Chapter 156: Breakthrough

"This kid is truly a monster; no wonder Sengoku is so wary of him!" Compared to Li Yuan, Garp was utterly astonished.

At 41 years old, Garp was nearing his physical peak, though not quite there yet. Beyond this point, only his Armament and Observation Haki could continue to grow slowly, while other aspects would solidify by around fifty.

Yet Li Yuan, according to their information, was only about 20 years old, already close to matching Garp's achievements at 41.

A monstrous talent like this, and he was a pirate!

If he continued to grow at this rate, he might reach the combat level of Rocks at his peak within ten or twenty years.

Even Garp, as he was now, would not be a match for Rocks at his peak. That spoke volumes about how formidable Rocks had been!

"Hahahaha, good, good, Garp, let's go again!!!"

Having experienced Garp's formidable strength and Armament Haki, Li Yuan showed no signs of retreat; instead, he grew even more excited.

This was exactly the kind of pressure he needed—something stronger than him, but not overwhelmingly so.

Li Yuan stomped the ground hard, employing the Shave technique he also knew, and charged forward with extreme speed.

He pushed his Infinite Sword Intent to the limit while attempting to summon his Blood Slaughter Sword Intent, aiming to activate both simultaneously.

In the pirate world, no matter how many Sword Intents one mastered, only one could be used at a time—this was a strict rule.

Thus, swordsmen typically only mastered one Sword Intent.

But Li Yuan was determined to defy this rule, having mastered three Sword Intents in hopes of breaking it.

He aimed to use the pressure from Garp to attempt activating both the Infinite Sword Intent and Blood Slaughter Sword Intent at once.

However, as soon as he tried, he found it impossible.

The mental strain of using two Sword Intents simultaneously was immense, as if they were tearing his mental world apart.

No wonder other great swordsmen couldn't activate two Sword Intents at once—the mental strength required was too high.

"Infinite Overlord's Wrath: Evil Dragon Breaks the Army!!"

Failing to activate both intents, Li Yuan resorted to the Infinite Sword Intent. The evil dragon roamed the land, merging with the Seven Stars Sword.

The world dimmed, as if the only thing left was the resounding Seven Stars Sword.

"Li Yuan, today I will capture you!!"

"Bone Fist: Star Shatter!!"

Facing Li Yuan, Garp's Armament Haki surged once more, and he threw a powerful punch.

"Boom!!!"

Sword and fist collided again, unleashing a vast shockwave that rippled in all directions.

The ground shattered instantly, raising a huge cloud of dust, and countless rocks and soil exploded outward.

Between them, the ground sank over ten meters deep, with abyss-like cracks spreading across the island.

Amidst the intense collision and swirling dust, Li Yuan's figure, as before, was sent flying by Garp, blood trickling from his mouth.

His sword technique was shattered once more, along with his Armament and Conqueror's Haki.

Garp's Haki penetrated through the Seven Stars Sword, striking his body.

Had the sword not blocked most of Garp's Haki, his current physique wouldn't have withstood it.

Yet, Li Yuan felt no frustration or fear—only a deep-seated madness.

As he landed, he charged at Garp again, alternating between the Infinite and Blood Slaughter Sword Intents, continuing their fierce clash.

Garp was stronger, but defeating Li Yuan wasn't something that could be achieved in a few days.

Li Yuan fought like a madman, knowing his attack was inferior to Garp's, but still clashing head-on with Garp's fists.

Garp didn't know what Li Yuan was planning, but this kind of direct combat was Garp's favorite, and he had no intention of changing tactics.

He continued to unleash his full strength, punching Li Yuan repeatedly, confident that maintaining this state would eventually lead to Li Yuan's defeat and capture.

And Li Yuan used Garp's overwhelming punches to push himself to his limits.

He pressured himself to activate both Sword Intents simultaneously.

On Sokab Island, the clash of seven top-tier fighters rocked the entire island.

The powerful forces colliding created shockwaves that pushed the three warships moored on the shore back, forcing them to retreat over a thousand meters.

"This isn't good; Vice Admiral Garp and the others are ambushed. It's not just Wald; other remnants of the Rocks Pirates are here!"

