"Interesting."
Ian chuckled softly.
It felt as though his position was constantly changing.
Just as the Minotaur had claimed—could he truly alter his opponent's location within the labyrinth at will?
If that were the case, escaping would indeed be troublesome.
The technique might not have any direct killing power, but it was certainly vexing.
However…
"That doesn't work on me." Ian spoke with a smile.
"What? Such arrogance!"
The Minotaur reappeared, sneering coldly at Ian's words.
In the next instant, the Five Elders, the leader of CP0, and Kong were all shifted around Ian once more, closing in to surround him.
What a convenient support ability.
That only means… you'll be leaving the stage first.
Flames erupted—brilliant, crimson flames blooming in an instant!
They surged outward, roaring as they exploded in every direction.
"Careful!!"
Warcury cried out in alarm. "It's his Fire of Destruction!!"
"Wha—!!"
The Minotaur had only enough time to widen his eyes before the blazing inferno swallowed him whole.
Outside.
The colossal labyrinth covered a portion of the ruined island, its scale impressive.
But in that moment, the massive structure shuddered violently—then shattered apart.
Scarlet flames burst forth like an erupting volcano, surging with unstoppable force. A towering pillar of fire speared into the sky.
And within those flames, the labyrinth was gone, vanished without a trace.
"Urgh!!"
A pained cry tore through the inferno as Kong staggered out from the sea of flames.
Such terrifying fire!
Even his Haki, raised to defend, was being ripped apart as though it were nothing!
Had he not escaped quickly enough, the flames would already have consumed his body!
The consequences of being directly touched by those crimson flames—Kong knew them all too well.
The Fire of Destruction… that name was by no means an exaggeration.
Not far away, the Supreme Commander of CP0 had already escaped the blaze. His condition was far better than Kong's—while Kong looked somewhat battered and scorched, the commander carried himself with calm composure.
After all, flames without Haki infused into them weren't nearly enough to seriously wound top-tier warriors.
Moments later, the monstrous Five Elders burst out of the inferno.
But their state was far more miserable. Nearly every one of them was covered in wounds.
The boar-shaped elder fared a little better, but even he had lost most of his skin.
Fortunately, the Five Elders possessed terrifying regenerative abilities. In the blink of an eye, most of their injuries were already healed.
Yet, within the raging sea of fire…
There was still one figure who hadn't escaped.
"Uwaaaahhh!!"
A hysterical scream echoed from inside the flames.
Ian reached out, seizing the minotaur's neck, forcing him to kneel before him.
Calmly, he asked, "God, do you have any tricks left that you haven't played?"
The minotaur no longer had the strength to answer.
Even his Haki couldn't endure the relentless Fire of Destruction for long, especially after Ian's attacks had already torn through his defenses.
Once the barrier of Haki broke, his skin began to disintegrate, his muscles dissolved, and his very bones were erased into nothingness.
His lips, his tongue, his throat—already gone. How could he possibly respond to Ian's question?
"Tch. What a weak god."
With a flick of his hand, Ian tossed the minotaur away. The surging flames of destruction swallowed him whole, reducing him into absolute nothingness.
The minotaur died a wretched death.
"Surtur."
Ian spoke suddenly.
"I understand, Master!"
The tiny fire spirit perched on his shoulder floated into the air, taking a deep breath within the scarlet inferno.
The countless flames were instantly drawn toward it, spiraling like a vortex as they poured into its body.
Surtur's already crimson form glowed even brighter, as though it were about to radiate light.
Ian gave a small nod.
After all, frugality is a traditional virtue.
As the brilliant flames dissipated, Ian seized Surtur's careless pull, holding the crimson Sword of Destruction firmly in his grasp.
He glanced back at the Five Elders and the others.
The tip of the sword lifted, and dark veins began spreading across the blade that shimmered with red light. "Who's next?"
"Already taken out?"
Nusjuro transformed into his beast form, his upper body that of an elder and lower body resembling a skeletal horse. His gaze toward Ian was heavy with disbelief. "So easily?"
The Vice Commander of the God's Knights, that Minotaur, was by no means weak!
If placed among the Marines, there's no doubt he could stand on par with an Admiral!
Yet, before Ian, he was utterly powerless to resist?
"Attack together!!"
Warcury let out a roar, a colossal boar over a hundred meters long charging straight at Ian.
Before him, Itsumade soared in the sky, spewing flames.
But those mere flames didn't even reach Ian before being completely absorbed by the flaming sword in his hand.
Gyuki Saturn hurled toxic spheres.
Ian swung his sword casually, cutting through the spheres with ease.
But in the next instant, the spheres erupted violently.
The terrifying explosion even reminded Ian of the Dyna Stones.
Yet no matter how intense the blast, the flame-form Ian remained unharmed.
It was at that moment the massive boar crashed forward.
Its razor-sharp tusks were wrapped in a powerful dual-colored Haki!
Warcury, the boar, was also a master of Conqueror's Haki!
Facing such a formidable opponent, Ian grew slightly more serious.
He swung his sword.
Warcury's eyes widened instantly.
There was a brief moment of stalemate, and in the next, his tusks were severed!
Then his head, once thought unbreakable, was cleaved in a single strike.
"Impossible…"
Some real strength.
Ian commented silently.
But not much.
Considered to be nearly at the level of a Yonko in strength.
Still not on par with Bullet's.
"Ha!"
Terrifyingly fast.
A slash radiating intense cold suddenly shot toward Ian.
Nusjuro!
Transformed into a skeletal horse form, he moved with lightning speed, while swinging slashes of icy power.
However, neither the speed nor the ice meant anything to Ian.
Do you even understand the value of seeing the future?
Ian swung his sword backhandedly, splitting Nusjuro and his blade cleanly in two.
The quality of Nusjuro's sword was extremely high, likely a supreme great blade, but it only delayed him for an instant before being cut through.
"Feel me devour you!!"
The giant insect inhaled sharply.
It transformed into a massive vacuum, its terrifying airflow sweeping toward Ian, attempting to pull him straight into its belly.
"Ridiculous."
Ian slashed downward.
A massive crescent-shaped crimson flame erupted, covered with dark patterns.
In the next instant, the slash cut the sandworm's body in half and erased a significant portion of it out of thin air.
"What a joke!"
Saturn shouted in disbelief.
"Is it really that hard to believe?"
Ian smiled naturally.
"But this is just how strong I am!"
Do you even understand the value of the world's strongest?
If your haki can't withstand my fire of destruction, then you don't even have the right to be my enemy.
**********
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