A sharp, almost primal cry tore from Lina's throat.
"Twin Blade Style—Frostfire Whirlwind!"
Before her words even faded, her entire body began to spin rapidly in place, faster and faster, becoming a blur of white, black, and orange.
She became a living whirlwind, completing a full 360-degree rotation in less than a heartbeat.
Immediately after, fueled by her Zoan strength and guided by her newfound connection to her swords, a special, circular slash—resembling a full moon made of ice and fire—burst forth from her spinning form. It expanded outward at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, everything within a twenty-meter radius—whether it was Mr. 3's incoming wax spear, Mr. 5's twin booger bombs, or even stray debris kicked up by the fighting—was cleanly severed by this terrifying, elemental slash.
The worst off was Miss Doublefinger, who was still rolling towards Lina in her spike-ball form.
Caught completely off guard by the sudden, omnidirectional attack, she was struck squarely by the Frostfire Whirlwind and sent flying backward, shedding spikes and crashing into a building.
"Hahaha..."
Witnessing this scene, watching Lina not just survive but thrive, breaking through her limits in the crucible of battle, Lancelot could no longer contain his immense excitement and joy.
He involuntarily burst into loud, booming laughter.
His laughter echoed like thunder throughout the chaotic space, momentarily silencing the sounds of combat.
Just moments before, he had been in a state of high tension, his Observation Haki stretched thin, watching Lina's fierce, desperate battle against multiple opponents.
He had already resolved that if Lina showed even the slightest sign of being truly overwhelmed, he would not hesitate to immediately intervene, consequences be damned.
After all, for Lancelot, his intention in putting her in this dangerous situation was for Lina to gain crucial experience and grow... not for her to perish on the battlefield.
However, what no one, not even Lancelot himself, had expected was that Lina, seemingly on the brink of "desperation," showed absolutely no trace of retreat or fear.
On the contrary, she had erupted with astonishing, latent potential, like a phoenix reborn from ashes.
She had broken through her own mental and physical bottlenecks at the most critical moment and successfully, spectacularly, becoming a Sword Master.
Moreover, Lina had immediately demonstrated the powerful, signature skill unique to Sword Masters—the Flying Slash, albeit in a circular, defensive form.
This slash was incredibly powerful, fast as lightning, and even more astonishing were its all-around offensive and defensive characteristics.
Attacks from any direction could be easily neutralized by this spinning vortex of blades.
Once launched, it was like a sudden, inescapable storm, making it difficult for opponents to withstand or even approach.
The only apparent shortcoming was its limited range, extending only twenty meters.
But this was clearly because Lina had just mastered this technique, her realm and control not yet fully developed or refined.
But even so, the scene before them was still overwhelmingly, undeniably shocking.
Even Zoro, known for his usual stoic composure, couldn't help but widen his visible eye, his face a mask of utter astonishment.
"This... how is this possible?" he breathed, his voice filled with disbelief.
He simply couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He, Roronoa Zoro, who trained until he coughed up blood, who pushed himself beyond all human limits... had been surpassed, by the commander's woman?
But the facts were undeniable.
Lina had proven her strength, her talent, and her potential through her actions.
Indeed, as the old saying goes, only through intense battles, facing hardships and dangers, and even life-and-death trials can a person's true potential be maximally stimulated, leading to rapid growth and transformation.
And Lina, at this moment, was undoubtedly the most vivid, breathtaking embodiment of this saying.
During these past weeks, the four of them—Lancelot, Zoro, Gin, and Lina—had been together day and night, gaining a thorough understanding of each other's personalities, abilities, and styles.
Therefore, everyone, including Zoro himself, had always believed that he would be the first among Lancelot's subordinates to become the Sword Master.
However, no one had expected Lina to deliver such a tremendous, game-changing surprise to everyone.
Still, Zoro felt a surge of genuine happiness for her breakthrough.
Yet, at the same time, a fierce competitive spirit deep within him was instantly ignited.
Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on the hilts of his three swords, his gaze sharp as a torch, locking onto the now-exposed Mr. 3 and the recovering Mr. 5.
He would not be left behind.
On the other side, Lina was incredibly excited, feeling as if all the blood in her body was burning with newfound power and clarity.
