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Chapter 201: The Application of Furyoku, The Final Blow
If Yuichi's raw power commanded admiration, then his current display transcended mere strength.
Haki was a skill honed over time; no matter the era, Observation Haki would always grow stronger with practice. Naturally, the rate of progress depended entirely on individual talent. However, the technique Yuichi had just demonstrated was the perfect interpretation of what "talent" truly meant.
Facing an attack from Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Yuichi had stood his ground and deflected the blow in a manner no one had ever imagined.
Originally, such a blow was thought to be something only Whitebeard could withstand—and even then, only by combining the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit with Haki. Yet, even Whitebeard would not have remained rooted to the spot like Yuichi. He would have been forced back by the sheer force of the impact.
"Terrifying talent..." Whitebeard couldn't help but sigh in a low voice, his tone thick with emotion. "The aptitude this brat possesses is truly shocking. Even if I were in his shoes, I definitely couldn't have achieved that level of control."
To bounce an enemy's attack away like a rubber ball required a mastery of power that bordered on the ultimate.
Hearing Whitebeard's evaluation, Big Mom added her own observation. "If that power wasn't controlled down to the finest detail, the moment the two forces collided, they would have exploded with terrifying destructive power! It should have been impossible to knock it aside!"
"How did this kid do it? It's completely baffling!"
When Haki collided with Haki, maintaining a non-explosive state while redirecting the force was theoretically impossible. Even top-tier powerhouses like Whitebeard and Big Mom couldn't figure it out.
For those who had cultivated Haki to its ultimate peak, the feat was incredible. However, for the ordinary people watching, the nuance was lost. The spectators in the auditorium stared at the screen, mouths agape, looking at the shocked expressions of Kong, Garp, and Whitebeard on Enies Lobby. They found it hard to understand why these legendary figures were so stunned.
"He just knocked the attack away, didn't he? Is there any need to be so surprised?"
"Yeah! Is there anything special about this? It doesn't look like much to me!"
The ignorance of the crowd made another person in the audience smile helplessly. The laughing man was none other than the Pirate King's vice-captain, Dark King Rayleigh. He was watching Yuichi's astonishing move from the stands. Hearing the comments from the ordinary civilians next to him, he couldn't help but explain.
"Haki is an uncontrollable, violent force. The moment the Haki of two people collides, it usually explodes like a cannonball. There is no time to simply 'kick it away.'"
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed as he continued. "The difficulty of that parry is no different from trying to stop a bomb that has already detonated from expanding, while simultaneously withstanding the terrifying impact and seizing a fleeting fraction of a second to redirect the force. It requires instantaneous adaptation."
"Genius... The new Emperor of the Sea, Yuichi! A terrifying genius!"
Rayleigh squinted and smiled, indifferent to whether the people around him understood. To master Haki to such a degree... even his captain, Roger, could never have done it. Regardless of Haki strength, in terms of sheer mastery, Yuichi could already be called a supreme powerhouse.
After hearing Rayleigh's explanation, some of the spectators finally showed surprise. They hadn't realized that the seemingly simple parry contained such terrifying difficulty. Now, they understood why legends like Sengoku and Garp were so shaken.
"This guy... is he really that scary?" someone whispered uncertainly.
A person beside him asked a darker question. "If such a terrifying monster has become a pirate... will the Great Pirate Era ever end?"
Yuichi couldn't hear the exclamations of the crowd. He was looking at Sengoku with a smile. The blow that had knocked Sengoku away was, in fact, an experiment.
Force.
Yuichi had always used Furyoku as a tool to transform or fuel other powers, but he hadn't tried using the raw power itself directly. When he decided to deflect Sengoku's attack, the thought occurred to him: could it be done with Furyoku alone?
The experiment yielded an astonishing result.
When his Furyoku touched Sengoku's Haki, it seemed to instantly suppress the power of the Haki. Of course, this suppression wasn't permanent; it consumed a massive amount of Furyoku every passing second. However, under the suppression of the Furyoku, Sengoku's Haki couldn't detonate. Taking advantage of that brief window, Yuichi used his own Haki to alter the direction of the attack.
The principle was like placing a layer of sponge between two iron balls. The Furyoku acted as the sponge, cushioning the impact just enough to manipulate it. This created the scene that had shocked the world.
Yuichi, knowing the mechanics behind it, wasn't overly arrogant. Furyoku had the ability to restrain Haki, but he didn't know if it could restrain other forces. Devil Fruit powers? Chakra? Can Furyoku suppress them?
This was subject to further experimentation. But for now, Yuichi was confident he could catch Sengoku's third hit.
Looking at Sengoku, who was still in a daze, Yuichi spoke slowly. "The last blow! Let's get on with it, Mr. Sengoku!"
Sengoku, shaken from his stupor by Yuichi's voice, wore a clouded expression. He didn't know whether to be happy for Yuichi's growth or worried about the future of the Marines and the world. Looking at the energetic and imposing young man, Sengoku sighed. The final blow probably wouldn't have much effect.
But! He would not pass up the last chance.
"Yuichi! I'm going to do my best this time. Be careful..." Sengoku's voice dropped an octave. "Don't die!"
Feeling the shift in Sengoku's tone, Yuichi understood. Sengoku was determined. He was preparing to release a final blow with the resolve to kill. Yuichi didn't dare to take it lightly.
"Come on!"
Yuichi's focus sharpened, his expression turning extremely serious.
Sengoku exhaled lightly, and the golden Buddha light radiating from his body intensified. This time, Sengoku wasn't just relying on Haki. He was preparing to unleash the strongest strike of his Devil Fruit ability.
The surrounding airflow instantly changed direction, converging toward Sengoku's chest. He pressed his palms together, compressing the atmosphere. Transparent shockwaves began to gather.
Expansion. Expansion. Extremely rapid expansion.
The energy spread to a width of several meters in an instant, and then, defying physics, began to shrink continuously. Everyone witnessing this scene understood clearly: Sengoku was compressing his power to achieve maximum density. When this blow erupted, it would be absolutely apocalyptic.
Looking at the compressed sphere of air, Madara was slightly surprised. "It's terrifying... Compressing the air to such a degree. Is he serious?"
He squinted at Yuichi in the distance. It was obvious that Yuichi and Sengoku shared an unusual bond. But at this moment, no matter what their relationship had been, after this blow—regardless of the result—that bond would be completely severed.
Boom! Buzz...
Suddenly, Sengoku struck with his palm. This time, he didn't signal Yuichi in advance. The attack exploded like a bolt of lightning, wreaking havoc as it tore straight toward Yuichi.
Yuichi's eyes widened rapidly.
Red energy flowed through his body. Tailed Beast Chakra, explode!
At the same time, Reiatsu coated the Tailed Beast Chakra, forming an invisible armor. Finally, Armament Haki infiltrated the mix. The defense formed by three distinct forces, coupled with the diffusion of Furyoku, turned into a vortex that rushed to meet the galloping air cannon.