Hum!
The blade, whipping up a fierce gale, slashed towards William's face. But just before it struck—barely inches away—a massive flower bud materialized out of nowhere, blocking the attack with thick, overlapping petals.
"How surprising, kid…"
William's voice drifted through the gap in the petals as he peered out, his blue eyes narrowing. His tone was amused, but his expression was dark.
"I never expected you'd be so bold, actually daring to attack me."
"You think highly of yourself, Prince William."
Nao stared into William's blue eyes, pouring all his strength into his arm, his tone and gaze filled with sarcasm. "If I were timid, I wouldn't have become a Marine."
Screech!
The resilient, gigantic petals began to give way, tearing layer by layer from the outermost edge. William's expression shifted, the smile on his face finally fading completely, replaced by a cold glint in his eyes.
"Originally, I wouldn't even need to deal with you. Just one phone call, and your Marine higher-ups, even World Government officials, would ensure an ignorant brat like you gets what's coming to him."
"But now, I've changed my mind. I'll personally snap your neck later, then use a small knife made of petals to torture you to death, bit by bit…"
He glanced at Kale and Bub behind him, their faces filled with fury, ready to charge forward. He let out a chilling snort: "Stay out of this, I'm going to make this brat understand just how vast the power gap between people truly is, and how utterly foolish it is to dare challenge my authority!"
"You talk too much."
Nao unleashed a surge of power, completely shattering the petals blocking his way, and laughed loudly. "Authority? Gap? You really think you're something special, William?!"
Boom!
A deafening shockwave shook the valley as the two figures clashed and exploded upward through the rock wall—racing skyward.
The battlefield, in an instant, shifted from the rock cave all the way up to the top of the cliff.
"Youngsters are just so hot-headed…"
Kizaru stood at the cave entrance, looking up at the two intensely clashing figures, speaking languidly. "Even I didn't react in time; he just drew his sword and attacked directly. How terrifying…"
"Vice Admiral, aren't you going to stop that kid?" Rear Admiral Gumiiru, beside him, asked anxiously. "Putting aside whether he can win or not, if he attacks William, he'll definitely face serious consequences later…"
"Stop him?"
Kizaru glanced at him. "Where is Nao from?"
"Head… Headquarters, sir."
"What's my rank?"
"Commander of G-2 Branch…"
"Is Headquarters bigger, or is a Branch bigger?"
"Headquarters, of course… No, Vice Admiral, what are you talking about at a time like this?!"
"That's strange then."
Kizaru's eyes widened in feigned surprise. "Since you also know Headquarters is bigger than a Branch, when did a Branch Commander like me gain authority over someone from Headquarters?"
"Eh?"
Gumiiru stood dumbfounded, feeling like it made some sense, yet also like something was wrong.
On the Cliff Top
Azure petals danced across the sky, and sword energy surged violently in mid-air. Amidst the occasional explosions echoing through the air, two figures could vaguely be seen flashing and clashing within.
The ground for dozens of meters around was covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Every now and then, large chunks of rock and earth would break away, transforming into countless dust motes that cascaded down into the crevice of the valley.
"Flower Forest: Whiplash!"
Accompanying a chilling low growl, dozens of light blue, petal-composed vines suddenly sprouted from William's back.
Each one swelled rapidly in the wind, instantly becoming as thick as a carriage wheel, lashing out like a furious storm towards Nao.
Swish! Swish!
Nao, wearing his Boots of Lightness, moved effortlessly through the blue vines with speed imperceptible to the naked eye, easily neutralizing most of the attacks.
Though a few stray vines occasionally whipped his back at tricky angles, he acted as if he hadn't felt a thing, his gaze still coldly fixed on William. As he continuously pressed closer, he unleashed wave after wave of sword energy.
"Such astounding physical fortitude…"
William dodged the sword energy, his eyebrows furrowing as his eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing that his petal vines had barely left a mark when they struck Nao's body.
"No wonder that foolish Missaya died at the hands of such a puny brat."
No, it wasn't just physical fortitude.
The opponent's swordsmanship was also quite powerful; he was a full-fledged swordsman, and his speed was no weaker than his own. His strength was only slightly inferior.
But, that's fine too…
Since his identity as a prince had been exposed, he hadn't enjoyed a proper fight in a long time. In fact, no one in all of Alabasta dared to challenge him, forcing him to occasionally seek amusement in underground fight clubs.
Today, he had the rare fortune of encountering an opponent who was "just right" in strength. It was high time he settled both old scores and new grudges, and indulged in the thrill of battle!
Whoosh!
Another wave of sword energy struck. William slightly tilted his head to dodge, then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He raised his right foot and stomped down hard on the ground!
"Rise!"
The force catapulted him into the air, kicking up a cloud of sand. In the next instant, the sand burst into a swirl of delicate cherry blossoms, encircling him like a divine aura.
Under the sunlight, the handsome William, surrounded by cherry blossoms, coldly looked down at Nao below, like a deity.
"Quicksand: Thousand Blade Cherry Blossoms!"
He lightly tapped his fingertip, and the myriad of pale pink cherry blossoms dancing in the air all flipped and shifted, their tips pointing downwards, engulfing Nao as they descended!
Every single petal was as sharp as a blade.
Every vibrant bloom harbored endless killing intent!
Buzz! Buzz!
The flower rain roared downwards, like a torrential downpour after thunder and lightning, covering the sky and earth, its momentum truly astonishing.
From afar, Nao, standing on the cliff top, looked like a small boat struggling in a storm, seemingly on the verge of being torn into countless fragments at any moment.
This commotion not only made the Marines in the valley below hold their breath in anxious concern.
It also alarmed the people in the entire town of Hot Nest Peninsula, situated beneath the cliff.
Many of the outlaws who had been hiding earlier looked up one after another, staring in stunned disbelief at the cliff top, where cherry blossoms danced under the sunlight.
"The Flower-Flower Fruit ability… My goodness, that person up there, is it the current Warlord of the Sea, Prince William?"
"It's definitely William! Who has the guts to actually fight him?"
"Could it be someone from that Marine group earlier? They must be crazy, haha! Just a bunch of World Noble lackeys, daring to provoke their half-master?"
There were those who were amazed, those who suspected, and those who mocked, but all observers fundamentally agreed on one point:
Under an attack of such astonishing magnitude, whoever dared to move against William, regardless of who it was, would be torn to shreds by the myriad of flower-blades, with absolutely no chance of survival!
Unfortunately.
What happened next ultimately did not go as they wished.
On the Cliff Top
Just as the petal storm began to fall, Nao decisively used Moonwalk to quickly create distance, and simultaneously roared, drawing both swords and slashing forward with incredible speed!
"Two-Sword Style: Lunar Eclipse!"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin