Big Pan stepped through the air using Moonwalk, his figure flickering like a phantom as he closed in on the Chiru at frightening speed. The Coiling Dragon Staff in his hands burst into radiant light, expanding in an instant with a sharp whistle until it was as thick as a sky-piercing pillar.
In the blink of an eye, Big Pan swung the staff down with explosive force, smashing it straight into the monster's massive head.
Boom!
The sound was like a thunder drum struck by the heavens, shaking the sky itself.
The Chiru reeled as its mouth flew open, releasing a shrill, agonized scream. The sound echoed through the air, chilling to the bone.
Big Pan froze for a split second, surprise flashing across his face.
"Huh? You're tougher than you look."
That strike had not even been his full strength, yet it carried at least five tons of force. And still, the creature had not suffered fatal damage.
Enraged, the Chiru glared at him with its grotesque humanlike face. Streams of razor-sharp water arrows erupted from its mouth, blasting toward Big Pan like a torrential storm. At the same time, thick whisker-like tendrils, each as thick as an arm, lashed out and coiled toward him like living serpents.
Big Pan showed no fear.
He spun the Coiling Dragon Staff with ease, shattering the incoming water arrows one after another. Water sprayed everywhere as they burst apart. Then he reached out with one hand and seized one of the tendrils mid-lash.
His muscles swelled as he inhaled sharply, power surging through his arms. With a violent heave, he flung the Chiru's enormous body into the air as if tossing aside a sack of sand.
Letting go, Big Pan kicked off hard, launching himself upward like a cannonball straight after it.
In an instant, he was above the airborne Chiru.
Gripping the staff with both hands, he brought it down mercilessly toward the creature's hideous head. This time, the staff was coated in deep black Armament Haki, radiating overwhelming dominance.
Boom!
The impact shook the heavens.
The Chiru's revolting human-faced head could no longer withstand such power. It shattered instantly, flesh and blood exploding outward in a gruesome spray.
Its headless body fell straight down like a severed kite string, slamming into the sea below. A massive wave surged dozens of meters into the air as blood poured into the water, dyeing the surface crimson like a sea of slaughter.
Big Pan frowned, disgust written all over his face. The thing was far too ugly to even consider taking back as food.
Just as he turned to leave and return to the Silver Dragon, something went wrong.
Even thicker tendrils than before surged up from below, countless and overwhelming, racing toward him from all directions. In an instant, they wrapped around him, forming an airtight cage.
On the deck of the Silver Dragon, Filina and the others gasped in alarm.
"Big Pan, watch out!"
For the first time, Eli Winters' calm expression hardened. He could clearly sense it. These tendrils carried the aura of a King-tier being.
Big Pan felt it too.
He slammed the Coiling Dragon Staff downward, and a strange, rippling force spread outward. The tendrils recoiled violently, blasted away by the shockwave, allowing him to break free.
Then the sea erupted.
With a thunderous splash, an even larger Chiru slowly rose from the depths, its sheer size dwarfing the one before.
Its humanlike face was twisted with hatred, like a demon crawling out of hell.
"You filthy two-legged creature!" it roared. "You dare kill my child. Today, I will tear you apart!"
The sea boiled.
Countless blades of water shot upward like an endless rain of arrows, tearing through the air toward Big Pan.
Big Pan spun his staff rapidly, creating an impenetrable wall of motion. Each water blade shattered on impact, producing sharp metallic crashes.
But after blocking the first one, his expression darkened.
Each blade carried the power of a vice-admiral-level strike.
Even so, Big Pan did not retreat. He gritted his teeth and continued swinging, intercepting wave after wave. Explosions echoed nonstop as water sprayed everywhere. Sweat poured down his face as exhaustion set in.
"Damn it," he growled. "Is this ever going to end?"
His aura suddenly surged like a volcano erupting.
Dense black Armament Haki enveloped his body, while an overwhelming Conqueror's Haki burst outward, the two forces intertwining and crackling like thunder.
The incoming water blades vaporized before they could reach him.
"You ugly freak! Take this!" Big Pan roared.
"Eight Desolations Staff Art, Ultimate Form. Martial Apex Break!"
His iron staff descended with earth-shattering force, as if it would rip the world apart.
The Chiru responded instantly, summoning layered walls of water before itself while firing a razor-thin water beam from its mouth, slicing toward Big Pan.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The water walls shattered one after another, unable to withstand the blow. Still, they weakened the strike enough that the remaining force only pushed the Chiru back slightly.
But in that moment, the water beam struck true.
It cut through Big Pan's left arm in a flash, blood spraying as a chunk of flesh was severed.
"Damn it… careless," Big Pan muttered, his face dark.
The wound blackened instantly. Poison.
He gritted his teeth and sliced away the infected flesh without hesitation. His body was tough enough that the poison alone would not take him down.
On the Silver Dragon, everyone watched with tense expressions.
"Eli, I'll help him," Fiona said urgently.
Eli Winters shook his head. "No. There's no time. I'll go."
His figure blurred and vanished.
The next instant, Eli appeared beside Big Pan.
"Leave this to me. Go back," he said quickly.
Before Big Pan could respond, Eli waved his hand. Spatial energy surged, wrapping around Big Pan. A flash of light followed, and Big Pan vanished, teleported back to the Silver Dragon.
The Chiru went berserk.
"Bring him back!" it roared. "Or I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
Eli remained calm.
He narrowed his eyes as space itself responded to his will.
"Spatial Lock."
The world froze around the Chiru.
Though powerful, it shattered the confinement moments later. But it was already too late.
"Void Severance Judgment."
Eli drew and sheathed his black blade in a single fluid motion.
Space twisted violently. Countless spatial裂缝 streaked across the Chiru's body, infused with lethal sword intent. Blood sprayed as its massive form was carved apart.
With a sharp crack, the King-tier Chiru was torn to pieces.
Instant kill.
Eli returned to the Silver Dragon immediately.
Before anyone could speak, his expression turned grave as he expanded his spatial power, enveloping the entire ship.
"What's wrong?" Filina asked anxiously.
Then they saw it.
The world was breaking.
Reality shattered like glass around them, darkness spilling through the fractures.
Eli remained composed. He recognized it instantly.
A spatial storm.
"We're being pulled in," Big Pan said, staring wide-eyed.
"It's fine," Eli said calmly. "These storms can't harm us."
A massive suction force dragged the Silver Dragon toward the裂缝.
Eli sensed carefully, then smiled.
"We'll reach our destination sooner than expected."
He guided the ship straight into the裂缝.
With a thunderous crash, the Silver Dragon vanished.
Silence followed.
Everyone collapsed onto the deck, shaken and breathless.
It had been terrifying.