Deep beneath the earth, the Sword Saint endured relentless punishment. His internal organs churned violently, and even the protection of the Holy Sword could not prevent a torrent of blood from spilling forth under the successive assaults.
Sizzle… sizzle…
A corrosive sound echoed from deep underground.
The West Army Commander, dressed in her distinctive attire, emerged from the cracked earth. Surrounding members exchanged bewildered glances.
"Why does it sound like the earth itself is corroding? Dragon, is this part of your ability?" Sabo asked, suspicion in his voice. He wondered if Dragon had secretly imbued the Dragon Fist with some hidden power, adding a unique destructive effect to their coordinated assault.
Dragon's serious expression softened slightly. He recalled what his father, Garp, had once said: among the Celestial Dragons, only Imu and her direct descendants possessed the purest blood, a vibrant purple, capable of corroding all things.
For such a sound to manifest, their strategy had worked.
"This… must be the blood of the purest Celestial Dragons! Even if the Sword Saint survives, he must be gravely wounded," Dragon explained.
Hearing this, the Revolutionary Army members exhaled in relief. The Sword Saint was no ordinary opponent. If they had not employed their unorthodox strategy—originally designed to counter Imu—they might have been the ones defeated.
They surveyed the twisted, cracked earth, still feeling lingering fear. They had narrowly survived. One misstep, and the Sword Saint's single blow could have obliterated them.
"Thankfully, we managed to subdue this terrifying opponent. If he had retaliated, none of us would have survived," Ivankov said solemnly. The sheer strength of the Sword Saint had left an indelible mark on all of them.
"Yet… even a single Sword Saint posed this much trouble. If it had been Imu herself, I fear we would not have stood a chance," Sabo added, gazing toward Mary Geoise with a grave expression.
"And… we have already revealed one of our strategies against Imu. With her intellect, she has likely discerned our methods, which will pose a massive challenge in our next encounter," Sabo continued, analyzing the battle.
As they reflected on the might of Imu's lineage, a chilling voice echoed from beneath the ground.
"You lowly humans… celebrating too early, aren't you? Hahaha! Do you really believe a group of ants can defeat an elephant?"
It was unmistakably the Sword Saint Bickley, forced underground by the Revolutionary Army's coordinated attacks.
The earth trembled violently. Faces turned pale as realization set in: their attacks might not have succeeded. Was the Sword Saint's defense truly that formidable?
With a deafening crack, the earth split open, and the Sword Saint burst forth, holding his Holy Sword aloft.
"You dare harm me? Die, you insolent humans!" he roared.
The surrounding Revolutionary Army members stared in shock. The Sword Saint's physical transformation was astonishing. He was no longer the long-haired man in his thirties they had fought. His head had swollen, his forehead protruded menacingly, fangs bared, hair disheveled, and blue-purple blood dripped from his mouth.
"The Sword Saint… is that really him?" Sabo whispered, eyes wide.
Ivankov's expression, accentuated by her makeup, mirrored pure disbelief.
Dragon himself could hardly conceal his shock. "The Sword Saint… is this what a true Celestial Dragon looks like?"
Bickley's eyes grew cold, deadly with contempt.
"I never imagined lowly humans could provoke my true form. Countless powerful individuals have witnessed this, and the outcome was always the same: they perished at my hand, in the most humiliating ways," the Sword Saint said grimly.
The West Army Commander immediately activated her Devil Fruit ability, tunneling deep into the earth to reposition strategically.
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I'll be dropping a 50% discount code for my Patreon membership on the 15th, in celebration of the upcoming Christmas season.
The code will be active from that day until the end of the month.
Stay tuned