The Kongōsōha—also known as the Adamant Barrage—was a legendary technique forged when the great demon sword, Tessaiga, absorbed the Demonic Power of a Great Daiyōkai.
This ancient demon's primary method of attack involved hurling countless dagger-shaped diamonds at his enemies.
For example, the assault resembled a torrential downpour of pear blossoms in a spring storm, yet each 'needle' was a diamond blade over half a meter in length.
The Kongōsōha unleashed by Ray through Tessaiga was a devastating evolution of this power.
It combined extreme velocity, the terrifying hardness of diamonds, razor-sharp edges, and the sheer driving force of Ray's immense Demonic Power.
Thousands of diamond shards, each massive and glistening, collided with Big Mom's 'Thunderfire Spear' like a catastrophic meteor shower.
The thunderous beam of Elbaf, capable of shaking the very fabric of space, was instantly halted in mid-air.
Moments later, the shockwave of the 'Spear of Elbaf' began to fracture, shattered piece by piece as it was forcibly penetrated by the relentless deluge of diamond blades.
Witnessing this, Big Mom's pupils trembled wildly.
The power of her spear was absolute; even the strongest giant warriors of Elbaf could not withstand it.
Yet, this brat's attack had neutralized it, and worse, less than half of the diamond blades had been destroyed.
The rest were still rushing toward her at breakneck speed.
Although Charlotte Linlin was known to the world for her "Iron Balloon," she wasn't foolish enough to test her skin against this onslaught.
Her own durability likely couldn't compare to diamonds, a substance said to be the hardest material on the seas.
After a split second of careful consideration, Big Mom commanded the thunder cloud, Zeus, to swiftly ascend, evading upward into the sky.
'I've only seen that diamond ability from that brute, Jozu, under Whitebeard's command. Why can Ray use diamond abilities too?' she thought with frustration.
'It's not yet time to use my trump cards, and ordinary ranged attacks are clearly no match for him. Then... I'll crush him in close combat!'
Having absorbed a massive amount of soul power from her children, Big Mom's physical strength was enhanced once again.
Her raw power had naturally surpassed what it was just moments ago by a significant margin.
Now brimming with confidence in her physical dominance, she was determined to suppress Ray completely.
Acting immediately, Big Mom dodged the tail end of the Kongoshoha and charged toward the ground where Ray stood, moving at her absolute fastest speed.
Seeing Big Mom drastically change her combat approach, Ray wasn't the least bit surprised.
Even from Big Mom's perspective, attempting to use her enhanced physique to overpower him was the logical move.
After all, during their initial close-quarters fight, Ray had only managed to fight evenly with her unenhanced version.
'Old hag, you've strengthened sure, but.... did you really think i went all out back then?'
...
Big Mom was incredibly fast as she reach Ray in just a breath's time.
Without a word, she raised her massive bicorne hat blade, Napoleon, and swung it down toward Ray's head with apocalyptic force.
Naturally, Ray met the attack head-on, brandishing Tessaiga with a single hand to intercept.
CLANG!
Following the crisp, deafening clash of weapons, the two stood deadlocked in place.
However, the ground beneath Ray could not withstand the pressure.
His legs were driven deep into the earth by the immense weight of Big Mom's strike.
Even though Ray was a master at dispersing force, the power behind Big Mom's gravity-assisted charge was truly terrifying.
With Ray's feet as the epicenter, the ground within a one-hundred-meter radius collapsed, sinking by more than a meter under the horrifying impact.
Ray's right hand, gripping Tessaiga, trembled slightly under Big Mom's overwhelming pressure.
"This power... is indeed strong," Ray admitted, a smirk playing on his lips.
...
Watching from afar, Cavendish felt as though his heart were being squeezed by a giant, invisible hand.
His face was pale.
"Is Ray being suppressed? In terms of raw strength, he seems completely outmatched!" Cavendish cried out, biting his thumb nail.
"This old hag has become so much stronger than before!"
"What should I do? Should I go help?"
He hesitated, looking at his sword, Durandal.
"But with my current level of power... I'd probably only manage to cut off a single strand of Big Mom's hair. Or worse, get flattened into a pancake!"
"Hmm..."
After a moment's intense thought, Cavendish realized his role.
Cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, he abandoned his noble image and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"GO, RAY!!! TAKE DOWN THIS OLD HAG! DON'T LET HER SQUASH YOU!"
