He was now absolutely certain that if this attack hit him, his defense would be torn apart just like last time.
However, Jozu, unable to fly, was severely restricted in mid-air.
As a close-combat fighter, this aerial limitation was a further disadvantage.
Faced with such a predicament, he seemed to have no choice but to either clash head-on with Lancelot's attack using his fists or adopt a defensive stance.
At this critical moment, Jozu crossed his arms in front of his chest, assuming a fully defensive posture.
Meanwhile, Lancelot took several steps in the air, his speed skyrocketing like a rocket. He shot toward Jozu like a hypersonic fighter jet, almost as if teleporting.
Boom!
With an earth-shattering roar, Lancelot's dragon claw smashed into Jozu's arms like a meteor.
The impact was so immense it seemed to shake the entire world.
Under the force of the dragon claw, Jozu's arms emitted a chilling crack-crack sound, as if they were on the verge of breaking.
Yet, Jozu didn't retreat.
Gritting his teeth, he mustered all his strength to withstand this terrifying blow.
But Lancelot's power was simply too overwhelming. The dragon claw pierced through Jozu's arms as easily as the sharpest weapon in the world.
Hiss!
Jozu gasped sharply, the intense pain in his arms nearly unbearable. Still, he clenched his teeth and held on.
However, Lancelot's attack was far from over. He stomped forcefully in the air again, propelling himself like a cannonball with terrifying momentum straight toward Jozu.
The powerful impact swept Jozu backward like a gale. Under this force, the cracks in his pierced arm multiplied, deepened, and spread until it finally shattered completely.
"Ah!" Jozu let out a piercing scream.
Since his left forearm had taken the brunt of the attack, this blow completely crippled half of his left arm.
The immense agony caused his body to tremble uncontrollably, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.
Yet, Lancelot's assault showed no signs of stopping, continuing like a violent storm.
The moment Jozu was sent flying, Lancelot, as if descending like a god, took several steps in the air.
Each step was like stepping on a spring, instantly boosting his speed to an astonishing level.
In the blink of an eye, he shot toward Jozu like a cannonball, too fast for the eye to follow.
Jozu's situation was now extremely dire. With one arm incapacitated, he had few options left against Lancelot's relentless onslaught.
He could choose to defend, but in his current state, it'd be difficult to withstand Lancelot's attacks. Alternatively, he could choose to fight back head-on.
While this might lead to a quicker death, it could at least inflict some damage on Lancelot before the end.
At this life-or-death moment, Jozu steeled his heart and made a decision—to clash head-on!
Since death was inevitable either way, he might as well fight with all his might and die in a blaze of glory.
Thus, summoning every ounce of strength in his body, he swung his remaining arm.
His fist, like a ferocious dragon, carried an unparalleled momentum as it shot straight toward Lancelot.
This punch was undoubtedly one hundred and twenty percent of Jozu's explosive power. In this desperate situation, he pushed his potential to the limit—this was the strongest blow he could deliver.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed, as if the entire world trembled. In the next instant, Jozu's fist collided fiercely with Lancelot's claw.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Only the terrifying energy clashed and intertwined between the fist and claw, forming a devastating shockwave that swept outward like a violent hurricane.
Wherever this shockwave passed, everything was utterly destroyed.
The justice cloak behind Lancelot flapped wildly in the wind, as if cheering for this breathtaking spectacle.
Watching the scene before him, Lancelot couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He had to admit that Whitebeard's sons were indeed exceptionally powerful.
Whether in terms of their inherent strength or the Devil Fruit abilities they possessed, they were all first-rate.
Marco's Phoenix Fruit granted him formidable regenerative abilities and fire-based attacks; Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit allowed him to manipulate flames with astonishing power; Jozu's Diamond Fruit turned his body as hard as diamond, giving him extraordinary defensive capabilities.
However, Lancelot also noticed a fatal flaw in them: their overreliance on Devil Fruit abilities.
Although their Devil Fruit powers were immensely strong and developed to an extremely high level, their cultivation of Haki seemed somewhat neglected.
Look at the world's top-tier powerhouses—from Cross, Roger, Whitebeard, Red the Aloof, Big Mom, Kaido, to Shanks—which of them wasn't a master of Haki?
Haki, as a formidable power, not only enhances one's own strength but also produces unexpected effects in battle.
In contrast, Big Mom's side excelled in Haki cultivation.
Many of her subordinates had mastered Haki and wielded it with great proficiency.
Especially Katakuri—not only had he reached the pinnacle of Armament Haki, but his Observation Haki was equally exceptional, and even his Conqueror's Haki was no less impressive.
Coupled with his Awakened Devil Fruit ability, he was practically an invincible monster.
If this guy truly inherited Big Mom's Iron Balloon ability, his strength would likely surpass even hers.
After all, Big Mom's Iron Balloon was one of her signature skills, making her nearly impervious in battle.
If he possessed this ability along with his own power, he'd undoubtedly become an utterly terrifying existence.
