Proficiently using the Marine's Rokushiki, Zephyr stepped into the air with Geppo.
After reaching a certain height, he performed a twist in the air, and a magnificent slash came rushing toward Sakura.
"Rankyaku: Spiral White Blade!"
The high-speed rotating slash, applied with twisting force, spun through the air and slashed toward Sakura.
"Mirror Mountain!"
Crossing her arms into an X-shape, several layers of ice armor condensed on Sakura's body.
The spreading ice crystals also formed an ice shield on her arms, colliding with the oncoming slash.
"Hmph, naive!"
Seeing Sakura blocking his attack, Zephyr sneered.
Immediately after, on Sakura's arms, the flying wind blades suddenly exploded.
The flowing Armament Haki broke through Sakura's defense, and even after shattering the ice layers, it continued forward.
It carried the shattered wind blades, leaving dense and fine wounds on Sakura's arms before finally dissipating.
"It hurts!"
Sakura looked down at her arms, which were already covered in redness, swelling, and bruises, with blood oozing from the wounds.
After several months, once again facing a pure physical combatant proficient in Haki, Sakura once again experienced that feeling of being unable to defend.
It wasn't that her will was crumbling, but rather her survival instinct, stimulated by the Armament Haki, subconsciously urged her to choose a strategy of escape.
"Your hands are already useless. If you don't want to lose them completely, surrender now!"
Zephyr performed a few agile flips, using Geppo to cushion his fall, and landed back on the ground.
"Hehe, useless?"
The girl grinned, a sinister smile appearing on her face.
She plunged her hands into Katsuyu's body, and when she pulled them out again, both arms were brand new.
"What? That monster actually has the power to heal injuries!"
Zephyr watched, feeling a surge of excitement.
'If such a good thing could be deployed on the battlefield, how many soldiers on the front lines could have their lives saved!'
'Little girl, I see this worm of yours has ties to the Marine. It's being confiscated!'
"What's wrong, not coming to attack anymore? Then it's my turn!"
Sakura leaped down from above, her clenched fist pulsating with a tremendous power.
The surrounding water molecules gathered under the influence of the fluctuations, finally erupting entirely as Sakura threw her punch.
[Fish-Man Karate: Shark Tile True Punch!]
"Not good!"
Observation Haki immediately snapped Zephyr out of his daze, instinctively roaring at him that he absolutely must not take this punch head-on.
At the critical moment, Zephyr rapidly stomped the ground, using Shave to quickly retreat.
Boom!
The unreasonable monstrous strength of the Giant Royalty, combined with the eruption of Boil Release Chakra, elevated Sakura's power to an unimaginable level.
Finally, supplemented by the Fish-Man Karate's straight punch, a single strike tore apart the earth, shattering the entire eastern beach of the island.
Large clouds of smoke billowed, obscuring everyone's figures.
"Zephyr-sensei!"
Hina and Smoker struggled, trying to charge forward.
"Stop them!"
Obeying Sakura's command, Katsuyu spat acid at them, driving the two top Marine cadets out of the battlefield.
"What in the world-"
As the smoke cleared, looking at the ravaged earth, Zephyr's expression became extremely complicated in that instant.
'What astonishing power!'
"Not good. A monster like you absolutely cannot be allowed to grow any further! In the name of justice, I swear it!"
Zephyr's gaze turned ice-cold. The yearning for justice originating from the depths of his soul transformed into a fiercely burning will.
The pitch-black color spread along his arms. Supreme Armament Haki faintly distorted the air around Zephyr, causing dark lightning to twist and roar, shaking everything!
"Star Crusher: Pulverize!"
Zephyr threw a mighty punch. The high-pitched neighing of Armament Haki tore through the air, his entire body moving like a black lightning bolt, extremely fast.
Sakura's Observation Haki expanded at full power, incorporating every single blade of grass and tree within a several-kilometer radius into her perception.
He's so fast that Sakura's Observation Haki can't completely capture his movements either.
"Then bring it on, Former Admiral Zephyr!"
Since she couldn't see clearly, she would simply encompass everything within her fist!
Sakura raised her fist. Chakra imbued with the Water Attribute Chakra gathered in large quantities, creating many water droplets in the air.
[Fish-Man Karate: Five Thousand Tile True Punch!]
