Lily chopped down so many trees, confirming that these trees indeed affect the use of observation, but unless a large area is cleared, the impact remains.
Even if the area is cleared, it's uncertain how much this weakening will be because this isn't a special ability. She witnessed Jekai using a power to move people away, then raising the forest.
Before the forest was raised, her observation couldn't sense anything, and once she entered the forest, the trees disturbed her senses even more.
Compared to Armament, Lily's Observation was more powerful, but with her observation disturbed, she truly had no way to handle Marco with just speed and Armament Haki.
That self-healing ability was too troublesome.
At the very least...some things needed to be broken through first!
Lily sheathed White Thunder and grew increasingly calm, taking Marco by surprise for a moment.
That one called Jekai wasn't weak; as an Ability User, he should be top-tier. Only with the forest's powers could he interfere with everyone's observation ability.
Though the observation was compromised, Marco hadn't lost his intuition. He felt the girl was now steadier than before.
Like the lake surface, calm and undisturbed...
Or the calm before the storm.
"Phoenix Feather!"
Instinctively, he felt something was off. The cyan flame wings flapped, dropping a barrage of Cyan Flame Bullets.
Clang!
At that moment, Lily drew White Thunder at her waist, slashing through the void, cutting a bright arc like cold lightning.
It was as if something was severed. Suddenly, she wasn't merely using attacks to deal with the falling Cyan Flame Bullets but moved with purpose, gracefully dodging through the gaps as they fell.
For the ones she couldn't dodge, she lightly swung her sword, scattering the Cyan Flames into ethereal blue fireworks.
"Dodged it?"
Marco paused, his sense of unease deepening.
This was different from the previous direct collisions. Her speed wasn't as fierce as before; instead, she exhibited an effortless ease, deflecting attacks with such ease it resembled slicing tofu or leaves...
"Iron Cutting?"
Though not a swordsman, Marco knew a bit from sailing the seas for many years.
Her current state resembled those swordsmen first understanding this realm.
Nevertheless, as a renowned Great Sword Master, the fact she used this technique felt strange.
"Hoo..."
Lily breathed softly, exhaled slowly, as White Thunder carved another streak of light and returned to its sheath.
She looked up at Marco, knees slightly bent, creating several smoke rings with a thump, stepping on Moon Step, moving like a black streak of speed visible only as armed color on the blade.
"Undying Thistle!"
Marco flapped his wings, forming a circular Cyan Flame Shield.
Just like earlier, if it's about speed, this woman was indeed fast. Instead of matching her speed, might as well block her attack upfront.
This linear attack pattern matched perfectly with his shield for flawless defense.
As the Cyan Flame Shield deployed, the black streak almost reached the shield. Suddenly, it swerved from its trajectory, circling around to Marco's side.
"You..."
Marco's pupils shrank, looking incredulous.
The sword, glowing with Haki like black lightning, was only half drawn from its sheath.
Her cold expression adorned with billowing hair, eyes locked fiercely on Marco, filled with red glow.
Observation!
As an embodiment of willpower, observation isn't visible, but Marco could sense it!
His combat experience wasn't lacking; he'd been through the seas since his early encounters with Roger.
Lily, though fast, wasn't faster than Kizaru. His timely defense wasn't just for protection; it ensured he could withstand her attack.
Yet now she'd redirected, meaning she'd already planned it and could acutely sense his shield's direction.
Only observation!
She could use observation now?!
Marco was just about to turn mid-air when the half-drawn sword unleashed a bolt of lightning straight at his chest.
Shk!!
The blade cut downward, slicing a gap from his left shoulder to right waist, emitting a flow of Cyan Flame.
Whoosh!
Marco retaliated with a kick meant for Lily in the air, but she seemed prepared, quickly shifting in mid-air, landing below quickly, half-crouched as she spun White Thunder in a sword flower, returning the tip to its sheath.
Marco was about to pursue when his face changed, eyes filled with shock, because in the gap releasing cyan flames, tiny blood droplets appeared. It's small, but their presence indicated a completely different situation.
"Sword slashes the body, heart slashes the will..."
Lily slowly returned the blade to its sheath, raising her gaze to Marco, red lips lifting, saying, "I slash all!"
Snap.
The thin sword, two fingers wide, entered the sheath.
Poof!!
As the blood droplets flew off the Cyan Flames, they burst like a fountain from Marco's sliced gap.
The Flame of Rebirth...had no effect!
Seastone?
No...
Pure slash!
This woman, through pure slashing, severed Jekai's ability that disrupted observation and cut off his Flame of Rebirth, making him temporarily unable to heal!
This isn't about the strength of Haki; no matter how strong willpower is, Marco could feel the difference.
This woman's Haki wasn't overwhelmingly strong, even if struck, he felt he could handle it. It wasn't like Garp.
Purely crushing with Haki and this seeming Haki that could obstruct ability are entirely different.
This woman...
Holding his chest tightly, Marco intensely stared at Lily, detecting a tint of scarlet in her pupils and a fleeting red lightning within the just-sheathed sword blade.
Conqueror's Haki?
There's some resemblance, but it's not quite that, and...
Even more unique!
"Truly..."
Marco coughed up blood, smiled bitterly, "The seas are filled with freaks, now I'm no match at all."
...
Shz shz shz!
At the waterfall within the island's highest peak, the central spacious area was blanketed by the forest.
At this moment, the forest was torn by wild winds, sliced open segment by segment, leaving a mound of tree debris on the ground.
As soon as the trees hit the ground, they immediately rooted again, growing towering trees anew, swinging branches like spears towards the center of the storm.
Sizzle!
"Thunderbolt!!"
Lightning erupted amidst the wild winds, black and red electricity striking the surrounding attacking trees, the heat from the lightning charring them, igniting flames forming a massive ring of fire.
"Firewall!"
As flames rose, the outer circle of forest receded, creating a containment barrier, halting the spread of fire, while the tree roots within twisted and swiftly extinguished the flames.
Whoosh!
The sudden winds sliced through twisted tree trunks, also carrying flames outward, the wind fanning the fire, burning more fiercely, painting the sky bright red.
Emerging from a tree on the outskirts, Aramaki bit a cigarette, staring grimly at the growing inferno ahead.
"Forest? I'll burn it down, let's see your move! Hahaha!"
In the storm's center, Sage spread his hands, one gathering a Wind Blade orb, the other emanating lightning, laughing wildly in the flames' glow.
Grass system overpowering electric system?
Do you think it's a Pokémon type advantage?
If the lightning's strong enough, it can still ignite trees!
Sage didn't use fire, but with opportunity, like now, lightning can translate into flames.
Why does nobody eat the Flame-Flame Fruit, because the sea plays tricks, everyone basically knows fire.
And in this aspect, Sage, with top-tier combat prowess and versatile transformations, can be considered the undisputed 'King of Tricks'!