Chapter 134: White-Hot Battle
"Don Chinjao has been sent flying!"
"Is this the true power of the Dragon Slayer swordsman?"
The mighty warriors of the West Blue watched with trembling hearts.
Don Chinjao had regained his youthful form—his fighting prowess no less formidable than in his prime, incredibly dominant and powerful—yet he'd still been sent flying by a single strike from Rhodes, this newly risen youngster! Even the so-called "Greatest Swordsman of the West Blue" and the patron saint of Yuezhi Kingdom couldn't help but feel awe at such overwhelming power.
However,
just as their hearts trembled with shock,
the launched Don Chinjao rolled with the momentum and leaped back to his feet as if nothing had happened. He casually brushed debris from his body and laughed heartily,
"Gahaha! You're truly worthy of being called the Dragon Slayer swordsman, but you're still a long way from defeating me!"
"Besides, you must be feeling pretty bad after taking my Hasshoken head-on, eh?"
He radiated vitality. Although his skin bore some lightning burn marks—reddened and blackened in places—he was clearly unaffected overall.
"Thunder and lightning can be quite troublesome, can't they?"
A trace of blood stained the corner of Rhodes's mouth. Though wounded, his eyes shone brightly, gleaming with fierce fighting spirit.
Don Chinjao was strong—incredibly strong. He'd mastered the supreme martial technique of Hasshoken to absolute perfection. The peculiar impact force penetrated through every defense,
with even a small portion breaking through Rhodes's lightning barrier to reach his body directly. Fortunately, Rhodes's physique had been tempered through countless battles—his internal organs robust, his muscles toned, every part of his body incredibly resilient without any significant weaknesses.
Therefore, the residual impact force only caused Rhodes's blood to churn slightly, resulting in minor internal injuries.
Don Chinjao used his Observation Haki to sense Rhodes's condition, and his eyes darkened with concern.
Rhodes appeared virtually unaffected. While his aura flickered slightly unstable for a moment, it quickly stabilized.
"This youngster's physical constitution..."
He felt both intimidated and bewildered.
Physical training was the most time-consuming path, with virtually no shortcuts available. As a master of pure martial arts himself, he'd experienced this truth firsthand.
Don Chinjao had forged his current physical strength through decades of arduous training—enduring the elements, suffering countless hardships, and persevering through unimaginable pain.
Yet unexpectedly, at merely seventeen years old, Rhodes already possessed an incredibly formidable physique. Not only was he incredibly strong and fast, but his durability was sufficient to withstand the Hasshoken's penetrating impact.
Legend held that two of the Yonko who'd risen to prominence in the New World—Kaido and Big Mom—had both been born with monstrously powerful constitutions. Could this Dragon Slayer be similarly blessed by nature?
"Such talent is truly enviable."
"But what a shame—meeting me at this moment! Gahahaha!"
With a roaring laugh, Don Chinjao lunged forward and charged at Rhodes, unleashing fists, kicks, and headbutts like a torrential storm—each strike packing force powerful enough to shatter steel pillars.
True masters of pure martial arts generally possessed ferocious, overwhelming fighting styles, and Don Chinjao was no exception.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Rhodes remained completely unfazed by Don Chinjao's aggressive assault.
His Observation Haki was still developing, but with his extraordinary analytical thinking and lightning-enhanced neural reactions, he was still able to accurately predict Don Chinjao's attacks and counter with his blade.
The mountain trembled continuously. Massive boulders tumbled down slopes, and countless trees were crushed to splinters.
The tremendous roaring sounded like continuous thunder explosions, causing spectators at the mountain's base to cover their ears in pain and retreat repeatedly—their heads buzzing from the overwhelming noise.
Some noble lords who'd come merely to spectate were so severely affected that their ears bled, with several becoming permanently deaf.
"Are you just tickling me?!"
Don Chinjao roared repeatedly, attacking with blinding speed while simultaneously trying to distract Rhodes with verbal provocations.
Impact force rippled outward like waves. Any surrounding rocks, trees, or debris that made contact were instantly pulverized to dust. The scene was truly terrifying.
"Thunder Dragon!"
