Boom—
The golden sword light that shot into the sky for dozens of meters was eventually intercepted, followed by an unprecedented massive explosion.
A terrifying shockwave swept through everything, wreaking havoc upon the entire city, causing it to tremble and groan!
The buildings and the ground at the pier were ravaged by the scattered light and ice, then blown apart, even disintegrating in mid-air. Unfortunate pirates were either dancing wildly or had turned into lifeless bodies.
Even the merchant ships outside the harbor were pushed into a slant by the shockwave. As for the pirate dinghies, they vanished instantly like floating duckweed within this "artificial tidal wave."
At the epicenter of the explosion, a massive fissure extended forward but ultimately stopped in front of a dense forest of ice spikes.
Within the ice spikes stood a woman dressed in a white blouse, red belt, and black trousers. Her clean-cut appearance exuded an indomitable, icy toughness, and her bare skin shimmered with a silvery-white light, revealing an invincible, unyielding texture.
It wasn't Busoshoku Haki; it was her Devil Fruit ability!
Upon closer inspection, one could discern the densely packed, pristine white scales beneath her skin, protecting Barlf Talni from harm.
However, Barlf Talni, the assassin, had an extremely grave expression. On her fist, a more and more prominent bloodstain was beginning to emerge, although it was immediately frozen by the ice to stop the bleeding. But—
"Since I consumed a Devil Fruit, this is the first time I've been injured."
Although this sword strike had wounded Barlf Talni, her retaliatory punch was equally painful. In front of her was a massive depression in the earth, where Rosinante had inserted his longsword to shield himself.
"Fascinating man, I'm starting to like you more and more."
Drawing his golden longsword from the ground, Rosinante retraced his steps, leaving charred footprints with each stride.
His cape behind him was ablaze with fierce flames, but thanks to Vergo's Devil Fruit ability, it didn't harm Rosinante, the wearer.
With every step forward, Rosinante breathed rhythmically, employing a technique he had learned from Zhuge Yuan to manipulate his blood flow and counteract the invading cold. Each exhaled breath steamed hot, displaying an unusual strength!
Barlf Talni, shaking her neck a little, revealed a wild smile. In her life, she simply took what she wanted through theft, robbery, and pillaging—
"I've made up my mind. Join my crew as my second mate!"
"And if you perform well, I might let you into my bed too!"
?!
You're still acting like a cougar; are all men to be captured by force?
While Rosinante inwardly rolled his eyes at this comment, the onlookers had various changes in their expressions. Among the 'Fairy Tale Land' team, there was fear that this 'hero' who could withstand the attacks might suddenly switch sides to the pirates. On the pirate side, they naturally cast sidelong glances at Rosinante's 'luck.'
Being on Barlf Talni's bed was akin to having the North Sea's mightiest pirate crew under her control!
Dominating the North Sea and even becoming its ruler would be a breeze... Damn, why isn't that me?
Is being a pretty boy really this popular? Envy, jealousy, and hatred!
"Let's talk about that after I defeat you,"
Rosinante retorted dryly as he held his golden longsword horizontally across his chest. Meanwhile, Barlf Talni, who was already in the groove, clenched her fists, creating a resounding clang, and grinned boldly.
"But don't let it end too soon, man!"
Swish,
Facing Barlf Talni, who was once again charging with an icy storm swirling around her, Rosinante's thoughts silently raced:
The battle must be concluded quickly!
Given the current situation, Rosinante had to employ hit-and-run tactics to find an opening in his opponent's defenses and strike a decisive blow.
After all, he had mastered Kenbunshoku Haki, while the opponent's Kenbunshoku Haki was nullified by the Silence Fruit. In this situation, exploiting his own strengths against the opponent's weaknesses was the best choice.
However, Doflamingo's side probably couldn't sustain this for much longer, so he had to go all out.
Clang!
The battle resumed, with fists and the golden sword clashing fiercely! Rosinante was sent flying backward, but his cape spread open like wings, stabilizing his form.
When it came to personal strength, the gap between Rosinante and Barlf Talni could only be described as enormous!
If it weren't for the fact that both the "Inspiration Fruit" and the "Art Fruit" were strengthening-type Devil Fruits, Rosinante would have no chance against Barlf Talni. Even with the three Devil Fruit abilities combined, Rosinante was still inferior—
"White Dragon's Claw!"
In close combat, a punch knocked Rosinante off balance, and at the same time, Barlf Talni's muscular thigh surged upward, launching a surprise attack from below.
Screech!
This sudden kick was astonishing, proven by the golden longsword that flew into the sky in a spinning motion.
"It's over, man—"
A kick sent Rosinante's weapon flying, and Barlf Talni revealed a triumphant smile.
Yes, it was over.
However, Rosinante didn't panic despite losing his weapon.
Rather, this was all part of his "plan"—
Swish,
As the "Golden Mountain Sword" left his hand, Rosinante's palm swung toward the opponent!
?
Faced with Rosinante's attack, Barlf Talni instinctively struck back with a punch. Even though the man in front of her held a small box, Barlf Talni had absolute confidence in her Devil Fruit ability.
Even if the box contained a bomb, it wouldn't harm her in the slightest.
Boom!
