Chapter 253: Aerial Combat
Witnessing the incoming golden cross-shaped sword slash, Rhodes prepared to evade when he suddenly felt an unfamiliar stiffness in his movements.
On the ground, with his explosive speed, dodging sword techniques proved trivially easy—he could even launch preemptive counterattacks the instant his opponent committed to their strike.
But in the sky, while he could still dodge effectively, launching those same preemptive strikes became impossible.
WHOOSH!
Recognizing the fundamental difference between aerial and ground combat, Rhodes' movements remained swift. He stomped against the air itself as if it were solid ground—Geppo technique—and suddenly rose dramatically in altitude, evading the golden sword slash by mere meters.
Just as Rhodes cleared the attack—
Golden Lion descended furiously, suppressing the excruciating pain radiating from his chest wound, and slashed with both blade-legs simultaneously.
His cutting speed was extraordinarily fast, his figure elusive—constantly flickering through three-dimensional space with agility surpassing natural birds.
For several moments, to outside observers, it appeared as if a dozen phantoms had materialized, frantically attacking Rhodes from all directions—above, below, left, right, and every angle between.
Golden Lion was a legend of the seas, a pinnacle existence possessing astonishing combat wisdom. He'd even developed specialized swordsmanship techniques that seamlessly integrated his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi abilities.
In aerial combat, Golden Lion was undoubtedly among the absolute best, with vanishingly few capable of rivaling him.
Facing this overwhelming assault, Rhodes remained perfectly calm.
He parried with his blade, weapons clashing repeatedly, creating terrifying shockwaves that resonated throughout the heavens.
Although he lacked experience in aerial combat, his reaction speed was utterly unparalleled. Golden Lion's flight velocity hadn't exceeded Rhodes' cognitive processing limits.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
A fierce exchange ensued, the rippling sword energy shattering cloud formations across the horizon. To the people of distant Skypiea watching from below, the battle between these two warriors resembled nothing less than a clash between gods themselves!
In the air, the tide of battle shifted noticeably.
Golden Lion—with his extreme aerial agility and incredibly refined sky-combat techniques—gained tactical superiority over Rhodes.
Logically, Golden Lion should have felt triumphant about this development.
Instead, he experienced mounting frustration.
Because Rhodes' defense proved practically impenetrable. He could effortlessly react to attacks from any conceivable angle, parrying with his sword with mechanical precision. Even moments of calculated recklessness on Shiki's part resulted in yet another sword wound across his body.
"Is it Observation Haki? No... that's not quite right. This brat's raw reaction speed is simply too extraordinary!"
Golden Lion's keen combat instincts remained sharp as ever—he easily identified Rhodes' fundamental advantage.
But recognizing it proved utterly useless!
His attacks were powerful, yet Rhodes could dodge them and counterattack during openings.
His offensive techniques were varied, yet Rhodes could identify weaknesses. After all, for a Great Swordsman of Shiki's caliber, theoretically no defense was truly unbreakable.
But Rhodes' speed and reaction time were simply excessive—beyond reasonable parameters.
The ancient principle of "speed breaks all techniques" applied perfectly here.
Rhodes wasn't exactly relaxed either. After all, this represented his first genuine experience with aerial combat, and he was immediately facing Golden Lion—a legendary Great Swordsman who excelled specifically in sky battles. He needed to maintain absolute focus to preserve his flawless defensive record.
However, as he gradually adapted to aerial combat's unique rhythm, he relaxed marginally and began observing other tactical elements.
The swordsmanship of a Great Swordsman...
Rhodes studied intently.
He'd already witnessed multiple Great Swordsmen in action: Momousagi, Vista, Mihawk, Rayleigh—and now Shiki made five. Shanks could be considered half a swordsman, since Rhodes hadn't witnessed him fight seriously.
These five swordmasters varied dramatically in strength, each possessing distinctive characteristics. For example, Mihawk wielded the absolute strongest individual slash, while Shiki's swordsmanship seamlessly integrated his Devil Fruit abilities.
I can feel my swordsmanship improving even during this battle...
Combat remained the strongest catalyst for growth.
Perhaps for ordinary master-level swordsmen, taking that final step to reach Great Swordsman status proved extraordinarily difficult, because they could only fight opponents at equivalent levels.
