"Trying to escape? It's not that easy!"
Zoro's eyes turned cold, he stomped his foot, quickly drew his sword, and a One-Sword Style slash erupted!
A powerful Sword Qi tore through the air, striking towards Lafitte's back like lightning!
"Bang!!"
However—
Lafitte reacted incredibly fast. A slight smirk appeared on his lips, and the staff sword in his hand instantly unsheathed!
He flicked his wrist, the long sword sliced through the air, and the Sword Qi, like a thread, instantly shattered Zoro's slash into nothingness!
Zoro's pupils constricted slightly, and his expression changed.
"This guy's swordsmanship... is not simple!"
The next second, Lafitte's figure suddenly accelerated, disappearing directly into the clouds!
Seeing Lafitte successfully rescue Blackbeard, Van Auger and Doc Q in the distance no longer hesitated!
Van Auger supported the injured Burgess, while Doc Q called for his horse!
"Now!"
The three quickly mounted their horses. Doc Q gently patted the horse's neck, and the horse suddenly spread a pair of huge wings, flapping them to fly high, soaring straight into the sky!
They didn't look back, flying rapidly away into the distance!
They knew... they had lost this battle, completely and utterly lost!
Lin Ning did not pursue.
His arms hung down, his halberd gently propped on the ground, his breathing was heavy, and the muscles on his body twitched slightly after the fierce battle.
This battle was too intense!
Especially the use of Hegemon Emperor Execution, which had almost completely drained his stamina!
Even he was already utterly exhausted!
"Lin Ning!"
The Straw Hat quickly gathered around him. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Robin all looked at him with concerned eyes.
"Are you okay?!"
Lin Ning smiled faintly, shook his head, and his voice was steady and calm:
"Don't worry, I'm not dead yet... just exhausted."
Only then did everyone relax and let out a sigh of relief.
Nami looked relieved: "That's great... you really scared us."
Usopp wiped away cold sweat: "Oh my goodness! That battle just now... it was a monster-level battle!"
Chopper immediately went forward to check Lin Ning's physical condition, and only after confirming that there was no serious injury did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Robin stood not far away, quietly looking at Lin Ning, a deep sense of shock in her eyes.
"Lin Ning... how much stronger can you get?"
This was not the first time she had been shocked by this man.
And Zoro tightly gripped his sword, his gaze burning, his Battle Intent high!
"Lin Ning... we can't fall behind."
"After this battle, we must become stronger!"
Zoro's words made Luffy and Sanji's eyes narrow as well.
"That's right!"
Luffy clenched his fists and shouted excitedly:
"We... must become stronger!"
Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth, glanced in the direction where Blackbeard and the others had disappeared, his tone carrying a hint of unwillingness:
"What a pity... they got away."
"However, having been defeated, they won't be a threat the next time we meet them."
Zoro crossed his arms, his eyes sharp as blades, and said coldly:
"Next time we meet... it won't be this result."
The passion of the battle had not completely faded, and everyone silently vowed in their hearts to become stronger!
This battle made them realize that the powerhouses of the Grand Line were far more terrifying than imagined.
Although Blackbeard was defeated, if he survived, he would definitely become even more dangerous.
At this moment, Luffy suddenly frowned, looked at Lin Ning, and said with some reluctance in his tone:
"Hmph, what a shame! I wanted to personally knock that guy flying next time."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ning gently shook his head, his gaze profound, and slowly said:
"My last move was my strongest single-target attack currently."
"It was an ultimate piercing damage, directly penetrating Blackbeard's left chest."
At this point, he paused slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"Normally speaking, he most likely won't survive."
When everyone heard these words, they fell silent for a moment, all feeling a sense of shock.
Just as everyone was still thinking, Nami suddenly remembered something, her beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she spoke:
"Oh, right, Blackbeard said before—"
"Tomorrow at noon, directly south of Jaya Island, there will be a Knock-Up Stream leading to Sky Island."
Robin nodded gently, elegantly crossing her arms, and added:
"Yes, Blackbeard did say that at the time."
Upon hearing this, Usopp immediately showed a suspicious expression, his brows tightly furrowed, and he said nervously:
"He wouldn't be lying to us, would he?"
Zoro closed his eyes and slowly said:
"Unlikely."
He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked around at everyone:
"After all, at that time, Blackbeard already thought he had us cornered, so he wouldn't lie about something like this."
His words made everyone's hearts stir. Indeed, with Blackbeard's arrogant and conceited personality,
Under circumstances where he believed victory was certain, there was no need to deliberately fabricate information about the Knock-Up Stream.
Nami stretched, a confident smile gracing her lips. She crossed her arms and said proudly:
"It doesn't matter!"
"If the Knock-Up Stream really exists..."
"With me, the Genius Navigator, we'll definitely make it to Sky Island!"
When everyone heard Nami's confident declaration, their spirits immediately lifted, and the light of anticipation ignited in each of their eyes!
Luffy even jumped up excitedly, raising both hands, and shouted loudly:
"Alright!! Let's go!!"
"Target — Knock-Up Stream!!"
The next morning, as the first light of dawn appeared, the going merry was already sailing directly south of Jaya Island.
The azure sea shimmered, and the sea breeze gently blew, but on the deck of the Straw Hat Pirates, it was a busy scene.
"Faster, faster! Zoro, hurry up!"
"Sanji, help me adjust the sails, and check the thermometer, please!"
"Lin Ning, measure the water depth, and remember to be detailed!"
Nami stood at the bow, holding a pen and a nautical chart, excitedly shouting commands, her eyes filled with excitement.
Lin Ning, Zoro, and Sanji were being ordered around by Nami!
Zoro complained with an annoyed expression: "Hey, hey, why do we combatants have to do these chores?"
Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth, shrugged helplessly: "No choice, Miss Nami's orders are absolute!"
Lin Ning smiled calmly and said nothing, as it wasn't a difficult task anyway.
After a busy morning, Nami was writing and drawing in her notebook, seriously analyzing the changes in ocean currents, wind direction, and air pressure.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she jumped up excitedly, shouting loudly:
"I understand!!"
Everyone was startled by her sudden voice and stopped what they were doing, looking at her.
"What do you understand?" Luffy looked bewildered.
Nami excitedly pointed to her notebook, her eyes sparkling with light:
"I know the principle behind the formation of the Knock-Up Stream!"
"The Knock-Up Stream doesn't appear out of nowhere; it's an extreme natural phenomenon!"
Nami picked up her pen and circled an area of the sea on the nautical chart, explaining rapidly:
"Beneath the sea area directly south of Jaya Island, there's an active underwater volcano!"
"This underwater volcano continuously releases high-temperature gases and geothermal energy, causing the seawater temperature to rise sharply!"
"Due to the special geological structure of the crater, the erupting energy is sealed within an underground cavern!"
"When the underwater pressure reaches its limit, the entire cavern acts like a giant water gun filled with high-pressure water!"
"Then — bang!!!" Nami suddenly waved her arm, mimicking a towering water column.
"Once a crack in the volcano's crater is torn open, the accumulated high-temperature water will instantly erupt, forming a super water column that shoots straight into the sky!"
"This is the Knock-Up Stream!"