With a loud bang, the fist and palm clashed fiercely. At the same time, a resounding "clink" echoed as the box in Rosinante's hand shattered into pieces. Barlf Talni's expression instantly turned grim!
Smack,
With her fingers closing, she clamped onto Rosinante's fist.
Meanwhile, Rosinante's other hand clenched into a fist and struck toward her.
Smack,
Barlf Talni instinctively grabbed Rosinante's fist. With her strength, a simple squeeze would turn Rosinante's already injured hand into a pulpy mess. However, in reality, the two stood locked in a deadlock, like a wrestling match.
This was because, within Rosinante's palm, was a Sea-Prism Stone bullet!
Unlike Rosinante, who had been training with these bullets mixed into Sea-Prism Stone powder, Barlf Talni, who had showcased invincibility upon her entrance, turned black with dread upon encountering the Sea-Prism Stone bullet.
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This eerie sense of weakness was akin to falling into the sea.
Sea-Prism Stone?
However...
"Quite interesting, man."
"But I've also restrained you, so it's a temporary stalemate—"
"Read more books,"
With blood at the corner of his mouth from the earlier punch, Rosinante replied calmly. In the opponent's baffled expression, he invoked the incantation of the "Golden Mountain King":
"Behead her!"
To tell the whole story, this series of exchanges took place in just a few seconds.
As the incantation was recited, the golden sword, which had been kicked into the sky moments ago, quivered suddenly. Like a fish swimming in water or a bird flying through the sky, it gracefully drew a beautiful arc and swung fiercely from an oblique angle toward Barlf Talni's neck!
?!
Because it relied entirely on the weapon's "fairy tale characteristics," this strike wasn't particularly strong.
However, after her Devil Fruit ability was suppressed by the Sea-Prism Stone bullet, Barlf Talni had not only lost her resilient "Dragon Scales" but also a significant portion of her strength.
Coupled with her Kenbunshoku Haki being nullified, Rosinante was waiting for this exact moment!
Splat,
With a light sound, the golden sword struck Barlf Talni's neck from behind. The blade cut through her fair skin, penetrating flesh, causing the golden knot of hair on the black-haired female pirate's head to suddenly turn into a vertical line.
Success—?!
Roar!
!
A more ferocious, violent, and terrifying ice storm erupted than ever before, accompanied by a howl that could stop one's heart instantly. It exploded suddenly.
As the roaring spread, the surrounding pirates fell to the ground like mowed wheat. Their eyes rolled back, clearly knocked unconscious!
Even on the sea beyond the city, countless fish flipped onto their backs.
A figure suddenly shot out from within the rising snowstorm, flames on his cape nearly extinguished. Following closely behind was a massive open mouth filled with sharp teeth, lunging menacingly! Rosinante narrowly escaped by a hair's breadth.
Another colossal claw emerged from the ice storm, stomping heavily on the battlefield, causing the entire city to tremble!
Swish,
With a mighty flap of two enormous wings, the obstructing snow and ice were swept away.
A massive creature appeared on the battlefield at the port, covered in glistening and sturdy diamond-like white scales that adorned its gigantic body, over twenty meters in length.
On its back were two massive flesh wings, menacing in appearance. Its crocodilian head bore a pair of golden-yellow eyes that exuded an air of dominance over all living things.
Two upward-curving horns pierced the sky, brimming with an unchallenged dominance!
A dragon,
A classic Western fantasy white dragon!
As it appeared, the moisture in the surrounding air swiftly condensed into countless snowflakes, which then intertwined, growing larger and colder. These frigid currents, carrying these snowflakes, began to rage in all directions.
In an instant, the entire city seemed to leap half a year ahead, plunging into an early winter.
"Man, what's your name?"
As the massive dragon head turned, its gaze fell upon Rosinante, who had backed away. On her neck, a ghastly wound several meters long was a vivid testament to Barlf Talni's near-beheading experience.
"Don Quixote Rosinante!"
Although empty-handed, Rosinante showed no signs of fear.
Devil Fruit users with animal-based abilities generally possessed three forms: human, animal, and hybrid.
In her human form, Barlf Talni possessed Kenbunshoku Haki, and her hand-to-hand combat skills were on par with Jora's;
In her hybrid form, Barlf Talni was endowed with impenetrable dragon scales, formidable physical abilities, and the power to control ice. If not for Rosinante's nullification of Kenbunshoku Haki, she wouldn't have fallen into Rosinante's trap.
And in her animal form... Apart from the immense strength granted by her massive size, the ghastly wound on the dragon's neck was visibly wriggling and healing at a noticeable pace.
Animal-type Devil Fruit users gained formidable regenerative abilities in their animal forms, a fact Rosinante knew all too well!
However, in battles among skilled individuals, the animal form was often the weakest, more suited for "clearing the riff-raff" and "recovering from injuries."
"Don Quixote Rosinante?"
The white dragon lowered its massive head slightly,
"You're quite impressive. Come aboard my ship!"
"Become my 'First Mate,' submit to me—"
···
"Sorry, I prefer to be 'on top.'"
?
As Rosinante shook his head in refusal, a loud but somewhat resigned voice sounded.
"Does that mean I'd become the Second Mate?"
In times like these, the only one daring enough to step onto this battlefield was the burly bald elder: Arnok.
"Captain, it's time to go."
————
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