A single Immortal Bean swallowed down.
The black-haired boy in the sky suddenly steamed with blazing white steam all over his body.
Broken bones quickly reconnected with cracking sounds, and the charred skin shed like snake scales, with new skin rapidly growing out.
The aura emanating from him also surged upward one level after another. With a slight movement of his neck, he produced a series of bone-crunching pops.
Akainu's face was as dark as water.
He's truly completely recovered to peak condition...
How exactly did this guy achieve that?!
"Ten minutes!"
As Shano gracefully descended from high above, he looked down at Akainu in the deep pit below, raising one finger:
"Old man, I'll give you ten more minutes! Let's see if you can completely defeat me! If you can't..."
"Then we'll end it here for today, don't blame me for not sticking around!"
Ten minutes time.
Enough for the Endgame to completely get out of danger, and I can find a chance to escape as well!
"Arrogant brat..."
Akainu's magma body roiled violently. Slowly straightening his posture, his voice was low and dangerous, filled with suppressed anger:
"Do you think regaining your state changes anything? Since you still wish to buy time for your comrades, why don't you just stay here forever!!!"
BOOM——!!!
The ground beneath Akainu's feet suddenly exploded, and he turned into a flowing stream of magma shooting into the sky!
His right fist suddenly transformed into magma, the scorching lava twisting and wriggling like a living being, instantly condensing into three ferocious heads of hellhounds.
The hellhounds bared their fangs, continuously roaring, the lava forming their manes wildly waving, the intense heat scorching the air into distorted ripples along their path.
"Inugami Guren!"
With a low shout, the three magma hellhounds shot out swiftly, trailing crimson afterimages in the air, their gaping maws aiming to bite Shano's head with lava fangs!
Even before reaching him, the terrifying heat had already curled and scorched the strands of his hair on his forehead!
"Hey, hey, hey, now this heat is something else!"
Shano laughed, his eyes shining with battle intent, "But that's perfect!"
He clenched his right fist, and with a "pop," the air suddenly exploded, sending ripples in circles outward.
His entire fist was instantly dyed in an extremely rich and dark shade of Armament Haki.
"Rokushiki Secret Technique: Iron Wall Fist!"
The so-called "Iron Wall Fist," like the Mountain Breeze Ripple Dash, were both ultimate techniques created by combining peak Rokushiki Body Techniques with Armament Techniques.
The difference, however, was clear.
The latter was for attack, while the former was for defense!
BOOM——!!!
The aggressive magma hellhounds collided head-on with his punch, and after a violent disturbance and distortion in the air, they were all swallowed by the punch as if they had sunk into the sea.
Shano was also forcibly blasted back over ten meters by the shockwave, his feet carving two deep grooves into the pockmarked ground.
But the next second, he suddenly lifted his head, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet his smile turned even more exuberant:
"Is that all?!"
This level of attack, give it another half an hour, and even then it won't bring me down!
"It's not over yet!!!"
Akainu's eyes turned sinister, both arms surging with magma, once again forming gigantic fists. His figure flickered, smashing down toward Shano, who also met him head-on!
BANG BANG BANG BANG——!!!
Their figures interlaced at high speed by the shore, every collision erupting with deafening booms.
Magma and Haki intertwined, and faintly, countless massive black lightning bolts began to flash around!
The terrifying shockwaves rippled out like circles on water.
In reality.
The battle, turning white-hot and reaching this point, had impacts far beyond just the coastline surrounding the stone bridge.
The entire expansive South Island was trembling crazily.
Even several tens of kilometers away, pink and white petals were swept up by the raging shock waves, swirling in the air like a snowstorm.
This originally picturesque Spring Island now seemed invaded by a harsh winter.
From north to south, from east to west...
All the petals of the cherry blossom trees had withered and fallen, leaving only bare branches swaying in the wind, lacking even a hint of spring's vitality.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Akainu said nothing, but his strikes grew heavier, the violence of his assaults increasing.
The sense of agitation and humiliation from being unable to take down Shano was continually burning his nerves, having consumed most of his rational mind.
Often, he had entirely given up on defense, allowing Shano's punches to rip open bloody wounds on his body.
In return, each of his strikes carried even more ferocious force, blowing the black-haired boy into staggering retreats again and again.
"Cough... Spit!"
Shano spat out a mouthful of clotted blood, the exposed wounds on his skin sizzling from the high heat of the magma.
Yet he still grinned with blood-stained lips, his eyes flashing with an almost insane battle intent.
"That's right, that's right... Old man! But it's still not enough, give me more strength!!!"
Akainu's eyes surged with murderous intent, his massive magma fists erupting once more with intense heat.
"Die!!!"
Yet, just as his fist was about to be unleashed——
"Sakazuki-san!"
In the distance, the figures of Dalmatia and Bumaya darted over the barren cherry blossom treetops, swiftly approaching using Moonwalk!
"Oh?"
Shano glanced over through the corner of his eye, unrestrainedly mocking, "Seems you've realized you can't handle it alone, thinking about calling in a gang?"
They're not my call!
Clearly knowing that the brat in front of him was intentionally provoking him...
But the long and fruitless battle had left Akainu unable to suppress the anger in his heart, causing him to swing another punch upwards in a sudden fit.