Chapter 37: King Kong vs Quetzalcoatl

"Clang… Clang…"

Sparks flew in the blink of an eye.

The deafening clash of metal echoed through the air.

Two figures, each radiating immense power, were locked in combat high in the sky.

Taking advantage of aerial combat, El swung his sword, engulfed in lightning and fire.

The force of his strike split the air, mercilessly slashing toward the admiral candidate.

"Mighty Nation!"

A piercing sound filled the air.

A fierce cylindrical shockwave of sword energy hurtled forward like lightning.

Unstoppable.

"It's just a giant battle technique—don't get cocky, brat," Steelbone Kong growled, his aura menacing.

He punched forward without hesitation, brimming with overwhelming force. Advanced Armament Haki flowed over his fist. With a powerful blow, he fiercely countered: "You're still far from being a match!"

"King Kong Chariot!"

The terrifying power of his punch shook the atmosphere.

It collided intensely with the incoming sword shockwave, both infused with strong Armament Haki.

"Boom... Boom..."

Thunderous explosions rocked the sky, with blinding flashes of white light.

The clash of titans unfolded.

But in the next instant, El's seemingly unstoppable "Mighty Nation" technique was directly suppressed and shattered.

An unimaginable shockwave swept through, engulfing El completely.

"Boom… Boom…"

The force sent him flying.

Yet the devastating power, enough to heavily injure or even kill a giant, posed no real threat to him.

"Ahh..."

Flames raged behind his head. In an instant, his four wings flapped, and he appeared completely unscathed, charging once again.

"This guy… is that the Lunarian tribe's racial ability?" Steelbone Kong's pupils shrank as he noticed the blazing flames at the back of El's head.

As a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters and a top candidate for admiral, he was well aware of the Lunarian tribe's ability to ignore damage and survive in any harsh environment.

"However, even if you can ignore damage, so what?"

With access to the Navy's shared intelligence, Steelbone Kong was also well-informed about the Lunarian tribe's weakness.

Once the flame at the back of their head is extinguished, it signifies that El, the fallen angel, enters "attack mode." During this period, the opponent's attack power increases greatly, but their defense weakens. Conversely, as long as the flame continues to burn, they remain in a state of "defense," able to ignore any damage.

He couldn't believe that El could restrain himself and never go all-out in an attack. If he could bide his time, he might find an opportunity to land a critical blow on this Lunarian brat.

"Shave… Moonwalk!"

Without hesitation, Steelbone Kong propelled himself forward. Covered in dense fur with a robust physique, he moved with lightning speed, ready to launch an attack on El.

"Tempest Dance!"

However, El sneered, fully anticipating his plan.

"Ahaha…"

"Whoosh... Whoosh..."

With a flap of his four wings, a fierce whirlwind surged. Countless razor-sharp wind blades tore through the air, dense and unrelenting, raining down in a storm.

"King Kong—"

Steelbone Kong's body crackled with lightning. His massive elbow gathered power, wrapped in Haki, and struck forward ferociously: "Impact!"

"Boom! Boom!"

A powerful blow.

An astonishing shockwave was released, shattering the approaching wind blades one after another. The display was awe-inspiring.

"Life Return: Paper Drawing Combat Form!"

Steelbone Kong's gaze was icy. Clenching his fists, his muscles tensed as he let out a low growl. In an instant, his exaggerated body and bulging muscles shrank. His five-meter-tall hybrid form compressed to just over four meters. Though still heavily muscled, his physique became more streamlined than before.

"Hmm? Life Return?" El's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected Steelbone Kong to have mastered Life Return. But given the latter's proficiency in the Six Powers, it wasn't too surprising.

"Sacrificing strength for speed?"

El charged down, wielding his massive sword, crackling with electricity. The blade was ablaze, radiating intense heat. He slashed down fiercely.

"Unfortunately, it's still not fast enough!"

El had to admit, Steelbone Kong's use of Life Return: Paper Drawing Combat Form was impressive. Especially for someone like Steelbone Kong, who already possessed admiral-level strength, sacrificing some of his Devil Fruit-enhanced power to increase speed was strategic.

However, El, as a Lunarian, had spent years training and refining his already swift flying ability. With the added boost from his Mythical Zoan-type Feathered Serpent God form, his speed reached extreme levels.

No amount of Life Return would allow Steelbone Kong to catch up that easily.

"Shave!"

With a swift step into the air, Steelbone Kong, now in his streamlined form, moved with lightning speed—more than twice as fast as before. Like a phantom, he dodged El's strike. In an instant, he was behind El, his right fist crackling with lightning and wrapped in Haki. He punched forward with full force.

"Bang!"

El, prepared for this, immediately turned around. His eyes turned cold as he abandoned his defense. He took the fierce punch directly to the abdomen. His entire body was sent flying like a cannonball.

"Clang!"

But at the same time, the massive sword, enveloped in Armament Haki, lightning, and fire, distorting the air with its heat, fiercely slashed across Steelbone Kong's body. It only sparked a few embers.

"Your strength is impressive, but your Haki is weak—pathetically so!" Steelbone Kong's figure swayed. The powerful blow made him retreat a few steps. He glanced at his scorched, singed chest fur, but aside from that, he was unharmed.

Without pause, his form charged forward through the air, relentless in his pursuit.

"Ahahaha…"

A pair of black and blue wings flapped, generating immense wind pressure, dissipating the remaining force of the attack.

"Heh, your Haki is strong, but your strength is lacking…"

El steadied himself, the flames behind his head roaring. Aside from looking a bit disheveled, he seemed completely unscathed, mocking as he retaliated: "You're hardly worth mentioning!"

"Swish!"

Before he even finished speaking, El swung his sword diagonally. With powerful Observation Haki, he locked onto the charging Steelbone Kong, slashing out without hesitation.

"Mighty Nation!"

"King Kong Chariot!"

"Boom… Boom…"

~~~

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