Garling stepped through the air with Geppo, each step carrying him over a hundred meters. In an instant, he closed the distance and met the leading member of the D. Clan head-on. His long saber swung forward, releasing a narrow streak of red and black lightning that split the sky like a blade.
The man before him was gaunt, his frame lean yet filled with overwhelming power. His name was Dam D. Fure, a warrior who had fought alongside Joy Boy against the World Government eight hundred years ago.
Facing the incoming slash, a sharp glint flashed in Fure's eyes. He flicked his wrist, coating it in hardened Busoshoku Haki, then threw a punch from a distance. The compressed force of his strike collided directly with the saber light.
Garling's eyes narrowed slightly. He began to take his opponent seriously.
Fure also studied him carefully. As one of Joy Boy's former companions, his consciousness had not been stripped away. The more he looked, the more familiar Garling's appearance seemed.
He raised his head slightly.
"Cassilias? You're still alive?"
Before Garling could respond, Joy Boy's voice descended from above.
"Fure, Cassilias is long dead. He is merely a descendant."
Fure nodded slowly, murmuring to himself,
"That makes sense. No one could survive wounds like those…"
He looked back at Garling, a grin forming on his face.
"In that case, let me see how strong the descendant of Cassilias truly is."
Boom!
An explosion erupted beneath Fure's feet, launching him forward like a cannonball. Garling had already predicted the movement with Kenbunshoku Haki. His figure flickered as he evaded, then countered with a backhand slash that carved a deep wound across Fure's back.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Fure shot past him, reaching back instinctively. His face twisted slightly as he felt the injury.
White steam rose from the wound, healing at a visible rate.
He turned around, muttering,
"It's been too long since I used this ability. I'm a bit rusty…"
Garling advanced again using Geppo, his mind recalling the explosion beneath Fure earlier. That was not martial arts. It resembled the power of a Devil Fruit.
At that moment, Saint Nusjuro and the others arrived. Seeing Fure, Saint Nusjuro immediately shouted,
"It's Dam D. Fure! Saint Garling, he's a user of the Bomu Bomu no Mi!"
Before his words could settle, the surrounding D. Clan members surged forward, surrounding them. Fortunately, the God's Knights arrived soon after, clashing with the enemy and splitting the battlefield.
Fure spared a glance at Saint Nusjuro amidst the chaos. He thought for a moment but failed to recall him.
Eight hundred years ago, Nusjuro had only been a child. Someone like Fure would never have paid attention to him.
Not caring, Fure dismissed the thought. He touched the healed wound on his back with one hand while the other moved lightly through the air.
Instantly, a chain of explosions erupted, extending toward Garling. Garling kicked off the air and rose higher, but the explosions followed relentlessly.
Realizing he could not evade forever, Garling abruptly turned and charged straight toward Fure.
Fure's lips curled upward. His body suddenly swelled before detonating at the moment Garling reached him.
A massive explosion bloomed, forming a towering mushroom cloud.
From Mary Geoise below, the Celestial Dragons fell silent in fear. Only members of the Figarland Family remained composed, fully aware of Garling's strength.
As the smoke cleared, Garling stood unharmed.
The dark sheen of his Haki faded like a receding tide. Not far ahead, Fure's shriveled body slowly regained its shape.
Fure inhaled deeply, restoring himself.
"As expected of Cassilias' descendant. Your Haki is formidable."
Garling ran a hand along his blade, his tone indifferent.
"My ancestor's name is not for you to speak. People like you no longer have a place in this world."
Fure's expression twisted with fury.
"That is not for you to decide! The return of the D. Clan proves this world is nearing true liberation. Freedom will come!"
With a roar, he activated his ability again, propelling himself forward with explosive force. He closed the gap instantly and unleashed a barrage of punches.
Garling blocked with his saber, his body pushed backward through the air.
Once stabilized, Garling lowered his stance. Haki surged into his blade as an overwhelming aura burst forth.
"King's Sword, Town Suppression."
In an instant, countless saber lights infused with red and black lightning erupted forward.
Fure's pupils shrank. He recognized the move immediately and understood its terrifying power.
He abandoned all restraint, combining his Devil Fruit ability with Haki.
"Armament Blast!"
The two forces collided violently. A deafening roar echoed across the sky as shockwaves spread in all directions.
Fure triggered multiple explosions mid-air, barely managing to withstand the aftermath.
Then, from the heart of the explosion, a deep crimson streak pierced through.
It struck with blinding speed.
Fure's body below his neck vanished instantly.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned his head. Behind him, Garling stood on a floating dandelion, arcs of lightning dancing along his blade.
With his final strength, Fure spoke,
"You… you can use this as well…"
His voice faded.
Before he could finish, his head dissolved into particles of light, dispersing into the sky.
Garling did not turn. His gaze lifted toward Lloyd above, a faint hint of anticipation in his eyes.
The technique he had used was the ultimate move of the Figarland Family's swordsmanship, God Slayer. It lacked grand spectacle, yet its lethality was absolute, capable of instantly erasing a warrior like Fure.
However, its cost was immense. Garling's breathing grew uneven, his face pale from the strain.
"Fure!!!"
Witnessing his comrade's death, Joy Boy could no longer restrain himself. Riding Zou, he dove downward.
Lloyd had been watching him closely. The moment Joy Boy moved, Lloyd transformed into a streak of black light and intercepted him in an instant.
Zou was startled, halting abruptly mid-air as it raised its forelimbs.
Lloyd struck without hesitation.
His hand seized Zou's trunk as dark power surged outward. The force of distortion twisted it violently, coiling it like a rope.
A sorrowful cry echoed through the sky.
In the next moment, Lloyd stood with a torn section of the trunk in his hand, blood dripping steadily to the battlefield below.
~~~
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