"Then I'm about to start!"
Lock rose into the air, looking down at Dracule Mihawk.
Hum—
"Is this similar to the Float-Float Fruit's ability?" Mihawk narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked up at Lock. Then he raised the black blade in his hand and said calmly:
"Show me the magic you are best at."
As soon as Mihawk finished speaking, Lock closed his eyes, as though resonating with the elements around him.
Buzz—buzz—buzz!
In an instant, waves began to ripple behind him, as if space itself were distorting. Dozens of glowing magic circles slowly emerged in the air, blazing so brightly it seemed they could ignite the sky.
Mihawk's eyes fixed on them. "Is it coming?"
From the center of each circle, a massive fire dragon head began to take shape, fangs bared and eyes burning with ferocity.
Roar—!
The air trembled as the dragon heads roared at Lock, awaiting his command.
Lock opened his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. With a light wave of his finger, every dragon head swiveled toward Mihawk.
"Ready to play with these 'little guys,' Mihawk?"
"I've never seen an ability that brings such oppressive pressure." Sweat dotted Mihawk's brow, though his expression remained sharp. "But whether it looks strong and whether it is strong… are two different matters."
Still, his heart stirred. "Such an opponent won't leave me bored."
"Come on, Lock!"
Mihawk gripped Yoru with both hands, holding the blade horizontally before him. Then—
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several arcs of sword energy sliced through the air toward Lock.
Lock only whispered to the dragons: "Go."
Whoosh—!
At his command, the fire dragons shot forward at blinding speed. Instead of crashing headlong into Mihawk's attacks, their maws opened wide, spewing torrents of flame.
Boom—! Hiss—!
Fire met steel. Explosions ripped through the air as flame and sword aura clashed, crackling and roaring in chaotic unison.
The sword energy shattered, the dragons pressed forward—
Roar—!
But Mihawk wasn't so careless. With a flicker of movement, he evaded, letting the dragon smash into the ground instead.
Boom! Bang! Crash—!!!
The explosion ripped through the earth, flames erupting like a volcano unleashed. Shockwaves tore through the forest, hurling debris skyward and drowning the battlefield in a choking haze.
The inferno raged, fireballs colliding midair with deafening blasts. The very air warped under the heat, forests reduced to seas of fire.
Yet amidst the chaos, Mihawk flickered again—this time behind Lock.
"Your magic is powerful," Mihawk said coldly, Yoru arcing down. "But if it doesn't hit, it's useless."
Whoosh—!
The black blade descended—
Clang—!
The strike stopped dead, blocked by an invisible barrier. Mihawk's eyes widened.
"This… what is this?"
Lock turned, chuckling. "My magic. Star Shield. An energy barrier that protects me within its range."
He gave the shield a light tap. "Pretty good defense, don't you think?"
Mihawk's gaze sharpened. "Then let's see if your shield can withstand your attack."
He glanced toward the dragons circling in the sky.
Lock followed his gaze, lips quirking. "So you plan to bait them into hitting me? A clever thought. But what makes you so sure they'll target me… before you?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Mihawk replied coolly.
Roar—!
As if answering, the dragons lunged—straight toward Mihawk. Yet the swordsman did not falter.
Swah—!
In a flash of speed, Mihawk appeared behind Lock once more. Yoru's edge tore down toward the shimmering shield—just as the dragons, unable to turn in time, slammed forward too.
Boom—!
Both forces struck Lock's Star Shield simultaneously.
Crack—
The barrier spiderwebbed with fractures.
One second. Two seconds. Three—
Pong—!
The Star Shield shattered. The fire dragons surged forward, Mihawk's slash riding their wake.
Lock only whispered, "Time Frost—freeze."
Rustle—!
The world turned to ice-blue silence. Mihawk's motion slowed to a crawl, Yoru hovering millimeters from Lock's throat. The raging inferno below stilled, frozen mid-billow.
Mihawk's eyes widened in disbelief. My speed… why is it so slow? Even the dragons have stopped…
Lock chuckled, leaning casually toward the suspended blade. "That was close, Mihawk. You almost had me."
He tilted his head. "Strange, isn't it? You're moving. Just… at a pace the eye can't even follow."
Mihawk couldn't respond. Even his voice was bound in the frozen time.
Lock scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Oh, right. Guess you can't talk right now."
Snap—
With a snap of his fingers, he released the spell.
Zila—!
The world lurched back to motion. Flames erupted again, and the dragons resumed their charge.
"Behind you!" Mihawk warned, his sharp eyes catching the looming maw of a fire dragon.
Lock only smiled faintly. "Don't worry."
As the dragon lunged, space twisted behind him. A vortex of blue light opened, its pull devouring everything in sight.
Mihawk's pupils shrank. "What… is that?"
The Illusionary Netherworld Cave tore reality apart. The first dragon roared defiantly, but its flames extinguished the moment it touched the vortex.
One after another, every dragon was dragged in, their ferocity swallowed by endless dark.
Hiss—whoosh—!
And then, silence. The vortex collapsed, leaving only the scorched, trembling battlefield.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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