Chapter 258: Clash of Thunder and Ice
"——(Ah, ah...)"
'Ah, will this person really not abandon me like those fans did?' Miku widened her beautiful eyes. The tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes, from the fear of death earlier, slid down her snow-white cheeks.
The male fans who once claimed to love Miku so much turned against her with the smear campaign that ruined her reputation.
Her throat swallowed, and the saliva slid down her slightly sore throat from too much shouting. With her white-gloved hand, she reached out to him.
"——(Thank you)."
"You're welcome." Eric only touched her fingertips, fearing that she might have a strong reaction due to her dislike of men.
To his surprise, Miku grabbed his hand tightly. The silk glove tightened around Eric 's palm, and the slight tremor in her grip showed that she wasn't calm.
Even though Miku's condition usually made her nauseous just by touching a man, there was no discomfort when she touched Eric .
Only then did Miku seriously observe the man she had attacked earlier. His determined eyes, his handsome face.
'So he's this strong, yet he willingly allowed my sound waves to blow him away...'
[Ding… Miku's affection level significantly increases, Bond Level rises from 0 (Stranger) to 2 (Close Friend), gaining 2 Bond Points]
The system's prompt made Eric realize that Miku no longer hated him.
'At least we can have a normal conversation now, and she won't immediately launch a soundwave attack…'
Eric sighed with relief, thinking that now she would be able to join him on the ship.
"You two can be done now." Esdeath's cold voice came from behind.
Hearing her voice, Miku's body suddenly trembled, her large chest bouncing heavily.
'My gaze... my gaze is uncontrollably drawn to it!' Eric 's strong will finally broke away from the sight. The affection he just gained could not be lost now!
'This is terrifying! Is this the "gravity of a thousand breasts" that the teacher mentioned?!'
Eric gently released her hand, turning around, his brow furrowing slightly. The words just now didn't seem like something Esdeath would usually say. Even though she was fierce with enemies, she was always kind to her own people, a trustworthy superior.
"Esdeath, no matter what, she will be a future companion. What you said just now was a bit too much."
"Heh..." Esdeath scoffed. "The only useful sound she can make is nothing, isn't that 'trash'?"
"…Esdeath, do you mean—" Eric 's words were interrupted as Esdeath suddenly charged at him, her already unsheathed sword glinting with light, cutting through the air and stopping Eric 's words (physically).
"Clang!" The sound of the sword striking echoed, the shockwave strong enough to blow small ice shards off the ground.
Eric understood Esdeath's intent the moment their weapons collided.
"…(laugh)" Esdeath, now standing only a few inches away, was silently smiling.
'Esdeath, you're really a great woman.' The thought that Eric had just formed immediately traveled down the spear's shaft and into Esdeath's heart. The curve of her mouth grew wider, and it wasn't Fujitora of bloodlust or battle excitement, but one of joy from the approval and recognition of someone. Eric had never seen such a beautiful smile on her face, and for a moment, he was entranced.
"But don't get too happy, Eric ~" The smile Esdeath had just shown faded, replaced with a more combative expression.
"Huh?!" Eric , who had read her thoughts from their weapons meeting, was shocked.
"Clang!" Another strike, as Esdeath's right leg slammed into the ground, leaping far back.
"—Huh? (Are you okay?)" Miku, only able to make one sound, quietly grabbed the hem of Eric 's shirt.
"I'm fine." Eric gave her a reassuring smile. "Miku, stay back and stand with them."
Eric pointed to Akame, Kurome, Kurumi, and Wendy's positions. "They'll protect you."
"—Ah. (Okay, I understand.)" Miku hesitated, still scared, but she obediently let go of his shirt and nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I—am really strong!" Eric flashed Miku a confident smile.
[Miku's affection increases, Bond Level remains unchanged]
Miku kept looking back as she stepped away from the battlefield, finally reaching the other four, but staying a few meters away from them.
"Now, let's go." Esdeath stood across from Eric , exuding intense battle intent, her ominous killing aura like a wave of deadly air.
"So, this is what you look like from an enemy's perspective..." Eric forced a stiff smile.
"Let me see your strength, Eric ." Esdeath's words acted as a signal for the battle, and they both charged toward each other.
"Clang!"
The explosive storm struck the group outside, and Miku uncontrollably took a step back.
"Looks like it's going to be a full-on battle."
"Of course, you're not even using Conqueror's Haki to entangle me?" Esdeath's face changed slightly. "You're going to die!"
