The Giant charged toward the sea surface, curling into a ball again, allowing Ye Yu to attack.
Lin Muxue and the others prayed, "Go up! Don't drown!"
The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew and many others around the world prayed for the opposite—hoping the Giant wouldn't make it to the surface. If it failed to breathe this time, it would soon drown.
The Giant was struck to a halt, its body covered in pain, bruises, and swelling. Ignoring Ye Yu, it lost its upward momentum but mustered all its strength to swim upward again in a frantic breaststroke.
Ye Yu swooped above the Giant and descended from the sky once more, using God Fear.
The Giant growled in frustration, its voice heavy, "This move again."
It had to counterattack. With a full-force punch, it clashed with Ye Yu, causing an underwater explosion. The Giant was pushed back a hundred meters, while Ye Yu was slightly repelled. The Giant kicked off and continued its desperate breaststroke.
This time, Ye Yu broke through the sea surface, stepping on Moon Walk to reach the air before diving back down.
The Giant looked at the surface—still three hundred meters away. Too far. A resolute glint flashed in its eyes.
Lin Muxue and the others felt their hearts sink. Was it over?
Meanwhile, those in the safe zone brightened with excitement. There was still hope.
To everyone's surprise, the Giant neither counterattacked nor defended this time. Had it given up?
Ye Yu's brow twitched slightly as he realized its plan.
The Giant's body suddenly expanded, and everyone understood immediately.
Its fists clenched, muscles bulging. At this moment, it couldn't attack or defend. Ye Yu knew drowning the Giant wouldn't be easy, so he seized this chance to strike, dealing as much damage as possible.
In that brief instant, the Giant abruptly returned to its original size. Though it had been three hundred meters from the surface, its sudden expansion restored its four-hundred-meter height, causing its head to breach the sea. It gasped greedily for air, relief washing over it as the suffocating discomfort vanished.
But Ye Yu's God Fear was already descending—no chance to counter.
A deafening boom.
"Ah!"
With a scream, the Giant was smashed back into the depths, its head dented, blood streaming down its face. Its skull rang, pain radiating through its body as its injuries worsened.
Ye Yu dove after it, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches.
The Giant curled up defensively while shrinking again. A four-hundred-meter body was at a greater disadvantage underwater. Reducing to a hundred meters, its defense and strength increased. With a powerful punch, both were forced back.
The Giant's face twisted in pain, expression grim and furious. Reaching the shore now seemed nearly impossible. Its only goal was to survive long enough for its next breath. After gulping air, it estimated it could fight underwater for about five more minutes.
A headache set in. Just one breath had cost so much—its injuries had worsened significantly. On land, it wouldn't have to endure Ye Yu's relentless attacks just to breathe.
Lin Muxue exhaled in relief, silently urging, "Fight on the island already!"
The Giant wanted to, but it knew it wouldn't be easy.
Now that it had breathed, it no longer had to endure passively. Enraged, it charged at Ye Yu, and the two engaged in another brutal underwater brawl—fists meeting flesh.
For a moment, most couldn't even track their movements, only hearing constant explosions as the sea erupted around them.
Two figures flickered rapidly, colliding. Only at the moment of impact could they barely be seen—their speed was too great.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
The sea surface erupted continuously, as if countless giant bombs were exploding beneath the waves.
Five minutes passed, and the Giant managed one labored, swelling breath before enduring another barrage of attacks, worsening its injuries.
The Giant was frustrated—even taking a single breath of oxygen had become an arduous task. That fleeting moment of inhaling felt like pure bliss.
Ye Yu fought with everything he had, leveraging his advantage in the water to press his attack.
The battle raged on. An hour and a half had passed since the Giant first emerged.
By now, the sea had turned crimson. The waters for miles around were stained red with the Giant's blood. Yet, despite being submerged, the Giant hadn't drowned. Each time it neared suffocation, it retaliated, surging upward and expanding its body to gasp for air—but at the cost of enduring relentless assaults.
If not for its far superior level, formidable defenses, and mastery of Armament Haki, it would have been obliterated long ago.
Still, the Giant was severely wounded, its body drenched in blood, riddled with gashes, and growing weaker.
Ye Yu wasn't unscathed either. Though the sea gave him some advantage, it wasn't overwhelming. Bruises covered his arms, fists, and limbs, his muscles aching and numb from the Giant's raw power.
After each breath, the Giant plunged back into the depths, their clashes carving massive craters into the seabed. The sheer force of their battle had already left the ocean floor pockmarked, causing water to rush in and the sea level to drop significantly.
The Giant, standing a hundred meters tall, now had its head just a hundred meters below the surface, making breathing slightly easier. And with every exchange, it inched closer to shore.
The injuries it sustained to reach land were worth it.
Ye Yu knew it too—fighting endlessly in the water wasn't sustainable.
Splash!
The Giant leaped onto the shore, panting, then glared at the sea with a cold sneer.
"Finally… Now, I'll tear you apart."
Its fury erupted—this was its domain. The underwater battle had been suffocating.
The Giant was certain that, had the fight stayed on land, Ye Yu would already be dead, and its own wounds wouldn't be this severe.
Lin Muxue couldn't contain her excitement and cheered, "Yes! It's finally out! Crush Ye Yu!"
But her outburst caught the attention of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
Li Cang's face paled as he urgently raised a finger to his lips. Lin Muxue froze—she'd forgotten she was still aboard their ship.
Xia Ling and the others, already in a foul mood, darkened further at her words and ordered,
"Bring Lin Muxue up here."
Lin Muxue's expression soured, but she had no choice. Shackled and weighed down, she was carried up—trapped inside a water-filled barrel, hoisted by the pirates. Weak and powerless, unable to use her abilities, even an ordinary person with a weapon could harm her now.
Trembling and frail, she asked, "Wh… What do you want with me?"
Xia Ling frowned. "You sounded happy just now. Cheering, were you?"
"N… No."
"Tch. We all heard you."
Lin Muxue dropped her pretense: "So what if I am? Seeing how pale you look gives me great satisfaction. Ye Yu is doomed. The Giants have been frustrated underwater for so long—now that they've come ashore, they'll vent their fury. He won't last an hour and a half. Unless he stays down there like a coward, letting the Giants destroy the city. That way he might survive, but it'd all be for nothing—no rewards for him. What's more, after wrecking the city, the Giants could keep attacking the sea from the shore, creating more trenches and lowering the water level until it's less than a hundred meters deep. Then they could dive in and fight without the earlier limitations. Even underwater, Ye Yu would be finished."
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