Chapter 31: Insurmountable
The battle situation shifted rapidly. Rhodes' strength didn't disappoint Hack and the others—he easily escaped what would have been a dead end for most fighters and instantly launched a counterattack.
Crackling, crackling, crackling...
Infinite electrical currents surged forth, lightning arcs swirling like silver serpents as the terrifying electricity directly engulfed Kuro!
Amidst the dazzling lightning, screams rang out so shrilly that the reserves felt their scalps tingle. Even from such a distance, they could feel the stinging sensation, imagining the terrifying force of the lightning that Kuro was enduring.
Who could have imagined that Rhodes possessed such devastating power?!
"Such incredible thunder abilities? Is it some kind of Devil Fruit?"
Northern Army Commander Karasu frowned slightly. He didn't suspect the Logia-type Goro Goro no Mi, as Rhodes' fighting style was completely incompatible with a Logia user's approach.
"No, it's Thunder Sword Intent," Koala said, watching the sphere of lightning in the distance.
"Can sword intent reach this level?" Karasu asked, puzzled.
However, sword intent is inherently mysterious—seeming both tangible and ethereal, making it difficult to study.
Because every swordsman's sword intent is unique, shaped by their experiences, consciousness, soul, and understanding of the way of the sword, it's virtually impossible to replicate.
Sabo, standing nearby, focused his attention with a hint of interest on his face. No wonder this young man had the courage to challenge him back then.
Armament Haki Hardening, Thunder Sword Intent...
"But even this level isn't enough," he chuckled softly.
"Thunder... sword intent?" Dragon's eyes flickered, a subtle gleam of excitement in their depths.
Compared to the World Government, the Revolutionary Army was still too young, with only a few decades of history. Even with his immense talent, the combined wisdom of the Monkey family, and his early focus on training new recruits, he had achieved relatively little.
So far, the only member of the younger generation who had risen to prominence—or who might one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him against the World Government—was Sabo.
This lineup was far too thin.
Of course, the Revolutionary Army possessed many hidden strengths, but the pirate world was ultimately one where might made right, and the strategic importance of a peak-level warrior was paramount.
At this moment, everyone in the arena watched with intense anxiety.
ROAR!
An earth-shattering bellow suddenly erupted from within the lightning sphere. A terrifying aura seemed to emerge, shaking in all directions and causing electrical arcs to explode as lightning surged wildly.
Within the thunderbolt, a monstrous figure suddenly appeared.
The beast—Kuro's transformed state—broke through the lightning's restraints and emerged onto the battlefield.
"Zoan-type Devil Fruit?"
"Probably some kind of feline species," Rhodes said, slightly surprised. This was his first encounter with a Devil Fruit user.
"I hadn't planned on using this ability. I never expected to be pushed this far."
Kuro, emerging from the thunderbolt, exhaled scorching breath laced with residual electrical sparks.
He was now in his human-beast hybrid form, muscles bulging with explosive power, radiating an utterly overwhelming aura as if he could shatter mountains with a single punch!
A predatory presence filled the air, causing the reserves to instinctively tense up, their heads aching from the oppressive force. This was the natural dominance of a high-level predator.
The only flaw was that his body bore scorch marks and trembled slightly—clear evidence of electrical damage.
"Since you've forced me to use my fruit powers, this battle should be over."
Whoosh!
The moment those words left his lips, Kuro shot forward, his speed more than doubled, moving so fast that even squad captains like Nia couldn't react.
This base speed, combined with his enhanced physical abilities, meant he was even faster than Rhodes!
However, despite Kuro's tremendous speed, he couldn't land a single hit on Rhodes in this ferocious exchange.
Instead, Kuro barely avoided being struck by Rhodes' sword multiple times. Once, unable to dodge completely, Rhodes' sword energy grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep, bloody gash.
The sharp whistling of displaced air continued as the clash of steel became increasingly frequent.
The reserves could barely make out the two combatants, seeing only dark shadows colliding in fierce battle.
From appearances, it seemed as though Rhodes was at a disadvantage, as Kuro's attacks came more frequently, clearly holding the initiative.
However, as the fight progressed, the crowd realized the truth—numerous sword wounds covered Kuro's body while Rhodes bore no injuries whatsoever!
"Fast enough, but nowhere near sufficient," Rhodes said, sword in hand, his demeanor completely relaxed.
While his current speed might not match Kuro's hybrid form, his neural reflexes, enhanced by his lightning abilities, far surpassed Kuro's!
Combined with the foresight granted by his Observation Haki, Kuro had absolutely no chance of harming him!
"What's happening?" the reserves wondered, completely bewildered. They had no idea what was transpiring.
"Observation Haki!" Shanuo's eyes lit up as he chuckled with understanding.
"Even Observation Haki?" Watching Rhodes' power constantly reach new heights, Karasu and the other Revolutionary Army officers were left speechless.
"Monstrous learning speed," Koala, who felt she knew Rhodes best, couldn't help but shake her head. She had assumed Rhodes had only mastered Armament Haki in the past two months.
She hadn't expected his Observation Haki to be quite advanced as well.
"Hah..."
On the battlefield, Kuro sighed and said with conviction, "I surrender."
While others might not realize it, he knew full well that Rhodes hadn't been taking the fight seriously—he had essentially been giving instruction the entire time. Otherwise, the battle would have ended long ago.
After all, his Armament Haki was only at the basic coating level, and his Observation Haki hadn't even awakened!
This gap between them was more than any single Devil Fruit could bridge.
"What about the rest of you?"
Rhodes' indifferent gaze swept over the remaining reserves from the branch bases. Despite lacking any overwhelming killing intent, they all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
Kuro had been the strongest among them, and to defeat him so decisively meant Rhodes was undoubtedly the true strongest among all the reserves!
Such a monster existed at headquarters!
They exchanged glances of amazement. Before this, these individuals had been the pride of their respective regions, and even Kuro couldn't completely dominate them.
But Rhodes displayed such overwhelming prowess that no one dared challenge him!
From beginning to end, he remained calm and composed, battling the monstrous Kuro without sustaining a single injury, leaving everyone unable to fathom his true limits.
This gap could no longer be overcome by sheer numbers.
This single individual was the backbone of the entire headquarters reserves—a force no one dared underestimate!
Single-handedly, he had crushed them all!
Watching this scene, Nia, Shanuo, and the other headquarters reserves couldn't help but beam with excitement and pride.
Kuro was strong, but Rhodes was even stronger!
"As expected, no one can defeat this monster," Rez said among those present, his emotions the most complex. He shook his head and laughed. "This has completely destroyed any confidence I had in trying to catch up to you."
Being a little behind still allowed for confidence; being significantly behind still offered hope. But Rhodes, at this moment, stood like an insurmountable sacred mountain—not just unreachable, but impossible even to glimpse the summit.
An absolute triumph, utterly astounding!
(End of Chapter)
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