Translator's Note:
First, I would like to sincerely apologize for not uploading the chapters as scheduled, and second, for not informing you all beforehand about the delay.
I understand that many of you look forward to regular updates, and I take full responsibility for failing to meet those expectations. I promise this will not happen again.
Moving forward, even if I cannot upload for a day, I will make sure to inform you all about any delays in advance.
Thank you for your patience and continued support.
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Rona felt like she had been deceived.
White Wolf Silas not possessing Conqueror's Haki was hardly a secret among the Marine higher-ups. After all, they had clashed regularly over the years, and they had pretty much figured out all of Silas's capabilities through their countless encounters.
But after not seeing him for five years, she was suddenly confronted with the shocking truth that Silas actually possessed Conqueror's Haki!
"Pfft-hahahaha! Even a little girl like you has Conqueror's Haki, so what's so strange about this old man having it?"
On the massive wolf form that Silas had transformed into, the sword wounds inflicted by Rona were already scabbing over with remarkable speed. Possessing the strongest recovery abilities among all Zoan Devil Fruits, and being a Mythical Zoan at that, this terrifying regenerative power was fully displayed now that he was free from the debilitating effects of advanced age.
Durable, tough, and fast healing. This was the true power of the Zoan Devil Fruit!
Compared to those bizarre Paramecia fruits or the Logia fruits that turned users into natural phenomena, only the raw power of Zoan fruits was most suitable for dedicated physical combat specialists.
"Hmph, I suppose that makes sense," Rona conceded.
Surprisingly, she did not dwell on this revelation for long. The red-haired female Marine had long since discarded her pristine white justice cape, tying her fiery crimson hair back in a practical bundle.
"If even someone like you, who openly defies the World Government at every turn, did not have Conqueror's Haki, I really could not think of who would be qualified to possess it."
Rona was smiling, as if learning that Silas possessed Conqueror's Haki was actually something to celebrate rather than fear.
"So, you old bastard, do not die on me. Just like in all our past encounters," she said with genuine warmth. "Try your absolute best to survive. And then escape!"
At this crucial moment, although Rona was standing directly in front of him, Silas felt as if she had somehow vanished from existence itself.
The next second brought devastation.
Whoosh!
An extremely fast blade of light erupted forth, crimson radiance moving like a venomous snake striking at its helpless prey. Even Silas's enhanced reaction speed could only catch the briefest glimpse of red light flashing before his eyes.
His Observation Haki detected the attack clearly. But his aging body simply could not react quickly enough.
Slice!
A wound deep enough to reveal bone ran from his left shoulder all the way down to his waist. If he had not managed to shift his body position at the absolutely crucial moment, that devastating strike might have severed his head entirely.
The aura emanating from Rona had undergone a complete transformation.
If before she had been fighting with the ultimate goal of capturing Silas alive, now she was treating him as an opponent of exactly the same level as herself.
Same level meant one simple truth: whoever holds back dies!
Had Silas truly reached Admiral or Emperor level? Silas himself did not know the answer to that question.
But he was crystal clear that attempting to win through delaying tactics and gradually wearing down Rona would be utterly impossible.
Yes, his overall speed was faster than Rona's. But Rona did not need to match his speed across the entire battlefield. She simply needed her sword to catch up to Silas at the moment of impact, and that would be sufficient.
So what if he interfered with her Observation Haki perception? As long as he launched an attack, he would definitely leave detectable traces, and as long as there were traces to follow, he could be pursued relentlessly.
This was the terrifying power of Observation Haki combined with a true swordsman's instinct!
Rona's meaning was brutally clear: either fight her with absolutely everything he possessed or tuck his tail between his legs like a coward and flee!
"You little brat, you have grown impressively skilled!"
The wolf that had been moving on all fours began to stand upright, transforming steadily toward a more humanoid form. Although his facial features still bore clear traces of the white wolf, Silas had completely shifted away from his pure animal form.
He had returned to his most powerful human-beast hybrid state.
The long sword that had been clenched between his jaws returned to his hands, and Silas's eyes filled with murderous intent that had been absent for years.
You want to fight? Then let us fight!
Even Rona, a swordsman without any Devil Fruit powers whatsoever, dared to face him head-on in direct combat. How could he, who had consumed a Mythical Zoan fruit, even consider retreating?
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Black-red lightning rapidly climbed skyward as their competing Conqueror's Haki clashed with renewed intensity.