Alternatively, perhaps the Devil Fruit he consumed wasn't an ordinary Paramecia-type Mochi Mochi Fruit but an exceptionally powerful Zoan-type Fruit.
In that case, he could also rank among Emperor-level powerhouses.
In Lancelot's view, this guy was practically the only person in the entire Pirate King world held back by his Devil Fruit.
Even if he'd only consumed the Dragon Serpent Fruit, he could've become exceptionally powerful.
The gap between him and the other Emperors lies in his own strength.
His lack of offensive power is precisely why he can't compare to the other Emperors.
And his Devil Fruit ability doesn't significantly enhance his attack power.
However, if he possessed a powerful Zoan-type Fruit, the situation would be entirely different.
Zoan-type Fruits often grant their users formidable physical attributes and combat capabilities, allowing them to thrive in battle.
For him, a powerful Zoan-type Fruit would undoubtedly be the key to a dramatic rise in strength.
...
Back to the main point, the fierce clash between Lancelot and Jozu had now reached its final critical moment.
Both sides had unleashed their full strength without holding back, with each collision brimming with immense power, as if the entire world trembled from their intense battle.
Lancelot's attacks carried the force of thunder; while Jozu, pushed to the brink, unleashed one hundred and twenty percent of his strength.
Each of his counterattacks erupted like a volcanic explosion, scorching and ferocious.
Yet, the disparity in strength between the two was undeniable. Despite Jozu giving his all, the gap between him and Lancelot remained an insurmountable chasm.
Crack! Crack!
As their powers continued to collide, this was a contest of raw strength, the most direct form of confrontation. It came down to sheer power, with no room for flashy techniques.
In this brief stalemate, Jozu's fist finally gave way.
Just like his right arm earlier, it began to show fine cracks.
At first, these fissures were minuscule, but over time, they rapidly spread—growing more numerous, denser, deeper, and longer.
Eventually, these cracks covered Jozu's entire fist like a spiderweb, and in an instant, his fist shattered like broken porcelain.
The hard diamonds, the moment they left Jozu's body, lost the force sustaining them and instantly turned into a rain of flesh and blood, splattering in all directions.
And Lancelot showed no intention of holding back.
His attack continued unabated, his dragon claw wrapped in Ryuō, Conqueror's Haki, Sacred Sword Demonic Aura, sword energy, and lightning, lunging straight toward Jozu's chest.
At this moment, with both arms broken, Jozu had long lost any will to fight.
He knew all too well that he was now utterly powerless.
Faced with such a ferocious assault, he had no strength left to resist.
Thus, he slowly closed his eyes, as if silently accepting this cruel reality, even withdrawing his own abilities.
The diamond covering his body gradually faded away, returning to its original form.
Clearly, he'd already resolved himself to die.
Thud!
At this critical moment, Lancelot's dragon claw showed no sign of stopping.
Instead, its momentum grew even faster, seemingly about to strike Jozu's chest with brutal force.
However, in that very instant, Lancelot's Observation Haki suddenly detected an attack hurtling toward him.
This attack was incredibly fast, its power astonishing, and it seemed specifically aimed at the soul.
"Conqueror's Haki attack? Shanks?"
The thought flashed through Lancelot's mind in an instant. He immediately understood that this was Shanks making a move.
He was well aware that this was Shanks' warning to him, signaling him not to go too far.
But what did it matter?
Not to mention that Shanks was currently far away from him, even if Shanks were standing right in front of him, what did he have to fear?
After all, he was a ruthless person.
For those he wished to kill, even if Shanks himself were to appear, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest, and would undoubtedly strike them down without mercy.
For this very reason, Lancelot's assault not only showed no sign of slowing down but grew even more ferocious, its speed surpassing what it had been before.
In the blink of an eye, his dragon claw shot forth like lightning, charging straight toward Jozu.
The next moment, a dull "thud" echoed as Jozu's body was instantly pierced by Lancelot's dragon claw, as if it were nothing more than paper.
Although Jozu had long steeled himself for death, when this fatal blow truly landed on him, the unbearable agony still caused his facial expression to twist involuntarily.
Swish!
The moment Jozu's body was pierced, Lancelot swiftly retracted his dragon claw, his movements fast as lightning.
Then, he quickly retreated, not wanting to be splattered with blood.
Gush!
As Lancelot's dragon claw withdrew, a horrifying bloody hole immediately appeared in Jozu's chest.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering onto the surrounding ground and forming a pool of crimson.
Immediately after, Jozu's massive body, as if having lost all support, crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, causing the earth to tremble slightly.
Then, blood continuously flowed from Jozu's wound, like a breached flood, rapidly pooling beneath him into a bloody puddle, staining the ground a shocking dark red.
Seeing this, Lancelot calmly took a step forward, approaching Jozu's corpse, pretending to check whether he was truly dead.
However, as he leaned down to inspect, he secretly employed a method to covertly claim Jozu's ability for himself.
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