"!"
The white frost on the sword clashed with the purple flames and blue lightning of the Fire Spike, the extreme temperature difference colliding. Esdeath's side turned into a snowy field, while Eric 's side became a battlefield of thunder and flames.
"That's it, that's it!" Esdeath's self-taught swordsmanship was flawless. Each swing of her sword tore through the air, the blade cutting through space, crashing against the Fire Spike, creating a series of thunderous roars.
The battlefield, with its extreme temperature difference, created a mist that was dispersed by the sword and spear's airwaves, and the area where they clashed became a small whirlwind, encircling the two in a spin.
Esdeath's sword left several shallow and deep cuts on Eric 's body. The frost was turned into steam by his lightning.
Their attributes countered each other: absolute zero could stop the movement of electric charges, while lightning could generate heat, increasing the temperature.
"What?! Your marksmanship is only at this level?" Esdeath laughed loudly. "It's much worse than Scáthach 's marksmanship!"
"You told her she wouldn't be harmed earlier, but now look at all the wounds on you!"
"!" Eric , overwhelmed by the intense emotional shift, lost his focus for a moment. His vision blurred, and the sword coming from the right side, in the blink of an eye, struck like a venomous snake toward his chest, the white frost on the blade like the tongue of a snake, aiming at Eric .
Eric quickly elementalized the area around his chest, dodging the fatal blow, but the sword thrust through, the white frost flashing, and the tip of the sword emerged from Eric 's back.
Even Akame and Kurumi, who had been with Eric for a long time, broke out in cold sweat. Let alone Wendy and Miku, who were newly summoned.
"Eric !"
"Ahhh—! (Eric !)"
"Bzzzt!"
Eric released a powerful surge of electricity from his entire body, the sharp crackling sound piercing the eardrums. Esdeath nimbly jumped back, avoiding the intense current around Eric .
Seeing Eric standing unharmed in the center, the group outside relaxed, but then they noticed something and widened their eyes in disbelief, staring at Eric .
The area around Eric 's chest was gone, the elementalized part had not restored, leaving a large hole, just like in the state of a broken hollow.
"Ah? Did I just cross over into Bleach again?" Eric pushed both hands through his chest, his palms touching inside.
Around the hole, white frost was forming, blocking Eric from recovering his original state.
"But it doesn't hurt, and there's no bleeding. Even though it's fine, still..."
"Electric Light!"
A brilliant blue light erupted from Eric 's body, the heat generated immediately melting the frost. The area that had vanished was now filled by the flowing charges, and both Eric and the group outside breathed a sigh of relief.
"Done playing around? Let's continue." With Esdeath's voice, the bright sword light followed!
Eric was startled and instinctively raised his spear to block.
"Your gun skills are confused!" Esdeath shouted angrily. "Your steps can't stop, your goal can't be abandoned, and your dreams can't be betrayed! Even if your dream is to become—The King of the Harem!"
"…!" Eric 's face turned red instantly, and without even looking at the others, he knew that after being exposed, his sense of shame exploded!
"Hah!" Trying to shout louder than Esdeath's voice, the enormous force from the western sword caused Esdeath to smile in satisfaction as she was sent flying by Eric 's strike.
No, she was retreating voluntarily, her own will taking her backward.
"Bzzzt!" Violent electricity surged through Eric 's body, boiling! His entire body turned into a cobalt blue, brighter and deeper than any shade of blue!
The raging electric charges could burst out at any moment, but Eric controlled them tightly.
"Thunder God Armor!" Combining Armament Haki and the power of thunder, a thick armor was formed.
"Heh, using such powerful power for defense instead of offense?"
"No, watch carefully..."
Instead of relying on the thunderous flash, Eric executed a lightning-fast surprise attack. His figure left a trail of afterimages on the group's retinas as he charged straight for Esdeath!
A speed comparable to teleportation, leaving scorched black marks on the ground, the Fire Spike's flames burning with purple flames, the tip of the spear hidden beneath Eric 's body, his wrist turning, aiming at Esdeath.
"Boom!"
Unable to use ice walls or ice mountains in time to defend, Esdeath blocked with her sword but was knocked back by the overwhelming momentum.
"Thud!" Esdeath landed, her white high heels embedding deep into the ground, the pointed toes gripping the earth tightly, carving two deep grooves in the soil.
"Looks like you didn't go easy on me..."
