Vista stood tall and steady, completely unfazed by the overwhelming pressure rolling toward him.
His movements were swift and precise as his hands closed around his two legendary blades—Durandal and Axe.
In an instant, both swords flashed from their sheaths like dragons bursting from the sea. Cold light traced graceful arcs through the air before the blades crossed in front of him.
Their edges gleamed sharply, reflecting the chaos of the battlefield around them.
CLANG—!
A deafening clash of steel shattered the brief silence.
Strawberry's powerful downward slash came crashing toward Vista with tremendous force, but Vista reacted instantly, raising both swords to catch the blow with perfect precision.
Sparks exploded between the blades like fireworks blooming in the night.
Vista focused on the tremendous force continuously pressing through his swords, along with the strange and unsettling attraction pulling against his balance.
One eyebrow rose slightly.
"Oh? So that serum did more than simply increase your strength."
His eyes sharpened thoughtfully.
"Even your swordsmanship has picked up a rather troublesome little quality."
But Vista had not earned the title of Flower Sword by backing down from difficult opponents.
With a subtle flick of his wrists, his seemingly casual movement revealed years of painstaking refinement.
His twin swords suddenly seemed to come alive.
They flowed through the air like butterflies in a dance, graceful and effortless.
In that same instant, Vista shifted from defense to attack.
His swordsmanship was beautiful—
And deadly.
Every slash flowed naturally into the next, yet each elegant movement concealed lethal intent.
Countless razor-sharp arcs of sword energy burst from his blades like flower petals.
They were no decorative display.
Each "petal" was a highly compressed flying slash containing tremendous cutting power.
They surged toward Strawberry from every direction like a violent tide, filling the surrounding space with a storm of deadly sword light.
"Hundred Flowers in Bloom: Sakura Blizzard!"
The name of the attack rang across the battlefield like the opening note of a war song.
Strawberry's expression changed immediately.
He knew exactly how dangerous the technique was.
Gripping his sword tightly, he swung with all his strength to defend himself.
Dense black energy flowed down his arm and spread across his blade, coiling around the steel like living serpents.
The simulated power of the Dark-Dark Fruit attempted to swallow and divert the incoming sword energy.
But Vista's attack was far too refined.
The countless slashes intertwined densely yet moved with astonishing flexibility, almost like living spirits weaving through the air.
Every blade of energy seemed able to locate even the smallest gap in Strawberry's defense.
Shhk! Shhk!
Several sharp cuts sounded in rapid succession.
Strawberry's Vice Admiral coat was instantly sliced open in numerous places.
Strips of fabric fluttered away through the air.
The sword energy had fortunately failed to reach his flesh, but his appearance had become noticeably disheveled, and fine beads of sweat gathered across his forehead.
Realizing the situation was turning against him, Strawberry's eyes widened furiously.
"Black Hole!"
Dark energy erupted from his body like a river breaking through a dam and poured into the ground beneath his feet.
The earth began trembling violently.
Black patterns spread outward from Strawberry in every direction, rapidly forming a dangerous field intended to restrict Vista's movements and buy him room to recover.
Vista had no intention of stepping into such an obvious trap.
His honed footwork carried him into the air before the darkness could reach him.
Hovering above the battlefield, he raised both swords overhead.
Haki surged around his body like an ancient beast awakening from its slumber.
Confidence and disdain shone in his eyes.
"Useless! Tricks like that mean nothing against superior speed and technique!"
Vista brought both blades forward.
"Take this—Two-Sword Style Secret Art: Blooming Rose!"
The battlefield transformed.
Vista's figure seemed to merge with the surrounding world as countless sword lights gathered around him, taking the form of a gigantic, dazzling steel rose.
Every petal consisted of razor-sharp sword energy gleaming with freezing light.
At the flower's center burned Vista's overwhelming fighting spirit and power.
The enormous steel rose descended upon Strawberry with a beautiful yet devastating presence, threatening to shred everything caught within it.
Its pressure alone seemed capable of tearing apart the surrounding space.
Vice Admiral Strawberry's expression hardened.
His lips pressed into a thin line, his teeth grinding beneath the strain as fury and determination surged through him.
The black energy surrounding his body intensified until it resembled a tangible cloud of darkness.
He raised his sword high with both hands.
"Shadow Slash!"
A vicious blade of light erupted from his weapon, wrapped in surging darkness.
The sinister attack met Vista's brilliant sword technique head-on.
BOOM—!
Radiant sword light and freezing shadow collided violently once again.
Dazzling sparks exploded outward as the surrounding air seemed to split beneath their power.
This was no longer a simple exchange of techniques.
It was a supreme contest between two master swordsmen—
A clash of skill, strength, and will.
Every strike and defense reflected years of devotion to the sword and each man's own understanding of swordsmanship.
Amid the chaos of the enormous battlefield, their duel became something uniquely beautiful and deadly—
A brilliant spectacle of blades that drew the attention of everyone nearby.
...
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the fighting was growing increasingly fierce.
