On the battlefield, darkness continued to erode the other three elements. No matter how much Dragon and the other two increased their output, they found it nearly impossible to stop the advance of the encroaching void.
Among the three, Dragon was clearly the strongest, and because of that, he was under the greatest pressure.
Wind was meant to be free and omnipresent.
Yet the moment Lloyd released his endless darkness, Dragon's wind was forcibly confined to a limited area around him, and even that space was steadily shrinking.
This was not merely suppression at the level of Devil Fruit abilities. It was a direct and merciless display of the gap in skill between the users themselves.
Everyone present noticed this clearly. While they were stunned by the terrifying nature of the Dark Dark Fruit, they were even more shaken by Lloyd's overwhelming control and strength.
Kizaru somehow produced a banana from nowhere. While casually peeling it, he spoke to Akainu beside him,
"That Dragon must be extremely frustrated right now. The speed of wind is meaningless in front of that darkness."
Akainu glanced at him briefly and replied,
"Indeed. I still remember the day Lloyd first arrived…"
"Alright, enough reminiscing," Kizaru interrupted lazily. "How long do you think these three newcomers can last?"
Akainu's gaze remained fixed on Lloyd, who stood calmly at the center of the field.
"That depends entirely on when Lloyd decides to stop playing. He has not even drawn his sword yet."
As they spoke, the darkness had already crept dangerously close to Dragon and the other two.
Dragon clenched his teeth and spoke in a low voice,
"Do not just stand there. If you cannot overpower him with Haki, then use long range attacks. Avoid touching his body at all costs."
With that, his form dissolved into a violent gust of wind as he shot straight into the sky.
He remained wary of Lloyd's Almighty Pull and could not determine its full range, so he continued ascending until he reached a height he judged to be relatively safe.
The other two followed suit using their own methods.
A massive dandelion bloomed from Aramaki's back, lifting him skyward.
Aokiji stomped down hard, causing a towering ice pillar to erupt from the ground and launch him upward.
The moment all three left the ground, the space they had occupied was completely swallowed by darkness.
Even at high altitude, however, the gravitational pull from below continued to drag at their bodies.
Among the three, Aokiji was in the most precarious situation. The ice pillar beneath his feet was steadily sinking into the dark tide.
Dragon's lower body took the form of a roaring cyan hurricane while his upper body remained solid. His eyes locked onto Lloyd below as he spread his arms wide. Dense currents of wind gathered in both palms.
In the next instant, countless sharp wind blades burst forth.
"Wind Weave, Gale Fang!"
At the same time, Aramaki extended his arms, which had transformed into thick tree limbs. Each arm split into four massive wooden spikes. Their tips gleamed with a hardened black sheen, unmistakably coated in Armament Haki.
His form resembled a monstrous octopus as eight massive spikes stabbed downward simultaneously.
"Eight Headed Serpent Spear Tree!"
Aokiji exhaled deeply, cold vapor spilling from his mouth. He extended an elemental arm, and a gigantic ice bird formed instantly, screaming as it dove downward.
"Ice Pheasant Beak!"
Three overwhelming elemental attacks descended from the sky at once.
Many of the surrounding officers could not hide their shock. Even some Vice Admirals silently questioned whether they themselves could withstand such an onslaught.
The destructive scale of Natural System abilities was simply too great.
Just witnessing it made their scalps prickle with unease.
Yet while many broke into cold sweats on Lloyd's behalf, Zephyr and the watching students remained calm. Their confidence in Lloyd never wavered.
From beginning to end, Lloyd did not even lift his head.
As the attacks were about to land, a blinding white light erupted from his body.
For the first time, Zephyr's expression changed.
He turned sharply and locked eyes with Garp. No words were exchanged. In the next instant, both men moved to the very front.
Under the confused gazes of the crowd, the two raised their arms defensively.
At that exact moment, Lloyd's calm voice echoed from the center of the field.
"White Hole, Shinra Tensei."
Buzz.
A horrifying repulsive force exploded outward, forming a semi circular field of pure pressure.
Dragon's wind, Aramaki's wooden spears, and Aokiji's ice bird were crushed instantly, shattered before they could even reach Lloyd.
The three attackers were thrown back violently, blood spraying from their mouths as they lost balance midair and were sent flying.
Garp and Zephyr remained tense, prepared to intercept the force. Yet just as the repulsion approached them, it stopped abruptly.
The sudden halt made their defensive postures look faintly awkward.
Garp lowered his arms and muttered,
"This Lloyd… he has mastered that technique completely. Range and power, all under perfect control."
Zephyr smoothly crossed his arms in front of his chest, presenting a deep and imposing silhouette to those behind him.
At this point, however, no one was paying attention to them anymore.
All eyes were fixed on the battlefield, now reduced to barren, devastated ground.
Silence reigned until a sharp cracking sound rang out.
The ice pillar beneath Aokiji shattered completely, breaking into countless fragments and dispersing into the air.
He was the only one to fall to the ground. Dragon and Aramaki both retained the ability to remain airborne.
As a Logia user, Aokiji did not fear death from the fall, but his situation was still miserable. His body shattered into scattered ice fragments upon impact.
What made it worse was the darkness that immediately surged in.
His scattered ice could not even begin to reform. It struggled desperately against the tearing pull of the darkness, leaving him utterly helpless.
And this was with Lloyd still holding back the full gravitational force.
With great effort, Aokiji formed a mouth from one of the ice shards and shouted,
"Senior Lloyd, I surrender!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the darkness surrounding him withdrew instantly.
Freed from the pull, his body quickly reassembled.
He panted heavily for several breaths before looking at Lloyd with pure reverence.
Lloyd stepped forward in a flash, reached out, and pulled Aokiji to his feet.
Aokiji felt both grateful and ashamed. Lowering his head, he said quietly,
"I am too weak…"
A sharp pat landed on his shoulder.
Aokiji looked up and met Lloyd's gaze.
"Do not belittle yourself," Lloyd said evenly. "You performed well."
"Senior Lloyd…"
In Aokiji's eyes at that moment, Lloyd shone like the sun itself.
He was only eighteen.
Aramaki and Dragon were both older than him and lacked systematic training. Losing first was nothing to be ashamed of.
___
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