Chapter 15: One-Strike Kill!
"Hissss!"
The great serpent finally sensed something was wrong and turned sharply. Its pupils reflected the image of Rhodes wielding his sword mid-air.
Startled, its scales bristled like a cat with its hackles raised. Just as it was about to retreat, Rhodes gripped his sword, swung it with fluid grace, and called out softly:
"Thunder Slash!"
Nothing could describe the sheer magnificence of that strike!
It seemed as if the very heavens themselves could be split in two. In the eyes of all spectators, only the lightning sword illuminated the night sky like a falling star.
This lightning-fast blade, leaving behind a series of afterimages, cut through the air before slicing directly through the great snake's head.
The massive serpent—having grown through countless molts, its body thick as a tree trunk with impenetrable scales—was like paper beneath the thunder sword, slicing through it like warm butter.
"HISSSSS!"
The great snake let out an agonizing roar.
Its head slid cleanly off as the blade passed through, a fountain of blood erupting from its body, the wound seared black by lightning.
"CRASH!"
The snake's severed head and thirty-foot body crashed down from the sky, landing in the forest and sending up clouds of dust and debris.
This enormous serpent, which had slumbered for decades and sent Captain Nia into full retreat upon its awakening, had been slain with a single stroke from Rhodes' blade.
"..."
Nia, standing below, was completely bewildered. Who was saving whom here?
And how could Rhodes possibly be this powerful?
Didn't he only score 249 on the Doriki test?
And what was with this ridiculous amount of lightning power?
Was Rhodes actually a user of the Logia-type Goro Goro no Mi?
A series of questions flooded Nia's mind, making her question everything she thought she knew. The iron staff in her hand clattered to the ground, but she remained oblivious, her face frozen in shock, as if she couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
But the serpent's body, broken in two and still radiating an aura of ancient power, lay motionless on the ground—undeniable proof of the earth-shattering feat Rhodes had just accomplished.
In the monitoring room...
Even Koala and the others were completely stunned.
"This lightning power is a bit... excessive," Koala muttered to herself.
Could swordsmanship really be this devastating? Uncertain, she couldn't help but glance at Hack.
"I'm not entirely sure either."
Fish-man Hack shook his head slightly. Advanced swordsmanship was a concept bordering on the legendary—territory of the great swordsmen. Even as an instructor for the Revolutionary Army's trainees, he had only theoretical knowledge of such techniques.
As for the other Revolutionary Army soldiers, a hint of reverence crossed their faces.
Previously, when Rhodes had slain the black ape with a single sword strike, they had merely admired his natural talent and potential.
But now, his single strike against this enormous serpent proved that this young man possessed power comparable to their own seasoned fighters.
"He's only sixteen!" Everyone fell silent, genuinely shocked. Even Sabo hadn't possessed this level of raw power at sixteen.
Back at the battlefield...
Meanwhile, Rhodes, his strength nearly exhausted, slowly descended from the sky. He landed softly, his expression calm and composed, as if he had accomplished something completely routine.
"What a show-off," Nia muttered, annoyed by Rhodes' nonchalant demeanor.
"So this is the effect of combining full-power lightning with swordsmanship?"
Rhodes' eyes flickered as he analyzed the power of his strike.
The destructive capability was certainly immense.
After all, both swordsmanship and lightning were formidable forces individually—when combined, their synergy naturally exceeded the sum of their parts.
"But it's only effective against large, lumbering beasts like this one. A human opponent of equivalent strength would be much harder to hit."
The powerful fighters in this pirate world possessed not only incredible vitality, but also immense physical strength and lightning-fast speed. In combat, keeping up with such opponents would be nearly impossible.
For example, Nia's Rokushiki technique "Soru"—its terrifying speed was far beyond Rhodes' current capabilities.
"Also, stamina consumption is a major issue."
This ultimate technique had directly consumed a significant portion of Rhodes' energy reserves. This level of endurance drain wouldn't be sustainable in a prolonged battle.
"I need to intensify my lightning body conditioning. While it won't directly strengthen my internal organs, reinforcing my muscles and bones will improve overall physical performance."
While contemplating his future training regimen, Rhodes slowly approached the giant snake's corpse.
"Hmm, it's pretty massive. Gonna be tricky to cook properly."
Nia, who had just approached, heard Rhodes' casual remark, and several dark lines appeared across her delicate forehead. She snorted and turned away.
"Hey, don't you want to stick around and eat with me?"
"I'm not hungry."
Before she could even finish saying "hungry," a faint growl suddenly echoed from her stomach.
Grrrrowl...
"..."
Nia's face flushed bright red, and she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground to disappear into.
Her traitorous stomach was clearly dissatisfied with her answer and had betrayed her without hesitation.
In reality, Nia had been running constantly, repeatedly using Rokushiki techniques, which had consumed enormous amounts of energy. Furthermore, she hadn't found much food during the day while searching for the black ape, so naturally she was starving.
"Let's eat together. I can't possibly finish all this anyway."
Rhodes smiled warmly. He had observed this woman's earlier behavior and could tell she had good character—definitely someone worth befriending.
Nia wanted to leave, but the sight of the enormous serpent—who knew how many centuries it had lived—which would clearly make for an incredible dinner, rooted her to the spot. She simply stood there, pretending to admire the scenery.
"Hey, it's pitch black out here. What exactly are you looking at? Come help me get the fire started for grilling," Rhodes called out bluntly.
Soon, a roaring campfire was crackling away. Nia watched in amazement as Rhodes magically produced an impressive array of salt, honey, and various other seasonings, leaving her stunned and impressed.
As a food lover, I still have so much to learn.
This ancient serpent, having existed for countless years, possessed incredibly flavorful meat. After being expertly roasted, it tasted absolutely divine, and both of them couldn't stop praising the meal.
But the snake was simply enormous.
Even though Rhodes and Nia were both considered hearty eaters, they eventually reached their limit, with quite a bit of meat still remaining.
"It would be criminal to waste such incredible food."
Rhodes' face was filled with genuine anguish, and he once again felt an intense longing for a spatial storage ring.
At that moment, a melodious voice suddenly called out from behind them.
"Mind sharing some?"
The two turned to see Koala perched gracefully on the branch of a large tree, smiling down at them.
Moonlight cascaded like liquid silver, illuminating Koala's already delicate features and making her appear almost ethereal. Even Nia felt a twinge of inadequacy in comparison.
Rhodes couldn't help but admire the sight. "Girls in this world really are beautiful—like characters stepped out of an anime."
However, in the next moment, this bright and ethereal demeanor suddenly transformed.
What had seemed like a fairy descending from heaven... well, became completely seduced by the food, instantly transforming into a ravenous glutton who ate even more than Rhodes and Nia combined.
"I guess even beautiful people have their weaknesses," was the only thought left in Rhodes' mind.
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(End of Chapter)