In the aftermath of their clash, Blake began to walk away, but Law's voice halted his departure. "Hold it... this isn't over, you bastard...!"
Law's words echoed through the forest, and Blake paused, turning to face his adversary. With a smirk, he watched as Law struggled to rise to his feet, determination burning in his eyes.
Leaning heavily on his sword, Law fixed Blake with a fierce glare. "I don't know who you are or what you want... but if you're so eager to see me fight with all my strength, then I'll oblige," he declared, his voice dripping with resolve.
Slowly, he extended his hand, a translucent dome forming within his grasp.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. Room...!" Law invoked his technique, causing the transparent barrier to expand rapidly, encompassing an area of nearly 100 meters around him.
With the Room technique activated, Law braced himself for the impending confrontation. But as he prepared to strike, Blake vanished from sight.
The sudden disappearance greatly startled Law, and he scanned the surroundings frantically until a loud thud caught his attention. He looked up to see Blake suspended in the sky, effortlessly defying gravity as he repeatedly kicked at the air.
Looking down at Law with a smirk, Blake pointed at the dome created by Law's ability. "That thing you conjured up looks pretty dangerous," he remarked casually. "Guess I'll just have to fight you from up here," he added, twirling his body and unleashing a Rankyaku flying slash aimed directly at Law with a swift kick.
Law sprang into action as Blake launched his attack. "Shambles!" he called out, swiftly swapping places with a nearby boulder, which bore the brunt of Blake's flying slash, shattering into pieces.
With a calculated move, Law reappeared a distance away, ready to retaliate.
"Takt!" Law commanded, commanding various objects to levitate into the air – rocks, wooden debris, and discarded remnants. With a sweeping gesture, he sent half of the objects hurtling towards Blake.
Although Blake stood beyond the perimeter of Law's Room, the projectiles maintained their momentum, hurtling towards him even after leaving the confines of Law's ability.
"Hahaha! That's more like it!" Blake chuckled, swatting away the oncoming projectiles with ease.
Yet, his amusement soon turned into shock at Law's next move. In a surprising maneuver, Law utilized Shambles once more, exchanging places with a sharp piece of wood at the dome's apex.
Seizing the opportunity, Law erected another Room mid-air, ensnaring Blake before he could evade.
"Shambles!" Law exclaimed anew, swapping positions with a small pebble deflected by Blake. In an instant, Law materialized directly behind his adversary, his sword poised for a close-range strike.
Law's sword met Blake's shoulder with a resounding clang, sending shockwaves of surprise through Law's system. Instead of slicing through flesh, his blade ricocheted off Blake's body, leaving Law bewildered.
Before he could grasp the situation, Blake's body contorted unnaturally, twisting with alarming speed as he pivoted towards Law, delivering a devastating kick to Law's abdomen that sent him hurtling through the air.
As Law tumbled, he watched Blake deftly maneuvering through the air with Geppo, marveling at his opponent's agility. Shaking off his disbelief, Law reacted swiftly.
"Takt!" he commanded, hurling various objects at Blake to obstruct his path. Yet, Blake remained unfazed, the Tekkai technique deflecting every projectile that came his way.
Closing in on Law, Blake swung his fist, but Law evaded in the nick of time, utilizing Shambles to swap places with a nearby boulder. The rock shattered upon impact, crushed by the force of Blake's punch.
Thus, the aerial dance between the two combatants continued, captivating the onlookers below with a mix of awe and astonishment.
As the intense battle unfolded before them, Penguin's eyes widened in disbelief at the seemingly superhuman abilities displayed by both Law and Blake.
"Are they even human at this point...?" he muttered, his voice tinged with awe. "That guy is even flying... and it doesn't look like he's even using a devil fruit power," he added, his brow furrowed with confusion.
Shachi scratched his head in puzzlement. "Come to think of it... who is this guy anyway?" he pondered, casting a curious glance at Blake. "How did he even find this place, and why is he fighting Law?" he wondered aloud.
Caught off guard by Shachi's inquiry, Bepo, who had brought Blake to Wolf's house, felt beads of sweat forming on his brow as he attempted to shrink into the background.
But his efforts to remain inconspicuous were in vain, as his nervous expression betrayed his inner thoughts, drawing the attention of both Shachi and Penguin.
"Bepo, you... you wouldn't happen to know anything about this guy, would you...?" Penguin's gaze narrowed as he and Shachi closed in on Bepo, their curiosity piqued.
