Next Bonus, 100!!
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"You have a death wish!"
Saint Killingham roared in fury, scrambling to his feet.
"I sentence you to death!"
He bellowed, transforming into his Hybrid Form.
His face remained human but contorted with rage, framed by black hair. His lower body transformed into a four-legged creature, similar to a giraffe but far more mythical.
BOOM!
He stomped heavily, cracking the stone pavement of Lover's Lane.
In an instant, he burst forward with terrifying speed, appearing in front of Shiki and lashing out with both front hooves.
"Trample Crush!"
Shiki raised the trident he had stolen and blocked the hooves.
BANG!
Shockwaves rippled outward in concentric circles. The ground beneath them instantly collapsed two meters deep.
As a Mythical Zoan user, Saint Killingham possessed not only the power to manipulate dreams but also immense physical strength.
But Shiki blocked the attack with ease.
SMACK!
Immediately after blocking, Shiki delivered another backhand slap to Saint Killingham's face.
Thunder rolled. Crimson sparks danced in the air.
Conqueror's Haki was the nemesis of the God's Knights. It countered their immortal bodies, leaving Saint Killingham seeing stars.
"Quick! Save Lord Celestial Dragon!"
Nearby, the leader of a bounty hunter group hired by Doflamingo snapped out of his daze and charged forward, eyes burning with greed.
This was a golden opportunity.
Save a Celestial Dragon?
Wealth and status were practically guaranteed!
In this world, there were too many people willing to be slaves for profit.
Even if the Celestial Dragons were evil, countless people were willing to be their fangs and claws for a taste of glory.
Without needing an order, Doflamingo's soldiers also charged forward.
"Stop them!"
The battle reignited...
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"You lowly scum! You dare hit me?? You have committed a capital crime!"
Saint Killingham was beyond furious.
"Nightmare!"
He roared, his body fully transforming into a beast—a Qilin wreathed in flame clouds. He hypnotized the people nearby, absorbing their nightmares.
As the nightmare monsters merged into his body, he grew larger and larger.
"ROOAAR!"
He howled.
Just as the Shadow-Shadow Fruit could increase strength by absorbing shadows, Saint Killingham devoured nightmares.
It looked very much like the "Demon King" that appeared when the Sing-Sing Fruit went out of control—a being composed of pure negativity and darkness.
He had become a nightmare monster himself.
Many onlookers saw the transformation and recoiled in horror.
Those with weak wills felt their minds slip just by looking at him.
"A demon..."
"He's a demon!"
People screamed.
Yes.
At this moment, Saint Killingham looked like the devil itself. Sharp horns sprouted from his head, and wings burst from his back.
Using the Qilin body as a vessel, he carried the weight of nightmares, transforming into a "Demon."
His fangs shone like snow; his claws were sharp and cold.
It was a harrowing sight.
A colossal beast, over a hundred meters tall, with four hooves, long horns, and wings, stood before them. With one step, the earth trembled.
Buildings collapsed instantly.
Murderous intent saturated the air.
It roared again, black mist swirling around it. Countless nightmares followed in its wake, distorting space and time, conjuring illusions.
It moved its massive body, aiming the horns on its head at Shiki, and charged.
It was savage.
There was no sign of the Qilin being a benevolent beast of legend. It was a creature of pure violence and malice.
"Lion's Majesty: Earth Bind!"
Using the Float-Float Fruit, Shiki took control of the surrounding earth and ruins. A massive lion's head rose from the ground.
Majestic and wreathed in Haki, it moved with the speed of lightning, pouncing forward with jaws wide open to tear the Qilin apart.
The Nightmare Qilin reacted instantly. Its horns glowed with a black light, sharp as blades, and slammed into the earth lion.
The lion's head shattered, crumbling into dust.
Whoosh!
Shiki, holding the stolen trident, appeared right in front of the Nightmare Qilin. He spread his arms wide, Conqueror's Haki coating the weapon.
"Lion's Majesty: Thousand Slash!"
Shiki wasn't just a top-tier Devil Fruit user; in the past, he had also been a Grand Swordsman. Even though he was using a trident now...
As Mihawk said, a true master isn't limited by their weapon.
He brought the trident down.
Although the Nightmare Qilin opened its mouth and spewed a torrent of ghostly green fire...
The momentum of the trident did not falter.
It unleashed a terrifying slash of Conqueror's Haki, slamming into the Nightmare Qilin's body.
SHRRRK!
The Nightmare Qilin's defense wasn't as broken as Kaido's Azure Dragon form, but it was still formidable. Yet, under this strike...
It was as fragile as paper.
SPLAT!
Blood sprayed into the air.
The Nightmare Qilin threw its head back and roared in agony.
Its body had been split open.
From its head, down its torso, all the way to its back—a smooth, clean cut appeared. The earth behind it was torn asunder.
Unwilling to accept defeat, the massive body split apart and collapsed into a pool of blood, still twitching.
"Killingham!"
Saint Shamrock, Saint Gunko, and Doflamingo, who had been watching the fight, screamed in unison.
What alarmed them even more was that the split halves of Saint Killingham's body were not healing.
The immortality... had failed!
"What??"
Doflamingo's eyes bulged in shock.
"It's a slash infused with top-tier Conqueror's Haki..."
Saint Shamrock explained, his voice tight.
"Shiki clashed with the God's Knights back in the God Valley era. He knows exactly how to kill us."
Doflamingo involuntarily took a few steps back.
This Shiki... he cut down Saint Killingham in a single move?
Panic rose in his chest.
Under the intense pain, Saint Killingham regained some clarity. When he saw his own split body...
He was terrified.
"Help... save me..."
He had never experienced anything like this. They relied on their immortal bodies, seemingly fearless of death.
But when faced with true death...
He was weaker than anyone.
A magic circle appeared beneath Saint Killingham's broken body, attempting to teleport him away.
"Trying to run?"
Jin watched coldly.
Shiki raised his arm, swung the trident, and unleashed a wave of sword energy.
"ROAR!"
A lion formed of pure Conqueror's Haki charged out, its momentum unstoppable, and crashed into the magic circle.
The power was immense. Sand and stones flew, the earth cracked, and rocks shattered.
The shockwave sent people flying.
Under the impact of the Conqueror's Haki, lightning and sparks bloomed, grinding the magic circle into nothingness and preventing Saint Killingham's escape!
Saint Killingham watched the magic circle vanish, utterly shocked.
Even Saint Shamrock and Saint Gunko were frightened. Realizing the situation was dire, they regrouped.
However...
Loki was not someone to be ignored. He had been fighting with frustration before, but now he swung his massive hammer with abandon, smashing everything in sight.
Pure savagery.
Defending against Loki's attacks, Saint Gunko shouted, "I'll go save Killingham..."
"No! The enemy is too prepared. We retreat!"
Fear had taken root in Saint Shamrock's heart. He was worried they wouldn't be able to escape at all. "Don't worry, they can't run forever!"
"Leaving Killingham here... gives us the perfect excuse to invoke a Buster Call!"
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~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
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