On one of the warships, Garp's aide Bogart stood on the mast, using binoculars to spot Shiki flying in the sky.

Amidst the swirling dust, he identified Li Yuan battling Garp, as well as John and Wald attacking Zephyr.

They quickly realized that Sengoku and the others had been ambushed.

And from the looks of it, with four against three, Sengoku and his group might be defeated!

"Reporting to the Marshal, this is Bogart, Vice Admiral Garp's aide. Vice Admiral Garp and the others have been ambushed by the great pirate Wald on Sokab Island."

"Li Yuan, Golden Lion Shiki, and John have joined Wald on Sokab Island to aid him."

"Vice Admiral Garp is fighting Li Yuan, Admiral Sengoku is fighting Golden Lion Shiki, and Admiral Zephyr is besieged by John and Wald. The situation…"

Bogart quickly reported the situation to the Navy Headquarters via Den Den Mushi.

"What? Wald has contacted the other three remnants of the Rocks Pirates to ambush Sengoku and the others!"

"I understand. I will send reinforcements. Ensure your safety and keep your distance from the island to avoid collateral damage."

Originally, Kong thought capturing Wald would be straightforward, but unexpected trouble arose.

Today's pirates were too clever, too cunning, and too bold, not only targeting member nations but also setting their sights on Navy Admirals!

"Five Elders…"

With no other choice, Kong had to request support from the World Government.

"Kong, what were you thinking? As the Fleet Admiral, you've been outmaneuvered by pirates."

"We tasked the Navy with returning to the New World, reestablishing naval fortresses, and capturing Rocks remnants, and you've failed to deliver."

"Now the top three naval powers are besieged, and you expect us to clean up your mess!!"

The Five Elders berated Kong over the Den Den Mushi.

But with Sengoku and the others besieged, and the possibility of more Rocks remnants appearing, Kong had to endure the scolding.

"We will dispatch two Vice Chiefs from CP0 to support Sengoku and the others."

No matter what, the Five Elders couldn't abandon Sengoku and the others, ultimately sending reinforcements.

These were three top-tier powers that the Navy couldn't afford to lose, or else the entire Navy would be paralyzed.

After the Rocks era, the World Government and Navy suffered heavy losses, especially in top-tier power.

A Marine General had been killed by Li Yuan, a CP0 Chief and a Celestial Dragon family expert, along with the previous Navy Fleet Admiral, were killed by Rocks.

In the battle of God Valley, the entire Guardian Division, except for Saint Garling, was wiped out.

Such significant losses hadn't been replenished in just a year.

Training top-tier powers, especially at the level of Navy Admirals, wasn't something that could be achieved in a few years.

It often took decades to cultivate such strength.

Soon, CP0 Vice Chief Carlo Grosso, an Ancient Zoan Winged Pterosaur user, and CP0 Vice Chief Sergen Kulmi, a Logia Mercury user, departed from the Holy Land for Sokab Island.

Though these CP0 Vice Chiefs weren't as strong as Navy Admirals or Army Generals, they were stronger than Admiral candidates.

Together, they could help Sengoku and the others disengage and leave safely, according to the Five Elders' assessment.

Sokab Island:

The seven had been battling for a day and night, with no signs of the fighting diminishing; instead, it grew more intense.

The island was loosening under the strain of their battle, threatening to collapse if the fight continued.

"Hahahaha, I did it, I finally succeeded!!"

Once again, Li Yuan's sword technique was shattered by Garp's punch, and he was sent flying, his clothes torn, body bloodied, and mouth spitting blood.

But he wore a crazed smile, having managed to activate both the Infinite Sword Intent and Blood Slaughter Sword Intent simultaneously.

His Infinite and Blood Slaughter Sword Intents merged perfectly without conflict!

As he wielded both intents, his gaze became sharper, and the overwhelming Sword Intent seemed like a heavenly sword, soaring skyward, destroying all!

"Li Yuan actually succeeded; he broke the swordsmanship record once again!"

Golden Lion Shiki, familiar with the towering Sword Intent, was astonished.

As a great swordsman, he understood the significance of activating and perfectly merging two Sword Intents.

Li Yuan had broken the ironclad rule that no great swordsman could wield two Sword Intents, paving a new path to power for swordsmen!

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