Bam!
A dull, heavy sound rang out exactly like a heavy hammer striking a leather drum, replacing the previous sharp screech of metal.
The air between them was forcibly compressed into a dense barrier of high-pressure gas, which then exploded outward instantly.
Zaraki did not retreat a single step.
Facing those two famed swords capable of cleaving the sea itself, he not only showed absolutely no intention of dodging but instead actively threw his body forward.
The Sandai Kitetsu vibrated violently in his grip.
Its jet-black blade locked fiercely with the legendary sword Oto, now coated heavily in golden Haki, sending bright sparks scattering exactly like molten steel.
'This kid is a madman!'
Shiki's pupils contracted slightly.
In those bloodshot eyes, he saw not a single shred of reverence for death—only pure exhilaration.
'This kid didn't care at all that stray sword energy had already sliced a deep gash open on his shoulder.'
'Instead, he used that intense pain to wring out even more ferocious power.'
"DIEEE!"
A beast-like roar erupted right from Zaraki's throat.
The thick muscles in his arms bulged, looking taut as steel cables.
The unreasonable monstrous strength of Kenpachi Zaraki was fully unleashed without any restraint in this moment.
Boom!
The two immense forces finally reached their absolute limit.
Centered on the exact point of their clash, a highly visible shockwave swept outward.
The floating rock platform beneath their boots shattered instantly.
Both figures, wrapped in dust and smoke, were sent flying backward exactly like heavy cannonballs.
Zaraki's body smashed through two floating small ruins in quick succession, finally crashing heavily right into a half-collapsed mountain.
Heavy rocks flew in all directions, thick dust and smoke billowing up.
Hundreds of meters away, Golden Lion also had to take dozens of steps in mid-air to barely dissipate the heavy force.
Though he appeared somewhat composed, his golden kimono was already highly tattered and torn.
His chest heaved violently, and an excruciating soreness radiated straight from the joint of his right knee.
"Cough, cough..."
Deep within the ruins, a blood-stained hand forcefully pushed aside the massive rock pressing down on him.
Zaraki staggered to his feet. The deep wound on his left shoulder gushed thick blood, staining most of his upper body crimson.
Yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, casually wiping a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth as his eyes gleamed even brighter than before.
It was the exact look of a predator discovering a prime target!
"Sooooooooo exhilarating." Zaraki spat out a mouthful of blood-streaked saliva and grinned widely.
"So this is the legendary pirate strength? A lot tougher than I expected."
Shiki hovered in the air, looking down at this blood-soaked yet still-standing youth.
The pure killing intent in his eyes gradually settled into a complex, grave intensity.
"I've roamed these seas for decades and seen countless rookies who called themselves brave. But your fighting style... it's practically an outright death wish." Shiki took a deep breath, steadying the highly turbulent energy within his body.
"Even that old bastard Garp wasn't this insane in his youth. To push me this far at sixteen years old... Brat, on these seas, I declare you the strongest rookie!"
Before his words fully faded, Shiki's grand movements did not cease.
The surrounding air grew incredibly thick and heavy.
"But kid, relying solely on this raw fervor and pure brute force... today, you will undoubtedly die."
Shiki slowly spread his arms wide, pushing the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi to its absolute limit.
The entire floating island seemed to come alive.
The thick earth rumbled, dark clouds churned wildly, and the gravitational field for several kilometers was completely distorted.
Countless massive rocks, heavy building debris, and even the foundations of small islands broke free from their original trajectories at this exact moment, constructing a despairing, crushing cage of stone right in the sky.
Before this terrifying power capable of fully reshaping the terrain, a single human seemed totally insignificant.
Facing this immense crushing pressure, Zaraki suddenly reached toward his waist and unfastened a flat metal flask hanging there.
"Undoubtedly die?"
He bit off the stopper, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp of strong liquor.
The pungent liquid burned down his throat right into his stomach, exactly like a hot fire igniting his already boiling blood.
With that drink, Zaraki casually tore off the blood-soaked black coat hanging from his shoulders and flung it aside.
The torn fabric whipped away in the violent wind, exposing the battered upper body beneath.
He rolled his shoulders once.
The constant strain from fighting through the outer defense zone, the blood loss, and the continuous release of Haki had already pushed his body to the very edge.
At that exact moment, a grayed-out progress bar on the system panel finally broke straight through its heavy limit.
[Kenpachi Zaraki Template Synchronization Rate increased... unlocked: Reiatsu Materialization.]
In an instant, a bright golden pillar of light erupted right from Zaraki's center, shooting straight into the sky!
This was pure, highly condensed soul pressure—neither Haki nor Devil Fruit power.
The golden Reiatsu transformed exactly into tangible flames, raging wildly in all directions.
The gravitational field that Shiki had tightly controlled was forcefully, brutally torn open by this violent force, creating a massive, clear void.
Floating debris touched by this heavy Reiatsu instantly turned to fine dust.
The thick leaden clouds in the sky were cleanly pierced by the pillar of light, warm sunlight pouring directly through the breach to illuminate Zaraki's face, which was twisted in a wild, highly unrestrained laugh.
Behind him, the thick golden Reiatsu faintly coalesced perfectly into the massive shape of a ferocious skull, roaring soundlessly straight at the heavens.
Shiki's previously highly confident expression finally froze completely.
Even from distance, the piercing, needle-like sensation right on his skin was unmistakably clear.
'This kind of pure power… is unheard of!'
"Is this your hidden trump card?"
Shiki laughed in fury, his pride as a true king causing his aura to surge wildly rather than wane.
"Good! Very good! Let's see if your brute strength is tougher, or my sword is sharper!"
"Lion's Thousand Slash Valley!"
Golden Lion kicked his legs in rapid succession, unleashing countless golden slashing waves like a torrential deadly downpour.
Each slash was powerful enough to cut straight through solid steel, weaving together exactly into an impenetrable net of absolute death in the air and sealing off all of Zaraki's escape routes.
"Jihahahaha! That's much more like it! A true battle of this caliber is finally worthy of my power!"
Zaraki had no intention of dodging.
Gripping his sword hilt tightly with both hands, he pushed off the shattered ground.
His entire body, enveloped in that terrifying golden Reiatsu, transformed into a golden meteor, charging right against the heavy onslaught of slashes!
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