Rhodes roared, unleashing a sword technique that compressed his lightning power. A massive dragon formed entirely from crackling electricity emerged from his blade and charged toward Don Chinjao.
This was a supreme fusion of swordsmanship and lightning—imbued not only with thunder's dominance and destructive power but also with the razor-sharp cutting force of sword energy. With a breathtaking presence and waves of draconic roars, the very earth trembled.
CRASH!
Don Chinjao was struck by the Thunder Dragon's impact and sent stumbling backward. He flung his green cape aside, eyes cold and focused, coating his entire body in deep black Armament Haki—like a demon emerging from the abyss, a truly terrifying sight.
"Not enough!"
He sneered, arms spreading wide. His flattened head was instantly coated in even stronger, denser Armament Haki, and he charged headfirst toward Rhodes.
BOOM!
Rhodes's lightning-wreathed blade struck Don Chinjao's reinforced skull once again.
This time, Don Chinjao was fully prepared. Instead of being sent flying, he merely stumbled back a few steps before planting his feet firmly.
Rhodes's condition had deteriorated somewhat from the accumulated impact damage, and he was knocked back several steps as well.
Don Chinjao touched his head and felt a slight stinging sensation—as if it were bleeding slightly.
"GRAAAAH!"
Don Chinjao roared wildly, as if the pain had triggered something primal, and charged forward with another devastating headbutt.
Rhodes slashed with his sword, colliding with Don Chinjao yet again.
Amidst a violent explosion,
Don Chinjao was sent flying and crashed into the mountainside, creating a massive crater—but he still wasn't seriously injured.
"..."
Rhodes watched the scene with an expressionless face. After briefly releasing the impact force from his body, he approached in a flash of lightning and slashed once more.
Don Chinjao was a pure martial arts master. In two words: a tank. In three words: a muscle monster.
His physique had been tempered through decades of hellish training, and under the protection of his Armament Haki, his defensive power was incredibly formidable.
Rhodes's sword energy was almost completely ineffective. Even direct strikes from his blade could only pierce through the Armament Haki coating to leave bloody marks on Don Chinjao's body—but nothing remotely fatal.
If Vice Admiral-level Marines like Momonga represented the peak limits of ordinary humans, then these great pirate-level masters were essentially all monsters transcending normal bounds.
For example, the great pirate Byrnndi World from the New World had been able to hold out against the combined efforts of Momousagi and multiple Vice Admirals.
While Don Chinjao wasn't quite as overwhelmingly powerful as an Ancient Zoan user like that, he wasn't significantly weaker either. His powerful and peculiar Hasshoken technique made him impossible to underestimate—a master of both offense and defense.
BANG BANG BANG!
Rhodes, leveraging his lightning-enhanced speed, launched a relentless series of attacks, seizing the initiative.
Don Chinjao, utilizing his powerful Observation Haki, repeatedly intercepted Rhodes's strikes, clashing against him with precise timing.
The combined force of impact energy and lightning power was devastating Mount Kano itself, crumbling it toward potential collapse. The aftermath created a hauntingly beautiful rain of flower petals cascading through the air.
Don Chinjao was confident of ultimate victory. This relatively even balance of power was extremely advantageous to him, as the accumulated damage from his impact force would continue affecting Rhodes until he secured victory.
And indeed, as he'd anticipated,
Rhodes wasn't a super-monster like Kaido—at most, he was a minor monster with exceptional potential.
Under the constant assault of penetrating impact force, Rhodes occasionally coughed up blood, his face turning slightly pale.
But strangely enough,
despite this seemingly dire disadvantage, Rhodes's expression remained remarkably calm—a hint of a smile even lingering at the corners of his lips.
He swung his sword, slashed, swung his sword, slashed...
In this ultimate life-or-death struggle, under this immense and unyielding pressure, Rhodes's inner potential was being fully mobilized. His spirit and focus reached unprecedented heights. He could clearly feel his swordsmanship improving—minutely, imperceptibly, yet with absolute certainty.
The realm of Great Swordsman, already only half a step away, now seemed truly within reach!
(End of Chapter)
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