Chapter 314: Sword Slays the Peak
When Luke saw the situation in the arena, he froze on the spot, his eyes filled with dreamlike disbelief.
"What's going on?!"
"How come only Haro and Tru are left?"
Luke carefully examined the three still-warm corpses in the arena with his Kenbunshoku Haki, then sensed a familiar aura.
"Dead...dead?"
Luke's eyes widened slowly, filled with disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost.
How long has it been?!
Less than a few minutes!
His four most prized commanders were reduced to a single survivor?
"Extreme speed is at most a headache among those of the same level, but against weaker opponents, it's truly unparalleled."
Kuzan was also moved by the sight.
To kill three powerful figures in such a short time, even Whitebeard couldn't have done it.
To some extent, Rhodes already possessed some characteristics of a powerhouse like Whitebeard.
Whitebeard was a force capable of annihilating a large army, while Rhodes was a force capable of killing mid-to-high-level powerhouses in a short time.
Thinking of this, Kuzan recalled the upcoming Marine decisive battle. If Rhodes were defeated, and Sakazuki and the others couldn't restrain him, there would likely be a widespread massacre, an unstoppable slaughter.
This thought flashed through his mind, but Kuzan didn't dwell on it and stopped Luke, who was trying to return to help.
"Your opponent is me!" Kuzan said calmly.
"You're forcing me to fight to the death!"
Luke's expression turned cold. If Tru and the others were wiped out, the Kurman family's prestige would plummet, and all his ambitions would become empty talk.
He was already over fifty years old and didn't have much time to cultivate and recruit subordinates.
"..."
Kuzan yawned. Did I tell you that you might also die here today?
Seeing Rhodes's astonishing achievements, Kuzan became more confident.
And at this moment, in the arena...
Haro glanced at his three companions lying dead on the spot, a wave of panic and despair washing over him.
"Dariel's dead, they're all dead. Tru is stronger than me, so am I the fourth?"
No one wants to die—even survival is a form of living.
"I have to run!"
After a brief moment of hesitation, Haro made up his mind and turned to flee without a second thought.
But almost in that instant,
a bolt of silver lightning tore through the air and struck Haro.
BANG!
The arc of electricity exploded, and the intense current instantly paralyzed Haro.
At the same time, an incredibly powerful aura appeared in his Kenbunshoku Haki.
"It's over."
Haro's last thought flashed through his mind before he fell into eternal silence.
Rhodes withdrew his sword, then looked at Tru and said calmly,
"Aren't you going to run?"
Tru paused for a moment, then said indifferently,
"From the moment I became a pirate, I was prepared to die."
"Come on, let's fight."
"To die at the hands of a future Yonko wouldn't be a disgrace."
His face was calm, all negative emotions suppressed, only intense fighting spirit remained, his eyes gleaming.
"Interesting."
Rhodes smiled slightly, revealing a hint of admiration.
Such a person deserves respect.
Therefore, Rhodes decided to give him the fastest death.
Sonic Slash!
BOOM!
The void was pierced in that instant, and before the howling thunder could even reverberate, Rhodes's figure had already disappeared from the spot.
At Rhodes's level, he was no longer just barely surpassing the speed of sound, but far exceeding it.
Even with Tru's formidable strength, he could only barely catch a glimpse of his afterimage.
"Too fast!"
Tru couldn't bear being killed in one strike. He roared, his blood surging, making a rushing sound.
His skin instantly turned red, veins bulging, and his whole body seemed to swell.
At the same time, he gripped his sword with both hands, without any fancy moves, simply unleashing everything beyond his limits, almost burning his life force, to deliver the strongest sword strike of his life.
"With this sword drawn, I have no regrets in this life."
BOOM!
When the two swords collided, the center of impact was like a thunderclap, erupting with an astonishing shockwave.
Rhodes's strongest sword strike was simply too powerful—very few could withstand it.
Even Tru's ultimate strike, fueled by burning his life force, was futile.
Almost instantly upon the clash of the two swords, Rhodes's unparalleled strike severed Tru's beloved sword, then forcefully broke through Tru's Busoshoku Haki defenses, tearing open his chest.
Tru coughed up blood, a huge gash appearing in his chest. He was nearly severed from his body by Rhodes's sword, with only a small part remaining connected as he flew backward like a rag doll.
At this moment, the aftershocks of the force finally exploded.
Screech!
Everyone focused their attention, witnessing an unbelievable scene.
The vast arena seemed unable to bear the weight—the pillars composed of countless steel beams actually snapped.
"It's going to collapse!" someone murmured.
This arena was meticulously prepared by the Kurman family and was naturally very sturdy, yet even the aftershocks of Rhodes's battle couldn't withstand it.
Monster!
This power was incomprehensible to everyone—it seemed that every strike could split mountains and seas, destroy heaven and earth.
Cough, cough...
Blood continued to spill out uncontrollably.
The experienced Tru knew that his heart and part of his internal organs were completely shattered—even the world's best doctor wouldn't have a chance of saving him.
"Am I going to die?"
Tru thought bitterly. The gap was indeed too great.
The Thunder God Swordsman—he wondered if he would challenge for the title of the world's greatest swordsman.
The battle between Hawkeye and the Thunder God Swordsman should be quite a spectacle.
It was a pity he wouldn't get to see it.
The light in Tru's eyes gradually faded.
"You were a worthy opponent,"
Rhodes murmured to himself, then turned to look at Luke and Kuzan in the sky.
Seeing Tru's death, the battle in the sky also stopped.
"..."
Luke's face was grim, filled with barely suppressed rage, and a hint of retreat he didn't want to admit.
Yes.
He was somewhat afraid.
He now knew who the person below was.
The world-renowned Thunder God Swordsman, one of the five great powers of the New World...
Such a figure slaying five top masters in a short time, while somewhat unrealistic, was still acceptable.
After all, the whole world knew what the Thunder God Swordsman was best at.
"Should I run?"
"If I run now, the Kurman family will probably never have a chance to rule the underworld again."
Luke's mind raced with thoughts. He wasn't worried about death—he was a peak-level combatant, not so easily killed. He was just somewhat unwilling to accept it.
While Luke was pondering,
Rhodes had already risen into the air, step by step, as if treading on invisible steps, each step traversing several meters of void.
Ascending through the air, walking on nothing, he instantly arrived near Luke.
He said calmly,
"Today, my sword slays the peak."
(End of Chapter)
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