Chapter 46.1 : Maelstrom Spider!!

"Awesome! Another fight to look forward to!" 

Facing the aggressive Maelstrom Spider Pirates, Yamato cheered with enthusiasm.

She was eager for a fight.

"Ian, big brother! Let's go!" 

Jack and his companion moved closer. Jack pulled out his specially crafted weapon from behind, which consisted of two blades with straight lower sections and curved, sickle-like upper parts. He was clearly excited to use them.

Black Maria also brandished her weapon, which was even more unusual than Jack's—an iron rod with a wheel-like head at the end, resembling a heavy hammer.

Besides their peculiar appearance, their weapons were far from ordinary.

They were finely crafted weapons personally made by Kozuki Sukiyaki, brought to Onigashima. By the standards of the sea, they were roughly on par with high-quality swords.

"Let's engage them," Ian said calmly.

"Alright!" 

With a cheer, Yamato prepared to charge first. "I'll handle that guy with the big sword—"

But Ian directly grabbed her ponytail and said with a light chuckle, "No, that guy is mine."

"Huh?" 

Yamato turned around, clearly unhappy. "Why?"

"To test myself." 

Ian adjusted the toad mirror on his forehead and took a step forward. "The rest, you can distribute as you like."

Aside from battles with Kaido, Ian hadn't fought seriously for years and lacked a proper understanding of his real abilities.

The Maelstrom Spider Pirates were a good opportunity for that.

The captains under the Whitebeard Pirates generally had strength comparable to that of Marine Vice Admirals—though the disparity in strength among Marine Vice Admirals was quite vast.

Regardless, they should be more than sufficient as targets.

"Then I'll go!" 

Before Yamato could react, Jack transformed into his Human-Beast Form and charged forward.

Jack's Human-Beast Form, like Maria's, was a combination of a human upper body and an animal lower body. At this moment, Jack resembled a centaur, charging forward with all four legs pounding the ground.

"Shave (Soru)!" 

His massive size, enhanced by Shave, made him incredibly fast. He darted into the pirate ranks with two long sword flashes, and a single dash caused several pirates to lose their heads and limbs.

The surrounding pirates could only raise their weapons. Before they even swung at Jack, a white spider web swept in, completely covering them.

The sticky web bound the pirates tightly.

"Well done, Maria!"

Jack laughed heartily, his twin swords slicing through the air. "Mountain Storm!!"

Two blue slashes whistled through the air, sending a multitude of pirates flying with a single blow.

While Jack couldn't sense the breath of all things, mastering the Rokushiki (Six Powers) allowed him to unleash the Tempest Kick technique through his sword.

"I'm so pleased to be praised." 

Black Maria, not one to merely watch, was also using Shave (Soru), but her speed far surpassed Jack's.

After all, with eight spider legs all using Shave simultaneously, she moved with an almost phantasmal speed. Her enormous, uniquely shaped weapon swung through the air, leaving a trail of flames—a special request she made to Kozuki Sukiyaki for weapons capable of producing fire.

"Flame Wheel Descent!"

Despite her normally gentle demeanor, Black Maria swung her heavy hammer with a ferocious rage. The pirates ensnared in her webs could not evade the assault, their terrified expressions visible before being sent flying by her powerful blows.

"Spider Finger Pistol!"

While swinging her hammer, the eight spider legs attacked in unison, maintaining her stance while piercing through the surrounding pirates' bodies like spears.

In an instant, the Big Whirlpool Spider Pirate Crew suffered severe losses.

"Dammit! Don't get too cocky!"

The pirates in the rear raised their guns, and the next moment, gunfire erupted all around.

However,

"Iron Body!"

Jack and Black Maria spoke in unison.

Their bodies, now as hard as steel, effortlessly blocked all the bullets.

But stronger opponents were on the way.

"Die, you little brats!"

A man dressed like a knight leaped into the fray, his long lance aimed directly at Jack. The tip of his lance was smeared with a deep black color—Armament Haki hardening!

"You two are just as sneaky as Ian!"

Accompanied by a displeased female voice, a white figure descended from the sky. "Don't steal my fight! Phantom Blade!"

"What?"

The man turned in disbelief, only to find the girl wielding a spiked club had transformed into a white werewolf and had already appeared beside him in an instant! 

How could she move so fast? He couldn't react in time.hardened

A steel club wrapped in white mist and Armament Haki came crashing down on him.

"Brat! Stop underestimating people!"

The lance suddenly swung around, aiming to sweep at Yamato.

Just a mere level of Armament Haki!

What I have is mastered Imbuement—

Crack!

A long spear, covered in Haki, shattered instantly as an iron club ruthlessly smashed into the man's forehead, embedding deeply into his skull and freezing his head solid.

The man's head was almost driven into his chest, producing a crunching sound that made one's teeth ache. His body crashed down, creating a large crater in the ground.

Although Armament Haki made him stronger, the difference in power was too great.

Haki alone didn't mean everything.

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