Both possessed swordmaster-level prowess, yet still paled in comparison to Jack.
But to Sheepshead, Ginrummy, and the rest, Custard and Broye were terrifying enemies beyond resistance!
Even if Sheepshead and Ginrummy—Jack's most capable subordinates—joined forces, they could barely withstand one of the two women's assaults.
Let alone the other nameless underlings, who stood no chance against these two powerhouses.
Wherever Custard and Broye swept through, sword glares shimmered like the descent of death itself. Each swing inevitably brought agonized cries as enemies fell.
These foes couldn't even manage a single exchange before meeting their ends.
However... another crucial factor was at play: Custard and Broye had tacitly agreed to temporarily avoid the strongest opponents—Sheepshead and Ginrummy.
If entangled by those two while harassed by underlings, a quick resolution would be impossible... But bypassing them to eliminate the small fries first made dealing with the stronger two afterward far simpler.
"You're seeking death..."
Sheepshead and Ginrummy stared in horror before fury erupted within them.
Not only were they incensed, but even Jack—observing from behind—glared with blazing eyes, as if wanting to devour Custard and Broye alive.
He was accustomed to being the one slaughtering others at will—never had he imagined anyone would dare massacre his subordinates so brutally right before his eyes!
He slightly bent his knees and leaned forward, adopting an aggressive stance like a leopard ready to pounce on its prey.
Just then—whoosh!—a figure darted over like lightning.
It was Lancelot.
Knowing full well he couldn't allow this person to confront Custard and Broye, Lancelot didn't hesitate.
In a flash, he firmly planted himself in the opponent's path.
"Huh?"
Jack narrowed his eyes sharply, his already murderous gaze growing even more piercing, as if he wanted to slice Lancelot into a thousand pieces.
At this point, further words were unnecessary. Without a word, Jack gripped his twin blades tightly and swung them toward Lancelot with overwhelming force.
But Lancelot remained calm and composed, standing as steady and immovable.
"Heh…"
A cold smile then curled at the corner of Lancelot's lips.
Before obtaining the Holy Sword, facing a formidable opponent like Jack would have required immense effort and time to secure victory.
After all, Jack was no pushover—his strength was undeniable.
But now, the situation had changed. After acquiring the Holy Sword, his power had risen to the level of an Admiral.
Lancelot took a deep breath and instantly enveloped his entire body with Armament Haki.
Immediately after, he executed Iron Body Utsugi!
With the dual defense of Armament Haki and Iron Body Utsugi, he became like an impregnable fortress, his defensive capabilities reaching their peak.
In the blink of an eye, Jack's razor-sharp blade, carrying a force like a tidal wave, came crashing down upon him.
The moment Jack's blade made contact with Lancelot's body, a tremendous impact erupted.
Yet, astonishingly, this terrifying force caused Lancelot no harm whatsoever. Instead, it was as if it had struck an invisible wall and was forcefully repelled.
This was the wonder of Iron Body Utsugi.
As a specialized extension of Tekkai (Iron Body), it skillfully used the iron body to rebound the opponent's attack entirely.
Moreover, the stronger the striking force, the more astonishing the counterforce. Undoubtedly, Jack's fearsome power had now become his greatest downfall.
Not only that, Lancelot cleverly combined it with the external release technique of Armament Haki.
Under the same force, the rebounded attack became even more ferocious, far surpassing Jack's original strike.
With a deafening boom, Jack was utterly unable to withstand this earth-shattering rebound force.
He was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, thrown back over ten meters before barely managing to steady himself.
In that short distance, Jack's ox-like feet dug two deep furrows into the solid ground, as if the earth itself had been torn apart by his strength.
These two startlingly deep marks clearly demonstrated the immense force he had used to resist the surging rebound power.
Finally, after struggling to halt his momentum and stabilize his stance… Jack's face was pale as he gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently.
His eyes were filled with disbelief, clearly not expecting that his full-force strike would end in such a crushing defeat.
Yet, despite his body being in a state of extreme tension and exhaustion, he unhesitatingly lifted his head again, his gaze shooting like an arrow toward Lancelot not far away.
However, unlike before, there was no trace of contempt or disdain in his eyes as he looked at Lancelot now.
Prior to this, Jack had never given a second glance to this opponent who held only the lowly rank of Rear Admiral.
In his eyes, the other party was nothing more than an insignificant ant that could be crushed at will.
But at this moment... Jack slowly lowered his head, staring at his own slightly trembling hands.
Just moments ago, under the impact of that overwhelming rebound force, he had keenly sensed a surge of Armament Haki more terrifying and powerful than any he had ever encountered, striking him along with the rebound force.
That heart-palpitating aura and dreadful power made his heart tighten abruptly, and fine beads of cold sweat once again formed on his forehead.
Simultaneously, a wave of retrospective fear washed over him.
He secretly felt immense relief that he had decisively drawn his dual blades at the very beginning of the fight.
Had he been overly arrogant and attempted to face Lancelot's attack with his bare fists, his hands would likely be covered in wounds by now, with even the bones of his fingers shattered.
Thinking this, Jack tightly gripped the dual blades in his hands, silently warning himself never to underestimate his opponent again.
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