'Flame' was pointed diagonally at the ground, but at this moment, the sword had completely changed its appearance.
It seemed that his previous use of Haki and his Devil Fruit had caused the blade to undergo a transformation, adjusting to suit his power as it was forged into a Black Blade.
Aside from the fire he released to deal with Kizaru, Cyrus did not let the rest of his power leak out.
The raw strength of his Devil Fruit was compressed through the blade as a medium, making it even stronger, sharper, and more scorching—so much so that even Armament Haki could not completely block Flame's slashes now.
Of course, against truly top-tier powerhouses, the 'Flame' Slashes he threw out were not as devastating as one might imagine, unless he used Rising Sun Blade.
That single slash, however, consumed a massive amount of energy.
In his normal state, Cyrus could fight continuously for ten days to half a month, and as long as he had food to replenish his stamina, he could keep fighting indefinitely.
But in this current state, which hovered between normal and Unbending, the energy consumption was much greater.
If he had food, he could extend the duration of this state, as it all depended on his health points, but in a high-stakes battle like this, there was simply no time to eat.
Still, it was enough.
He hadn't planned on fighting the Marine Admirals here for days and nights anyway.
More importantly, he had to stay on guard against the unknown entity residing in Mary Geoise.
Cyrus was almost certain that if he activated Unyielding this close to the Holy Land, Imu would definitely make a move, as the power of that state could easily affect Mary Geoise even from the Sabaody Archipelago.
Cyrus's gaze shifted to the two wary Marine Admirals standing not far away, and it seemed as if literal flames were burning in his eyes.
"Let's have a real fight. Let's see how long you can last against me," Cyrus said softly.
His voice wasn't loud, but it put Kizaru and Akainu on high alert.
Under the perception of their Observation Haki, every move Cyrus made now radiated an extreme sense of threat.
"Hah!" A soft breath echoed behind the two Admirals, followed by a calm voice.
"Stroke Cut!"
As the words fell, Kizaru and Akainu were both sliced in two at the waist.
At the point of separation, Kizaru's body turned into light, while Akainu's lower half shifted into magma that emitted thick smoke.
Turning around, Cyrus swung his sword in a light, sweeping motion.
Swish, swish, swish!
What looked like a casual swing unleashed hundreds of blade flashes, slicing through the Admirals' elemental bodies and flying off into the distance.
Rumble!
Wherever the slashes passed, nothing could stop them until they finally landed on the giant mangrove tree marked with the number 1.
The thick trunk trembled violently before being completely severed by the crisscrossing cuts, sending the giant tree's massive crown crashing down to the earth.
Right now, however, no one cared about the falling tree.
Kizaru's bisected body completely dissolved into light before reforming a short distance away, while Akainu, who had been cut into countless pieces, turned into a pool of magma that splattered onto the ground.
The molten rock surged and rapidly expanded before two magma fists suddenly shot out, grabbing for Cyrus.
"Useless!" Cyrus swung his sword, cutting apart the two attacking magma hands, and stomped his foot hard against the earth.
The magma exploded, sending a shockwave spreading outward as the scattered molten rock reformed into Akainu's figure in mid-air.
"Hound Blaze!" Two magma arms reached Cyrus in an instant, striking his chest one after the other.
The moment they hit, the magma arms shattered on impact.
Suspended in mid-air, Akainu had a momentary look of absolute stupor on his face.
The Armament Haki faded from Cyrus's chest, and as he looked down at the spot he was hit, there wasn't even a single scratch on him.
However, those two attacks, even with the protection of Armament Haki, still cost him 11 health points, which was a true testament to the Admirals' power.
To make him lose so much health in this state was impressive, considering that since he started fighting with all his might, he hadn't lost this much health from a single exchange.
But while Cyrus understood the mechanics of his health pool, the onlookers did not.
What everyone saw was Cyrus tanking Akainu's magma attack with his bare body, walking away without a single wound.
"As I thought!" Hawkeye's sudden remark snapped the dumbfounded Dark King Rayleigh back to his senses.
From their previous encounter, Rayleigh knew that Cyrus's physique and physical defense were astonishing, easily on par with Charlotte Linlin's, but he hadn't known the exact limit.
Now, seeing him tank the devastating attacks of the Magma-Magma Fruit with his raw body?
Wasn't that level of durability a bit too ridiculous?
This was an Admiral's strike, and even in his decades at sea—having seen countless powerful individuals—Rayleigh knew that powerhouses capable of brushing off Akainu's magma were incredibly rare.
"His body is very special. I have never seen anyone able to harm him in the slightest. Even when he's not using his Devil Fruit to turn into his element, no attack can hurt him," Hawkeye explained, seemingly noticing Rayleigh's gaze.
The swordsman thought back to his own duel with Cyrus, recalling how the man had caught his descending blade with his bare hands, completely without the use of Armament Haki.
Yoru was one of the Supreme Grade Swords, its sharpness arguably the greatest in the world, and yet, it had been useless against Cyrus's bare skin.
Across the globe, the people watching the broadcast were equally dumbfounded as they witnessed a man shrug off an Admiral's lethal attack and come out completely unscathed.
...
On the battlefield, Cyrus waved his hand in front of him, as if casually brushing away non-existent dust.
Because his health was actively decreasing, he didn't waste any more words, and his body suddenly vanished.
When he reappeared right in front of Akainu, his dazzlingly bright longsword was already raised high, with black lightning fiercely sparking along its edge.
'I can't take this hit with Elemental Transformation,' Akainu judged instantly.
Infusing his arms with deep, dense Armament Haki, he raised both fists to meet the descending blade.
Boom!
The two clashed for only a fraction of a second before the sheer force of Cyrus's blow slammed Akainu's body straight into the ground.
It was a full-power strike.
The impact of Akainu crashing into the earth triggered what felt like a massive earthquake, and the entirety of Grove 1 trembled from the aftershock.
Buildings collapsed, and the few people still lingering in the area scrambled frantically to escape the destruction.
After striking down Akainu, Cyrus immediately turned and threw a punch with his left fist.
Amidst a flash of golden light, Kizaru appeared, delivering a kick toward Cyrus with unparalleled speed.
Cyrus's fist collided dead-on with the incoming kick.
Boom!
Kizaru's entire body was blasted apart into a sky full of scattered golden light.
Only after the Admiral's body had dispersed did Cyrus swing his sword down, his slash hitting nothing but empty air.
"You bastard, you almost killed me!" Kizaru cried out, having reformed his body nearby.
He wiped non-existent sweat from his brow with a look of mock terror, his tone and expression just as sleazy and laid-back as ever.
"Looks like I'm not putting enough pressure on you, Admiral Kizaru. Do you remember our battle in the North Blue? That was the only chance you ever had to defeat me," Cyrus said with a smile, his body vanishing once more.
Amidst a burst of flames, Cyrus reappeared directly behind Kizaru and kicked straight out, shattering the golden light once again.
'He really can run!' Cyrus thought, clicking his tongue as his kick hit nothing but light.