A straight punch was thrown. An omnidirectional 360° shockwave erupted from Sakura's fist.
It roared, shaking the world.
Amidst the vast impact, Sakura detected something breaking through the shockwave, moving against the current… 'A wrist?'
'So fast, where is he attacking? Defend the vitals first?'
'No, it's the neck!'
Sakura, having discerned her opponent's attack intent, brought her arms back in defense, covering them with frost armor.
At the same time, Zephyr's figure abruptly materialized beside Sakura. His wrist swung sideways, pressing against the girl's forearm and driving it toward her throat.
boom!
The flowing Armament Haki once again bypassed all defenses, forcibly pouring into Sakura's throat, forcing her to spit out a mouthful of blood.
But this time... she resisted the instinct to retreat!
"Partner!"
[Notice: the physical constitution of the Giant Royalty's adolescent stage has reached the minimum standard. Attempt is possible!]
"Is that so, cough cough!"
Coughing up another two mouthfuls of blood, Sakura raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. That exquisite face, stained with blood, took on a kind of fractured beauty.
One hand pressed against her neck, using Mystical Palm Technique to treat the wound, while the other hand still maintained a punching posture.
"Still able to fight?"
Zephyr looked at the indomitable Sakura, his brow furrowed tightly.
'Taking a blow like that head-on without losing consciousness, still maintaining the will to fight… what incredibly tenacious resolve.'
'But…'
"Since one hit won't knock you out, then a few more it is!"
With his wrists once again blackened with Armament Haki, Zephyr lunged at Sakura like lightning.
"Then please, by all means, don't hold back, Zephyr-sensei!"
Sakura also clenched her fists, laughing loudly as she charged forward.
Boom!
Where their fists collided, the frost emitted a crisp shattering sound, and a storm howled into existence between the two.
The next instant, Sakura was sent flying by the overwhelming Armament Haki, while Zephyr also staggered slightly.
"Astounding strength, but without Haki, it's ultimately a flower in the mirror, the moon reflected in water!"
"And, I am not your teacher!"
Zephyr sneered, his whole body catapulting back to Sakura's front, mercilessly launching a Rankyaku kick.
"Heh!"
Sakura smiled but didn't answer, raising her leg to return the favor with a Rankyaku of her own.
The wind blade carrying Armament Haki shattered Sakura's, then slammed fiercely against the girl's shin.
Dark lightning spread out in all directions, the rushing vortex of air blew the dust on the ground into a ring shape.
"Tch!"
Both parties landed back on the ground. An excruciating pain shot through Sakura's leg.
Zephyr gave Sakura no time to recover, immediately closing the distance. He quickly stepped forward and threw another punch.
Sakura gritted her teeth, an unyielding light flashing in her jade-green eyes. Even though her fists were already a bloody mess, she paid it no mind.
Numbly, she threw punches, counterattacking!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The exchange of fists between them wove a tapestry of phantom light. Their constantly clashing spirits tempered Sakura's will.
Finally, after being punched back four or five steps by Zephyr, Sakura grasped a thread of light leading to reality from the void.
"Haruno Sakura, I acknowledge your tenacity, but you should stop here!"
Looking at the battered and wounded girl before him, even Zephyr couldn't help but feel a trace of respect. However, his heart of justice was firm, and he would not leniently allow a potential disaster to run free.
Zephyr took a deep breath and threw another powerful punch.
"Stop here? Me? I will absolutely not fall here!"
The scar-covered Sakura instead assumed a straight punch stance and threw a counter punch.
Boom!!!
In the violent explosion, two figures were thrown backward simultaneously.
Zephyr thrust his legs forcefully into the ground, plowing a deep furrow across the beach.
He raised his head in disbelief, his words forced through his gritted teeth: "What nonsense is this, how could such a thing happen!"
Sakura's face was pale, her shoulders trembling. Until finally, she couldn't hold back anymore, throwing her head back and laughing loudly.
"Hahahahaha!"
The girl's hanging, bloody and mangled fists were now stained with a pitch-black color.
After the prolonged confrontation, the girl's will had undergone a metamorphosis at this moment.
The originally small seed of Haki had broken through the soil, taken root, and bloomed into a flower known as Armament Haki!