Chapter 281

The air crackled with tension, thick as a storm about to break, as I stood at the bow of my ship. The rolling ocean beneath me did little to drown out the sensation of Admiral Agana's Conqueror's Haki pressing down, her presence unmistakable even from miles away.

Her aura—the weight of it—hung over the distant shore like a predator waiting to pounce.

Yet, as I felt the pulse of her power, something inside me stirred. She was strong—formidable even—but not enough. Not for what was coming.

My eyes narrowed. I could feel the rhythm of the sea, the charge in the air—everything was in motion. With a single flex of my will, I propelled forward, the ship lurching as my speed shredded the distance between us.

Time itself seemed to distort as I crossed over a mile in an instant, the horizon melting away into a blur. Before Agana could blink, Shusui was drawn, its blade arcing toward her throat with the speed of a lightning strike.

"Clang….!!!"

Our blades met in a thunderous clash, the force of impact detonating a shockwave that tore through the ground beneath us. The sheer pressure splintered the earth, creating a massive crater that rippled outward. The air screamed with the force of our collision, trees bowing as if to the gods of war themselves.

Agana staggered, her boots grinding against the broken earth, but she held her ground. Surprise flickered in her eyes—just a flicker—but it was enough. She hadn't expected me to cover that much distance in the blink of an eye.

"We meet again, Admiral Agana…" My voice was low, barely above a whisper, yet the chill in it was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Even hers.

Her lips curled into a snarl. She wasted no breath on words, only action. "Crimson Spear!" With a swift, practiced motion, blood surged from her body, twisting and forming a massive spear of hardened crimson, infused with her Haki. It cut through the air like a meteor, sizzling with lethal intent as it aimed straight for my head.

I didn't flinch.

Shusui gleamed as Armament Haki coated its edge in a sheen of blackened steel. With a single stroke, I cleaved through her blood construct as though it were made of mist. The spear disintegrated, raining down in droplets as my blade arced again, slicing toward her throat in one fluid motion.

"Clang…!"

Her sword met mine again, the clash louder this time—an explosion of force that cracked the ground further beneath us, splintering the earth like fragile glass. Agana's knees bent under the pressure, her face tightening as she struggled to withstand the power behind each of my blows.

I pressed forward, unrelenting. My swordsmanship was leagues above hers, each strike precise, sharp, and overwhelming. She parried desperately, but with every block, my blows sent her skidding back, the ground beneath her feet crumbling as she fought to keep her balance. Every clash of our blades sent shockwaves rippling outward, the sky above beginning to swirl with ominous clouds.

"So... you have a supreme-grade blade of your own," I chuckled darkly, Shusui tracing arcs of black lightning through the air. "Last time, I was too busy trying to stay alive to notice."

"You talk too much," she spat, her eyes flashing with irritation. Her sword, dripping with the crimson of her Blood Logia powers, moved swiftly in retaliation, her strikes deadly and refined.

Her form was lithe, graceful, each motion calculated and infused with murderous intent. "Blood Domain!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the battlefield. The sky shifted instantly, darkening as if soaked in crimson ink. Blood surged from her body like a tidal wave, expanding in every direction, creating a massive dome that covered the entire island.

The horizon itself seemed to bleed as crimson slashes filled the sky, each one aimed with deadly precision, all converging toward me.

I had to admit, her control over her Logia was formidable. Elegant, even. But this was my realm now.

"Lightning Tyrant…"

The words left my lips like a quiet prayer, and the air around me crackled. From the tip of Shusui, black lightning spiraled upward into the heavens, summoning the storm itself. The sky responded to my will, and in moments, the island was plunged into darkness as swirling clouds converged, lightning streaking from the heavens.

With a surge of energy, a colossal figure formed—a towering giant made of pure lightning, crackling with destructive power. Its thunderous roar shook the battlefield as it raised its massive arms, tearing through Agana's Blood Domain with brutal efficiency.

Each of her crimson slashes evaporated like smoke under the giant's sheer presence, reduced to nothing before the overwhelming force of my power.

Agana's eyes widened in disbelief. Her blood constructs, which had decimated entire armies, crumbled as though they were made of paper. Her lips tightened into a grim line as she realized the scale of the battle she was facing.

She wasn't prepared.

But she wasn't overwhelmed either.