Without hesitation, she didn't pause to consolidate her gains.
She swung her swords, Frost Demon and Flame Dragon, and charged straight toward Mr. 2, who was still locked in combat with Gin.
After all, among those present, aside from the most powerful Mr. 1 (who was Lancelot's opponent), Mr. 2 possessed the highest pure combat prowess.
At this moment, Lina wanted nothing more than to take this opportunity to test her newly enhanced strength against a worthy adversary.
Faced with Lina's sudden, aggressive charge toward him, Mr. 2's expression instantly darkened to the extreme.
It must be noted that he was currently locked in a fierce, high-speed battle with Gin, whose mastery of Soru and ruthless efficiency made him a difficult opponent.
He had absolutely no time or spare attention to deal with Lina's sudden, powerful attack.
In the ensuing chaos, the battle quickly concluded for the lesser agents. Ms. Valentine, Miss Doublefinger (already injured), Mr. 5 (also injured), Mr. 11, and numerous lower-ranked underlings were swiftly defeated one by one by Zoro and Gin, who now fought with renewed ferocity.
Combined with the already proven abilities of Gin and Zoro, the remaining enemies could no longer pose any substantial threat to them.
Lancelot had always been most concerned about Lina, specifically.
After all, among his core combatants, Lina was the only one who had never truly faced life-and-death trials or desperate, cornered situations before joining him.
In contrast, both Gin and Zoro were tough, battle-hardened characters who had struggled back from the brink of death countless times.
No matter how adverse the situation, they possessed the experience and the sheer willpower to handle it and turn danger into safety.
However, after this battle, Lina had truly experienced those life-and-death hardships and adversity.
She had faced overwhelming odds and, instead of breaking, had undergone a transformative growth.
With this, the weight of concern in Lancelot's heart could finally be lifted.
He could now confidently let Lina stand on her own as a true warrior.
His attention now fully focused on his primary opponent.
In an instant, Lancelot's figure flickered as he softly uttered.
"Soru!"
He vanished from his original position like a ghost.
When he reappeared, he was standing less than five meters away from Mr. 1, Daz Bonez.
This sudden turn of events startled Mr. 1.
The ever-changing battlefield situation, the rapid collapse of his elite team, had finally stirred this usually cold and arrogant man.
That sensation of impending defeat struck like a lightning bolt across his mind, instantly illuminating many hard truths.
Perhaps, he thought grimly, from the very beginning, every step they had taken, every assumption they had made, was a wrong choice.
The formidable strength displayed by these four individuals—this Marine and his monstrous subordinates—far exceeded their wildest imagination and expectations.
Unfortunately, the intelligence they had obtained earlier was severely, fatally flawed, leading them to drastically underestimate their enemies.
It was this blind overconfidence that had made them act so recklessly, so openly, without hesitation.
However, what was done could not be undone; there was no chance to turn back time and start over.
Under such circumstances, only one path remained before them: fight with all their might, to the death!
Who would emerge victorious remained unknown.
Simultaneously, Lancelot moved.
Gripping his cursed sword, Sandai Kitetsu, tightly in his left hand, his figure flashed forward like a phantom, accompanied by a crisp sound of slicing air.
The sharp blade, imbued with Armament Haki and carrying a fierce, imposing demonic aura, slashed fiercely toward Mr. 1.
Facing the ferocious attack, Mr. 1 immediately retaliated, his entire body shimmering as he activated his Devil Fruit power to its fullest.
"Supaa Supaa no Mi: Spider Claw!"
He swiftly transformed his fingers into razor-sharp steel blades, clenching them into a tiger-claw shape.
Then, he abruptly extended his arm backward before slashing forward with an overwhelmingly powerful, tearing motion.
In the blink of an eye, his steel claws clashed head-on with Lancelot's Haki-infused Sandai Kitetsu.
CLANG! SCREEECH!
Surprisingly, Mr. 1's strength was astonishing.
His steel claws forcefully blocked Lancelot's devastating strike.
The gleaming longsword seemed as if it had been immobilized by an unseen spell, suspended mid-air, unable to advance even an inch further against the unyielding steel of Mr. 1's transformed hand.