A colossal emerald slash, a hundred meters long and crackling with black and red lightning, tore through the sky like a divine punishment. The very air seemed to scream as it passed, unable to withstand the immense pressure.
Facing an attack powerful enough to split mountains, Kyle grabbed Nidhogg, the black-and-gold naginata on his back, and swept it upward in a clean arc. An equally massive black-gold slash roared out to meet the incoming blade of energy. The two forces collided in mid-air, annihilating each other in a flash of silent, destructive power.
The instant he attacked, Kyle's body shifted several meters to the side. Sharp, black thorns erupted from the ground where he had just been standing. If he had been a fraction of a second slower, he would have been impaled.
"Kishishishishi, not a slow reaction, are we?" Moriah's gloomy laughter echoed from all directions at once.
In the next moment, the shadows across the entire island began to churn. Dozens of shadow soldiers, armed with swords and spears, crawled out from the darkness and charged silently toward Kyle. He remained expressionless, his naginata tracing a perfect circle in the air.
"Light Blade: Heavenly Rainbow Sever!"
A circular wave of rainbow-colored light expanded outward from his position. The instant the charging shadow soldiers touched the wave, they were sliced apart without a sound, their broken forms melting back into the ground.
The moment the area was clear, a pair of hawk-like eyes locked onto him.
Mihawk had closed the distance without a sound. Gripping Yoru with both hands, he brought the massive black blade down in a simple but devastating slash, imbued with the intent to cut through anything in his path. Kyle raised his naginata to block.
"Boom!"
The blades of Nidhogg and Yoru never made contact. The two men's peak Armament Haki clashed violently in the space between their weapons. The collision formed a visible, compressing sphere of raw energy that distorted the air around it. A terrifying pressure radiated from the point of impact, and the ground beneath their feet cracked and splintered, spreading out like a spiderweb.
Just as they were locked in this stalemate, the shadow beneath Kyle's feet suddenly twisted. Moriah's massive figure shot out from it, his body almost completely blocking out the sun. The equally enormous longsword in his hand, coated in dense Haki, slashed directly at Kyle's undefended back. Caught in a pincer attack, there was no escape.
Kyle let out a low grunt and suddenly unleashed his power. Mihawk felt an incredible force transfer through his blade, and his body was thrown backward for more than ten meters, his boots carving two deep furrows in the hard rock. In the same instant he forced Mihawk back, Kyle spun his naginata behind him at an impossible angle, perfectly parrying Moriah's sneak attack without even looking.
"Tremor Mountain: Earth Roar Wave!"
He slammed the butt of his naginata into the ground. In an instant, an invisible shockwave spread across the entire island. The solid ground began to roll like the ocean, rocks crumbled, and waves of earth surged into the air as if the island itself had come alive with anger. Dust and debris filled the air, forcing both Mihawk and Moriah to retreat to a safe distance.
Seizing the opportunity, Kyle pulled back, creating space between himself and his two opponents. Another fierce exchange followed, a blur of flashing blades and twisting shadows that completely reshaped the island's landscape. Mountain peaks were flattened, and entire forests were razed to the ground.
Finally, the three figures separated again, facing each other from a distance in a tense, triangular standoff.
Kyle crouched slightly, gripping his naginata with both hands in a ready stance. His breathing became long and deep, and he seemed to blend into his surroundings. Across from him, Mihawk and Moriah looked grim. Kyle's aura was rising at an incredible speed.
Mihawk's sharp eyes flashed. He held Yoru horizontally across his chest as a boundless sword intent began to gather, causing an emerald green light to flicker along the blade. At the same time, Moriah let out a low roar. "Shadows Assembled!"
The shadows across the island turned into rushing torrents, all pouring madly into his body. Moriah's already tall figure began to swell. His muscles bulged, and his bones creaked under the strain, until he had transformed into a terrifying giant dozens of meters tall—a true demon god.
The air grew heavy and still. The sea breeze died, and even the clouds seemed to freeze in the sky.
Kyle was the first to break the deadly silence. He took a deep breath, then exhaled with a roar like that of a dragon.
"Dragon Slayer!"
It was the same move that had shattered Marineford years ago. A solid, black dragon made of pure destructive energy erupted from his blade. With a ferocious head and a long, coiling body, it roared as it charged toward his two opponents, shattering space itself as it passed.
Mihawk's eyes saw nothing but the roaring black dragon. He swung his sword with both hands, unleashing his strongest attack. A massive, cross-shaped emerald slash, more than three hundred meters long, tore through the air with a sharpness that seemed ready to split the sky and the earth.
"Shadow Lance of Longinus!"
Moriah, now a giant, focused all his power into his right arm. Countless shadows condensed into a massive lance that radiated a dark, ominous aura. With a mighty heave, he hurled it toward the black dragon.
BOOM—!!!
In an instant, the world lost all sound. The three attacks, each representing the peak of destructive power, collided violently at the island's center. An blinding white light swallowed everything, followed by a terrifying explosion loud enough to tear a person's eardrums. The massive, deserted island, which had stood for countless years, began to disintegrate from the center outward. The shockwave turned it to dust, which was then swept into the sea by the violent winds.
A few moments later, the white light faded. Where the island once stood, there was now only a massive, bottomless void in the ocean. Seawater rushed in from all sides, forming a giant whirlpool.
At the edge of the swirling water, a few large pieces of wood from a shattered tree floated on the surface. Kyle, Mihawk, and Moriah stood on one of the giant logs. Moriah's body had shrunk back to its normal size. He was bent over, leaning on his knees and panting heavily, his clothes soaked with sweat. Mihawk still stood perfectly straight, but the hand that gripped Yoru was trembling slightly. Kyle's own breathing was a bit ragged, his chest rising and falling, a clear sign that fighting two powerful opponents at once and unleashing such an attack was no easy task.
"So tired."
Kyle put away Nidhogg and flopped down onto the log. His powerful demeanor from the fight was gone, replaced by a face full of complaints.
"So tired~" Kyle looked up at the sky and shouted weakly, "Sakura, it's decided! We're having extra food for lunch! I want salmon!"
Mihawk felt a strange sense of dizziness. The stern and dignified superior he had just been fighting seemed to have vanished, replaced by a complaining child throwing a tantrum on a log. He sighed softly and pressed a hand to his forehead in weary resignation.
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