Chapter 167: CP0 Deputy Chief Carlo
As the Seven Stars Sword descended, the Blood Dragon Slash roared forth, with Armament Haki forming its tough dragon scales and Conqueror's Haki shaping its claws and teeth. The sword intents became the dragon's body.
The clouds above parted instantly before the Blood Dragon Slash, as though the entire sky was being forcibly torn apart by its might.
Facing Li Yuan at such close quarters, Carlo knew he couldn't escape. He resolved to use his strongest attack to meet Li Yuan's Seven Stars Sword head-on!
"Six Styles Secret Art: Maximum Wheel - Six King Gun!!"
Carlo's muscles bulged as he channeled all his power into his fists, striking fiercely at the incoming Seven Stars Sword.
The moment fist met sword, Carlo felt the Armament Haki on his fists shatter instantly, just as before.
The powerful fists were sliced open by the Seven Stars Sword, which then swept across Carlo's chest in a swift arc.
The sword reversed direction too quickly for Carlo's fists to follow, leaving his body to instinctively cover itself with Armament Haki for defense.
"Rip!!!"
Yet, his Armament Haki was utterly ineffective, torn apart effortlessly by the Seven Stars Sword.
The flow of Ryou's remote impact and Conqueror's Haki's shock struck Carlo's chest, breaking his ribs and almost spilling his intestines.
Blood splattered the sky once more, raining down.
However, Carlo was an Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. Such severe injuries would be fatal for an ordinary person, but not for him. Life Return quickly stopped the bleeding and sealed his wounds, allowing his strong healing abilities to work slowly.
"Damn it!!!"
Carlo scowled, watching Li Yuan charge at him again. He had no desire for a direct confrontation with Li Yuan.
But he couldn't avoid Li Yuan's attacks with his speed, forcing him to meet Li Yuan head-on repeatedly.
Yet each clash left him at a disadvantage.
Li Yuan's sword was too fast, aggressive, unpredictable, and powerful for him to withstand.
He hadn't forgotten that Li Yuan's sword was a demon, a blood-sucking demon sword. As time passed, it would drain his blood, rapidly depleting his stamina.
He had no doubt that Li Yuan possessed the power to kill him in a direct confrontation.
But he couldn't flee. If he ran, the World Government's plan would fail.
Upon his return, he would face unimaginable punishment.
"Kill!!!"
Thinking of the fate worse than death, Carlo charged again, clashing with Li Yuan.
Branton, being just one person and not Rocks, was expected to fall quickly under the combined assault of the three Admirals.
Carlo only needed to stall Li Yuan, preventing him from aiding Branton until the Admirals defeated him.
He believed he could hold out until Branton's defeat, without losing himself.
With that resolve, Carlo decided to use his body to delay Li Yuan's formidable strength, keeping him away from Branton.
The battle on Sando Island had raged for half a day. Other pirates, noticing Li Yuan neither aiding Branton nor relentlessly assaulting Carlo, understood his strategy.
However, they didn't share his optimism. Even if Li Yuan could defeat Carlo, it would take time.
Before Li Yuan could finish off Carlo, Branton might already fall to Sengoku and the others, as the Golden Lion and the others assumed.
They watched Branton's stamina rapidly deplete, and his injuries worsen, ready to flee at any moment.
Initially, they stayed to honor their alliance and hoped for a miraculous turn of events.
But with Branton nearing his limit and no turnaround in sight, leaving before the three top powers could focus on them seemed prudent.
"Damn, why haven't they taken down Branton yet!!"
While other pirates contemplated fleeing, CP0 Deputy Chief Carlo also considered it.
His body was covered with deep, bone-cutting sword wounds, blood loss severe, and he felt increasingly weak.
Moreover, he faced the formidable and unpredictable Li Yuan.
Under normal circumstances, he would have escaped, confident that Li Yuan couldn't stop him.
But now, at this critical juncture, he couldn't flee. Running would doom the entire plan.
He was effectively risking his life to buy time, aware that Li Yuan could kill him with a single strike at any moment.
"It's time!"
Li Yuan sensed Branton's condition and the despair growing within Carlo. His gaze turned profound.
"Life Return: Limb Maximum Reinforcement!!"
Instantly, Li Yuan's previously strengthened limbs bulged with muscle even more, veins nearly bursting, and blood seeping from his pores.
Simultaneously, Li Yuan's third sword intent, the Abyss Sword Intent, emerged, merging with the Seven Stars Sword.
Over the past year, he had managed to wield all three sword intents together, hiding this ability until now.
In that moment, Li Yuan's sword intent surged skyward, with the Infinity Sword Intent at the center, and the Blood Slaughter and Abyss Sword Intents forming a Taiji-like duality around it.
The three sword intents fused, unleashing power greater than their sum.
Even a glance at Li Yuan now made Carlo's eyes ache, as Li Yuan's aura was too intense for him to bear.
Li Yuan darted through the sky, reaching Carlo above.
Carlo tried to evade, but he couldn't!
"Infinite Blood Slaughter Abyss Trinary Unification: God Slayer!!"
The Seven Stars Sword shone with unprecedented brilliance, the three sword intents and two Haki types merging, with violent blood-red lightning crackling from the blade.
This strike embodied all the power Li Yuan could muster, his strongest technique.
In the past year, he hadn't just learned to combine three sword intents; he had also developed his ultimate killing move.
As a swordsman, how could he not have a signature finishing move?
Previously, his sword skills were just ordinary techniques. Now he had this one killing move.
God Slayer—no god would survive before this strike!
Facing it, Carlo felt there was no escape. Instinctively, he raised his hands, mustering all his strength and Armament Haki to block.
"Impossible!!!"
Yet as the strike fell, Carlo realized its power far exceeded any previous attack.
The upper hand blocking the sword shattered, bones breaking, and the impact coursed through his body, shattering countless bones in his upper torso.
This strike exacerbated his already dire condition, nearly tearing his broken body apart.
The overwhelming force sent him plummeting toward the island like a meteor.
"I must escape, I can't continue fighting!"
The severity of his injuries was unimaginable. He dared not continue battling Li Yuan, fearing another powerful strike would kill him.
"Thank goodness there's an island below!"
As he fell, Carlo was relieved the island was beneath him. If it were the sea, he might have perished.
Looking toward Li Yuan, Carlo saw him smiling oddly, his muscles returning to normal.
Yet Li Yuan remained covered in Armament Haki, Moonwalking downward.
"Is he pursuing for the kill?"
Before hitting the ground, Carlo used his wings to slow his descent, confident his physique would prevent significant harm upon landing.
He resolved to flee as soon as he landed.
He didn't know when Branton would fall, but he knew one thing.
If Li Yuan struck him twice more like before, he would die.
In the face of true death, nothing else mattered!
However, as Carlo thought this, just as he was about to hit the ground.
"Boom!!!!!!!"
A massive explosion erupted where Carlo fell, akin to a modern small atomic bomb.
From the sky, Li Yuan watched the terrifying crimson mushroom cloud rise.
He had explosives buried there, knowing it was the battleground between him and Carlo, ensuring no others fought there.
No one had discovered the explosives hidden there.
Moments ago, Li Yuan had triggered the detonator, setting off the buried explosives.
Caught off guard, Carlo was engulfed in the blast.
With no defense, Carlo bore the full brunt of the explosion. Already heavily wounded and covered in sword cuts, the blast left his body devastated. If not for the Ancient Zoan's vitality, he might have died instantly!
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