"You'll get even angrier if I don't use my full strength, Esdeath."
"No wonder you're my man, you really understand me." Esdeath smiled, the western sword angled downward. "Come, my love, let's fight with all our might!"
"Uh... You two are a team? Are they a couple? Why are they fighting to the death?" Miku's voice finally returned, asking in an uncertain tone.
Kurumi rolled her eyes, 'You should ask that fighting maniac.'
To help Eric fool women, Kurumi had worked hard, "You're Eric 's new companion, she tried to harm you, so naturally, there was a conflict between them, and then…"
[Miku's affection increases, Bond Level unchanged]
"Bzzzt!" The purple flames of the Fire Spike were extinguished, the red tip covered by deep blue, with a trace of black light oozing from the middle, sending chills down anyone who saw it.
'As you peer into the abyss, the abyss peers back at you.'
"Let's go!" Feeling the entangling of Eric 's Conqueror's Haki on the opposite side, recalling the previous battle, Esdeath's sword, covered in a layer of white light, occasionally flashing red light.
[Name: Esdeath]
[Armament Haki: 9 stars]
[Conqueror's Haki: 9 stars]
Both attributes raised to 9 stars—only by fighting strong opponents could one break through their growth limits and smash through the ceiling before them.
"Let's go, Eric !" Esdeath shouted. "Will it be ice or thunder? There can only be one winner!"
"Defeat me! Let me see your capability!"
"Esdeath..." Eric muttered, 'She's such a great woman!'
Eric turned into blue thunder, drawing a straight blue line, and all obstacles in his path were shattered by the thunder.
Esdeath transformed into brilliant white light, her western sword drawing a semicircle, slashing toward the thunder spear coming at her!
Without the sound of weapons clashing, the two weapons, with tremendous power, collided across half a meter of air!
At this moment, it seemed like time had frozen.
"Crackling!"
Countless blue and white electric bolts radiated outward, spreading across the sky like cracked mirrors.
The earth changed color!
The invincible divine weapon bent, and the famous blade trembled!
Under the clash of weapons, the ground exploded into a giant crater, countless cracks spreading outward, and stones of all sizes were blown away by the storm!
"Yah!" The windstorm howled, Miku whispered, and everyone looked uneasy, raising their arms to shield their eyes, squinting to stare at the battlefield.
Their hair flew backward, and clothes were violently pulled back by the wind, tightly pressing against their bodies.
The entire island trembled from the immense forces of the two, continuously rumbling.
In the distance, the Fearless was almost blown off the shore by the sudden storm, its hull tilting slightly before returning to normal.
"What... What's happening?!" The crew on the ship was shocked, looking toward the direction of the windstorm.
"Look, look there!" Gin 's eyes widened as he pointed to the sky.
Others looked in the direction he pointed and gasped, "The sky—it's split!"
The thick clouds split in the middle, rolling toward the opening but never filling the gap.
Only Chiron could see the battle between Eric and Esdeath from here and said calmly, "It's nothing, just the captain and Esdeath having a spar. Don't worry."
"What... What?!"
"This is a battle between the captain and Esdeath?!"
"Too amazing!"
Scáthach had already known about this battle and even the outcome afterward. A subtle smile appeared at the corner of her mouth as she returned to her room.
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
The power struggle lasted for several seconds, the electric arcs continuously shooting out, followed by—an even more intense storm!
A tangible aura exploded, and both stepped back three paces.
"Really should thank Miku." Esdeath's eyes were filled with intense battle intent, glancing at Miku, scaring her into letting out a "Yah" sound and then returning to focus on Eric .
"..." Eric 's competitiveness flared up, but he couldn't really go all out against his wife, could he?
But if he didn't fight seriously, he'd be beaten senseless...
Headache!
"The battle of Conqueror's Haki is over, now it's time to see the development of Devil Fruit powers!" Esdeath suddenly swung her sword forward: "Absolute Zero!"
The flying slash carried cold air, which was wrapped in sword energy, faster and more powerful!
"Come on!"
Eric raised his spear, his legs planting firmly on the ground, steadying himself, the Fire Spike igniting with purple flames, blue electric arcs swirling around the purple flames.
With a swift motion, he thrust the spear forward. The powerful spear energy, carrying purple flames and blue thunder, shot straight toward the sword energy.
"Boom!"
The cold gusts and hot air blasted outward.
(END CHAPTER)
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