With a fluid shift in stance, her blade moved faster now, glowing crimson as she infused it with Advanced Armament Haki. She pushed forward, each strike more vicious than the last, trying to meet me head-on.

The ground trembled as our blades met, shockwaves tearing through the shore, sending tremors deep into the earth. The weaker marines stationed near the coastline had long since fled, those who remained already unconscious from the crushing weight of our Conqueror's Haki.

But none of that mattered. My focus was solely on Agana.

"You've grown stronger, I'll give you that," I mused, driving her back with a series of relentless blows, my sword moving too fast for her to counter. "But you're still leagues below me. Maybe that was your one chance to kill me… and you wasted it."

Her teeth ground together, frustration clear in her blazing eyes. She swung again, faster this time, pouring more Conqueror's Haki into each strike. Crimson lightning crackled around her blade as her power peaked, the island itself seeming to groan under the weight of our battle.

I dodged, my Observation Haki weaving effortlessly between her attacks. My future sight gave me an edge—allowing me to see her moves before she even began them. To her, it must have felt as though I was reading her thoughts, vanishing before every deadly strike and reappearing just behind her.

She twisted, barely managing to parry another lethal blow, the force of my strikes pushing her back again and again, each step shattering the earth beneath her feet. I was toying with her now, and she knew it.

"Still holding back?" I taunted, lightning dancing along the length of my blade as I pressed her even further.

Her pride wouldn't let her back down. Not here. Not now. With a guttural roar, she swung her blade in a wide arc, summoning forth a torrent of blood that exploded outward, drenching the battlefield in a crimson mist. Her Blood Logia powers allowed her body to reform almost instantly, and now, she moved faster, trying to keep pace with my blinding speed.

It was no use.

Each time she thought she had me, I was already gone. A flicker of movement, a flash of lightning, and I was behind her, Shusui tracing lethal arcs aimed for her vital points. She parried just in time, but the strain was clear. Sweat beaded on her brow, her breath coming faster, her movements more erratic. She was struggling to keep up.

I pivoted, my blade infused with a blackened aura as I unleashed another devastating strike. The ground quaked as I brought Shusui down toward her shoulder, and Agana raised her sword to block, sparks flying as our weapons ground against each other.

But I didn't relent.

Blow after blow rained down on her, each one heavier than the last. She could barely hold her ground, each strike forcing her back. Her Advanced Observation Haki—impressive as it was—couldn't match the sheer brutality of my attacks.

And worse for her, my own Conqueror's Haki was pushing hers back, overbearing and overwhelming. The clash of our wills was causing the air itself to fracture, the pressure unbearable to those nearby.

Agana's frustration peaked, her eyes blazing with fury as her blood-red aura intensified, pushing back against me with all the force she could muster. Blood dripped from her blade, pooling into lethal constructs around her, the essence of her Blood Logia forming a deadly barrier.

"Don't underestimate me, Rosinante!" she screamed, unleashing a barrage of crimson energy slashes aimed to sever me in half. Her desperation fed her power, and each strike roared with the might of her Conqueror's Haki. Blood-red lightning crackled through the air, splitting the sky in two.

But I was faster. I was stronger.

Sidestepping her barrage, I vanished and reappeared in a blur of speed, unleashing another attack infused with my Lightning Logia.

"Thunder Descent!" I roared, the sky above us darkening as black lightning converged, forming a massive dragon made of pure energy. Its colossal form descended from the heavens, roaring as it dove toward Agana, my blade leading the way.

She raised her sword, her Conqueror's Haki flaring as she summoned a massive shield of blood.

"Crimson Aegis!"

But it wasn't enough.

The island quaked as lightning tore through the skies, clashing with the blood-soaked battlefield beneath. The chaotic storm I'd summoned with my Conqueror's Haki churned overhead, black clouds swirling in tandem with the violent pulse of my power. Agana's blood-red aura shimmered, her eyes glinting with fury and desperation as she formed yet another crimson barrier in a futile attempt to stop my relentless assault.

The black lightning of my Thunder Descent crashed into her blood barrier, and for a split second, it seemed as if she might hold it off.

Sparks erupted in all directions, the crackle of lightning deafening as it danced against the crimson wall. But then, with a bone-rattling explosion, my lightning tore through, obliterating the blood barrier as if it were made of paper. A trench carved deep into the earth, its edges glowing with residual energy.

Agana barely escaped in time, the attack grazing her as she rolled out of the way, singeing the ends of her dark hair. She moved with a grimace, dirt and blood streaked across her face, her fury only fueling the intensity in her eyes.

"You're losing your edge, Agana," I taunted, advancing with a smirk, Shusui glowing with raw power. "I expected more."

Her eyes flashed with pure rage, and she spat the words through gritted teeth. "You want more? I'll give you more!" With a wild swing of her blade, she unleashed a new attack.

"Blood Scythe…!!!"

From the tip of her sword, a colossal, serrated wave of blood energy tore through the air. The very ground split beneath its weight as it roared toward me, a feral force of nature that carved through trees, rocks, and the island itself like butter. The sound of it—like a beast roaring for blood—was deafening.

I met the attack head-on. Shusui, now coated in my Advanced Armament Haki, shimmered with a deep black aura, crackling with black lightning.

"Reapers Scythe…!"

With a single upward swing, I cleaved through the blood wave, splitting it clean in two. The severed halves detonated behind me with an earth-shattering roar, sending shockwaves and debris in all directions.

Massive chunks of the island were tossed into the air like pebbles, trees uprooted, and the island's landscape permanently scarred by the power of our clash.

The sea around us reacted violently, the sheer force of our blows creating titanic waves that crashed against the shorelines.

Each wave towered like a wall of water, smashing into the island as if the ocean itself were being torn apart by our duel. Overhead, the skies grew darker still, swirling into a maelstrom of black clouds and crimson lightning, charged by the chaotic energy of our battle.

"You've not improved much. I expected more from you, Agana…" I sneered, Shusui humming with anticipation. "If this is all you've got, I'm sorely disappointed."

Her pride, bruised and battered, refused to crumble. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned tendrils of blood, which writhed and twisted in the air like living serpents. "You've seen nothing yet!"

"Crimson Serpent Strike!"

The tendrils shot forward, their fanged tips aimed directly at my chest, each one faster than the last. They slashed through the air, vicious and relentless, each strike filled with lethal intent. But I was faster.

I dodged the first with ease, sidestepping as the second narrowly missed my shoulder. Observation Haki flooded my senses, letting me see her every move before she made it. She might as well have been moving in slow motion. I twisted and spun, my body moving fluidly between the serpentine strikes, each step precise, calculated.

"Pathetic," I muttered under my breath. I was being petty, but I wanted her to feel that same humiliation that I felt back in Marineford. She was no match for me now, despite both of us being at the Emperor level.

In an instant, I vanished, my speed propelled by my Lightning Logia. The ground shattered beneath me as I appeared directly in front of her, Shusui raised high, its blade charged with the full brunt of my lightning.

"Thunder Descent!"

From above, a colossal black dragon formed from pure lightning surged downward, roaring with the might of a storm. Its jaws opened wide, crackling with energy, as it plummeted toward Agana. She barely had time to react, raising her blade in desperation.

The force of the impact was cataclysmic. Her knees buckled beneath her, the ground exploding in a massive crater as she struggled to hold back the sheer weight of my attack. Sparks flew as our blades ground against each other, blood-red and black lightning mixing in the air, tearing the very atmosphere apart.

"**AAAARRRGH!**" Agana screamed, her voice hoarse from the effort. Her Conqueror's Haki flared violently, crimson lightning erupting from her body, pushing back against my own. For a moment, the world seemed to split in two—one side dominated by her blood-soaked aura, the other by my storm of black and golden lightning.

The heavens themselves seemed to mirror our struggle. Above us, the storm clouds split—one half blood-red, raining droplets of crimson, while the other half roared with thunder, bolts of lightning tearing through the darkened skies. A massive crimson serpent and a black lightning dragon formed from the clashing Haki, battling in the sky with the same ferocity we fought on the ground, tearing apart the heavens as they collided.

But despite her efforts, I could see it in her eyes—the strain. She was powerful, her Conqueror's Haki formidable, her Blood Logia near-limitless. But none of it was enough against someone like me, I was lightning incarnate, if she was a force of nature, I was nature itself.

"You're slipping, Agana," I taunted, grinning. "You can't keep up, can you?"

Her eyes burned with fury, her lips curling into a snarl. In a last-ditch effort, she slashed her sword forward.

"Blood Domain—Ascendant Spear!" A massive spear of blood formed in the air, towering above us, its tip glowing with a sinister crimson energy. It crackled with lethal intent as she brought her sword down, directing the colossal spear toward me.

I raised Shusui, channeling every ounce of my power into my blade. My Armament Haki surged to its peak, coating the sword in an impenetrable black sheen.

"Heaven's Judgment—Thunder King!"

The sky answered my call. Lightning erupted from the heavens, spiraling into the form of a massive, black lightning titan. Its colossal fists, crackling with raw destructive power, raised high and then descended upon the blood spear, meeting Agana's attack with an earth-shattering force.

The impact was cataclysmic. The island trembled as if the world itself was splitting apart. The ground cracked open in jagged lines, splitting the battlefield as shockwaves rippled outward, toppling mountains and shattering cliffs.

The seas churned violently, massive waves rising like towers before crashing into one another, drowning what remained of the island's shores.

The Blood Spear shattered beneath the weight of my lightning, exploding into a shower of crimson mist. Agana was thrown back, crashing into the fractured ground. She landed hard, on one knee, bloodied and trembling as she struggled to rise. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her sword quivering in her hands.

But I wasn't finished.

I stepped forward, my Conqueror's Haki flaring even brighter, overwhelming the battlefield with my presence. "Let's see if you can stop this, Agana," I growled, Shusui gleaming with power. I infused the blade with the full brunt of my will, black lightning crackling along its edge.

"Lightning Nova: Annihilation..!!!"

With one swing, the air screamed. The very world seemed to freeze as a massive arc of lightning-infused Haki erupted from my blade, so powerful that reality itself seemed to warp around it.

The attack roared through the battlefield, cleaving everything in its path. The ground split open as the arc carved through it, reducing the landscape to rubble, its force unstoppable, devastating.

Agana's eyes widened in horror. Her own Conqueror's Haki flared one last time as she summoned all her strength.

"Blood Domain—Final Aegis!!!" A colossal shield of blood formed before her, reinforced by every ounce of her remaining willpower and Advanced Armament Haki.

The two forces collided, and for a moment, the entire island held its breath.

Then, with an earth-shattering explosion, the world broke apart.

When the dust settled, Agana stood defiant but battered and bloodied; she had managed to defend the attack but took quite the damage. Her eyes burned with hatred, but her body was meding itself using her logia ability, her strength regaining at a rapid rate.

The battlefield lay in ruins, smoldering debris scattered around the torn landscape, and the remnants of our latest clash lingered in the air. The silence, though brief, carried the weight of our destruction. Agana, breath ragged, rose to her feet slowly, her eyes never leaving me, the weight of defeat hanging over her—but her pride kept her from crumbling completely.

"Not bad… not bad at all," I said, a low chuckle escaping my lips. "You're worthy of someone who's stepped into the Emperor level, I'll give you that. Even Kaido would've had a hard time taking that last strike head-on."

Her narrowed eyes locked onto mine, hatred and determination mixing behind her crimson gaze. She wasn't broken yet. "So, tell me, Agana—how does it feel to be on the receiving end?" I taunted, my voice dripping with mockery.

She wiped the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth and—without missing a beat—licked it, savoring the taste as though it fueled her bloodlust. Her lips twisted into a cruel smile, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. I could see the hunger there—the exhilaration. When was the last time someone had forced her to bleed like this?

Then, as the dust settled momentarily between us, Agana's Observation Haki flared, her senses picking up the chaos elsewhere on the island.

My ship, anchored just offshore, remained untouched, but only three of my crew had descended onto the battlefield while we clashed, and they were wreaking havoc across the island.

She sensed them clearly now—their presence undeniable. The samurai, fierce and unyielding, stood like a sentinel against the waves of enemies.

Vice Admirals and the other marines who still stood, though struggling to withstand the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki, tried to overpower him with sheer numbers. But they were veterans, unwilling to give ground despite the growing fear clawing at their hearts.

Then there was the silver-haired teen, locked in combat with Chinjao, the leader of the Happo Navy. The boy—barely in his mid-teens—moved with precision, his youthful body dancing around the old man's hulking frame. Despite his age, Agana could sense the boy's potential, the power of haki growing within him with each strike and his control of his smoke logis seemed quite exquisite.

But what truly made her blood run cold was the smallest figure on the battlefield. A boy—no more than ten years old clad in a suit. He moved like a specter, a reaper among the chaos.

He showed no mercy, cutting through marines, Happo Navy soldiers, and even the kingdom's forces with brutal efficiency, he had even managed to take down one of the CP0 agents. Each motion was lethal, each strike precise—devoid of hesitation or remorse.

Little Lucci reaped lives like crops at harvest, his tiny figure drenched in blood as he danced through the battlefield. He tore through his enemies with cold, detached precision, eyes like those of a predator, and the bodies left in his wake spoke of a massacre—one Agana could scarcely believe came from such a small child.

For a brief, fleeting moment, Agana considered striking the child down from afar to get back at Rosinante for mocking her, ending the murderous rampage before it grew any worse. But just as she entertained the thought, something overwhelming crashed down upon her, overwhelming even her own Conquerors haki.

A feeling—alien to her, so foreign and paralyzing it nearly brought her to her knees.

Fear.

It wrapped around her like a vise, suffocating her, her breath catching in her throat. This feeling was unlike anything she had felt before—not even her father, the domineering figure who had shadowed her entire life, had instilled such dread.

This was raw, primal terror. And then, in an instant, a black blade streak flashed by her—so fast that she barely registered it. But she knew, with every fiber of her being, that if she had moved against the boy—if she had made even the slightest attempt to harm him—she would've lost her head.

"You better not try something stupid, Lady Agana…" My voice cut through the suffocating silence, cold and laced with menace. I didn't raise it, but it echoed through her mind as if it were a death sentence. "I wouldn't want Shanks to lose her sister now, would I?"

I stepped forward, my eyes locked onto hers, reading her thoughts before she could even act on them. She had made the fatal error of even considering touching Lucci, and now she knew the consequences. I could sense her fear. Akatsuki, the cursed blade, hummed at my side—its hunger growing, sensing her vulnerability.

Her gaze slowly drifted downward, and for the first time, her eyes fell on the sword that had remained sheathed since the beginning of our fight. Akatsuki—the blade that had yet to taste blood this day—radiated a sinister presence, the air around it thick with malice.

Agana's composure faltered for the first time. Her face paled, and her breath hitched. "W-What is that abomination… that you're carrying…?"

Her voice, usually so full of confidence and venom, was now tinged with an unmistakable tremor. She could feel it—the wailing of the souls trapped within the blade. As someone attuned to blood energy, she was more sensitive to it than most. The pressure exuded by Akatsuki was suffocating. The blade wasn't just a weapon—it was a living thing. And it was hungry.

"This?" I unsheathed Akatsuki slowly, and as the blade was revealed, the very atmosphere seemed to warp around it. Dark mist swirled around its crimson edge, and the wails of the damned grew louder, echoing in Agana's ears like a chorus of the tormented. The blade's deep, blood-red color seemed to pulse with life, as if the very steel craved more victims.

"This… is Akatsuki," I said, my voice low and dangerous, "Forged in blood and sacrifice. It was born from the lives of countless souls—each one condemned to fuel its insatiable hunger. And now it sings for more."

Agana could feel the weight of the blade's gaze, as though it were watching her, sizing her up as its next meal. She gulped, her throat dry, her hand trembling on the hilt of her own sword. The pressure was overwhelming. Even standing before it made her legs feel like they were about to buckle.

The voices. The screams. The wails of the dying. They clawed at her mind, gnawing at her resolve, shaking the very core of her being. The blade wasn't just a weapon—it was a harbinger of death, carrying the torment of the souls it had devoured. And it wanted more.

"You see, Agana," I continued, stepping closer, my voice calm and deadly, "I've been holding back. From the start of this fight… I haven't even been using my full power. And now, you stand there, realizing that I've been toying with you."

She gritted her teeth, trying to regain her composure, but the effect of Akatsuki on her blood energy was undeniable. It didn't just intimidate—it corrupted. Her blood energy, which had surged so powerfully moments ago, seemed to recoil in fear, retreating as if to shield her from the blade's voracious hunger.

"For someone who wields blood," I said, the dark mist swirling around Akatsuki growing thicker, "you should know better than to stand before a blade that thirsts for it."

Her eyes, wide and full of caution, flickered between Akatsuki and me. Her pride was battling with the very real fear gripping her heart and very soul. She could feel it—the truth she had been avoiding since the start. She wasn't just fighting me anymore.

She was fighting the abyss itself.

Akatsuki hummed once more, and I grinned, stepping even closer.

"Shall we continue?"

*****

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