"g!!!"

  A deafening csh echoed as a Haki-infused, ferocious punch collided with a scythe carried by a fierce wind. The metallic screech of their impact ierg.

  "Whoosh, whoosh…"

  Waves of air pressure surged outward, making it difficult for onlookers to keep their eyes open.

  The Lady Demon, Irma, was forced to retreat from the impact, fpping her wings mid-air to stabilize herself.

  "Tsk!"

  In the instant, Irma let out a sinister ugh, gripping her blood-red scythe tightly. She sshed through the air from a distance.

  "Dance of Wind Bdes!"

  Apanied by violent gusts, faint ripples formed in the air. An invisible bde of wind sliced forward at an arming speed.

  "g! g! g!"

  Rocks’ expression turned serious. Radiating a powerful aura, he uhed the Western-style sword at his waist. In a fsh, he swung it through the air.

  "Whoosh—"

  A ferocious ssh ripped through the sky, defleg all the ining wind bdes.

  "Boom… Boom…"

  Even so, the howling winds caused the ship to sway violently. The nearby ship’s railings were silently shredded, leaving deep, jagged gashes that sent chills down the spines of those watg.

  "This woman…"

  "She go head-to-head with Captain Rocks!"

  "Is she ‘Charlotte Linlin the Vampire’?"

  "No… she’s someone else…"

  "Where did she e from?"

  The crew of the Rocks Pirates was astohey hadn’t expected someone randomly sent from the Fallen Angel Pirates to possess such terrifying strength, capable of rivaling their fearsome captain.

  "Who are you?"

  Fixing his gaze on the devilish woman before him, Rocks’ expressirim. His eyes betrayed his uainty.

  "I’ve never heard of someone like you on the seas!"

  He could sense her strength—it was formidable. She was not someone he could take down easily in a short time. A fighter of her caliber could not possibly remain obscure, yet here she was, uhe and of Fallen Angel El. It was uling.

  "Nyahaha~ Looks like I’ve been fotten by the world after being locked away for so long!"

  Hoisting her crimson scythe, Lady Demon Irma let out a chilling ugh.

  "sidering the severity of your crimes and their dreadful impact, the Wover likely worked hard to erase all records of you," the Shapeshifting Witch, Sally, remarked from her per the floating thundercloud, Hera, beside El. "Decades are more than enough time for the world tet you entirely."

  "Stand down."

  El’s calm voice broke through as he locked eyes with Rocks. He gave Irma a brief gnce before issuing his and.

  "You’re no match for him."

  Rocks’ strength was undeniable. While he hadn’t yet reached his peak, El could tell Rocks was already a force to be reed with, parable to Steel Bone Kong at his prime—if not stronger.

  "Nyahaha~ That’s not for certain," Irma replied dismissively. Yet, despite her bravado, she didn’t dare disobey El’s order. Fpping her wings, she obediently returo the thundercloud.

  "Yahahaha, so you’re the Fallen Angel, El?"

  The tall and lean figure of Rocks, exuding wild and untamed energy, grinned as he looked at El. "This is our first meeting, and though I’ve e uninvited, I hope you’ll five the intrusion!"

  The moment Rocks faced El, the overwhelming aura radiating from the young Lunarian—like a primordial beast—made even the perpetually arrogant Rocks inwardly tehis freakishly young monster was undoubtedly worthy of his 3-billion-berry bounty. Any lingering unrealistic thoughts in Rocks’ mind were immediately discarded.

  "You’ve iotto Land’s waters and even injured my crew…"

  El’s sharp gaze bore down on Rocks. His cold smile deepened as he asked, "Are you ready to leave your life behind?"

  "Let’s not get so hasty—it was a matter of y, yahahaha…"

  Rocks ughed heartily, but in the instant, their gazes locked.

  The two powerful figures vanished from sight.

  "g!!!"

  A metallic csh rang out, deafening and immense.

  The waves surged wildly as the dragon-scale spear, infused with bd-red queror’s Haki, collided violently with Rocks’ bde, which was enveloped in the same formidable aura.

  "Crack… crack…"

  The collision of their Haki sent shockwaves rippling outward, ing the sea and creating t waves.

  The pirate ship beh them groaned and swayed precariously, creaking in protest.

  "This guy…"

  "That’s… a queror’s csh?"

  "Their ons aren’t even toug!"

  The Rocks Pirates’ crew stared in shock at the figures in mid-air. her Rocks’ bde nor El’s desding halberd actually made tact; an invisible barrier of pure force separated them. The barrier itself seemed to violently collide, emitting sharp, grating sounds.

  Two unmatched queror’s Haki auras collided and expanded, sending waves of power radiating outward.

  Weaker crew members of the Rocks Pirates rolled their eyes back, foaming at the mouth as they colpsed, unscious. Some lost their footiirely, falling to the deck as the ship rocked violently.

  "Boom…"

  Above them, the sky twisted. Clouds split apart at a visible speed, f a jagged rift.

  Two opposing torrents of air cshed with unstoppable force, pressing against each other, creating a terrifying spectacle.

  "Crack!"

  "The sky… it’s splitting apart!"

  "Is this the power of the world’s most notorious criminal?"

  "He’s holding his own against El-sama!"

  Gawking at the shattered sky, everyone—from El’s allies like Sally, Rock, and Moss to the Rocks Pirates’ anders—was utterly stunned. Even Irma, the fident “Lady Demon” from Impel Dow cold sweat bead on her forehead.

  "Isn’t this a bit much?"

  Even she, who was supremely fident in her own strength, couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  It was nly obvious that during her brief skirmish with Rocks, he hadn’t been fighting seriously. While she knew she wouldn’t have been easily defeated, Irma now realized the truth of El’s earlier words: she would have stood no ce against this man.

  Bleam