Chapter 206: Empress vs Queen (Part 3)
The sky was filled with ice spears, their sharp whistle tearing through the air as they fell toward Hancock, who was floating in mid-air, without any support.
"Sister!" Despite trusting in Hancock's strength, the two sisters shouted in surprise upon seeing this. Their opponent was not an unknown, but a powerful woman who had already killed one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Captive Arrow!"
A large number of pink arrows shot out in a continuous stream, forming a dense, impenetrable barrier. The red arrows were not only an attack but also a defense.
The blue ice spikes that were hit by the pink arrows quickly turned to stone and lost their momentum, falling straight down.
"Well done." Esdeath snapped her fingers, and giant ice blocks seemed to emerge from a portal, gradually forming into a complete sphere in mid-air.
"Hail Fury Leap!"
The massive ice block descended with an unstoppable force, smashing down toward Hancock, who had just landed.
Even the onlookers were covered by the shadow of the giant ice block.
Porche and Perona pressed their hands to their faces, forming shouting poses, "Why are we even within the attack range?!"
Hancock's greatest strength was her charm, combined with the Sweet Fruit's allure and control.
Like a passive debuff that weakened groups, her charm inflicted various debuffs like weakness, enchantment, petrification, and dilution on everyone witnessing her stunning beauty. The duration and range were long, and the effects were incredibly powerful.
With such "free rein" powers, Hancock could even recklessly trample over powerful Navy generals like Wenshu, who had exceptional swordsmanship and strength.
It was precisely for this reason that, in the following years, Hancock developed a self-centered and unique personality.
But her charm had no effect on Esdeath, and when the scale of the attack was too vast, Hancock was powerless to stop it.
"I will not lose!" Hancock bent her white, long legs into a sprinting posture, gathering all her strength in her legs. Her round thighs tightened, and she leaped high into the air.
"Great Fragrant Foot!"
She spun in the air, kicking straight upward at the ice block.
Boom——!
The falling giant ice block stopped mid-air in response, and to the onlookers, it even appeared to move upward slightly.
The area where she kicked sank significantly, cracks appeared across the surface of the ice, and they spread outward from the center, where her black high heels had landed.
Boom!
In the brief stalemate, the immense force shattered part of the ice block, sending small ice crystals and debris flying in all directions.
The shattered ice from the ice block gently rained down below.
The giant ice block, which had briefly paused in mid-air, began to fall again under the force of gravity.
"Damn it!" Hancock, now inverted under the ice block, bent her left leg and stomped on the block again. Unfortunately, the attack lacked the same force as before and didn't have the same impact.
"I'm not defeated yet!" Hancock's white leg retracted and kicked out repeatedly, each strike with the force of a little girl stamping her foot in a tantrum.
In a world like the pirate world, where even Newton's laws could be defied, the ice blocks made by Esdeath gradually shattered and slowed down under Hancock's continuous kicking.
Eric muttered softly, his voice barely audible, "Where did the counterforce from Hancock's kicks go?"
Finally, Hancock's last kick shattered the edge of the giant ice block, and she finally landed back on the ground.
"Hah~ hah~" After the continuous powerful attacks, Hancock was exhausted, with fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her dark hair was messy, sticking to her face and neck, her breath becoming labored and heavy.
Even the cold ice crystals mixed in the air could not cool down Hancock's burning body temperature.
"You don't have to take Esdeath's attacks head-on," Eric said, unable to hold back, "You're wasting your energy by scraping through it like this."
"Eh? I... I don't need to take her attacks?" Hancock blinked, surprised.
"Where are you looking during the battle?" Esdeath suddenly dropped from the sky, her sword falling like lightning, aiming straight at Hancock.
"Ugh...!" With her exhausted legs, Hancock crouched low and quickly retreated to dodge the strike. Her black high heels skidded across the grass, leaving a mark.
Esdeath's sword, however, followed closely behind, its speed suddenly quickening as the blade cut through the air, heading toward Hancock.
"I can't dodge!"
Hancock was startled, her teeth clenched tightly. She quickly kicked out with a "Fragrant Foot," clashing with the sword blade.
The cold blade sent a sharp sting through her delicate calf, the force of the strike causing her great discomfort.
Thankfully, Hancock's mastery of Armament Haki was formidable; otherwise, this strike would have cleanly severed her calf.
Esdeath, taking Eric 's advice, combined her freezing ability with her swordsmanship. Though her training time was short and the power slightly lacking, it pushed Hancock back step by step.
Hancock was quietly shocked by Esdeath's swordplay and abilities, but Esdeath's assault had only just begun.
Her sword came at Hancock like a flowing river, endless and unrelenting, as imposing as a glacier.
The two were now close, exchanging their most fundamental strength and skill—kicks and swordplay, enchantment and freezing, allure and bravery—causing the eyes of the onlookers to grow brighter and brighter.
"Snake Empress is going to lose." Though Gloriosa was old, her insight was sharp, and she could immediately tell the outcome of the battle.
"Sister will never lose!" Marigold refuted loudly.
"Sister..." Sandersonia was worried about her sister's safety, as Hancock had been at a disadvantage throughout the fight.
There were no flashy moves or evasive steps, only the clash of blades against calves, with the constant vibrations, and ice slowly forming on the hem of Hancock's clothes.
Soon, her limbs began to grow cold and stiff, and Hancock's movements slowed. Ice formed around her hair and eyebrows, and her breath became heavier.
With her strength and speed no match for Esdeath, she had no way to break free from the situation.
Hancock's strength was clearly waning, and the Armament Haki surrounding her body gradually wore away as the freezing air consumed it.
After a long and drawn-out battle, Hancock's defenses finally showed a crack.
Experienced in battle, Esdeath seized the opportunity when Hancock failed to block in time, slashing across her waist.
The sword wrapped in Armament Haki easily tore through Hancock's defenses.
Hancock felt a sharp pain in her waist, followed by an excruciating coldness that quickly spread to her abdomen, freezing into a thin layer of ice.
The sword wound, though bleeding, froze before the blood could flow out.
Esdeath must have considered Hancock's usefulness to Eric and held back, not severing her slender waist completely.
"You lost!" Esdeath pointed her sword at Hancock, who was crouching on the ground, holding her wound.
"Sister!" The two sisters cried out, unable to believe that Hancock had been injured, let alone lost.
Hancock gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, "I haven't lost, I can still fight!"
Her strength was almost depleted, and her Armament Haki was nearly gone, but Hancock refused to admit defeat. Her disheveled hair clung to her face, and she looked pale and weak.
"This isn't a life-or-death duel; winning or losing doesn't matter," Eric stepped forward, "The important thing is to find your weaknesses. You're strong, Hancock."
"But... Eric 's fiancée..."
"That was just something Esdeath made up."
Hancock gasped, "Eh!"
(END CHAPTER)
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