Bepo's nervousness escalated, causing him to sweat even more profusely. "I'm sorry!" he blurted out, executing a rapid bow of his head in a practiced motion, having done it countless times. "I brought him here, but I have no idea why they're fighting!"
As Shachi and Penguin moved in to question Bepo further, their intentions were interrupted by a sudden violent shockwave that pushed them back. They looked up to witness Law and Blake locked in a tense standoff. Blake, using his wrist hardened by Tekkai, intercepted Law's blade, their eyes locking in a battle of wills.
"That devil fruit of yours sure is broken... If I didn't know Rokushiki, I would have probably died ten times already..." Blake remarked with a grin, his voice laced with admiration. "It even boosts your sword's cutting power, but it doesn't work on what you can't cut, does it?" With a surge of strength, he pushed Law away.
Law gritted his teeth, acknowledging Blake's observation. "You're not wrong, but..." he trailed off, releasing his grip on his sword. "But I have other ways of taking you down other than my sword." He extended his thumbs, pointing toward the blade. "Shambles!" Law exclaimed, executing a swift maneuver that swapped Blake and his sword's positions.
Before Blake could react, Law pressed his thumbs against Blake's chest, unleashing his next technique. "Countershock!" he declared, electric arcs crackling around his thumbs as they surged into Blake's body. Blake grimaced in agony, his body convulsing as he began to collapse to the ground.
Law, too, felt the strain of his technique, his body succumbing to the exhaustion brought on by the Countershock. With both combatants now falling to the ground, Law's Room ability dissipated, the toll of the battle evident on his weary form.
Both fighters lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies battered and weary from the grueling battle. Despite his exhaustion, Law rose to his feet first, his form tattered and blood trickling down his face.
With a triumphant grin, he cast a glance at Blake, who lay spasming on the ground."It's over, you bastard!" Law declared, his voice tinged with the exhilaration of victory.
He strode confidently toward Blake, intending to deliver the final blow, but had to stop as Blake suddenly stopped spasming and staggered to his feet, coughing up smoke.
"That was quite a hit..." Blake remarked, casually brushing off his coat and cracking his neck. "You almost got me with that last move! Bwahahaha!" His laughter rang through the clearing as if he wasn't in excruciating pain with enough electricity to render ten men unconscious coursing through his body a moment ago.
Indeed, had Blake not used Kami-e to move his torso away from Law's thumbs at the last possible moment, he would have surely succumbed to unconsciousness and defeat.
Law, drained of stamina after unleashing Countershock, could only clench his teeth in frustration. "Damn monster..." Law muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion and resentment.
Blake chuckled at Law's words. "Like you're one to speak..." He said, shaking his head in exasperation. "Now then, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? As you can see, I'm still ready to dance!" he taunted, assuming a playful fighting stance as he readied himself for the continuation of the battle.
Law's bitter smile lingered at Blake's words. "In this state, what more could I possibly muster?" he remarked with a resigned tone. "I hate to admit it, but I'm no match for you right now. Do as you please," he added, calmly sheathing his katana and letting it fall to the ground.
Blake sighed in response. "Well, that's a shame, but I suppose it can't be helped," he said, scratching his head. "I'll catch you later, then," he added, turning away and starting to walk off.
Law's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's it? After all that, you're just going to walk away?" he exclaimed, feeling a mix of frustration and offense at Blake's apparent indifference. "If you didn't get up, I would have killed you without hesitation!"
Blake paused in his steps, casting a glance back at Law with an exasperated expression. "You and I have no grudges against one another, so why should I kill you?" he reasoned. "Besides, even if I hadn't gotten up just now, you wouldn't have had the chance to kill me," he chuckled.
Law furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
Blake sighed, shaking his head. "For someone who prides himself on his intelligence, you can be surprisingly clueless," he remarked. "Why don't you turn around and take a look behind you?" he suggested, gesturing toward something behind Law.
Law turned around slowly, his heart pounding as he faced Sif, who stood behind him with her teeth bared, ready to strike at any moment. "That's enough, girl. We're done here for now," Blake commanded, surprising Law as Sif obediently leaped over him with Geppo and landed gracefully next to Blake. "I'll come back to see Wolf later, though he seems to be absent," Blake added as he began to walk away.
"Wait... who are you, really?" Law called out, unable to contain his curiosity.
Blake grinned but didn't bother to turn around. "I'm Blake Thorne, the man who will become the strongest in this world," he declared confidently.
Only Sif, walking beside him, knew that Blake's face was flushed with embarrassment because of the words he'd just uttered. With a low whine, she pawed her face in disappointment at his behavior.
...
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