Chapter 48: Monster-Level Battles, The Weak Point Is Observation Haki!

Ding!

Clang!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The icefields at night were the stage for a fierce battle between Leno and Marine Vice Admiral Aokiji.

Boom!

Under the crimson sword waves, the ice surface shattered, and large cracks spread out over tens of meters. Kuzan leaped high, evading the devastating strike.

Holding his sword, Leno stepped up through the air, moving with a fierce grace. His body, enveloped in Haki, was like a suit of crimson armor glowing in the dark night.

The SSS-level Armament Haki he had copied from Garp became his most formidable weapon against Kuzan. With his Armament Haki forming a solid defense, Leno could launch his attacks without hesitation.

The power was intoxicating.

Leno's eyes blazed with fighting spirit as the force coursing through him made him feel capable of destroying anything in his path. Not long ago, he had been searching for a top-level opponent to hone his skills and gain experience.

And now, Kuzan had delivered himself right to his doorstep!

"One Sword Style: Wind and Flowers!"

Leno swung his sword, wind and Haki swirling around him like a vortex. The sword light erupted like a blooming flower, each petal imbued with Haki, cutting through the air.

In an instant, hundreds of crimson petals fused with Haki, beautiful and deadly, were whipped up by the wind and hurled toward Kuzan.

"You can even control the power of the wind?" Kuzan squinted, surprised by Leno's prowess. Not only was Leno skilled in swordsmanship and physically formidable, but his mastery of Haki, especially Armament Haki, was exceptional.

Kuzan's own Haki was strong, but Leno's Armament Haki made him feel like he was facing Garp himself, forcing Kuzan to take Leno's attacks seriously. The power of the Logia Devil Fruit, usually so dominant, was countered by Armament Haki, which could attack even the intangible.

Kuzan's Haki was impressive but couldn't compare to Garp's, and his fighting style relied heavily on his Devil Fruit abilities.

"Fortunately, his Observation Haki is far weaker than mine," Kuzan thought as he raised his hands, his expression serious.

"Ice Wall!"

Thick walls of ice shot up from the frozen ground, interposing themselves between him and Leno's onslaught.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ice walls exploded as the Slash Wave crashed into them, the two forces canceling each other out in a violent spectacle of shattered ice and Haki.

Kuzan vanished in a blur, his Observation Haki allowing him to read Leno's movements perfectly. A moment later, he reappeared behind Leno, exploiting the gap in Leno's defense.

The battle of Observation Haki was like a layered game of predictions, each combatant trying to outguess the other. With a stronger Observation Haki, Kuzan could see further ahead, suppressing Leno, whose abilities were still developing.

Kuzan formed an ice blade from his semi-elemental body and slashed at Leno.

Swoosh!

The ice-blue blade didn't create a Slash Wave but instead unleashed a torrent of cold air that quickly spread toward Leno. The freezing current enveloped him, trapping him in mid-air as an ice sculpture.

Seeing Leno caught, Kuzan used Geppo to launch himself above his opponent, his feet transforming into a massive ice axe.

"ICE AXE!"

His legs became a giant ice axe, wrapped in Armament Haki, and he swung down with devastating force.

Crack!

The Haki on Leno's body extended outward, shattering the ice encasing him just as the ice axe bore down.

With a "click," the ice shell around Leno exploded. He gripped his sword with both hands and parried the attack. The moment Dragon Sparrow clashed with the ice axe, his Armament Haki flared up, clashing with Kuzan's own Haki.

The impact sent a shockwave that tore through the ice island beneath them, splitting it into massive chunks. The red Haki rippled outward, shattering the surrounding ice.

"Hold on!" Kuina shouted from the edge of the ice island, fending off the chaotic waves with her sword. She, Kuro, and Luwell struggled to stabilize the ship amid the churning ice and water.

"This is truly a monster-level battle!" Luwell exclaimed, watching the relentless duel unfold.

In the sky above the battlefield, Leno and Kuzan were locked in a brutal exchange, both panting from the intense fight. Leno's Observation Haki wasn't as developed as Kuzan's, but his instincts and tenacity kept him in the game.

Kuzan eyed Leno carefully, noting how his opponent was still evolving, growing sharper and more in tune with the battle. Leno's ability to adapt was astounding—he had quickly caught up to Kuzan's rhythm.

"This guy isn't just some dreamer," Kuzan thought grimly.

"His Observation Haki still needs work, but if it improves, who knows how this fight could end?"

Determined to exploit Leno's weaknesses, Kuzan resolved to continue wearing him down, targeting his lack of experience and waiting for the right moment to strike.

After all, in battles like these, victory often comes down to a single mistake.

And Leno was still young.

Kuzan was confident that sooner or later, Leno would slip up.

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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg

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