Chapter 274: Roar
"What terrifying power! Is this the strength of a true master swordsman?"
Rebecca and Kyros—both practitioners of the blade—displayed expressions of profound longing.
In the eyes of ordinary observers, Rhodes' swordsmanship proved so overwhelming that he must have already reached the pinnacle of sword mastery—the realm of a Dai Kengō (Great Swordsman).
Such a young Great Swordsman might even contend for the title of World's Greatest Swordsman in the future!
Just as the crowd outside the arena wavered with amazement—
The smoke and electrical arcs filling the training grounds finally dissipated. Jack the Drought rose to his feet, shook his slightly dazed head, and processed the intense pain radiating through his body.
Tearing sensations, stinging agony, electrical numbness—all manner of suffering surged through his nervous system. If this were an ordinary person, they'd probably be unable to suppress agonized screams.
But Jack the Drought only felt mounting excitement. His eyes blazed crimson, staring at Rhodes with undisguised fighting spirit.
Like captain, like subordinate.
Kaido loved death itself and longed to instigate warfare engulfing the entire world. Jack was equally warlike—a complete battle maniac who understood nothing of genuine fear.
In the original timeline, this madman not only dared attack a convoy transporting a former Fleet Admiral, a current Admiral, and a legendary Vice Admiral, but also dared provoke Zunisha itself.
Even a fool could deduce how enormously powerful a giant elephant—a creature capable of carrying an entire civilization across the seas—must be.
What happened next proved predictable: Zunisha wrecked several of Jack's vessels with a single trunk swing, and Jack himself was utterly defeated.
All of this demonstrated his reckless stupidity and arrogance, but simultaneously proved his incredible resilience and durability.
Now, Jack's legendary toughness was gradually becoming apparent.
Although he suffered excruciating pain from the Thunder Dragon's assault, he recovered remarkably after several breaths. His wounds scabbed over rapidly, his breathing stabilized, and he displayed astonishing regenerative capabilities.
"While your regenerative abilities are quite impressive, if that's the extent of your strength, you should step back," Rhodes stated calmly.
Although Jack's recovery seemed superior to Byrnndi World's, whom he'd encountered previously, it remained clearly insufficient.
"Huff... huff..."
Jack inhaled deeply, his massive lung capacity even generating a sizeable whirlwind.
He remained silent. He was arrogant and reckless, certainly, but still possessed fundamental combat acumen—otherwise he'd never have reached All-Star status.
"You're strong. I'll deploy my strongest form against you."
With that declaration, the mammoth Jack had transformed into slowly contracted, instantly reverting to human configuration.
The humanoid Jack appeared far more imposing than during their initial encounter—this must be Jack the Drought's Human-Beast Form.
Jack cracked his neck joints methodically, clenched his fists, and observed as several horrific chest wounds rapidly healed before everyone's eyes.
This accelerated recovery wasn't without cost—it consumed substantial life force—but as an Ancient Zoan user, life force was the last resource Jack lacked.
Snap.
Jack removed two massive tusks from his neckpiece, then with a practiced wrist motion, transformed them into two wickedly curved shotels.
More scythe than sword, they gleamed with devastatingly sharp edges.
Jack gripped both bladed weapons, imbuing them with substantial Armament Haki, and exhaled slowly.
"Come on. This is my ultimate combat form."
With that proclamation, he stomped explosively and charged toward Rhodes.
Jack in humanoid form wasn't as physically terrifying as his full beast transformation, but his velocity had increased dramatically.
Clearly, within this state, Jack's combat attributes were substantially more balanced, emphasizing both strength and speed equally.
Whoosh!
Rhodes nodded slightly, displaying no fear whatsoever. He gripped Raiu's hilt with both hands, and in a flash, met Jack the Drought head-on.
Within a split second, both combatants collided violently.
BOOOOOM!
Sword and shotels clashed—not with metallic ringing, but with a deafening roar resembling thousands of artillery shells detonating simultaneously at ground zero.
A terrifying shockwave rippled outward violently, the massive residual force sweeping in all directions, tearing the earth apart like paper.
Rhodes recognized that Jack the Drought's raw power in this form had decreased somewhat. Rhodes' current physical strength proved sufficient to withstand the exchange.
BANG!
Both combatants were forced backward momentarily, then launched even more devastating follow-up attacks.
