Chapter 57: Thunder Rages
The battlefield fell silent for a moment.
The gentle breeze seemed to carry a bone-chilling cold with the appearance of the white-clad swordsman, piercing straight to the heart.
The remaining pirate officers quickly retreated behind Harmon, eyeing the slash marks carved into the ground with deep terror.
That single strike had knocked the powerful Harmon back so far—if it had been aimed at them, stopping it would have been nearly impossible.
Even Lao G, standing in the distance, was stunned. He quickly used Soru to appear beside Harmon, standing shoulder to shoulder.
Only their combined presence barely matched their opponent's overwhelming aura.
"When did such a formidable young man emerge from the Marines?" Lao G expression was grave.
The Donquixote Family possessed extensive intelligence networks, with high-ranking spies embedded within both the World Government and Marine Headquarters. Logically, a prodigy of Rhodes' caliber should have been on their radar long ago.
"We must eliminate him now!"
A ruthless expression crossed Lao G weathered face. The emergence of a new powerhouse within the Marines was something Doflamingo certainly didn't want to see—and this was the perfect opportunity to nip that threat in the bud.
Meanwhile, Ain spotted Shuzo and Binz within the makeshift plant fortifications.
Both were pale, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, covered in wounds and severely exhausted. Binz, in particular, had dark circles around his eyes from overusing his Devil Fruit abilities.
However, despite their injuries, both men stared in amazement at the sword-wielding figure.
"My God, what kind of power is this?!" Binz gaped, his voice trembling with awe.
During their initial encounter, Harmon had shattered even the toughest plants under Binz's control with a single punch. His strength was incredible.
But Rhodes' sword slash had forced Harmon back, compelling him to block with both fists desperately.
What tremendous power!
"With this kind of destructive capability, even an ordinary Vice Admiral couldn't match it," Shuzo muttered after staring intently at the sword marks scarred into the ground.
"I'm well acquainted with Vice Admiral Momonga. I've seen him cleave a pirate ship in half with one strike—he's a master swordsman. Even if Rhodes' attack isn't quite as powerful as Vice Admiral Momonga's, it can't be far behind."
"This potential is truly terrifying."
Watching Shuzo and Binz's reactions, Ain felt a strange sense of relief.
It's not that I'm weak—it's that this monster is just too abnormal!
Shuzo wiped blood from his mouth, surveyed the battlefield, and calmly analyzed: "While that swordsman's destructive power is indeed unparalleled, both opponents are elite Taijutsu masters with incredible stamina and endurance. In a prolonged battle, I fear Rhodes won't be able to sustain his peak performance and will become vulnerable."
"We should quickly contact Lieutenant Eleanor and request reinforcements. We should have a decisive advantage on the main front by now."
With his extensive combat experience, Shuzo made the most prudent decision instantly.
"Right." Ain nodded slightly.
She reached out with a delicate, pale hand, slipping it through the slightly loose collar of her Marine uniform to retrieve a clearly exhausted Den Den Mushi from what seemed like an otherworldly pocket that women in this world possessed.
Just as Ain contacted Eleanor, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
Lao G and Harmon positioned themselves on opposite flanks, advancing with murderous intent. After forming a pincer formation, they charged forward brazenly.
No further discussion was needed.
Since Lao G had decided to eliminate Rhodes here, Harmon naturally wouldn't—and wouldn't dare—disobey the veteran executive.
He understood that Lao G held tremendous prestige within the Donquixote Family. Were it not for certain circumstances, the old man would have long since become a top officer himself.
More importantly, Harmon believed that together, they shouldn't need too long to defeat this young man.
After all, Rhodes was young, and youth meant his physique hadn't been honed to peak condition, and his Armament Haki was inevitably underdeveloped.
With their high offense but lower defense, two Taijutsu masters could easily find opportunities to achieve victory through close combat.
Almost the moment Lao G and Harmon charged, Rhodes was the first to move.
Soru!
With a single step, he transformed into a blur, shooting forward like lightning.
Facing their coordinated assault, he remained calm, sword in hand, executing a simple yet devastating horizontal slash.
Ittoryu: Tenraikiri!
This sword technique—a fusion of traditional kenjutsu and the power of lightning—had been used long ago when he was still a reserve, splitting a pirate ship on the verge of sinking. Its power was truly immense, shocking many who witnessed it.
With Rhodes' current swordsmanship mastery and lightning abilities, what would the result be?
ROOOOAR!
Like a thunderbolt from the heavens crashing to earth, a terrifying sword hymn instantly resonated across the entire battlefield.
The slash's reach was vast and overwhelming, its speed like a stream of light, sweeping across the air in an instant. Lao G and Harmon had no time to dodge.
They could only activate full-body Armament Haki hardening while simultaneously unleashing their most skilled Taijutsu techniques, striking against the dazzling sword energy woven with crackling thunder.
"Jio-Ken!"
"Sangan Hazan-Ken!"
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
Brilliant lightning roared and whistled, arcs of electricity surging as the deafening thunder engulfed both Lao G and Harmon.
Ain had just finished her call when the thunderclap erupted. Witnessing this earth-shattering scene, she felt a slight tingling sensation across her exposed skin and couldn't even maintain her grip on the Den Den Mushi, dropping it to the ground.
The poor creature had no time to complain about its master's carelessness—it immediately wriggled behind Ain's feet, retreated into its shell, and trembled.
"What in the world?!" Shuzo and Binz stared at the scene in stunned disbelief, as if witnessing something beyond comprehension.
The power of this lightning strike was simply outrageous!
The few remaining pirate officers had initially considered attacking Ain and her companions, but upon witnessing this horrific display, they instantly abandoned those thoughts and hurriedly retreated.
As everyone watched in shock, a sudden CRASH rang out.
Two dark figures suddenly flew backward from within the lightning, soaring over ten meters before crashing heavily to the ground.
Both Lao G and Harmon were clearly in dire straits.
Their fists, which had been used for direct resistance, were stained with blood. Their usually robust bodies trembled slightly, bearing scorch marks from the electrical discharge.
With a single sword strike, two Taijutsu masters had been wounded!
Rao G looked with genuine fear at the calm young man in white, standing amidst the dissipating lightning in the distance.
Rhodes' outstanding performance, far from inducing retreat, only solidified Rao G's determination to kill him—even at the cost of his own life!
"Overwhelm him with numbers!" he commanded coldly, murderous intent dripping from his tone.
"Kill him, and I guarantee you'll become an executive of the Donquixote Family!"
Harmon caught his breath, and upon hearing Lao G's promise, his somewhat shaken resolve instantly stabilized, his eyes also gleaming with killing intent.
Although Rhodes was strong, he wasn't invincible. The greatest advantage of Taijutsu masters was their ability to endure punishment.
As long as they found an opening and could overwhelm him in close combat, they still had an excellent chance of victory!
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