desire to show off in front of the live broadcast—he wouldn't have felt the need to reveal such a devastating trump card.
Breathing somewhat heavily from the exertion, Cavendish slowly sheathed his sword and allowed all his enhanced states to fade back to normal. He didn't bother looking back at the fallen Weevil behind him. Instead, he took a few discrete deep breaths to recover, then produced a beautiful red rose from seemingly nowhere and turned sharply to face the live broadcast camera with his most dazzling smile.
"Aha! That guy was supposed to be one of the new Seven Warlords, right?" Cavendish announced with theatrical flair, striking a pose that would make any fashion photographer weep with joy. "Obviously, as a high-quality idol of unparalleled beauty and talent, I am infinitely superior to such a crude brute! Everyone watching should cheer with excitement, because I am—"
"Eh?! Kotatsu! Over here! Point the camera this way!" he called out, waving enthusiastically at the flying cat who was operating their broadcast equipment.
There was absolutely no doubt that the news of Cavendish decisively defeating Edward Weevil would shock quite a few important people around the world. This included the various forces who had been closely monitoring the battle situation on Treasure Island.
Among those observers, former Marine Admiral Zephyr and his Neo Marine followers were slowly advancing across the vast ocean aboard their ship, watching the live broadcast with great interest.
"Bwahahaha! Zephyr, the most important thing in life is to enjoy yourself! Why are you being so serious?" A hearty, booming laugh echoed across the ship's deck—the unmistakable sound of Vice Admiral Garp's signature chuckle. "It's the World Government that should be worried right now, right? After all, their newest Warlord just got completely demolished!"
Garp sat casually on the ship's railing, his mouth stuffed full of various snacks and his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's.
"Garp! Get off my ship this instant!" Zephyr barked, though there was a barely perceptible smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I don't remember ever giving you permission to board!"
"Don't be so stingy, old friend," Garp replied cheerfully while continuing to munch on his food. "I'm officially retired now and have plenty of free time on my hands. What's wrong with visiting an old friend to chat about current events?"
"Chatting?!" Zephyr exclaimed in exasperation. "You mean eating all our supplies and causing nothing but trouble for my crew!"
Watching their normally stern leader engage in this rare display of banter with the legendary Marine hero, Zephyr's loyal students Ain and Binz exchanged amused glances and chuckled quietly to themselves.
Meanwhile, back on Treasure Island, Cavendish cast a quick glance toward where Jerry was still engaged in his intense battle with Redfield. Seeing that his captain had the situation well in hand, he turned and walked confidently toward the shoreline.
Multiple pirate ships had appeared simultaneously on the horizon, their black flags snapping in the ocean breeze. It was obvious they had formed some kind of temporary alliance or had coordinated their assault after careful planning.
Looking more closely at the approaching vessels, Cavendish could identify several of today's most notorious Supernovas among the fleet: "Red Flag" X Drake with his distinctive Marine background, "Roar of the Sea" Scratchmen Apoo with his unique musical fighting style, and "Gang" Capone Bege with his fortress-like abilities.
In addition to these well-known pirates, numerous other crews had simultaneously broken through the defensive barriers from different directions and were now reaching the island's edges.
"Look! Marines just showed up on the horizon!" one pirate shouted, pointing toward a distant warship. "But something seems weird—there's only a single ship. What could they possibly be planning?"
"Who cares what those government dogs want?" another pirate captain replied dismissively. "If the Marines are stupid enough to get close at a time like this, we'll blow them out of the water!"
"Exactly!" a third voice chimed in. "This is the New World! If we all work together, our chances of success are much greater than fighting individually."
"Can you believe that coward Hawkins actually said his fortune-telling showed the risks were too great?" Apoo complained loudly. "He refused to join our alliance. What kind of pirate is afraid of a little danger?"
The three Supernovas continued their animated discussion while leading their combined forces, having tacitly agreed to wait and observe the situation rather than immediately rushing into battle. It seemed they had developed some kind of deeper strategy.
Their conversation primarily focused on the numerous factions that were currently gathered in the waters surrounding Treasure Island, creating an incredibly tense standoff.