But Rhodes was fundamentally different.
Because of his overwhelming speed and lightning enhancement advantages, he could engage Great Swordsmen even while his pure swordsmanship remained at master-level.
This firsthand experience against Great Swordsman techniques naturally accelerated his swordsmanship development dramatically.
"Zan-geki—Slashing Wave!"
"Rairyū—Thunder Dragon!"
Two violent techniques collided spectacularly in midair, the atmosphere itself detonating and creating catastrophic shockwaves that propagated to the horizon.
BOOOOOM!
Both combatants were forced backward, then immediately launched even more devastating attacks.
In the open sky, two figures clashed ferociously, moving at speeds far too rapid for ordinary observers to track clearly.
However, those watching from below could still discern these warriors' monstrous power levels simply by observing how the aftershocks of their sword energy effortlessly carved through cloud formations like tissue paper.
Compared to ordinary humans, calling them gods wouldn't constitute exaggeration whatsoever.
By this stage, Rhodes' stamina had been severely depleted—arguably more than any previous battle he'd experienced. He wasn't unscathed either; his chest and arms bore numerous small lacerations, bleeding from glancing strikes and sword energy aftershocks.
But Golden Lion was in considerably worse condition.
Already elderly and burdened with numerous old injuries—particularly the devastating head wound from his imprisonment escape—his stamina reserves were nowhere near their legendary prime. The two brutal direct hits Rhodes had landed earlier had further accelerated his exhaustion.
Huff... huff...
Rhodes gasped for breath, his chest heaving.
Then Shiki flew in aggressively once more.
The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi's power was sufficient to levitate entire islands into the sky. When applied to his own body, his flight speed was genuinely astonishing—only marginally slower than Rhodes' maximum velocity.
CLANG! CLANG!
Their blades clashed twice in rapid succession, then Shiki suddenly roared, unleashing a torrential wave of Conqueror's Haki that crashed down upon Rhodes like a tidal force.
Shiki had been a king of the seas, having clashed against legendary figures like Roger and Whitebeard countless times. He naturally possessed advanced Conqueror's Haki techniques—far more refined than Hancock's relatively straightforward application.
He hadn't employed this tactic earlier because both combatants had been in relatively good condition, making it ineffective.
But now, with both warriors considerably weakened, Shiki's gambit finally succeeded.
Caught momentarily off-guard, Rhodes' consciousness wavered briefly, and his movements slowed by a critical fraction.
Shiki finally bared his fangs fully, his blade-leg flashing with terrifying killing intent as he slashed horizontally toward Rhodes' exposed neck.
By this point in their battle, he'd long since abandoned any recruitment considerations. Such a phenomenally gifted young warrior, possessing such overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, would never genuinely submit to anyone.
Such an existence would inevitably become a formidable enemy in his future bid to reclaim dominance over the seas. It was absolutely essential to eliminate this threat immediately.
However—
To Golden Lion's utter disbelief, the effect of his Conqueror's Haki proved far weaker than anticipated.
Rhodes didn't even hesitate for a full fraction of a second before reacting with explosive speed, blocking the famous sword Kogarashi with a desperate parry.
CLAAAANG!
Brilliant sparks erupted violently.
Rhodes was sent flying backward by Golden Lion's devastating blow, the force tremendous.
The Conqueror's Haki's effect remained partially active—Rhodes' counterforce was clearly diminished from his normal output.
Golden Lion utilized his Float abilities masterfully, constantly pressing down on Rhodes with Kogarashi, preventing him from using the momentum to create distance. Simultaneously, he thrust forward with his other famous sword, Oto, aiming for a killing blow.
Layers of compressed air rippled from the blade tip—this thrust appeared capable of literally piercing a hole through heaven and earth itself!
Shodai Kitetsu remained locked in a desperate struggle against Kogarashi's pressure.
Rhodes reacted with lightning-fast analysis, instantly recognizing he had insufficient time to draw Storm Cutter for a proper block.
A fierce, determined glint flashed through his eyes.
He clenched his left fist, gathering as much lightning energy as physically possible, then unleashed it in a devastating strike.
"Raiken—Thunder Fist!"
(End of Chapter)
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