Botobai, the [Dragon] of the Zodiacs, renowned as the man whose strength and reputation are closest to Netero's, was someone who preferred action over words.
Simply put, he was a thoroughgoing man of action and strength.
Aura surged layer upon layer around Botobai's body, forming ripples and textures, like petals overlapping as a flower bud blooms.
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked. With the sound still echoing, Botobai vanished.
An indescribable pressure rushed through the air.
In the next instant, with absolute confidence, Botobai appeared in front of Machi, channeling the force generated by his momentum into his powerful arm.
Although his relentless pursuit was largely aimed at Law, he had no objection to first disposing of a member of the Phantom Troupe along the way.
Accompanied by the sound of compressed air bursting, his large fist, devoid of any mercy, aimed directly at Machi's face.
Machi's pupils contracted, her muscles tensing instinctively. Faced with such a swift and fierce attack, she didn't recklessly choose to dodge.
Instead, she crossed her arms in front of her face.
"A correct response, but futile."
Botobai kept his attention partly on Law, his punching momentum unchanged.
At that moment, Machi performed a chest-expanding motion, suddenly spreading her crossed arms wide open, exposing a large opening.
"Oh?"
The change happened in a flash, leaving no time for either side to think further.
The fist passed through Machi's arms. Just as it was about to strike her face, it was blocked by a net.
It was Machi's Nen Threads, entangled around her hands, woven into a dense net. While it could catch the fist, it couldn't completely dissipate the force.
Seeing this, the corners of Botobai's mouth abruptly curved into an exaggerated grin.
'Little one, you miscalculated.'
The Aura on his fist boiled like water, rolling and vibrating, inexplicably elongating and passing through the net, rushing straight towards Machi's face.
Machi's expression changed. She jerked her head backward, avoiding the elongating Nen Wave.
Boom!
Machi's body shuddered. A severe ringing filled her ears, and her nose felt warm as blood trickled out.
She had allocated over fifty percent of her Aura to her hands to increase defense, and another portion to her feet to enhance stability.
In that urgent moment, she allocated the remaining Aura to her face.
This was the limit any Nen User could achieve. However, without understanding the enemy's ability, risks remained numerous.
After injuring Machi, Botobai had two choices in that instant: first, ignore Law's potential threat and press the advantage to eliminate Machi, while second, take the advantage gained and retreat, planning his next move carefully.
In that split second, he hesitated not a bit, choosing the first option.
Because, in that brief exchange, he acknowledged Machi's threat.
The plan to feign defense while actually aiming to restrict his movements was formed in less than a second after his sudden attack, indicating Machi's formidable combat intellect.
Finally, her ability to dodge his [Shock Fist] at such close range and promptly allocate Aura for defense gave him a clear idea of her approximate strength level.
Based on this assessment, Botobai took the risk.
He didn't use his left arm but pressed down with his right arm, which was entangled in the net.
The Nen Wave extending from his right fist followed the downward motion of his arm, directed towards Machi's face, neck, and chest.
It must be said that after making his choice, Botobai did consider the threat from Law. He kept his left arm in a ready state to guard against Law, who was on his left side.
Botobai had extreme confidence in his strength and speed, a confidence cultivated through fifty years of immersion in martial arts.
His choice couldn't be called wrong… it was more that his understanding of Law's strength wasn't precisely positioned.
Law moved. In fact, he moved simultaneously with Botobai's decision to press down with his right arm.
In that instant, a strange, piercing sensation shot through Botobai's thoughts… the clearest warning of danger.
Yet, Botobai didn't waver. Adhering to his initial plan, he raised his left arm, like an old master performing simultaneous attacks with both hands.
One hand aimed to kill Machi, while the other prepared to suppress Law's attack.
'Three feet is enough,' Botobai thought.
A long sword suddenly appeared in Law's right hand, bridging the three-foot distance Botobai had deemed safe.
Under the daylight, the blade flashed swiftly.
Botobai's left arm was severed effortlessly.
Simultaneously, a stream of Nen penetrated the soil, flowing like an electric current to beneath Machi's feet.
With a boom, an impact force erupted from the ground beneath her, throwing Machi backward, away from the Nen Wave extending from Botobai's right fist.
This unexpected turn of events caused a slight twitch on Botobai's muscular face.
The Nen Wave, imbued with vibrational properties, struck the ground. Accompanied by a loud crash, the ground cracked inch by inch, and a shockwave burst forth, sweeping up everything nearby.
Machi, who had just landed after being thrown back, was sent flying again by this shockwave.
A massive cloud of dust billowed into the sky, swallowing Law and Botobai's figures in the blink of an eye.
After landing, Machi got up from the ground, enduring the incessant ringing in her ears, and looked worriedly at the spreading dust.
Blood flowed freely from her ears and nose. She had clearly dodged the Nen Wave but didn't understand how she was injured.
After a moment, the dust settled.
Botobai remained in his stance, right fist slammed into the ground, motionless, because the tip of a rusty blade was pressed against his neck.
In battles between Nen Users, a single misstep often leads to an irreversible abyss.
The higher the level of the Nen User, the more a small mistake can be magnified.
"You picked the wrong target."
Law held the blade at Botobai's vital point, his right foot firmly pinning Botobai's severed left arm to the ground. His tone was somewhat cold.
His robes had been torn by the earlier shockwave. If not for his Aura Defense, he would have sustained some injuries.
However, even if he were to get injured, he would have chosen to withstand the damage to secure victory.
Botobai remained silent.
He could clearly feel the presence of his left arm. Even without looking, he knew the Nen at the severed part was being steadily stripped away.
It wasn't just his hands that could strip an enemy's Nen… now, Law could accomplish it with his feet as well.
He stepped on Botobai's severed arm, relentlessly stripping the Nen with a forceful attitude, strangling the threat of its 'vibrational properties' in the cradle.
Without a doubt, this was a complete checkmate.
Machi wiped the blood from her face, a murderous intent flashing in her eyes. She gathered her Aura, preparing to cooperate with Law to kill this man.
In this critical situation, Botobai's expression remained unchanged, though he felt nothing but bitterness inside.
Being checkmated without even exerting fifty percent of his strength was a deeply frustrating reality for any martial artist.