Chapter 313: Overwhelming Power
BANG!
Although there was one less person than before, they were prepared, and the power they unleashed was even stronger than the previous five combined, successfully blocking the magnificent sword wave.
Crackle!
The air exploded.
The void reverberated, and the massive residual force swept in all directions, blowing away all obstacles in the arena. The earth cracked open, with dense fissures, each half a meter wide.
"The Thunder God Swordsman is indeed powerful! With just one hand and a single sword strike, he forced Tru and the other three to defend together!"
Those watching were all awestruck and quickly retreated.
Rumors are just rumors. Although the Thunder God Swordsman had many glorious achievements and was renowned throughout the world, his age always gave him an unreal feeling.
Because he was too monstrous.
Not even twenty years old!
Top-tier geniuses, or rather, those supernova pirates like Portgas D. Ace, at his age, would at most be a captain of a Yonko pirate crew. But Rhodes had taken a huge leap forward, achieving what most people could never accomplish in their entire lives.
Many believed that even if Rhodes were to lose the final Marine battle, as long as he survived, he would still have a chance to rise again!
In the arena.
The massive aftershocks of the collision stirred up considerable dust, obscuring the surroundings.
Tru and the others stared wide-eyed, scanning their surroundings while simultaneously expanding their Kenbunshoku Haki, trying to pinpoint Rhodes's figure.
However, the energy in the arena was too intense, interfering with their Kenbunshoku Haki and rendering it ineffective.
Swoosh!
A magnificent sword wave erupted, breaking through the dust and tearing through the earth.
"Attack!"
Tru shouted, and the four of them quickly moved to defend.
BANG!
Surprisingly, this sword wave shattered upon contact, vanishing instantly like an illusion.
"Hmm?"
Everyone was stunned at the sight, but being experienced and battle-hardened, they immediately reacted.
A feint!
Between masters, only a moment matters!
By the time Tru and the others reacted, Rhodes had already completed preparation of his ultimate technique.
Nitoryu: Thunder Dragon!
BOOM!
Two lightning dragons, shimmering with brilliant silver light, burst forth from the sky, tracing two mysterious arcs in the void, attacking Tru and his companions from the left and right.
"Dariel, you're with me,"
Tru shouted, instantly assigning the task.
The other three didn't hesitate, immediately taking action, pairing up to defend against the lightning dragons' attacks.
BANG! BANG!
Arcs of electricity surged, dazzling aurora flashed, and astonishing energy fluctuations emanated.
The lightning dragons' power was too ferocious—roaring, they shattered the barriers. Tru and his companions roared repeatedly, pushing their power to the limit, yet they were still blasted backward, their faces flushed, their eyes bloodshot.
"Too strong!"
Tru and his companions felt a chill in their hearts, sensing something was wrong.
Because with the lightning dragons' bombardment, their formation was inevitably broken up. If Rhodes launched a counterattack at this moment, things could go terribly wrong.
And as expected, almost the instant the lightning dragons scattered them, a white-clad figure appeared near Tru with a flash of silver light.
"The second one."
Before the words were even finished, a sword light, like lightning, pierced the void, its tip flashing with dazzling, sun-like brilliance.
Whoosh!
The light splashed out, incredibly intense. Tru instinctively squinted, his mind racing.
"Dariel is the weakest—the Thunder God Swordsman might choose to kill him!"
"No, the Thunder God Swordsman is incredibly cunning—he might turn the tables and kill me while I'm helping!"
Thinking this, Tru's movements slowed by a beat. By the time he saw the sword tip aimed at Dariel, it was already too late.
Swoosh!
Rhodes stepped forward, his movements as lithe as a nimble cat. Simultaneously, his longsword, like a divine strike from heaven, instantly pierced Dariel's forehead and emerged from the back of his head.
He withdrew the sword—the blade was spotless, without a trace of blood.
He turned, his gaze indifferent as he looked at Tru.
Behind him came the heavy thud of a corpse falling to the ground.
"..."
The hall fell into deathly silence.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
The death of the scarred giant could be attributed to Rhodes's surprise attack, leaving Tru and his group unprepared.
But the truth was, even a direct assault couldn't withstand two exchanges!
The Thunder God Swordsman truly lived up to his name—his sword was incredibly sharp!
"He's even more terrifying than Hawkeye..."
a pirate captain muttered to himself. He had once been fortunate enough to encounter the world's greatest swordsman.
That strongest slash could easily cleave islands and part the sea—it was magnificent and vast power that inspired awe, but not despair.
Rhodes's swordsmanship might not be as refined as Hawkeye's, but he was strong enough to inspire despair.
Even the four top commanders of the Kurman family, powerful figures comparable to great pirates, were like fish on a chopping board, their souls departing in one or two moves. Let alone them.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The spectators gasped in shock, feeling intense fear, but Tru and the others were not like that.
Reaching this point meant they had almost all escaped death countless times. They might feel fear and awe, but they would never surrender.
Taking advantage of the instant Rhodes killed Dariel,
the other two had already broken through the Thunder Dragon and then unleashed their fastest speed, attacking Rhodes from behind.
"Cannon Fist!"
"Heel Drop!"
Both were masters of physical combat, their punches and kicks carrying terrifying force, the resulting gusts of wind like a typhoon, sending chills down one's spine.
At the same time, Tru took a deep breath, gripped his sword with both hands, and slashed out fiercely.
Thunderbird!
He unleashed his signature sword technique, a super-powerful technique capable of cleaving an ironclad warship in two with a single strike.
The sword energy he unleashed was actually a thunder bird swooping down, its claws flashing with chilling light capable of tearing through anything, charging at Rhodes from the front.
In response, Rhodes simply gripped his sword hilt and abruptly slashed out in a circle.
Raiken - Unryū!
This slash wasn't a sword wave strike, but rather condensed lightning power at its peak, spreading out in a ring and colliding with Tru and the other two.
BOOM!
The power of thunder collided with physical techniques and sword energy, unleashing a deafening roar. A terrifying shockwave, crackling with lightning, rippled outward. Tru and his companions staggered, coughing up blood that crackled with electricity.
"Damn it!"
Tru's heart sank.
In terms of pure raw power, Rhodes wasn't actually stronger than the three of them combined, but the lightning energy affected them, ultimately leading to their defeat.
"The third one."
A calm voice echoed in all directions.
When the shockwave dissipated, people saw another commander slain by Rhodes, his body split in two, blood pooling on the ground.
In just a few minutes, five powerful figures, whom ordinary people could only look up to, had fallen one after another, leaving only Tru and his companion.
At that moment,
Luke, having just taken a break from the battle, glanced down to see what was happening below.
His strength was similar to Kuzan's, and in the heat of battle, it was difficult to focus—he only knew that Tru and the others had been ambushed.
This was within his expectations—Kuzan alone wasn't enough to challenge the entire Kurman family.
He assumed that Tru and his group of five had already successfully suppressed, or even injured, their opponent.
He planned to call upon two helpers to deal with Kuzan together.
After all, Kuzan was a seasoned Marine Admiral, incredibly strong, and even with his leg severed, he was still slightly stronger than him.
(End of Chapter)
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