Chapter 22: Cutting Off Their Retreat
Camp.
Slott, commanding from the center, maintained a calm demeanor, yet a dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
"Where did all these young warriors come from?"
"Is this island the base of some powerful organization?"
"We need to retreat immediately!"
His decision was made in a split second—remarkably decisive.
As a pirate who had evaded Navy pursuit all the way from the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line to the New World, he understood the importance of knowing when to retreat and that survival was paramount.
He was about to order a withdrawal when—
A silver sword slash suddenly surged from nearby, ripping through the earth. An astonishing sharpness shook the surroundings, seemingly capable of cutting through anything.
"A swordsman?"
Slott's frown deepened. This mysterious force, capable of training such a young swordsman, must be truly formidable.
Whoosh!
The sword slash swept through the air, stirring the wind and sending Slott's long hair flying backward.
Unexpectedly, he stood his ground, neither blocking nor dodging. As the sword energy drew near, he suddenly clenched his fist.
"Busoshoku!"
Pitch-black Armament Haki instantly coated his fist, and then he struck forward.
BOOM!
As the black fist collided with the sword energy, the air exploded like artillery fire.
After a brief stalemate, the seemingly unstoppable silver sword slash was shattered by Slott's punch. The aftermath of the destroyed attack radiated outward, carving a dense network of tiny cracks through the surrounding ground.
"The power of Busoshoku Haki!"
Not far away, Shanuo slowly stepped forward, wariness clear on his face.
"..."
Slott's expression remained stone-cold. He clenched his fist, the motion creating a humming sound as he crushed the very air.
Whoosh!
The next second, he charged forward with incredible speed, instantly reaching Shanuo. His fist, swirling with Armament Haki, smashed down with devastating force!
Shanuo had no time to dodge, so he mustered all his strength and met the attack head-on with his sword.
CLANG!
As expected, Shanuo was blasted away.
"Time to go."
Slott said, not pursuing him. He didn't want to provoke this unknown force and only wished to escape unharmed.
However, just as he turned around—
He heard a sudden outcry from within the camp, as if his crew had witnessed something utterly catastrophic.
"What the hell?!"
He gasped, looking out to sea.
The pirate ship anchored on the water was flashing with blinding lightning and creaking ominously, as if it would disintegrate at any moment.
Rhodes' destruction of the ship met almost no resistance.
The pirates who had remained aboard to repair it were ordinary crew members, relatively weak, and faced with Rhodes' current power, they offered no meaningful resistance. However, this pirate ship, capable of sailing the New World's treacherous waters, was constructed from extremely durable materials, requiring considerable effort to destroy its entire structure.
"It's over."
Under the horrified gazes of the pirates on board, Rhodes stood suspended in mid-air, sword in hand, bathed in crackling lightning like the Thunder God of ancient legends.
"Ittoryu: Raikiri!"
A thunderous sword cry echoed across the heavens.
A brilliant blue sword slash illuminated the entire world, striking forth with unstoppable force and dominance.
Wherever it passed, the pirate ship's decks, the holds below, and even the sturdiest keel were sliced clean through in one fluid motion, revealing the churning sea beneath.
Sizzle! Crackle! Pop!
Infinite electrical currents tore through the hull, scorching it black.
Fortunately, most New World pirates were tough enough to survive the electrocution, but they were left nearly powerless—paralyzed and unable to move. They could only stare in absolute terror at the young figure soaring through the air.
Flying through the sky, a single sword stroke had cleaved their ship in two!
At that moment, the beach battlefield fell into deathly silence.
Everyone stared in stunned disbelief at the lightning-wreathed swordsman in the distance.
"Is this really a trainee from our group?"
The other trainees gasped, struggling to accept this overwhelming reality.
"Such powerful lightning and incredible swordsmanship!"
Squad captains like Nia and the others were filled with amazement and shock.
When assigning tasks, some had objected, suggesting that multiple captains should be sent to cut off the enemy's retreat, but Nia had insisted that Rhodes go alone.
In truth, Nia herself was astonished. She had believed Rhodes could complete the mission, but she hadn't expected him to execute it so spectacularly.
"The destructive power of a swordsman who has mastered lightning techniques is truly terrifying."
Even fish-man Hack, Koala, and other Revolutionary Army officers in the rear couldn't help but marvel at the display.
The entire battlefield was stunned by this single strike.
The pirates' morale plummeted, their eyes darting around as if seeking an escape route.
"Damn it!"
Slott cursed under his breath, his face grim.
In the New World's waters, attempting to sail without a sufficiently sturdy vessel was simply suicide.
Having recently survived a disaster at sea, he understood this all too well.
Cut off from retreat and stranded on this island, Slott's inner ruthlessness and bloodlust were unleashed.
He knew that anyone who discovered the secret base of such a powerful force would inevitably be silenced. Sending these young fighters out was merely a training exercise for them.
"Kill them all!"
Slott roared suddenly, his voice echoing across the battlefield: "Fight to the death!"
The pirates hesitated momentarily, then the atmosphere suddenly became murderous as the gravity of their situation became clear.
It was at this moment that they understood their predicament.
From above, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly crashed down from the sky like divine judgment, capable of annihilating everything!
"You're asking for it!"
Slott snorted coldly, planting his feet firmly on the ground without bothering to dodge.
He stomped hard, sending out an invisible shockwave, then leaped up to meet the attack head-on!
A pure martial artist, he revered direct confrontation. Once committed to battle, he showed no fear, his resolve utterly ruthless.
"HAAAAAH!"
Slott roared, summoning all his strength in an explosive martial arts technique. His fist, brimming with pitch-black Armament Haki, struck the lightning-infused sword energy without hesitation.
BOOOOM!
The violent collision caused the lightning sword slash to pause briefly before shattering and scattering in all directions.
"Is that all?!"
Slott smiled triumphantly, but the next moment, his expression froze.
Crackle! Bzzt! Pop!
Where the sword energy had shattered, endless electrical current surged outward, directly engulfing Slott's entire body.
"GAAAAH!"
The distance was too close, and Slott had no way to dodge. The electric current burned him directly, his hair standing on end as his incredibly strong body went numb and tingled all over.
He hadn't yet cultivated his Armament Haki to the hardening level and couldn't withstand such an all-encompassing attack!
CRASH!
The next moment, Slott was knocked down by the sword energy's residual power and slammed into the ground.
However, he was worthy of being a martial arts master. With his robust physique and amazing vitality, he only slowed down briefly before getting back on his feet.
He just looked rather... embarrassed.
Not only did he now sport an afro hairstyle, but there were also black scorch marks across his skin, burned by the high temperature of the electrical current.
(End of Chapter)
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