Kizaru's lips curled slightly into a faint, ambiguous smile as he said, "I've always believed your defense, like Kaido's, was flawless and unbreakable. Yet, I never expected even a defense like yours could be so easily breached by that guy Lancelot."
At this point, his expression suddenly turned serious as he added, "Still, I'd like to see if I, too, can break through this so-called impenetrable defense of yours!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Kizaru swiftly raised his right hand, his index finger aimed directly at Jozu like an arrow locked onto its prey.
Simultaneously, light converged on his fingertip, compressed into a dazzling pinpoint of energy, resembling an intense laser beam.
Seeing this, Jozu's expression darkened instantly.
Who was Kizaru?
He was one of the Marine's top combatants, one of the Three Admirals, renowned for his speed.
In many battles, enemies were defeated before they could even react.
Facing such a formidable opponent, how could Jozu afford to let his guard down?
Yet, just as Kizaru was about to launch his attack, he suddenly sensed a powerful presence rushing toward him at an astonishing speed.
Kizaru's Observation Haki instantly detected the situation, and he couldn't help but let out a surprised exclamation.
"Huh!"
In an instant, a fierce wind swept through, and sand scattered like a disturbed swarm of bees.
A figure shot forward like lightning, firmly positioning himself in front of Vista.
Kizaru focused his gaze and realized it was Rear Admiral Gin!
His lower body had completely transformed into sand, allowing him to fly over.
Kizaru felt a slight surprise.
He had initially assumed the newcomer would be one of the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders, arriving to support Jozu.
Who would have thought it would be Gin?
Nevertheless, he quickly regained his composure, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips, his eyes carrying a hint of curiosity.
"Sand-Sand Fruit Ability User, Rear Admiral Gin."
Indeed, the one who had arrived was none other than Gin!
The enemy in this war was the exceptionally terrifying Whitebeard Pirates, so Sengoku naturally couldn't afford not to dispatch Gin, who possessed Logia Devil Fruit abilities, to participate in the battle.
After all, against such formidable foes, every additional bit of strength increased their chances of victory.
However, what was unexpected was that as soon as he charged out alongside Aokiji, he had already set his sights on his target!
He chose Jozu as his opponent, leaving Vista for Aokiji.
It must be understood that within the entire Whitebeard Pirates, the only ones capable of matching them were likely Jozu and Vista.
Thus, Gin's choice undoubtedly caught Kizaru somewhat off guard.
But the most unprepared was Aokiji.
He stopped in his tracks twenty paces away, a look of astonishment on his face, clearly not expecting Gin to steal his target.
The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
Then, however, he revealed a meaningful expression.
Gin was currently a Rear Admiral, but if he truly managed to defeat Vista in this war, a promotion to Vice Admiral afterward would be absolutely certain.
Vista stared intently at Gin, whose lower body had turned into sand, racing toward him like a whirlwind of dust and stones.
His pupils contracted sharply as he thought to himself, "Isn't this the Devil Fruit ability of the Warlord Crocodile?"
Indeed, the ability Gin displayed was identical to Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit.
This undoubtedly gave Vista a new understanding of the Marines' strength—not only did they have a super powerhouse like Lancelot, but now a Marine Rear Admiral with Logia abilities had emerged as well.
It had to be said, the Marines' luck was truly remarkable; it was as if the heavens themselves were favoring them!
However, for the Whitebeard Pirates, this was undoubtedly adding insult to injury, bringing them unprecedented and immense pressure.
As for Gin, time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had quietly passed.
During this year, he had undergone a tremendous transformation.
He wasn't the inexperienced Gin of the past but a battle-hardened warrior who had weathered countless storms and hardships.
This year, Gin had been dispatched by Sengoku to carry out missions in the North Blue.
In this sea filled with danger and challenges, he experienced over a hundred fierce battles, both large and small.
Each battle was a life-or-death struggle, a severe test of his will and strength.
Yet, it was precisely these brutal battles that allowed Gin's experience to skyrocket.
He encountered various types of enemies, dealt with complex combat situations, and accumulated a wealth of battle experience.
At the same time, his strength advanced by leaps and bounds during this year, achieving a qualitative improvement.
Perhaps in the vast New World and Grand Line, Gin was still just an unknown minor figure.
But in the smaller sea of the North Blue, he'd already become a renowned and formidable presence. Nowadays, pirates in the North Blue would tremble in fear at the mere mention of Gin's name, devoid of any fighting spirit.
Seeing him was like mice encountering a cat—they'd turn and flee in terror, desperate to avoid him.
If Gin hadn't been born a pirate, his illustrious military achievements in the North Blue would've been more than enough to earn him a transfer to Marine Headquarters and promotion to Vice Admiral.
However, due to his pirate origins, this path to promotion became exceptionally difficult.
But if today, Gin could accomplish a monumental feat, even if Sengoku didn't want to promote him, he'd have no choice but to do so.
After all, such outstanding achievements right before one's eyes can't be ignored by anyone.
"Crescent Sand Dune!"
With a low roar from Gin, his arm began to swell, transforming into a shape as large as a crescent moon. With a sweep of his arm, a massive sand blade shot out like lightning, heading straight toward Vista.
This technique was developed by Gin through Lancelot's descriptions, combined with his own continuous exploration and practice.
Every technique Crocodile knew, Gin had already mastered to perfection.
Not only that, he could even perform techniques that Crocodile didn't know.
All of this was thanks to Lancelot, who not only described Crocodile's various techniques in detail but also revealed some additional techniques.
Because of this, Gin was able to achieve such a significant breakthrough in the development of his Devil Fruit abilities.
His strength improved rapidly.
At this moment, Gin's admiration for Lancelot grew even deeper.
He couldn't help but marvel at Lancelot's astonishing ability—not only to accurately describe others' techniques but also to help others develop their own unique moves. This ability was beyond comprehension.
The Crescent Sand Dune technique Gin used, though it appeared to be just an ordinary sand blade, actually concealed a hidden trick.
This sand blade was composed of countless tiny grains of sand, existing in a scattered state, and wouldn't cause substantial physical damage to the enemy.
However, once struck by this sand blade, the enemy's body would lose its moisture, eventually becoming powerless due to dehydration and collapsing like a mummy.
This was undoubtedly a terrifying technique, and one that was difficult to guard against.
It was deceptive, especially for those fighting it for the first time, who were almost certain to fall victim to it.
And once struck, it essentially meant death. Or, a part of the body would wither and become useless.
Seeing this, Vista's eyes flashed with surprise, but he didn't hesitate in the slightest. He swiftly swung his two swords, meeting the attack like lightning.
His movements were fast as the wind, as if he'd already cast aside life and death, fearlessly confronting this terrifying technique. Lancelot, he couldn't defeat.
Those powerful Admirals, he couldn't overcome either. But facing a newcomer, he firmly believed he had the upper hand.
However, when their attacks met in mid-air without making any sound of impact, a strong sense of unease surged in Vista's heart.
Swish!
His sword easily sliced through the sand, and he felt no resistance at all.
It was as if the opponent's attack was nothing but an illusion. What shocked him even more was that the sand didn't scatter as he'd expected, nor was it affected in the slightest.
As if controlled by some mysterious force, it maintained its original form and continued surging toward him.
Vista's expression turned grave.
His blade continued to slash forward, while his opponent's attack advanced relentlessly toward him without retreating. His heart raced, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
His opponent didn't even care about the blade slashing toward him!
Was this a mutual destruction tactic?
'Not good!' he inwardly exclaimed.
Years of combat experience made him realize that this move was no ordinary attack—it was a special technique.
Moreover, judging by the force and angle of the opponent's strike, it was clear they were confident they could severely injure him with a single blow.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have resorted to such a mutually damaging approach.
At this thought, Vista's pupils contracted sharply, like needle points.
Simultaneously, his feet pushed off with explosive force, and his body shot backward like an arrow from a bowstring, attempting to evade Gin's fatal strike.
It must be said that Vista was indeed a true Great Swordsman.
Even in such a critical situation, he could swiftly retract his attack and make the most correct decision.
However, Gin's strength had also improved significantly, and his attack speed wasn't slow.
Despite Vista's desperate efforts to dodge, he couldn't avoid the strike. In the end, the tail end of the sand blade grazed Vista's left wrist.
The moisture in his left wrist seemed to be drained away. The entire wrist became withered and shriveled, like that of a mummy.
Clang!
The sword in his hand, as if having lost its strength, slipped from his grip and fell straight to the ground, emitting a crisp clanging sound.
This sudden turn of events left Vista momentarily stunned.
His gaze instinctively followed the blade until it settled on the ground.
When he saw the sword lying on the ground, his expression turned grave.
A strong sense of confusion surged within him. How could this sword inexplicably fall to the ground? He clearly remembered holding it tightly in his hand without the slightest slack!
Vista instinctively reached out to pick up the sword, but just as his hand extended, he realized a terrifying truth—his wrist had lost its moisture, becoming as dry as a mummy!
This bizarre scene made Vista's expression turn grim.
His face underwent several changes—first shock, then disbelief, and finally deep fear.
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