Chapter 74: Demon Aura

Swipe,

After invoking the power of the third generation Sanji Yakumo, the cold black-suited operative swung his sword with great force. The blade's brilliance that could cut gold and break iron grew longer, even forming a visible black aura entwined around the blade.

The blade's light swept across, continuous and unending!

Whether it was walls or floors, rocks or metal, everything was neatly cleaved in half, invoking awe like that of a 'sword master,' intimidating anyone who saw it.

However, Rosinante remained completely calm.

"It's just power," he remarked.

Swordsmanship wasn't just about immense attack power. It involved delicate control, acute perception to discern the minutest details, unwavering swordsmanship spirit, and an exceedingly robust physique.

None of these were possessed by the current black-suited operative before him.

He was like a child wielding a sharp sword; dangerous but not lethal!

Utilizing his Kenbunshoku Haki, Rosinante dodged and weaved through the blade's radiance. The flying blade energy shredded Rosinante's clothing, and even blood seeped through his white attire, making it look extremely perilous. Yet, in reality, they were just superficial wounds.

Over time, the cold black-suited operative who was pressing Rosinante started to pale further, standing in stark contrast to the increasingly dense black aura around him.

"The Demon Blade's aura is difficult to control, isn't it?"

Amidst the evasion, Rosinante calmly spoke up.

The third generation Sanji Yakumo possessed a power called 'demon aura,' which lay somewhere between 'Armament Haki' and 'Conqueror's Haki.' It was also the reason Rosinante intended to claim this weapon.

Thanks to the 'Silent Fruit,' Rosinante had already mastered and applied his Kenbunshoku Haki in combat.

However, Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki… he had no idea about them.

Perhaps he could gain some insight from the third generation Sanji Yakumo.

Swipe,

While thinking this, Rosinante practically crawled on the ground, swiftly moving horizontally, evading the blade energy shooting down from above to behind him.

Crack,

With a crisp sound, the entire room trembled! Walls were torn apart, and a resigned voice echoed out of thin air.

"It's so exaggerated,"

"My Devil Fruit ability was actually broken through..."

This voice clearly belonged to 'magician' Philde, who Rosinante didn't know where was hiding.

"Interesting,"

Being able to affect Devil Fruit abilities did seem to involve some elements of Haki.

"Leave your weapon behind, and I'll spare you."

Rosinante stepped forward, speaking in a villainous manner, leaving the antagonist speechless.

After just a bit of struggle, Rosinante remained unharmed, while the CP3 operative opposite him already had a pale complexion, gasping for breath, looking as if he had been emptied out due to excessive use of his ability.

In reality, his violent method of invoking the demon aura was akin to burning through his life force in battle.

"Want the third generation Sanji Yakumo?"

Facing Rosinante's unrivaled evasion, which made him impossible to hit, the cold black-suited operative curled his lips into an extremely stiff smile.

"Alright then, come take it yourself."

He raised the samurai sword in his hand and pointed it towards Rosinante. The cold black-suited operative remained motionless, as though waiting for Rosinante to come and take the sword.

"Sure thing,"

With his Kenbunshoku Haki, Rosinante directly strode forward with bold steps, then extended his hand to grasp the blade.

Snap,

The moment Rosinante's fingers touched the blade of the third generation Sanji Yakumo, a sharp, slicing pain suddenly surged. It wasn't an illusion—bloody flowers unexpectedly burst forth from the creases of Rosinante's index and middle fingernails.

"Ha, now you know what a Demon Blade is, right?"

Just as Rosinante inexplicably got hurt, the prepared CP3 high-ranking operative's expression turned fierce. The third generation Sanji Yakumo in his hand abruptly spun, taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, sweeping horizontally towards Rosinante!

Tear,

The air was torn asunder by the Demon Blade, and a massive blade light shot forth, instantly filling the entire hall. In an instant, it seemed like the next moment would see Rosinante torn in half by the retreating blade light.

The cold-suited operative had no doubt about the power of this strike. Even a tall building would be cleanly sliced in two under this blow. He could even clearly see the astonished expression on the young man's face opposite—

Snap,

At this very moment, the motion of the cold black-suited operative swinging his sword suddenly skewed.

With just this tiny mistake, his once perfect strike turned into a joke!

Slash—

The blade light sliced through the entire hall, neatly splitting the surrounding structures in half! Through the walls that were lifted into the air, it was even possible to catch a glimpse of the scenes in other 'rooms.'

"Ah~~"

A short, pained cry rang out, and the 'magician' Philde, who had transferred himself somewhere else, got hurt.

From an external perspective, a smooth gash several meters long suddenly appeared on the gigantic 'magic cube' that had once been the mayor's house. This caused the slowly turning cube to abruptly pause.

It could be said that this strike had already gained the effect of negating Devil Fruit abilities!

However, this strike ultimately did not achieve its goal. Bending backward suddenly, Rosinante, whose body was almost level with the ground, managed to dodge the attack. The terrifying flying slash flew past his nose but failed to harm him.

"Vufufu, it looks like I arrived at just the right time."

If it hadn't been for the interruption at the critical moment, this strike would likely have left Rosinante severely injured on the spot.

Amidst the collapsing hall, Jora appeared out of thin air, letting go of the Doflamingo puppet he was holding. His other hand's five fingers were manipulating something.

