What does it feel like to be struck by a kilometer-long blade?
The newly appointed Marine Admiral, Ryokugyu is here to answer that question firsthand!
"NO!!"
Ryokugyu eyes widened in shock, experiencing for the first time a sense of overwhelming powerlessness!
That fleeting moment of fear made him abandon any thought of resistance.
His true form, hidden within the towering hundred-meter-tall tree, rapidly descended, burrowing deep into the ground!
The terrifying black-and-red slash, stretching over a kilometer, instantly cleaved through the massive ice formation hundreds of meters wide, splitting the thick ice layer, shredding countless umbrella-sized hardened leaves and slicing apart the colossal tree trunk!
"AAAHHH!!"
From beneath the earth, Ryokugyu let out a blood-curdling scream.
His formidable Armament Haki surged to its limits in defense, while layers of tough, pitch-black tree burls emerged across his body, shielding him from Caesar slash.
Yet, within the terrifying slash lurked an even more horrifying corrosive poison!
As the Conqueror Haki-infused blade shattered the burls and struck Ryokugyu Armament Haki-coated body, the purple poison seeped from the slash, drenching him completely.
The dreadful corrosive poison instantly ate away at his hardened exterior, leaving his body pockmarked and mutilated beyond recognition!
Whoosh!
Caesar colossal Golden-Winged Great Peng form rapidly shrank, reverting to his human form as he landed on the ground.
The kilometer-long blade also condensed into a seven-meter-long weapon.
The sleek, black blade bore dragon engravings, with a hilt alone measuring two and a half meters, covered in overlapping rough scales resembling a dragon's tail.
"Bororororo! Not bad at all! Where did you come from, surviving my attack? Someone like you must be among the strongest fighters on the seas!"
Caesar laughed heartily, clearly amused.
He glanced down at Kaido and Big Mom location, tilting his head in confusion.
"Wait, did you defeat that idiot Kaido? Hmm? And... Linlin?"
Caesar was taken aback. He crouched beside Big Mom, staring at her face, his lips twitching involuntarily.
"Linlin... back on Hachinosu, you were such a beauty. How did you end up looking like this? Ugh, damn... I think I even had a few... passionate encounters with her back then."
He couldn't bear to look at Big Mom bloated face any longer, shaking his head as nostalgia washed over him—memories of the only woman on the Rocks Pirates who could withstand his... unrestrained enthusiasm. (More like his huge pp)
"Ah, well... it's been what, thirty damn years? No matter how stunning she was back then, age catches up to everyone."
Sighing, Caesar touched his own face before bursting into foolish laughter.
"Borororo! Lucky me—I slept for thirty years, so I'm still stuck at thirty-five! Hah! Three decades without a woman... my spear is starving!"
While Caesar was lost in his inappropriate musings, he remained oblivious to the fact that deep beneath his feet, Ryokugyu had unleashed the full power of his awakened Devil Fruit.
Countless green tendrils silently pierced through the earth, spreading across a kilometer-wide underground domain, ensnaring Caesar, Kaido, Big Mom—even Queen and King!
"Domain of Decay! Every living thing within this radius—wither away!"
Ryokugyu roared with hatred, his blistered lips parting as he unleashed his vengeance.
On his body were countless gaping holes.
His own flesh had been severely corroded by the terrifying Poison within the blade energy Caesar had unleashed, leaving him with grievous wounds.
That bizarre corrosive ability was so potent that even his formidable life energy couldn't heal the damage quickly—truly an eerie phenomenon.
"Hmm?"
Caesar suddenly felt his legs tighten as thick green vines, seemingly alive, rapidly coiled around him.
Caught off guard, his lower body was completely ensnared in an instant!
Underground, Ryokugyu had fully activated his Observation Haki, not only concealing his own presence but also focusing entirely on pinpointing Caesar location.
Compared to others who posed no threat, Caesar alone was the thorn in Ryokugyu side.
When he sensed his vines had so effortlessly trapped Caesar, Ryokugyu even froze in momentary disbelief.
This was entirely unexpected.
After all, this freak who could transform into giant fish and birds possessed combat prowess rivaling that of an Emperor.
Even the Navy top-tier fighters had suffered repeated setbacks against those monster.
And yet, such a formidable foe had been captured so easily?
What Ryokugyu didn't know was that at the very moment he struck, Caesar had been lost in reverie, fantasizing about pleasures he hadn't indulged in for thirty years.
After the initial shock came wild elation!
Abandoning all other targets, Ryokugyu charged straight for Caesar, mustering every ounce of his strength to send all his vines surging toward the trapped man, wrapping him layer upon layer!
The earth split open as Ryokugyu emerged from below, his body riddled with pockmarked wounds.
He sauntered over to stand before Caesar, looking up at his towering form.
Suddenly, he yanked his right hand, and the massive vines restraining Caesar pulled him down to the ground. Even then, Ryokugyu could barely meet Caesar eye level.
Caesar frame was simply too enormous—his head alone was nearly the size of Ryokugyu entire body.
"Hehehe, let's see how you gonna escape now!" Ryokugyu sneered viciously.
Not a trace of panic showed on Caesar face, only undisguised contempt as he scoffed.
"What can you possibly do to me? You think vines like these can pierce my defenses? Dream on! Neither Roger nor Garp could kill me! Bororororo!"
Ryokugyu was stunned—Roger and Garp had failed to kill this monster before him?
If that claim held truth, then his vines might indeed prove ineffective against such defenses.
His expression darkening, Ryokugyu unleashed his full power, driving his vines against Caesar body in an attempt to penetrate the flesh and drain his life force.
Yet moments later, Ryokugyu face twisted into a scowl so severe it seemed water might drip from it!
No penetration!
The man skin remained completely impenetrable!
As this realization struck, disbelief flashed in Ryokugyu eyes, even casting doubt on his own abilities.
Refusing to accept this, he mustered all his strength once more.
This time, the vine tips sharpened to needle points, even sheathed in Armament Haki!
"Pierce through, damn you!"
Clang!
The metallic clang of impact rang out as the vine twisted into a limp, dejected spiral, hanging uselessly.
"Impossible! Akainu himself said that with my power, I could drain even Kaido if caught off guard!"
Ryokugyu roared, his entire worldview shaken.
Could his strength really be that lacking?
Yet during the Navy worldwide conscription, he had defeated countless powerful opponents, standing out from among hundreds of thousands—no, millions—of candidates.
From beginning to end, only Fujitora, with his equally formidable combat prowess, could truly rival him!
Ryokugyu extended a vine toward Kaido, piercing through in an instant!
Thud!
The vine penetrated Kaido outer layer, impaling his body.
Seeing this, Caesar burst into laughter.
"Borororo! Kaido is my younger brother—his talent is far inferior to mine! Among the Oni Clan, I am the strongest in a thousand years! Boy, if you think you can break my defenses, you're ten thousand years too early!"