Under everyone's astonished observation, the two exchanged blows dozens of times within mere moments, with the brutish Jack barely managing to match Rhodes' velocity.
This surprised Rhodes moderately.
Sure enough, to qualify as one of the Beast Pirates' All-Stars with a bounty exceeding one billion berries, he possessed corresponding capabilities.
Even if Rhodes' overall strength surpassed Jack's by a full tier, achieving quick victory seemed unlikely.
Rhodes retreated two steps strategically, and Jack assumed Rhodes intended to withdraw—but then a massive sword energy projectile shot toward him from mid-air.
Caught completely off-guard by the sudden sword energy appearance, Jack hastily raised his shotels defensively.
Exploiting this opening, Rhodes flashed to Jack's flank and slashed outward devastatingly.
CLANG!
Jack's combat instincts proved incredibly sharp—his opposite shotel blocked the strike almost instantaneously.
Their weapons locked in momentary stalemate, but Rhodes didn't cease his assault.
He excelled at velocity, and not merely in movement—his offensive sequences were equally swift and relentless.
He concentrated dense Armament Haki into his leg and unleashed a lightning-fast kick, catching Jack completely unprepared.
CRACK!
Tremendous force detonated.
Jack was sent flying backward, spitting blood mid-trajectory, rolling several times across the ground before finally stopping.
"Too strong... completely outmatched."
Jack's subordinates couldn't believe what they were witnessing.
They understood best how powerful and ruthless Jack-sama was. He typically crushed any adversary with unparalleled ferocity, yet now found himself utterly dominated, offering virtually no resistance.
Whoosh!
Rhodes charged at Jack once again, arriving almost the instant Jack regained his footing, and slashed downward with devastating intent.
Slash!
Jack was caught unprepared, barely managing to dodge a fatal blow. The blade effortlessly pierced through his Armament Haki coating, leaving a deep, bone-exposing gash.
The immense force caused Jack to lose his footing and stagger backward several steps. Rhodes, showing absolutely no mercy, pressed his overwhelming advantage, striking Jack repeatedly with systematic precision.
Blood splattered across the arena.
Rhodes' attacks proved simply too powerful. Jack's previously invincible defenses were rendered utterly meaningless.
Within moments, he'd sustained severe injuries, blood flowing from countless wounds.
Although these lacerations healed rapidly, Rhodes' assault tempo was even faster and more ferocious, likely exceeding Jack's regenerative threshold imminently.
Intense agony surged throughout his body. Jack barely managed protecting his heart and skull, but he understood with sinking certainty that continuing like this meant inevitable defeat.
He represented one of the Beast Pirates' symbols, embodying their collective honor. He could lose, certainly, but not this easily.
With this resolution, he inhaled deeply—then suddenly roared with everything he possessed.
"GWOOOOOOAAAARRR!"
Jack opened his mouth impossibly wide as rings of sound waves—almost tangible—swept outward in devastating concentric circles.
Rhodes had already raised his guard when Jack's mouth opened extraordinarily wide. Sensing his intention immediately, he attempted rapid evasion but was still caught by the powerful sonic assault.
Fortunately, Rhodes' physical constitution was monstrous, and his resistance proved considerable.
Moreover, because he'd retreated immediately, he'd avoided maximum force concentration.
Therefore, he wasn't seriously injured—his eardrums merely ached somewhat, and his head felt slightly dizzy.
Rhodes glanced at the ground near Jack's position, which appeared as though it had been carpet-bombed, and his lips twitched slightly.
That was... a Shishi no Hōkō (Lion's Roar)?
The terrifying sonic attack propagated outward violently, shattering windows of nearby buildings as though a supersonic aircraft had swept past.
Kyoshiro and other Beast Pirates members had prepared accordingly and covered their ears preemptively.
Jinbe and Kyros, possessing substantial strength, weren't significantly affected.
But Rebecca and the ordinary soldiers were suffering tremendously.
The weaker individuals had even collapsed to the ground entirely, their eardrums throbbing with agony, temporarily deafened.
(End of Chapter)
[Support Goal: 500 PS → +2 Chapters]
[Support Goal: 10 Reviews → +1 Chapter]
Your review helps the story grow.
P2treon Soulforger (30+ chapters ahead)