The ocean trembled as the Sea King King howled, the sound splitting the night like thunder. Its diamond-like fangs had not broken beneath Jin's blade—but they had loosened. Hundreds of crimson slivers of killing intent, razor-thin as razors, had carved the flesh beneath the gums. A tooth the size of a ship tore free, tumbling into the sea below.
The beast's agony was matched only by its rage.
"Let's see whether your hide is tougher… or my blade sharper."
Jin's tone was flat, calm as still water. But the air around him vibrated with pressure. His form blurred, body vanishing and reappearing in bursts, each step of Shave and each kick of Moonwalk carrying him closer to the monster's vast neck.
He swung.
A slash of red light carved into scaled flesh. The armor cracked; blood sprayed into the night. Again, and again. His attacks were relentless, each strike a surgeon's incision, opening weakness where no weakness should exist.
The Sea King convulsed, thrashing violently. Its tail whipped waves into mountains. One colossal claw, broad as a plaza, swung down with the weight of a falling sky.
Jin didn't retreat.
"Dominating Blade—Guarding the World!"
He spun his crimson-patterned greatsword in both hands, forcing every channel of inner force into its length. A barrier of condensed blade aura, two hundred meters across, flared around him like a scarlet shield.
The claw struck.
CRACK!
The impact tore the night apart. Jin's barrier shuddered, then shattered in a rain of sparks. The force hurled him back like a broken kite, his body carving a hundred-meter trail across the sky before crashing through spray and mist.
Blood sprayed from his lips. His lungs burned.
"Damn… its raw power… even worse than the whirlpools." He wiped the blood away, grimacing. "Careless."
The beast roared triumphantly, waves erupting around it like applause.
On the Eternal, the ship rocked violently, its hull groaning.
Tina clutched the railing, eyes wide. "He blocked it… but even Jin can't keep taking hits like that."
Makino's hands trembled against her chest. She wanted to scream, to leap into the waves, to do anything. But all she could do was whisper a prayer.
Behind her, Kuma stood like a wall, shielding her from spray. His jaw was set, eyes bloodshot with fury that he could not join.
Kuina gripped her sword so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her expression was stone, but the tremor in her wrist betrayed her fear.
When Jin fell into the ocean, all three women stiffened as one. Hearts clenched.
Then—
He rose again.
Jin erupted from the waves like a spear, violet eyes clear once more. His soaked clothes steamed dry instantly as his aura blazed anew.
For a moment under the water, doubt had crept into him. Why am I stalling against one beast? If I falter here, what of the serpent to come? The thought had poisoned his flow, had broken his rhythm.
But the icy ocean had purged him.
Now, his gaze was calm. His breath steady. His aura steady as a blade.
"The fight's dragged on too long," he said quietly. "Time to finish this."
The Sea King stiffened, as though sensing a predator greater than itself.
Jin exhaled slowly. His veins burned. He pushed everything—every reserve of inner force, every drop of blood—into one final state.
The air around him warped crimson.
Blood mist coiled like a sea of corpses, filling the sky behind him. Within it, skeletons writhed and drowned, ghosts screaming from an endless battlefield. His aura pressed down on the waves, staining them red.
Violet eyes bled into scarlet, twin jewels burning with hunger.
"Hellsblood Conqueror's Haki… full release."
His long hair lifted though no wind blew. His shirt snapped and cracked as though beneath invisible storms. The greatsword in his hand glowed blood-red, black Armament creeping up its length until it looked forged of living flame.
The Eternal groaned, its crew staggering as the aura washed over them. Makino gasped, clutching the rail, her knees weakening. Tina bit her lip, sweat beading. Kuina's sword rattled in her grip, her teeth clenched hard enough to draw blood.
Even Kuma dropped to one knee, fur bristling.
This wasn't just power. It was domination.
The Sea King King screamed, its massive pupils narrowing, every instinct warning of annihilation. It lunged anyway, claw lashing with desperation.
Jin vanished.
One instant he was before it. The next, he was at its throat.
"Dominating Blade—Blood Sea Execution."
His blade howled downward.
The world split.
A red arc taller than mountains carved through scale, muscle, and bone. Blood erupted like geysers, painting the night sky crimson. The Sea King shrieked, its body writhing as the wound cut deep into its neck.
Still, it lived.
Its tail whipped, slamming Jin aside, sending him tumbling through the air. He spat blood but twisted, landing on the waves, feet skidding across water. His knees trembled, but he did not fall.
"Not… enough," he whispered.
He lifted his blade again. His aura shrieked louder, burning brighter, tearing his body apart with every second.
"This ends… now."
From the deck, Makino's sob broke free. She could see it—the toll on him. Every muscle straining, veins glowing like molten steel, skin cracking beneath the pressure.
She wanted to stop him. But she knew—this was who he was.
Kuina's lips parted, awe and terror warring in her eyes. "Sensei…"
Tina's voice was a whisper. "No… he'll kill himself."
Jin leapt once more, blade raised high.
The Sea King King's throat gushed rivers of blood. Its roars weakened, its claws slower. Still, its massive head swung toward him, jaws gaping in defiance.
Jin's eyes narrowed, a wolf's smile carving across his lips.
"One last cut."
He spun, channeling everything into his sword—inner force, blood essence, haki, will, and the weight of two lives' worth of battles.
"Dominating Blade—World Severance!"
The slash tore through the night like a comet.
The Sea King King froze.
Then its head split clean from its body, falling with a thunderous crash that sent tsunamis racing across the horizon. The ocean drank its corpse whole, red waves stretching farther than sight.
Silence fell.
Jin landed lightly on the deck of the Eternal. His chest heaved, blood dripping down his arm. His body screamed in protest, but his eyes burned steady.
"It's done," he said simply.
No one answered immediately. They only stared, stunned, unable to breathe.
Then Makino broke. She rushed into his arms, clinging so tightly he thought she might break him more than the battle had.
"You're insane," she sobbed into his chest. "You… you nearly…"
He chuckled weakly, stroking her hair. "But I didn't. Not yet."
Her lips trembled. She looked up—and kissed him, desperate and trembling, pouring all her fear and relief into him.
For a moment, the world fell away. His blade, his wounds, the ocean, even the corpse of the Sea King King—it all faded, leaving only her warmth.
When they parted, her forehead pressed to his.
"Never again," she whispered fiercely.
He smiled faintly. "We'll see."
Behind them, Kuina exhaled at last, lowering her blade. Tina leaned against the rail, hiding her relief with a smirk. Kuma dropped onto his back, laughing hoarsely.
The night grew still again.
The Sea King King was dead.
But on the horizon, darker waters loomed—reminding them all that this victory was only a prelude.
The serpent awaited.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T/N :
Support me and Access 25 chapters in Advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/GodFic