Chapter 87: Full Offensive Mode!
At that moment, on the completely devastated and ruined Island No. 1 of the Sabaody Archipelago:
'Slash! Slash! Slash!'
Sparks flew as massive, claw-like slashes tore through the air, hurtling toward the ground. But El deftly dodged them, and the attacks crashed behind him.
'Boom, boom...'
In the blink of an eye, the fearsome figure of Iron Claw Hark, wreathed in black flames, snarling and full of malice, flashed forward like lightning.
'Clang!' Within moments, he appeared behind El again, striking him with a high-level Armament Haki-infused claw, hitting him squarely before El could fully dodge. However, the claw felt as though it had struck a steel balloon, unable to tear through El's tough skin.
"What?!"
Hark's eyes widened in disbelief. Despite knowing that El had forgone defense by extinguishing the flames on the back of his head to stay in his strongest offensive state, Hark was still shocked by El's impenetrable defense. He had expected some resistance, but not this level of invulnerability.
"Roar!!"
Though El wasn't cut or bleeding, the immense force behind the attack still caused his blood to surge. He was forced back, his towering figure stumbling as the ground cracked beneath him. His shoulder throbbed with sharp pain where the attack had landed.
'Hummm—'
Almost simultaneously, El's cold gaze sharpened. He swung his massive halberd, bringing it down with devastating force.
"Flash Strike!"
Sensing the danger, Hark's instincts flared. Without hesitation, he stepped back, vanishing into a blur to avoid the incoming blow. The attack missed its mark, but the air cracked under the force of the blade.
"You dodged quickly!"
But in the next moment, El, not yet fully turned, narrowed his eyes with cold intensity. Even with the flames on his head extinguished, El's reflexes remained astonishing.
'Heh, heh, heh—'
Suddenly, his large black wings slashed outward at an impossible angle. "Dual Slash: Breaking Damn!!"
'Whoosh—whoosh—' With a sudden gust, two massive slashes, terrifying in both size and power, cut through the atmosphere, charging directly at the retreating Hark.
Hark's face twisted in alarm. He dodged just in time, barely escaping the deadly assault.
'Boom… boom…'
The earth split as the slashes struck, leaving deep, bottomless gashes in the ground. Even watching the aftermath was enough to make anyone break out in a cold sweat.
"Shave!"
Without giving Hark a chance to recover, El's powerful figure shot forward in a blur.
'Whoosh—' The sound of the wind screamed as the massive halberd swung again, swift and deadly.
'Clang!!!'
Hark crossed his Haki-infused claws, managing to block the crushing blow, but the sheer force sent him flying backward. His feet dug into the earth as he struggled to regain balance.
"Is that your limit?" El's towering figure loomed over Hark, hefting the halberd. Glancing at the claw marks on his shoulder, darkened but not bleeding, El's expression remained calm as he spoke.
"Your speed is commendable, and your strength is impressive…"
"But even without my Devil Fruit abilities, and with my defense disabled, you, a Navy Admiral, cannot kill me."
With the flames on the back of his head extinguished, El had sacrificed some of his natural defense for increased attack power and speed. While it was true that if Hark hit a vital point, El could be seriously injured, Hark simply didn't have the strength to fully pierce his natural defenses. And El wasn't about to stand still and take hits.
At this point, Hark hadn't proven himself capable of inflicting any serious harm.
"A truly unstoppable monster…"
Hark's face was tense, his claws still trembling from the impact. His eyes remained fixed on El, who stood before him, radiating an overwhelming sense of power. The thought running through Hark's mind was one of disbelief: 'Is this guy really only seventeen?'
Such a massive body, wielding such a heavy weapon with such ease. No matter how fast or from what angle Hark attacked, El was always able to predict and block his moves with seemingly effortless precision. And when El struck back, his attacks were both powerful and relentless, forcing Hark into constant retreat.
Hark had even managed to land several solid hits on El, his razor-sharp claws slicing through the air with deadly intent. Yet they had merely bounced off El's hardened skin, producing nothing more than sparks.
Steel Bone Kong had warned Hark about El's nigh-invulnerability, telling him that El could shrug off most attacks without taking damage. At first, Hark thought this was due to El's Lunarian defensive ability when his flames were lit. But now, even without those flames, El's defenses were still formidable, making it impossible for Hark to land a significant blow.
'What kind of monster is this?'
"Still not using your Devil Fruit abilities?" Hark spoke through gritted teeth, glaring at El with a grim expression. "How arrogant of you. I am still a Navy Admiral, after all!"
"If you don't use your fruit powers, you won't even be able to touch my shadow!"
Despite his bold words, Hark was fully aware that El hadn't used any of his Devil Fruit abilities or even his Lunarian power to control fire. El was merely fighting with raw strength and swordsmanship—and still pushing Hark to his limits. The thought of how much stronger El could get was truly frightening.
"Heh… we'll see how much you can push me," El responded coldly with a smirk. He tossed aside the halberd and clenched his fists, ready to fight. "Life Return: Paper Drawing Martial Body!"
Hark's eyes widened in shock as El's massive body began to shrink before his eyes, his muscles rippling as they compressed. Even the black wings on El's back quivered in unison.
'Whoosh—'
In a flash, El's towering nine-meter frame condensed to just five meters tall—still larger than Hark but much more compact.
"You've mastered Life Return…" Hark muttered in disbelief as he stared at the transformed El. Now closer in size, El's presence felt even more overwhelming.
"You're surprised?" El sneered. His mocking gaze locked onto Hark. "You said I wouldn't even touch your shadow, didn't you?"
"Did you sacrifice your strength for speed?" Hark tightened his stance, still confident in his own speed. "Even so, it's just Life Return."
As a fully awakened Ancient Zoan user, Hark's speed and power were vastly enhanced beyond what normal Devil Fruit users could achieve. He believed that even El couldn't catch up to him just by using Life Return.
"That's what you think!"
The flames on the back of El's head were completely extinguished, signaling his entry into his strongest offensive mode. Unafraid of injury, El abandoned defense entirely, focusing everything on attack. His speed and strength surged, far exceeding what he had shown earlier.
'Crackle… crackle…'
His right hand ignited with bright flames, distorting the air with heat as he finally began using his Lunarian fire abilities.
'Whoosh—' In an instant, the ground beneath El shattered as he vanished, moving with terrifying speed.
"What!?"
Before Hark could react, his Observation Haki screamed a warning, and his instincts kicked in. He dodged just in time as El's blazing figure appeared before him, his flame-wreathed arm crashing down.
"Too fast…"
The searing heat and overwhelming pressure of the incoming blow forced Hark to cross his Haki-covered arms in defense.
'Boom!!!'
The impact was devastating. Hark's face twisted in pain as the sheer force of the punch reverberated through his body. His arms burned from the intense heat, and he was sent flying like a cannonball.
'Whoosh!' He crashed into the ground, skidding across the terrain. His expression was one of disbelief. 'What is this monster?!'
El's speed had increased to such a terrifying degree that Hark couldn't comprehend it, and the strength behind the attack was equally monstrous.
"Fallen Angel, El—"
'Boom… boom…'
~~~
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