The surrounding Whitebeard Pirates and the captured World Government personnel widened their eyes in disbelief. Could Urouge really be mistaking the Sword Saint for a pirate who had come to join Ashveil?
"Hey, hey… Urouge, do you know who this man is? Step back immediately! He is the Sword Saint, far above the Gorosei!" Marco shouted, trying to intervene.
But Urouge, still fully focused on the Sword Saint, did not even hear Marco's warnings.
Bickley had reached his limit. Though Urouge was insignificant to him—less than an ant—he could not tolerate the buzzing persistence of a fly.
"You foolish fool, I am the Sword Saint!" Bickley roared, fury blazing. The Holy Sword in his hands flared with blinding light once more. Raising it high above his head, Bickley unleashed a lethal slash towards Urouge.
Urouge's eyes went wide. Wait… Sword Saint… that name sounded familiar. His memory raced back to Imu, who claimed divine authority, declaring that the Sword Saint would be sent to eliminate Ashveil. This was the peerless warrior, the one Imu had dispatched!
Trembling, Urouge stared at the radiant holy light, fully aware that his strength was no match for the Sword Saint.
The Whitebeard Pirates would not allow this to proceed unchecked. With a thunderous shout, Whitebeard activated his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, sending a shockwave through the air. Cracks erupted in the surrounding space, spreading rapidly towards Bickley.
At the same time, Dracule Mihawk drew his Black Blade. Under Ashveil's guidance, Mihawk had grown exponentially in skill and power. His attack now eclipsed the speed and intensity of any strike he had previously unleashed, even surpassing his feats during the Marineford War.
"This should at least delay the Sword Saint," Mihawk murmured, eyes narrowing.
A black slash, stretching a thousand meters through the sky, rushed at Bickley with a hum of deadly precision.
Bickley's eyes narrowed. A swordsman's instinct told him this attack was formidable. Mihawk, despite having only few years of training, had reached an impressive level. With the immortality granted by Imu and the Holy Sword, Bickley had achieved his terrifying strength. Yet, he could appreciate raw talent, and Mihawk's potential was undeniable.
"Not a bad attack. Perhaps you would make a fine disciple," Bickley said coldly, shifting from offense to defense. With a simple circle traced to his side, a square barrier materialized around him.
Within this mystical barrier, both Whitebeard's tremor-based assault and Mihawk's black slash were absorbed without leaving a trace, vanishing as if they had never existed. The eerie silence that followed left all onlookers stunned.
Even Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, could scarcely believe his eyes. His Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a force capable of disrupting nearly any attack, had been neutralized without resistance. Only the power of a peerless being like Ashveil—or perhaps even beyond—could achieve this.
Then, Bickley shifted back to offense, raising his Holy Sword in a sweeping backhand. His blade cut through the air, targeting Urouge with lethal intent.
Urouge's face paled, veins visible across his tense features. Memories surged—of his crew being annihilated by Akainu on Sabaody Archipelago. He had felt certain death then, only to be saved by the noble Ashveil, who had defeated his enemies with terrifying ease.
Now, history seemed to repeat itself. Could Ashveil intervene in time? Or would he be finished before his captain even noticed? The radiant slash drew nearer, and the surrounding sea itself seemed to tremble.
The Whitebeard Pirates sprang into action. Flower Sword Vista unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one meeting Bickley's barrier and disappearing without effect. First Division Commander Marco followed with his blue Magma, rushing at the Sword Saint's defenses. Even Doflamingo, wary of underestimating this foe, activated his Devil Fruit ability, transforming into twelve Holy Bullets and assaulting Bickley with precise attacks.
"Such a concentrated strike from so many experts… it should at least pierce his barrier, right?" Doflamingo muttered, eyes narrowing, his voice tight with focus.
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