Chapter 315: Effortless
"You've got quite the nerve."
Luke laughed angrily, thinking Rhodes was still young and too arrogant.
What is the peak?
Reaching the extreme in every aspect, not only possessing destructive power comparable to a natural disaster, but also having a resilient physique, endurance, and vitality, as well as being highly skilled in strategic retreat.
Like Whitebeard, if he wanted to leave, he could unleash a monstrous tsunami, unstoppable by anyone.
Luke, however, was a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user, somewhat similar to Marco the Phoenix, able to manipulate black flames to form wings and fly through the air.
He was confident that in this vast world, perhaps someone could defeat him, but if he wanted to leave, no one could stop him.
"You can try..."
Rhodes's expression was calm, his eyes flashing with silver light: "See if I can kill you."
After he finished speaking, he took a step forward and landed in the void.
Instantly, a surging shockwave exploded in the sky, a raging wind swept in all directions.
At the same time, Rhodes shot off like an arrow, leaving a silver trail over a hundred meters long in mid-air, like silver lightning piercing the void—his speed was incredible!
Whoosh!
The air exploded.
Luke flapped his wings and soared into the air, the spot where he'd just been now filled with dazzling lightning.
"Quite fast!"
Luke chuckled, his black flame wings fluttering slightly as he glided through the air, landing like a large bird on the top of the arena dozens of meters away.
Clearly, Luke's aerial abilities might not be as good as Shiki's, but they were certainly not weak—he was incredibly agile.
"Is this all you're relying on?"
Rhodes turned around, sword in hand, and said calmly.
"Thunder God Swordsman, you're still too young. If you could easily slay a peak-level fighter, how could they call themselves peak-level?!"
Luke's black wings unfurled, making him resemble a demon from the abyss. He spoke eloquently, without the slightest hint of panic.
"Today you've killed five of Tru's men, ruining the Kurman family's rise..."
Luke said, a ferocious glint in his eyes, coldly laughing,
"I hope you protect your subordinates well enough, otherwise... hehe."
"..."
Rhodes's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, his killing intent surging, his tone indifferent,
"It seems I must kill you today."
There's no such thing as guarding against thieves forever.
If a peak-level expert were to abandon all pretense and attack indiscriminately, even the World Government would be in trouble.
"Prepare to face despair."
Luke sneered, knowing he might be no match for Rhodes, much less for the combined might of Kuzan and Rhodes. He could only utter harsh words and prepare to retreat.
Whoosh!
Just then.
A figure rapidly approached from a distance.
Even before getting close, waves of freezing power, enough to freeze the ocean, swept across, sealing off heaven and earth.
In an instant, the temperature in a large area where Luke was located plummeted, white mist filled the air, and the surface of the venue was covered in frost.
Luke was inevitably affected and shivered.
"He can't do it alone, but I'm here."
A lazy voice came, and Kuzan stood to one side, continuously releasing freezing power, attacking Luke from all directions.
Of the former three Admirals, Sakazuki excelled in attack, Borsalino in speed, and Kuzan in crowd control.
That kind of frozen power, developed to its extreme, would restrict even peak-level fighters of the same caliber, reducing their speed and agility.
"..."
Luke's heart sank, and his body flared with black flames to resist the freezing power.
If it were just a one-on-one fight, he would naturally have enough time to resist and eliminate the effects of the freezing power, but this was not a one-on-one fight.
Swoosh!
A tearing sound came from the air.
Then, a dazzling figure surrounded by silver light suddenly appeared in front of Luke, and then slashed at Luke's chest with a sword.
"..."
Luke's Kenbunshoku Haki caught Rhodes's movement, his five fingers clenched into a fist, and dense Busoshoku Haki coated the metal gauntlets, clashing with Rhodes.
BANG!
Sword and fist collided, first producing a deafening roar, then a shockwave dissipated.
Although Luke caught Rhodes's movement, his strength was inevitably affected by the ice, and he was directly blasted backward by Rhodes.
"Ara ara, this strike avenges the destruction of my hometown."
Kuzan, expressionless, flashed behind Luke, his conjured ice saber slashing down with a sudden strike.
Sizzle.
Blood splattered.
Kuzan's strike left a deep bloodstain on Luke's body. The damage was secondary—Kuzan knew his attack power was unlikely to be decisive.
Therefore, the key to this strike wasn't injuring the enemy, but rather injecting a greater amount of freezing power.
Even though weakened by the black flames and Busoshoku Haki, it still further affected Luke. His breath carried traces of ice crystals, and his speed and agility decreased further.
BANG!
The next moment, Rhodes rushed in and sent Luke flying with another sword strike, crashing into the stage in the center of the arena, creating a large hole.
He immediately stood up, coughing up two mouthfuls of blood. Although his injuries weren't too severe yet, they were extremely dangerous.
He could sense the freezing power suppressing him.
"Damn Kuzan!"
he cursed under his breath. If it weren't for the freezing effect, he wouldn't have been beaten so badly, almost powerless to resist.
Rhodes and Kuzan stood on either side, hovering in the air, looking down at him.
Seeing Luke being beaten so easily, Kuzan couldn't help but show a hint of awe.
This was too easy.
It felt like fighting a great pirate, not someone of his own level.
"It seems you're not as strong as you think."
Rhodes stood with his sword, showing no surprise.
He and Kuzan, working together—one focusing on offense and speed, the other on control and slowing—could even contend with, or suppress, figures like Kaido of the Beasts or Big Mom.
Luke was merely a weak peak-level opponent. If he hadn't been controlled by Kuzan and had escaped immediately, he might have had a chance.
But once affected by Kuzan's freezing power, there would be no chance left.
"..."
Luke looked at the two in the sky, his heart sinking to the bottom.
He now realized the terrifying power of Rhodes and Kuzan working together—if he wasn't careful, he might really be killed here.
Thinking of this, Luke suddenly roared and activated his beast form.
Roar.
With a low growl, beast patterns appeared on Luke's body, and he swelled up to nearly four meters tall. Most striking was the pair of jet-black wings that appeared on his back, wreathed in dark flames.
He exuded an aura that warned others to stay away, like a demon emerging from the abyss.
"How terrifying."
The spectators were all trembling, feeling a suppression akin to life-level pressure.
They understood that Luke in this state was likely incredibly powerful.
"Is Luke-sama about to turn it around?"
some wondered expectantly.
Relatively speaking,
Luke was a major figure in the underworld, while Rhodes and Kuzan weren't considered members of the underworld.
In their hearts, they didn't expect to win—they only hoped Luke could perform well and not tarnish the underworld's reputation.
However, what happened next was utterly astonishing.
(End of Chapter)
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