Chapter 296: Gravity
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Vastaya.
The King of Vastaya was accompanying a tall figure wearing a white cloak and a cat-face mask.
"Gurado-sama, this is Vastaya's Heavenly Tribute for this period,"
the King said respectfully.
The two held similar status—one was the king of a member nation, the other the captain of CP0's second division, the world's strongest intelligence agency.
The main difference lay in their strength.
The top three captains of CP0 were all at peak combat capability, far beyond the reach of a mere West Blue king.
"Hmm,"
Gurado replied calmly, devoid of emotion.
He carried a specialized weapon over two meters long, its silver-white barrel gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen, giving it a futuristic appearance.
The King of Vastaya knew that Gurado was an exceptionally skilled sniper, ranked among the world's finest.
He had once single-handedly fought a rebel army exceeding 100,000, leaving rivers of blood and mountains of corpses in his wake.
He was one of the three pillars of the CP organization, holding a position roughly equivalent to a Marine Admiral at Marine Headquarters.
Puru puru puru...
The Den Den Mushi rang, and Gurado gently answered it.
"The Heavenly Tribute has been stolen?!"
"The Thunder God Swordsman?!"
Gurado's tone held only a hint of surprise.
King Vastaya, however, was completely stunned. He hadn't expected the Thunder God Swordsman to appear on his territory and steal Heavenly Tribute!
How audacious!
Gurado ignored him, simply saying,
"Don't worry, Admiral Issho can hold him off. I'll arrive shortly."
He disconnected and politely said to the king,
"My apologies, a thief has stolen the Heavenly Tribute. I must depart early."
The king dared not detain him, repeatedly saying,
"Please be sure to capture that Thunder God Swordsman! Do you need me to dispatch the royal army to assist?"
"Unnecessary."
Gurado shook his head. He had great confidence in Issho—the Zushi Zushi no Mi's abilities were highly effective against speed-type opponents and also against swordsmen skilled in close combat.
Combined with his own capabilities, perhaps they could capture this Thunder God Swordsman today.
Even if they couldn't, they should inflict significant damage, laying groundwork for the final confrontation!
A cold glint flashed in Gurado's eyes.
Provoking the World Government would be met with punishment!
Watching Gurado quickly disappear from sight, King Vastaya revealed deep worry.
"They must capture the Thunder God Swordsman!"
He worried that if they failed to capture the Thunder God Swordsman, would the World Government hold a grudge against him?
The battlefield.
CLANG!
Swords clashed, locked in stalemate, unleashing chilling sharpness that tore at the earth.
"Your swordsmanship is impressive."
Rhodes discovered that Issho's swordsmanship was quite strong, even surpassing his own by several points, clearly having devoted many years to the way of the sword.
That's right—someone so pure-hearted wouldn't lack talent for swordsmanship.
"..."
Issho frowned slightly, remaining silent. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but rather that he lacked the capacity. Rhodes's power was extraordinary—he felt his hand go numb, only maintaining the stalemate by exerting full strength.
After a brief standoff, Rhodes gripped Kongōmaru in his left hand and slashed rapidly at Issho.
He'd recently become increasingly aware of dual-wielding's advantages.
Rhodes's sword swing was incredibly fast, almost instantly reaching Issho's neck.
Issho wasn't a Logia-type Devil Fruit user like Sakazuki, nor an Ancient Zoan like Jack—his defense was only average.
If Rhodes struck true, he might not be instantly killed, but serious injury was highly likely.
"So fast?"
Issho was startled to find this azure blade even faster than the previous one.
But having distinguished himself from hundreds of thousands of recruits worldwide and been promoted to Admiral, he wouldn't be so easily defeated by Rhodes's strike.
He coated his shikomizue's scabbard with dense Busoshoku Haki, then blocked Rhodes's strike.
BANG!
Issho wasn't a dual-wielding swordsman, and he was clearly unaccustomed to using both hands simultaneously. He was directly forced back by Rhodes's immense strength, sliding a considerable distance backward.
"You have a slight advantage in the first exchange. Let's go again."
Issho exhaled stale air, gripped his sword hilt tightly, and his tone carried a hint of burning fighting spirit.
Issho had reached this point through countless battles and faced all manner of enemies, but none had ever posed such a near-death threat as Rhodes.
Fighting him required absolute concentration.
Whoosh!
Rhodes, his expression calm, flashed with silver light and charged at Issho again, ready to exploit his advantage.
But Issho had already realized he was likely no match for Rhodes in close combat.
Rhodes's unpredictable speed was simply terrifying.
With his defenses, even a single clean blow would likely have disastrous consequences.
Issho exhaled and raised his shikomizue.
"Jūryoku Hansha!"
Whoosh!
A thick purple wave of light burst forth, sweeping across the area instantly.
A 360-degree attack with no blind spots—Rhodes's speed was rendered useless.
BANG!
Rhodes's expression remained unchanged as he parried with his sword, then felt powerful recoil force.
The force wasn't particularly lethal—it could only push him away, though he could forcefully break through—but it was pointless. So Rhodes used the force to fly backward.
"Almighty Push?"
Rhodes felt a sense of familiarity and couldn't help but mutter.
Of course.
Issho's gravity repulsion didn't possess the terrifying lethality of certain legendary techniques—it was merely a method to prevent close-quarters combat and also a prelude to his subsequent attack.
Suddenly, Issho's body erupted with purple light, and he plunged his sword into the ground.
"Jūryoku Kōsen!"
Whoosh!
In Rhodes's Kenbunshoku Haki, a peculiar force attacked him.
Rhodes didn't like taking direct hits—a flash of silver light, and he vanished from his position.
BOOM!
Almost instantly, that force slammed into the ground where Rhodes had just stood.
A circular crater appeared in the ground, as if a giant had stomped down—a terrifying sight.
"A gravity attack? Paramecia-type rule-based abilities truly are the most formidable."
Rhodes's expression changed slightly, but he didn't have time to dwell on it, because he discovered the force was relentlessly pursuing him.
Rhodes didn't want to use his body to directly confront Issho's mastery of gravity, so he leaped away again, and the ground collapsed once more.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Rhodes began flickering constantly, because Issho's attacks were tracking him, relentlessly pursuing.
In just a few breaths, this area appeared trampled by giants, with countless dents and craters—a terrifying sight.
"Enough of this."
Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly slashed out with his sword mid-air.
Swoosh!
A massive silver sword wave burst out instantly, its speed reaching the extreme, arriving before Issho in less than an instant.
Issho's expression changed slightly, not expecting the sword wave to be so swift. Caught off guard, he could only use his Busoshoku Haki-coated scabbard to block, and was knocked backward.
Simultaneously, the gravity attack pursuing Rhodes disappeared.
"An opening!"
Rhodes's eyes lit up, and he moved instantly.
Whoosh!
He flashed forward like a streak of light, swiftly arriving before Issho and slashing down with his sword.
(End of Chapter)
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