At first, Silas's spiritual pressure seemed somewhat lacking in comparison. But at this pivotal moment, Silas's Conqueror's Haki was completely on par with Rona, who was a genuine Marine Admiral.
The true strength of Conqueror's Haki depended entirely on the user's own indomitable spirit. Not some vain glory accumulated from sailing the seas for decades, but genuine, unshakeable strength!
Two gleaming long swords clashed violently in the frost-covered forest, moon-white blade light interweaving with brilliant crimson blade light, creating earth-shaking sounds that echoed for miles.
Countless leaves were simultaneously cut by supernatural frost and shredded by the residual energy of their blade techniques.
The terrifying impact of their battle had even begun affecting the giant village at the forest's edge.
Recognizing the danger to innocent lives, both fighters simultaneously rushed toward the deeper, more isolated parts of the forest.
"What, worried about hurting your precious companions?" Rona taunted breathlessly.
"Hahahaha! After all, they are still quite inexperienced. They will need considerable time to mature," Silas roared in response, unleashing his Haki and fruit powers with everything he possessed.
A devastating slash extending several kilometers split their entire battleground in half with surgical precision.
A corner of Elbaf's entire Sunlit Realm was cleanly severed, supernatural cold frost covering the exposed cut surface. Silas and Rona simultaneously fell from the sky as the very ground collapsed beneath them, but even while plummeting through collapsing earth and stone, their deadly battle never ceased.
The group of giants watching from what they hoped was a safe distance had long been stunned into complete silence.
Even though giants themselves possessed incredibly powerful combat abilities, and the legendary war techniques that only giant elites could master also had the power to reshape entire landscapes, this was the first time they had witnessed someone forcibly collapse a corner of the Sunlit Realm like Silas and Rona were doing.
You had to understand, this was a branch of the sacred Adam Tree, the strongest wood known to exist in the entire world!
This was also Rocks's first time witnessing a battle between the absolute top powerhouses of the seas. In this disaster-like battle scene, someone of his current strength would not even make the smallest ripple if he dared to enter.
In all of Elbaf, only one person was truly qualified to intervene in this epic confrontation.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty Harald!"
"Forgive us, Your Majesty, Prince Hajrudin, he..."
Harald raised his massive hand, stopping his subordinate giant from continuing his report.
He was genuinely worried about Hajrudin being kidnapped by those CP agents. But what weighed far more heavily on his troubled heart was the sudden appearance of a Marine Admiral on his sovereign territory.
The World Government. Were they finally going to make their long-anticipated move against Elbaf?
"Your Majesty?"
Seeing the old giant Yaruru looking over expectantly, Harald shook his enormous head with a heavily burdened expression.
He knew exactly what Yaruru wanted to suggest. If he joined the fight alongside Silas, together they could definitely drive away that Marine Admiral through combined force.
But he simply did not dare take such a monumental gamble.
He was not certain whether that Marine Admiral had come purely for Silas or whether she was following direct World Government orders and had already set her sights on conquering Elbaf itself.
Elbaf was undeniably powerful. But only Harald truly understood that as long as the World Government decided to get serious about eliminating them, Elbaf was ultimately just a slightly larger ant waiting to be crushed.
It would be acceptable if he did not intervene. But if he did choose to act, that would mean declaring war against the Marines and becoming eternal enemies with the World Government itself!
"Harald!" Silas's powerful voice carried clearly from the heart of the battle.
"Do not interfere! She is my prey, an opponent I absolutely must face alone!"
In less than an hour of intense combat, Silas was already covered in blood from head to toe. But even though he was clearly at a disadvantage in his battle with Rona, his eyes, which had grown somewhat cloudy with advancing age, were becoming brighter and more focused with each passing moment.
Silas and Rona simultaneously fell from the sky, plummeting from Elbaf's Sunlit Realm down into the shadowy depths of the Underworld, but Silas's movements showed absolutely no hesitation or fear.
"I am a great pirate! The great pirate Silas!"
Countless times injured, countless times fallen, yet countless times he had risen again to continue fighting.
Until this pivotal moment.
Silas's sword was finally just a hair faster than Rona's legendary blade.
"Do not lump me in with those rookie brats who just set sail yesterday!"
The long sword sang through the air with deadly precision.
Blood spattered from Rona's body for the first time in their epic duel.
[Chapter Complete]
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