Chapter 97

As the dust settled over the auction house, despite the lateness of the night, panic spread throughout the auction. The once bustling venue now echoed with confusion and fear.

"Well, well, not bad. You reacted quite fast," I commented as I stepped into the vast auction area. Katakuri's eyes were filled with fury. Despite his efforts to protect his subordinates using his mochi, he hadn't been able to save them all.

But what truly shocked him was the young teen standing before him. With years of practice and a drive to protect his siblings, Katakuri had honed his observation haki to such a degree that he could see a second into the future. Yet, against the teen in front of him, his strongest trump card seemed to falter.

"You... why are you helping the fishmen? This matter does not concern you," Katakuri asked, dusting himself off, his voice tinged with both anger and confusion.

"You guys, leave this matter to me. Go and make sure the prisoners are secure. Mama will not take it lightly if we fail the mission," he commanded, gesturing for his subordinates to leave. The threat level of the teen in front of him had skyrocketed, and he couldn't afford to have his subordinates become cannon fodder.

With the captain's orders, the Big Mom pirates began to scramble, but just then, countless lightning tendrils spread throughout the auction hall, intercepting their way toward the basement.

"You're not going anywhere," I said, my voice cold and resolute. The air crackled with electricity as the tendrils of black lightning created an impenetrable barrier around the hall as I rematerialized near the hallway leading to the basement. Katakuri's subordinates froze, their paths blocked by the searing arcs of energy.

Katakuri's eyes narrowed. "So the rumors were true; the lightning logia has finally resurfaced after centuries, and it ended up in your hands. Do you really think you can take us all on by yourself? Brave, but foolish," he growled, his mochi-coated fists ready for battle.

I was more surprised to see that the other two from the triplets were not present. With such a commotion, they should have arrived by now.

"I don't see your brothers. From the information I have, all three of you should be here on the island," I remarked nonchalantly, needing to stall for time until the fishmen were out of the building. Then, I could go all out.

"Did you really think we wouldn't know that you were planning to escape the island after rescuing the mermaids? We know your plans and where your brother is. Soon enough, he will be captured, just like you. Mama would like to meet you two. For the World Government to declare your bounties as 'only dead' means you hold quite the secret that could threaten them," Katakuri responded.

However, it wasn't that he was being chatty; no matter how the simulation in his mind went using future sight, he seemed to fall at a disadvantage every single time. If his subordinates moved, they would be nothing but charred corpses.

"Hahahaha," I couldn't help but bellow with laughter, knowing that Daifuku and Oven had gone after Doffy. Maybe the current Katakuri might fight evenly against Doffy, but Daifuku and Oven stood no chance against my brother, even combined.

The voice of all things allowed me to roughly estimate the strength of the people I was facing, so I knew that Doffy and Katakuri's levels should be somewhat the same now. However, Katakuri was approximately seven years older than Doffy, so soon enough, Doffy would surpass him. Maybe even the current Doffy might triumph over Katakuri, but a fight between those at the same level often comes down to more than just strength alone.

"Seriously, you sent your brothers after my brother? I thought you loved your siblings, Katakuri, but it seems like you wish them dead. Trust me, soon you will come to regret your choice," I remarked with a smirk. The way I boasted made Katakuri's face turn ugly, and his heart felt uneasy because of how confident I was.

"In that case, I will bring you down and go help my brothers!" With a roar, Katakuri unleashed a barrage of mochi attacks. I met each one with equal ferocity, our powers clashing in a dazzling display of strength and will.

The air crackled with electricity as I parried Katakuri's attacks. Each strike he launched was met with a counter of equal force, the room lighting up with the fierce collision of our powers. Katakuri's mochi fists, imbued with haki, crashed against my electrified limbs, sending shockwaves through the auction house.

"Yanagi Mochi!" Katakuri bellowed, imbuing his legs with armament haki and stretching them skyward. His attacks, however, were well within my predictions. My future sight extended several seconds into the future, allowing me to perceive nearly a dozen seconds ahead.

As hundreds of haki-clad mochi kicks descended, I imbued both my arms with lightning and a thick layer of armament haki. "Thunder Gatling!" I shouted, unleashing hundreds of lightning fists in rapid succession, countering each of Katakuri's mochi kicks. The moment my lightning-clad punches made contact, they shattered the mochi kicks completely, despite Katakuri's armament haki.