Marco and Vista, two of the Whitebeard Pirates' strongest commanders, had already engaged powerful Marine Vice Admirals head-on in breathtaking battles.
The sight of those clashes was like a spark thrown into dry tinder, instantly igniting the fighting spirit of the other Whitebeard commanders.
Their eyes burned with excitement.
There was no way they could simply stand back and watch while their comrades took all the action.
"Brothers! Let the Marines see the true strength of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
The massive Kingdew stepped forward, his body built like a mountain.
His booming voice thundered across the battlefield with his usual boldness.
As his roar rang out, something ancient seemed to awaken inside him.
A vast and primal dragon aura suddenly erupted from his body, like a beast that had slumbered for a thousand years finally opening its eyes.
Then his body began to change.
Kingdew's already enormous frame swelled rapidly, stretching his clothes until the fabric tore apart with a sharp rip.
Hard blue-gray dragon scales emerged across his skin, each shining with a metallic luster that seemed capable of turning aside almost any attack.
His hands transformed into vicious claws, their tips gleaming coldly.
A pair of savage dragon horns rose from his forehead.
Then a thick, powerful tail tore through the back of his clothing and whipped through the air, producing a violent gust.
He had entered the hybrid form of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Azure Dragon!
Kingdew now resembled an imposing dragon warrior, ready to tear his way through the battlefield.
"ORA! For Pops! Tear them apart!"
Squard, the Maelstrom Spider, laughed wildly, his face twisting with excitement as fanatic light blazed in his eyes.
The power hidden within his body erupted as well.
In moments, he completed his own hybrid transformation.
His new form resembled a demonic war god emerging from the depths of hell.
The scales covering him were not the usual blue-gray, but a deep, burning crimson, like flowing magma. Every scale radiated intense heat and a sense of destruction.
His already dangerous claws had grown even longer and sharper, their edges gleaming with freezing light as though a casual swipe could cut through anything before him.
And he was far from the only one.
Almost at the same moment, Atmos the Water Buffalo began trembling violently.
The muscles across his huge body swelled as brilliant light erupted around him, and he too entered a hybrid dragon form.
Karma followed without hesitation, powerful waves of energy exploding from his body as he stepped into the same ultimate combat state.
Several other commanders transformed as well.
Powerful dragon auras erupted from all of them simultaneously, becoming almost tangible as they swept across the battlefield and made the surrounding air seem to freeze.
Clearly, the Whitebeard Pirates had undergone a massive collective increase in strength with Ron's help.
The special methods and techniques he had taught them were like keys unlocking the vast potential hidden within their bodies, allowing them to display power far beyond anything they had possessed before.
For a moment, the entire Whitebeard Pirates' formation seemed to ignite.
Their fighting spirit reached its peak.
Deep, majestic dragon roars surged into the heavens one after another, powerful enough to make the sky itself tremble.
Several terrifying dragon-human figures stood proudly amid the chaos, their auras surging like beasts just released from their cages.
Without the slightest fear or hesitation, they charged directly toward the remaining Marine Vice Admirals.
Violent winds howled in their wake.
"Power Dragon Claw!"
One commander roared as his hands transformed into enormous claws.
They ripped toward the enemy with overwhelming strength, the sharp talons producing explosive cracks as they tore through the air.
"Dragon Breath!"
Another opened his jaws and unleashed a scorching torrent of flame.
It swept toward the Marines like a raging sea of fire, reducing everything in its path to ash.
"Thunder Double Bagua!"
Another commander shouted as his figure flashed forward like a ghost.
Dark clouds gathered overhead in an instant.
Thunder roared as thick bolts of lightning descended like enormous dragons, crashing toward the enemy with terrifying force.
The commanders perfectly combined the tremendous strength and speed granted by their Azure Dragon forms with the combat techniques and powerful Haki they had spent years refining.
Their offensive descended like an unstoppable tide.
The entire battlefield immediately dissolved into chaos.
Blades flashed.
Flames erupted.
Battle cries and explosions shook the air.
The Marine Vice Admirals who had not yet consumed the serum—or those who had only just taken it and had not yet fully adapted to the sudden flood of power—felt crushing pressure descend upon them.
Shock and fear appeared openly in their eyes as they stared at the dragon warriors charging toward them.
It was as though figures from ancient legends had shattered the boundaries of myth and stepped directly onto the battlefield.
The dragon men were enormous and intimidating.
Every muscle seemed packed with destructive strength.
Their scales gleamed coldly beneath the sunlight, while sharp fangs and vicious claws made their appearance even more terrifying.
Faced with enemies like these, the Vice Admirals knew there was nowhere left to retreat.
They could only grit their teeth and throw everything they had into resisting the overwhelming assault.
"Damn it! Why have all these pirates turned into monsters?!"
A gray-haired Vice Admiral roared, his hardened face twisted with fury and just the faintest trace of fear.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the advancing dragon warriors, while the sword in his hands trembled from how tightly he was gripping it.
"Hold the line! For justice!"
---------
Read 50 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator