Chapter 88

On the second day, the crowd watching the match had grown even larger than the previous day, with reporters also joining the audience. Many were eager to see how much the three natural ability users, who had attracted significant attention after joining the Navy, had developed over their three years of training.

The "final" battle between the two supernovas, Lucia and Kuma, was the main attraction. A cold and beautiful woman facing off against a burly man nearly seven meters tall, their mere presence created a striking visual impact.

Kuma was not much of a talker, and Lucia rarely spoke to anyone except Carl. When they stepped onto the field, the atmosphere was tense and silent. Even after the referee announced the start, neither moved, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.

Eventually, it was Carl from the podium who broke the silence.

"Lucia, you go first."

With those words, Lucia unsheathed her sword and slashed, sending a wave of sword energy toward Kuma before charging at him like a streak of black light. Kuma, who had been standing still like a statue, finally moved. He raised his hand and deflected the sword energy with a casual swipe. As the energy dissipated, Lucia closed the gap and swung her sword in a fierce slash.

Kuma calmly extended his palm and blocked the sword with his paw. Lucia's blade was stuck against the pad, and she narrowed her eyes. The Paw-Paw Fruit's power was indeed troublesome, rendering her famous sword ineffective against his paws.

To defeat Kuma, she realized, she would need to avoid those paws and target other vulnerable parts of his body. Kuma retaliated, raising his other hand to slap her. Watching from the sidelines, Dalmatian felt a chill run down his spine, recalling how he had nearly been beaten to death by the same move.

But Lucia was on a different level. She tapped the ground lightly with her toes and vanished from sight. Reappearing in her human-beast form, she spread her wings and took to the sky, glaring down at Kuma with a purple flame burning in her eyes.

"Eyes of Depravity."

Kuma glanced up, momentarily distracted, but quickly returned to his usual self. Lucia's face showed surprise, she had stirred Kuma's inner desires, but he remained largely unaffected.

"Did he use his Haki to cancel my fruit ability? Is his Haki really that strong?" she wondered.

From the platform, Carl observed with a smirk.

"Kuma... his desires are really low."

Carl knew that Kuma's Haki was formidable, but it was his inherently low desires that made him resistant to Lucia's ability. In his mind, Kuma recalled the serene life he imagined living with Carl and Ginny in the church of the Sorbet Kingdom—a peaceful dream he longed for.

Lucia, unaware of Kuma's inner thoughts, believed his Haki was to blame. The intense flames around her were not just visually striking, they burned with a temperature that was especially dangerous to those with strong desires.

Lucia's transformation into her fallen angel form intensified, her long purple hair fluttered wildly, and she raised her pendant high above her head.

"Judgment Day!"

A column of purple fire crashed down, engulfing Kuma in a sea of flames. The Marines watching the scene couldn't help but marvel at Lucia's strength. Even Tsuru, the strongest female Navy officer, sighed, knowing the hardships of achieving such power as a woman.

Gion, silently observing, admitted that Lucia's strength far surpassed her own.

"If I had eaten a Devil Fruit, would I be able to close the gap?" she thought to herself.

Ginny, watching anxiously, asked, "Lucia is strong, but is Kuma okay?"

Lucia stayed airborne, eyes locked on the battlefield below. Suddenly, a massive transparent paw appeared amidst the flames and exploded, clearing the fire and revealing Kuma's figure.

Kuma crouched with one hand on the ground, a paw print beneath him. His clothes were singed, and his skin charred, but the burns were nothing compared to his durability. He could eject the pain and transfer it to Lucia, but he would never harm his own comrades.

Kuma rubbed his palms together, condensing the surrounding air into a massive bear paw bubble. He compressed it into a miniature version between his hands. His classmates instinctively stepped back, knowing the power of this move.

Lucia's eyes narrowed, remembering when Kuma had used this attack against the Whitebeard Pirates. She positioned her sword, and with purple flames surging around her, she descended like a meteor.

"Fallen Hammer!"

Kuma unleashed his mini bubble towards Lucia.

"Bear Paw Impact."

The collision created a powerful shockwave. Black feathers rained down as Lucia landed, clutching her bleeding arm.

"I lost," she stated calmly, turning away from the field. Kuma noticed a sword mark on his body, stretching from his shoulder to his waist, evidence of Lucia's attack.

Both were injured, but neither had gone all out. Lucia conceded, knowing that Kuma's physical resilience and ability to expel fatigue and pain would ultimately give him the advantage.

From the high platform, Carl's seat was now empty. Lucia, walking with her head down, suddenly faced a dark vortex in her path.

"Cousin..." she murmured, startled by the unexpected sight.

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+70 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg

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