From another perspective, Charlotte Katakuri who's still rushing at full speed toward the banquet hall, also witnessed the collision with his sharp Haki.
"Mama's overall reaction is relaxed," Katakuri noted, analyzing the battlefield. "Although Ray's expression is calm, his body is clearly struggling against the weight."
With his rich combat experience, Katakuri understood clearly that this scene indicated a significant gap in brute strength between the two.
"For Ray to win, he must rely on that long-range attack he used earlier. But can he even create the distance now? Mama won't let him escape."
"Mama's speed has also increased considerably compared to before."
"If he continues to be locked in close combat by Mama, Ray is likely to lose."
Though based on past experience, Katakuri believed Ray had little chance of victory in a brawl, he knew that in battles between top-tier fighters, unexpected turns were always possible.
Katakuri was well aware that even at his level, he couldn't rashly predict the absolute outcome of a clash between Emperor-level powerhouses.
...
Ray naturally sensed the extent of Big Mom's enhanced power.
Through the clash, he had formed a rough estimate of the upper limits of an Emperor-level powerhouse's strength.
He was fairly certain that the current Big Mom was operating at the peak of her lifetime power.
'In that case,' Ray thought, his eyes narrowing, 'I can finally fight to my heart's content.'
During his earlier close combat with Big Mom, he had only relied on his pure physical strength and Haki, reserving his Demonic Power for when he unleashed specific techniques.
In other words—he had been holding back.
WHOOSH!
In an instant, a brilliant turquoise-gold aura erupted around Ray, blinding Big Mom momentarily.
"That strange power... it is indeed still there. You've hidden it quite well, brat!" Big Mom growled.
At this moment, Ray's strength spiked significantly under the enhancement of his full Demonic Power.
His right hand gripping Tessaiga no longer trembled.
Though he was still at a slight disadvantage, he could now contend with Big Mom in a contest of strength.
After a brief, spark-filled stalemate, both warriors pushed off, separating their clashing blades.
Since the difference in raw strength wasn't substantial anymore, the victor would be decided by combat skills.
Big Mom roared, swinging Napoleon to strike again with a horizontal cleave.
But Ray's left hand wasn't idle.
The moment their blades separated, Ray coated his free left hand with a potent, acidic venom and combined it with Conqueror's Haki infusion, maximizing the armor-piercing capability of his technique: The Poison Flower Claw.
Big Mom had just engaged in another exchange with Ray.
When their blades had merely made contact without entering a full deadlock, she noticed Ray instantly releasing his grip on his sword.
This happened exactly when she was exerting maximum force, her massive body carrying heavy forward momentum.
Similarly, Ray also possessed forward momentum toward Big Mom.
His sudden release of the sword created a specific, dangerous situation.
Due to inaction, Big Mom would lurch closer to him, while he could use that same inaction to slip inside her guard.
Big Mom's sword, Napoleon, was still striking against Tessaiga's blade—which was now floating momentarily in the air—preventing her from immediately switching to other offensive moves.
Ray, however, had calculated his next attack before the clash even occurred.
Even though a powerhouse like Big Mom could quickly adjust to inertia, in clashes between monsters, a momentary discrepancy decided everything.
SQUELCH!
Ray's Poison Flower Claw successfully struck Big Mom's abdomen.
The infusion of Conqueror's Haki penetrated Big Mom's internal organs, while the sharp claws combined with molten iron venom breached her legendary external defense.
"GAAAAH!"
Big Mom felt her large belly tear with excruciating pain.
Enraged, she immediately released one hand from her sword to smash a fist toward Ray's head.
But since this combo was initiated by Ray, how could her heavy, reactionary punch possibly land?
The instant his attack connected with Big Mom's stomach, Ray had already flash-stepped backward, simultaneously grabbing the handle of the falling Tessaiga to begin a continuous assault.
While retrieving Tessaiga, Ray instantly leaped up, swinging the massive blade toward Big Mom's head.
Gritting her teeth through the burning pain, Big Mom immediately swung Napoleon to block.
But this time, Ray had no intention of testing his strength against this monstrous Iron Balloon.
"WIND SCAR!"
A massive golden light, swirling with both Haki and Demonic Power, instantly engulfed her body, tearing through the air with a roar that drowned out the thunder.
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