These forces included not just pirates, but also Marines, bounty hunters, Revolutionary Army members disguised as pirates, various kingdom armies, and even representatives from different criminal organizations of the underworld. Each group had their own agenda and motivations.
Most of these various factions remained on the periphery, watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike when the chaos reached its peak and they could claim the greatest rewards with minimal risk.
However, wherever large numbers of people gathered, conflict was inevitable. In these seas filled with old grudges, territorial disputes, and ideological differences, violence followed like a shadow wherever ships sailed.
Fights frequently erupted when crews with existing bad blood encountered each other, or when naturally hostile forces found themselves in close proximity.
What often started as a simple dispute between two ships quickly escalated into massive free-for-alls once innocent bystanders got caught in the crossfire.
Most of the people who had gathered here were arrogant, unruly, and completely lawless individuals—essentially human powder kegs just waiting for the right spark to explode.
Sometimes, nothing more than an unintentional insult or perceived slight could trigger bloody battles between complete strangers, turning the surrounding waters red with violence.
This volatile situation had been building for several days now, with no signs of improvement. If anything, tensions were getting worse by the hour.
Although Marine ships had been spotted in the area, they maintained their distance and never stayed long, which only emboldened the more reckless pirates to become even more aggressive in their posturing.
Only the more experienced and intelligent captains remained properly cautious, carefully observing how the situation might develop.
The chaotic maritime situation did nothing to affect the fierce combat still raging on the island itself.
While Cavendish busied himself with systematically eliminating the various pirate crews that had managed to land at different points around the island's coastline, Jerry's epic battle with the legendary Redfield continued to intensify.
After being consistently suppressed by Jerry's unconventional fighting style, Redfield's movements became even more rapid and desperate. He began wielding his umbrella-sword at speeds that surpassed normal human reaction times.
In an instant, razor-sharp sword energy swept toward Jerry's entire body like a devastating hurricane, each individual strike powerful enough to cleave through solid stone.
Faced with this speed-oriented opponent who fought so differently from the straightforward Bullet, Jerry adapted his own combat approach accordingly.
The fishing rod in his hands danced through the air with liquid grace, causing both the fishing line and its various attachments to whip through complex patterns at incredible velocity. Every swing of his arms seemed to generate multiple simultaneous attacks from different angles, creating a dizzying display that was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
Redfield was genuinely shocked by this completely unprecedented fighting method, his normally composed expression growing extremely serious.
He realized that Jerry's unexpectedly bizarre technique was not only incredibly fast, but also carried tremendous destructive power due to the advanced Armament and Conqueror's Haki coating every component.
This was a completely new strategy that Jerry had developed recently. Having mastered the fishing rod's use to such an extent that wielding it had become as natural as moving his own limbs, he could now ensure that power, precision, and unpredictability combined perfectly in every attack.
While such techniques might have limited effectiveness against a defensive powerhouse like Bullet, they were perfectly suited for someone like Redfield who relied more on speed and skill than raw durability.
"Old man, there's no point in holding back anymore," Jerry called out casually during a brief lull in their exchange. "Otherwise, I'm going to stop being polite."
Hearing his opponent's confident words, Redfield paused for just a moment, his ancient eyes narrowing with calculation.
"Very well then," he replied calmly. "Let's see what you're truly capable of."
As he spoke, Redfield's entire appearance began to transform dramatically.
In the blink of an eye, his hands became razor-sharp claws while his facial features shifted to display distinctly bat-like characteristics, resembling the legendary vampires of old folklore. This was the hybrid form granted by his Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type, Vampire Form.
"Oh, that's perfect!" Jerry exclaimed with sudden mock enlightenment, grinning widely. "Now you're officially part of the rodent family too!"
Although he knew perfectly well that bats were definitely not rodents, that certainly wasn't going to stop him from making such an obviously ridiculous comparison.
With both fighters now revealing their true capabilities, the battle between them escalated to an entirely new level of intensity, while the atmosphere across the surrounding seas grew increasingly tense with anticipation.
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