In an instant, I flickered next to Katakuri before he could react. "Meteor Fist!" I roared, my crackling lightning fist now in a plasma state, aimed right at Katakuri's chest. He instinctively coated his chest with armament haki.

"Boom!" A resounding shockwave spread throughout the auction house as Katakuri was sent flying through the air. He crashed into the wall, breaking it apart, and the momentum carried him through several more walls before he finally landed on his knees with a backflip.

"Katakuri-sama!" His subordinates shouted in unison, their voices filled with alarm as they saw their commander sent flying.

Katakuri coughed and panted, trying to catch his breath. "You know how to use armament haki emission?" he said, surprise evident in his voice. Despite turning his body to mochi at the last second to mitigate the impact, my punch employed the technique of emission. Even he had only recently gained mastery over this technique, yet my armament haki emission seemed multiple times stronger than his own.

I stood there, electricity crackling around me, a confident smirk on my face. "Surprised? There's a lot you don't know about me," I replied. "You thought you had the upper hand, but I've been honing my skills for a long time. This fight was over before it began."

Katakuri gritted his teeth, rising to his feet. "You may have power, but don't underestimate me or the resolve of the Big Mom Pirates!" With a swift motion, he reformed his mochi-covered fists and charged at me again, his attacks even more ferocious.

I met his charge head-on, our fists clashing in a dazzling display of power. The auction house trembled under the force of our battle, the air thick with the energy of our clashing haki. Each strike sent shockwaves through the room, the sheer force of our blows causing the walls to crack and the floor to shatter.

Katakuri's determination was unwavering, his attacks relentless. But I matched him blow for blow, my lightning-infused fists countering his mochi attacks with ease. My observation haki allowed me to anticipate his every move, giving me a crucial advantage in our duel.

Despite the intensity of the battle, I remained focused. The fishmen were almost to the basement, and I needed to ensure they had enough time to rescue their loved ones. I couldn't afford to let Katakuri or his subordinates interfere.

"You're strong, Katakuri, but not strong enough," I taunted, dodging a particularly powerful strike and countering with a lightning-fast punch to his side. The impact sent him stumbling back, but he quickly regained his footing, his eyes blazing with determination.

"You haven't seen everything I can do," Katakuri growled, his fists transforming into massive, spiked mochi clubs. He swung them at me with incredible speed, but I deftly avoided each strike, countering with precise, devastating blows.

The auction house continued to crumble around us, debris falling as our battle raged on. The fishmen, now in the basement, worked quickly to free the captives, their determination fueled by the sound of our clash above.

Katakuri and I were locked in a fierce struggle, our powers clashing with a ferocity that left the air crackling with energy. But I could see the cracks in his resolve, the moments of hesitation as he realized that his future sight was failing him against me.

To be honest, if not for my holding back due to the fear of the basement collapsing, I could have overpowered Katakuri easily. I had already breached Admiral level, so Katakuri was not my true opponent.

"You... you truly are a monster," Katakuri panted, as another of his mochi gatling attacks was countered by my own lightning gatling. The difference in our attacks was glaringly evident. His eyes were filled with a mix of anger and reluctant respect. However, I had to commend Katakuri for one thing: despite his glaring disadvantage, he managed to keep his subordinates safe while taking all the damage himself.

Katakuri understood that my earlier words were no joke, and he started worrying about his two brothers who had gone to capture Doflamingo. "Rosinante, you may be a monster, but there are many things in this world you are yet to be aware of," he said, wiping the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth. Twirling the trident in his hands expertly, his demeanor shifted, and the entire atmosphere changed alongside it.

Lightning crackled as purple lightning tore through the area. Katakuri's Haoshoku soared into the skies, his resolve to protect his siblings burning brightly. "Let me show you what true power means today!" Katakuri bellowed.

Even his own subordinates seemed shaken, but they started cheering immediately, although many of them succumbed to the pressure. It seemed he had yet to hone his conqueror's haki to a level where he could wield it freely.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his attempt to show off in front of me, especially with Haoshoku Haki.