It was he who used 'Puppet Threads' to interfere with the cold black-suited operative's actions, causing his perfect attack to miss.

"Thanks, Doflamingo."

Getting back on his feet, Rosinante was taken completely by surprise with that last strike!

In his 'memory,' the third generation Sanji Yakumo was destined to lie in the weapons shop in Loguetown, sold as a dull blade for fifty thousand Beli.

Zoro, by virtue of his extraordinary bravery, had easily tamed this Demon Blade.

This caused Rosinante to subconsciously 'underestimate' the third generation Sanji Yakumo.

So, he had suffered a big setback and nearly overturned!

"What an explosive temper,"

There was blood on his right hand's fingers, causing Rosinante to finally take the situation seriously. Not because of the CP3 high-ranking operative before him, but because of the sword he was wielding.

"Alright then,"

Rosinante, who had almost been severely injured, had his pride aroused. Facing the missed strike of the cold black-suited operative, he assumed a stance of unarmed capture.

"Come at me again!"

?

"Strike me again with your sword. This time, I won't dodge or evade."

?!

Not to mention the CP3 high-ranking operative with the third generation Sanji Yakumo in hand, even Jora, who had just arrived, was surprised, almost thinking he had misheard.

"Rosinante Sanji—"

Swipe,

Just as Jora was about to step forward, a hand beside him blocked her. It was Doflamingo who halted her.

"Don't intervene, Rosinante has his own plans."

???

"Phew~"

Taking a deep breath, though he didn't know what the half-grown youth before him was up to, for the cold black-suited operative, this was the final opportunity!

Take down this tough adversary, then deal with the other members of the Donquixote Family.

Determined, his gaze revealed a fierce intent as the operative faced Rosinante, taking a step forward. The man and the sword moved as one, both hands lifting the sword above his head, then sweeping diagonally downward.

"Kesa Giri!"

This strike suddenly poured out all of his strength, spirit, and killing intent!

Black aura pervaded like smoke, and the blade light was chilling to the core.

Faced with this intensely fierce strike, Rosinante actually didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he stretched out both hands, abruptly closing the third generation Sanji Yakumo that was descending from both sides.

"Barehanded Blade Block!"

Snap!

The blade fell like lightning, its smooth surface making it difficult to resist. Moreover, since failure meant death, only experts dared to use this move.

The reason Rosinante used this move was not only because his Observation Haki captured the trajectory of the opponent's sword swing, but also because of his mistake just now!

He had actually been rejected and injured by a sword, nearly ending up in disaster...

"Stop!"

Clasping the blade firmly with both palms, extreme motion turned into extreme stillness.

Rosinante halted the third generation Sanji Yakumo's blade right before himself. However, an expression of wild delight appeared on the face of the cold black-suited operative, who was just a step away.

He had won!

Although Rosinante had clasped the blade of the third generation Sanji Yakumo with both palms, a surge of black aura suddenly descended, as if another gigantic blade was about to cleave Rosinante in two.

The black aura descended, leaving a deep bloodstain on Rosinante's face. It slashed across his visage, then extended to his neck, and immediately to his chest... It seemed like in the next second, Rosinante would be split in half!

This, they called it 'Demon Aura'—

The situation was dire, yet Rosinante's mind was surprisingly serene.

His Observation Haki acted on himself, allowing him to keenly feel the cold-blooded, annihilating intent of the wound, along with the extreme pain caused by the intent of destruction, splitting his body in two.

This agonizing pain, so extreme and so real!

To the point where numerous tiny nerves on Rosinante's face couldn't withstand this stimulation and snapped. Due to this, many capillaries ruptured as well, oozing through his sweat pores.

This wasn't a physical attack; it was a force composed of will and killing intent.

As long as Rosinante believed he had been slashed, his body would split in two in the next second!

After experiencing it firsthand, Rosinante understood deep inside.

In the future timeline, Zoro had used 'Daishinkan' to cleave Monet, a user of the Snow-Snow Fruit, into two halves. This had rendered her Nature-based regeneration useless. And this power was what he used!

"So-called Demon Aura is, at its essence, the power of the mind."

With both palms clamping down on the third generation Sanji Yakumo, Rosinante's eyes turned serious. Since his arrival in this world, he hadn't let his guard down; he worked hard and tirelessly because he understood the essence of this world. It was because of this knowledge that he pursued strength so ardently.

In the world of One Piece, freedom and dreams belonged to the strong!

And the weak, they couldn't control their own lives and deaths.

"It's just a blade—"

A forceful intent surged out of Rosinante's mind, carrying the determination of 'My fate is in my hands, I will never bow down.' It was mixed with a domineering and unstoppable killing intent, instantly bursting forth!

This killing intent was both cold and passionate, both arrogant and cautious. It forcefully repelled the black aura on the third generation Sanji Yakumo's blade, at the same time turning the wild delight on the cold black-suited operative's face into shock.

The next second, the horrifying killing intent felt like an intangible hand, clutching the heart of this high-ranking operative.

Blood couldn't circulate, all organs began to falter. As the high-ranking operative gradually fell backward, reversing the blade, clutching the hilt, his face with a bleeding cut, stood Rosinante with his blond hair fluttering.

"A fine weapon, it's mine now!"

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(End of this chapter)