Facing the surging Light Dragon, Ashveil nodded in satisfaction at Bickley.
This strike surpassed even the strongest attack he had unleashed against the United Army.
Celestial Dragons, indeed, were not to be underestimated, but… a pity.
Though the Celestial Dragons' bloodline was undeniably powerful, compared to his own, it was still far inferior.
He wielded the most formidable bug-like Conqueror's Haki in this world.
In terms of sheer bloodline strength, he—a transmigrator from Blue Star with his unique system—was arguably the most terrifying being alive.
After a moment, Ashveil imitated Sword Saint Bickley, activating his will to manifest a Golden Giant Dragon, mirroring Bickley's previous slash.
The Golden Giant Dragon roared and surged forward, colliding with the Light Dragon head-on.
Bickley's brows furrowed slightly.
"Is that… pure Conqueror's Haki?"
As a Celestial Dragon, his Observation Haki had transformed fundamentally after awakening, allowing him to sense the composition of Ashveil's attack.
Relaxing slightly, Bickley smiled, recognizing the structure of the strike.
"Hmph, by composition alone, Ashveil's attack falls short."
Pure Conqueror's Haki, while immensely powerful, was several times stronger than ordinary Armament Haki or Ryuo techniques. Yet it was not the pinnacle. The strongest strike combined sword energy with Haki; only the perfect fusion of the two could unleash the ultimate blow—and Bickley had mastered that art.
"Ashveil, your technique is inferior! You cannot withstand this strike!"
Bickley hovered, radiating a terrifying aura, arrogance written across his face.
Ashveil glanced upward, his expression calm, almost amused.
In the face of absolute power, flashy techniques were meaningless.
"You will experience my Conqueror's Haki, Bickley. I doubt you have ever felt such overwhelming force," Ashveil murmured, tilting his head.
There was no hesitation in him; he did not fear Bickley's superior slashing.
In an instant, two colossal attacks erupted, shaking the very air.
The white giant dragon lunged at Ashveil's Golden Conqueror's Haki dragon. Its claws dug into the golden scales—yet failed to pierce them.
Unexpectedly, the Golden Giant Dragon countered with a single, thunderous slap.
Boom!
The strike made the entire world quake. Bickley's previous combination of sword energy and Haki exploded outward, sending shockwaves across nearby islands, uprooting trees with ease.
Yet within Ashveil's Conqueror's Haki barrier, no Whitebeard Pirates or prisoners were harmed. Two worlds existed simultaneously—inside the barrier, untouched; outside, devastation reigned.
Whitebeard watched, his eyes heavy with awe and disbelief.
"I never thought… I, Whitebeard, the strongest man alive, would see this day… to witness a battle I cannot fully withstand," he murmured.
Once the unstoppable force, now a bystander to a power far beyond even his own.
Golden Lion Shiki approached him slowly. "There is no helping it, Whitebeard. This is the clash between Ashveil and the strongest Celestial Dragon in eight hundred years."
Both veterans, symbols of the old era, recognized their limitations against the new age.
The true anomaly was Ashveil himself. His power was not just overwhelming—it was terrifying.
Even Urouge, a representative of the new generation, froze in awe, eyes wide. Ashveil had already expended massive Conqueror's Haki to protect everyone, yet still summoned enough to challenge the Sword Saint.