"Mochi Tsuki!" Katakuri's entire form was wrapped in armament haki, imbuing his trident with haki as well. Like an unleashed spring, he tightly twisted his mochi arm and then untwisted it, thrusting the trident forward, creating a very powerful drilling stab. The powerful attack tore through the ground as purple lightning burst through his entire form, filling the entire venue.

"Finally, the commander is going all out. He's using his Haoshoku! The kid will stand no chance against him; he is doomed for sure," one of the remaining subordinates of the Big Mom Pirates, still standing under the pressure of Katakuri's Haoshoku Haki, yelled out in pride as he saw their commander's massive mochi attack threatening to engulf and skewer me.

Just then, an ominous wind blew through the auction house, sending chills down everyone's spine. Like a rising tide, under the shocked gazes of everyone, as the attack was about to descend on me, I drew my blade for the first time in battle. Black and golden lightning surged with tangible forms, merging with my own lightning fruit powers.

"It's you who's naive, Katakuri. I know this world better than you!" I whispered in a low tone and unsheathed my blade.

"Ittoryu Iai: Oblivion's Edge!" The moment I unleashed the attack, the entire venue's sound seemed to vanish from the world. It was as if we were in a place where there was no sound. Katakuri, on the other hand, felt as if the Reaper's scythe had come for his neck.

Although he did not feel any threat from his observation haki yet, his gut instinct told him that this was the only moment he had to survive the attack. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect a young teen to have such a monstrous Haoshoku Haki. His own haoshoku paled in comparison to the monstrous show of strength I displayed.

He immediately, without a second thought, abandoned his previous attack and jumped aside, not caring about how unsightly it might look.

The strike I unleashed cleaved through the air, splitting the ground and creating a shockwave that silenced the world around us. Debris was suspended in midair, caught in the sheer force of the attack. The remnants of the auction house quivered under the weight of my power, the intensity of my conqueror's haki pushing everything to its limits.

Katakuri landed a few meters away, breathing heavily, his eyes wide with disbelief. "This... this power..." he muttered, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. His subordinates, now trembling, looked on in awe and terror.

I stood tall, the air crackling around me, my blade humming with residual energy. "You should have realized by now, Katakuri. Underestimating me was your biggest mistake. Leave this place while you still can, don't try to interfere with what I want to achieve, and take your subordinates with you. This is my only warning," I said, my voice carrying the weight of authority.

Katakuri, drenched in sweat, turned to survey the devastation my attack had wrought. The auction house was in shambles. The floor was split open, revealing the ground beneath, leaving a massive ravine that stretched for hundreds of meters, and walls were cleaved apart as if a giant god had taken an axe to them.

Debris hung suspended in the air, slowly settling as the dust began to clear. The sheer force of the strike had left a chasm that seemed to pulse with residual energy, a testament to the power that had just been unleashed.

Katakuri's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the raw power radiating from the epicenter of my attack, and for the first time in a long while, he felt genuine fear. He knew how close he had come to death. If he hadn't dodged at the last second, he would have been cleaved in two. His future sight had shown him a brief flash—a vision of himself lying in two pieces on the ground. The image haunted him.

His inner thoughts raced. "How can someone so young possess such overwhelming power? I've fought countless battles, faced innumerable foes, but this... This is different. This isn't just strength. It's mastery. It's as if he controls the very essence of destruction."

Katakuri clenched his fists, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. "This boy, Rosinante... He's not just a threat to me or the Big Mom Pirates. He's a threat to the entire balance of power in the New World. If Mama finds out about this, she'll stop at nothing to either recruit him or eliminate him."

As he watched his subordinates scramble to pull out the crewmates who were buried under the debris, Katakuri couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. "Daifuku and Oven... I sent them after Doflamingo, believing he was the greater threat. But now I see that was a grave miscalculation. If Doflamingo is even half as powerful as this monster before him... No,I can't afford to lose them. I have to warn them, get them out of there."

The sight of the torn auction house brought him back to reality. The devastation was immense. Entire sections of the building had collapsed, and the structure looked like it could give way at any moment. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and burnt wood, a reminder of the sheer power of the lightning that had been unleashed.