Chapter 36: Strike and Retreat
Thunder raged through the streets, blazing with fierce light. The terrifying electrical heat ignited all nearby flammable materials, flames roaring as they scorched the ground.
The power of the lightning at this moment completely surpassed the might of Rhodes' swordsmanship itself, its brilliance as magnificent as the forces of nature.
However,
Squard, worthy of being one of the captains under the Whitebeard Pirates, was formidable, with remarkable mastery of Armament Haki. With his entire body hardened, he charged through the lightning with unparalleled ferocity.
Clang!
The raging thunder disrupted his Observation Haki, forcing Squard to react only when Rhodes approached, raising his sword to block the strike.
"Kid, you're nowhere near strong enough!"
Squard's body turned black as ink, looking like a demon from the depths of hell. His tone was cold and murderous as he regarded the young Rhodes with complete disdain.
Rhodes' body blazed with thunder, but he remained calm and silent.
After his sword was blocked, he immediately used the momentum to retreat. Amidst the thunderstorm, he moved as if in his own domain, his speed and reflexes reaching their peak.
Squard's expression remained icy as he pursued without hesitation.
But at that moment, the surrounding lightning suddenly trembled, transforming into countless lightning blades that swept down like a violent storm.
Ding ding ding ding ding...
The lightning bombarded Squard, exploding with electrical arcs. While unable to penetrate his hardened Armament Haki, it effectively limited his speed.
"His defense is pretty tough!"
Rhodes' expression remained unchanged—this was within his expectations.
As a renowned pirate captain, Squard's physique had likely been honed to peak condition, and his Armament Haki was naturally impressive. It wasn't surprising that thunder alone couldn't penetrate his defense.
There was no need for discouragement. After all, Rhodes had been training for less than a year.
"I'm afraid only a direct sword strike can damage him; even sword energy isn't enough."
Amidst the thunder's roar, Rhodes calmly analyzed the gap between them.
He had to admit, while he might be considered extremely powerful among his peers, he still felt somewhat inexperienced against these seasoned veterans.
He couldn't match them in dual-color Haki or physical strength, and could only rely on lightning's power to contain them, unable to inflict any real damage.
Just then, a figure burst through the lightning. Rhodes' expression shifted, then calmed—it was the Revolutionary Army contact he'd met earlier.
"We need to leave! More Whitebeard Pirates are coming," the man said urgently.
"Hmm?"
Rhodes narrowed his eyes, peering through the lightning at the rapidly approaching figures. Some were even stronger than Silver Fox. If they surrounded him, even escape would be difficult.
He sighed softly. "You go ahead. I'll set off some fireworks for them."
The revolutionary, though puzzled, said nothing more and immediately slipped away. He recognized Rhodes' strength and no longer considered him a rookie, but a formidable fighter on par with seasoned warriors.
"Hah..."
Seeing this, Rhodes exhaled softly.
A terrifying aura suddenly rose from him.
"Zizizizizizizi..."
Like the chirping of a thousand birds.
From Rhodes' body, astonishing electrical power suddenly surged. But instead of spreading outward, it gathered in his outstretched palm.
Endless lightning converged, forming a sphere the size of a human head that gradually shifted from light blue to dark blue, deepening until it reached a critical point and began to shine with a faint silver glow.
Sweat dripped from Rhodes' forehead but quickly evaporated.
Clearly, this technique was taking a heavy toll on him.
"Go."
As if supporting a mountain, Rhodes slowly pushed the lightning sphere forward.
The moment the lightning ball left his hand, Rhodes stomped his foot without hesitation, swiftly turning to leave. In just two flashes, he vanished from the street.
"What the hell is that?"
Squard, having just broken through the lightning encirclement, saw the sphere hovering nearby.
The lightning ball was deep blue, shimmering with silver light—incredibly beautiful yet ominous.
Before he could react, the human-head-sized sphere suddenly paused, then exploded.
BOOM!
It was like a thousand cannons firing simultaneously.
Thunder flashed, blazing like the sun itself.
The violent force destroyed everything, instantly blasting a charred crater fifteen feet deep into the earth.
The explosion sent Squard flying, blood spraying from his mouth. He rolled across the ground for over thirty feet before stopping in front of his rushing crewmates.
"What happened?"
"The captain got beaten up like this?"
"What kind of enemy were we facing? Could it be Kaido's crew?"
The members of the Great Maelstrom Spider Pirates were all in disbelief. They hurried forward to help Squard up, staring out at the nearly destroyed streets and buildings in the distance with awe. For a moment, they hesitated to pursue.
As Squard stood up, his face burned with humiliation and shock. Fortunately, his Armament Haki still covered him, so his embarrassment wasn't clearly visible.
"Seal off the harbor and capture that brat!"
His voice was filled with extreme anger and humiliation.
Squard was furious at being outmaneuvered by such a young opponent and humiliated in front of his crew.
"Yes!" the pirates responded in unison.
The entire island fell into chaos.
Meanwhile,
Rhodes had already reached the harbor and boarded the ship to meet Sabo and the others.
Koala seemed to have received word; as soon as Rhodes came aboard, she ordered the anchor raised and set sail.
The sea breeze carried hints of salt and ocean spray.
Watching the island recede, Rhodes couldn't help but chuckle. Strike hard, then run away—what a rush!
"You certainly made quite the scene." Koala shook her head helplessly.
More than just a scene—they'd actually confronted Whitebeard's men on his own territory. That took some serious guts!
At least they made it out alive.
"Well done!"
Sabo grinned, patting Rhodes' shoulder. He thought the approach was perfect, and even felt disappointed he hadn't gone ashore—he definitely would have fought Squard too.
"You two..."
"That's enough!"
Koala rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming as she watched the scene unfold.
Sabo was known for being unpredictable during missions, often causing trouble she had to clean up afterward. She'd thought Rhodes would be more level-headed, but he'd been even more reckless than Sabo!
Honestly! He might as well have stayed at headquarters managing supplies.
"Did I complete the mission?" Rhodes asked.
"Of course."
Sabo nodded, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi and handed it to him. "The specific details will be handled at headquarters. This is for you."
"Huh?"
Rhodes was slightly taken aback. A Den Den Mushi?
(End of Chapter)
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