Coby disappeared, reappearing in front of Vergo, slashing upward with Shusui. Vergo dodged, stepping back with a sharp motion, his Haki-coated arm blocking Coby's follow-up thrust.
Coby pressed forward, his blade clashing against Vergo's Haki. Sparks flew with each collision, the air filled with the sound of metal grinding against raw force. Vergo countered, swinging his fist low and fast, forcing Coby to sidestep and block with Shusui. The ground cracked beneath the impact.
As both Law and Caesar realized it wasn't Law's heart, Caesar's smirk turned into confusion. Coby chuckled. "Vergo, Caesar just killed Monet. What will Doflamingo say?"
Vergo's brow twitched, and he shot a sharp glare at Caesar. Caesar fumbled, looking at the crushed heart in his hand and then at Vergo. "It—it's not my fault! This was Law's heart!" he stammered.
Even Law was confused. "How did you—?" he started, but Coby ignored him and pressed his attack. Shusui, coated in Haki, crashed against Vergo's defense with raw force. Each strike sent shockwaves through the air as Vergo struggled to block.
Vergo countered with a powerful swing of his Haki-coated fist, but Coby ducked under it, pivoting smoothly to slash at Vergo's exposed side. Vergo stepped back in time to deflect the blow, his arm absorbing the brunt of the impact, though the sheer force made him grimace.
"You're annoying," Vergo growled, lunging forward with a brutal kick aimed at Coby's midsection. Coby sidestepped and swung Shusui in a quick arc, forcing Vergo to retreat to avoid the sharp edge.
Smoker used the opening to charge in, his jutte crashing down toward Vergo's shoulder. Vergo raised his arm, blocking it with his Haki, but the impact pushed him back a step. Law immediately followed, slashing at Vergo with Kikoku. The blade clanged against Vergo's Haki-coated arm, leaving a faint mark but no real damage.
"Too slow," Vergo said, swinging his leg in a wide arc to force Law and Smoker back.
Coby darted in, his blade aimed low, slashing toward Vergo's legs. Vergo leapt back, barely avoiding the attack, his eyes narrowing as he realized Coby wasn't giving him a moment to breathe.
Across the battlefield, Caesar scrambled to his feet, still clutching the crushed heart. "I didn't mean to kill her! It's not my fault!" he shouted toward Vergo, panicked.
Coby blurred forward, his fist slamming into Caesar's face and sending him sprawling. "Stay down, Clown," Coby muttered.
Law took advantage of Vergo's distraction, expanding his Room and using "Injection Shot." The attack pierced Vergo's shoulder, drawing blood despite his Haki. Vergo winced but immediately retaliated, driving a powerful punch into Law's midsection. Law grunted as he stumbled back, narrowly avoiding a follow-up swing.
"You're out of your depth," Vergo said coldly.
Coby shook his head at Law and Smoker. "Just stay down. Let me deal with this."
Vergo's eyes narrowed, his fists raised. "Bold talk."
Coby didn't respond. He launched forward, closing the gap in an instant. Vergo raised his arm to block, but Coby's Shigan slammed into his shoulder, piercing his Haki. Vergo winced, stepping back as Coby twisted his hand out and pivoted.
Vergo swung his fist, aiming for Coby's ribs. Coby twisted, letting the strike glance past as he stepped forward, slamming his knee into Vergo's gut. The Vice-Admiral grunted, staggering back, but swung his arm in a wide arc to retaliate.
Coby ducked under the blow and retaliated with an upward slash of Shusui. The blade scraped against Vergo's Haki-coated forearm, sparks flying. Vergo pushed back with his other hand, trying to shove Coby away, but Coby pivoted and swung a tight crescent arc with Shusui, forcing Vergo to leap back to avoid the edge.
"That all you got, Vergo?" Coby called, grinning.
Vergo's jaw tightened. He charged forward, fists raised, and threw a rapid series of punches. Coby sidestepped each blow, shifting his weight effortlessly. When Vergo overextended, Coby spun and unleashed Crescent Fang, a slicing air wave arcing toward Vergo's chest.
The air blade slammed into Vergo's defense, shoving him back. His feet skidded across the snow, but he held firm, gritting his teeth. He shot forward again, his Haki gleaming dark over his fists.
Coby stepped into his charge, his hand flicking out in a blinding motion. A Glinting Shigan flashed from his finger, striking Vergo in the shoulder and sending a jolt of energy through him. Vergo stumbled, but retaliated with a powerful uppercut.
Coby jumped, planting a foot against Vergo's arm and using it as a springboard to launch himself into the air. Spinning, he came down with Starfall Execution, driving Shusui downward. Vergo crossed his arms to block, but the impact cracked the ice beneath his feet, forcing him to one knee.
Vergo countered, throwing a heavy punch aimed for Coby's chest. Coby blocked with Shusui, sliding back from the force of the blow. "Alright, you're tough," Coby said. "Guess I'll stop playing around."
Without wasting a moment, Coby kicked off the ground, closing the gap with a swift upward slash. Vergo crossed his arms, his Haki absorbing the impact. The clash sent shockwaves rippling through the icy terrain, but Vergo was quick to retaliate, swinging his fist low toward Coby's ribs.
Coby spun to the side, avoiding the blow, and retaliated with Crescent Fang. The crescent-shaped air blade cut through the space between them, slamming into Vergo and forcing him back several feet. Vergo held his ground, his Haki barely showing a crack.
Coby stepped forward again, faster this time. Using Shadow Step, he flickered out of sight, reappearing to Vergo's left and striking with Shigan. The pointed thrust pierced Vergo's shoulder, drawing blood. Vergo grunted but countered with a fierce elbow.
Coby ducked under it and drove his knee into Vergo's midsection, sending him skidding back. Vergo snarled and charged, his fists coated in dense Haki. He unleashed a barrage of heavy strikes, each one aimed to crush. Coby weaved between them, light on his feet.
When Vergo threw a particularly wide punch, Coby leapt above him, twisting in mid-air to unleash Starfall Execution.
The blade struck Vergo's Haki-clad forearm, driving him to one knee as the ground cracked beneath the impact. Coby didn't let up. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he launched Razor Gale Edge, the wind blade slashing through the space between them. Vergo deflected it but not without stumbling back.
"Too slow," Coby said, moving in again. He detached his right hand with Bara Bara and sent it hurtling toward Vergo, Shusui in its grip. The detached hand swung downward, forcing Vergo to block high. As Vergo raised his arms, Coby appeared low, slamming a spinning kick into Vergo's exposed side.
Vergo grunted, his balance faltering, but he lunged forward with a counterpunch aimed at Coby's head. Coby leaned back just enough for the blow to skim past, then retaliated with a rapid-fire series of slashes, an Infinite Cross Barrage. Each strike targeted Vergo's defenses, pushing him further back.
Vergo roared, his Haki surging as he swung both arms outward to create space. Coby jumped back, his detached hand returning to his wrist with a click.
Vergo tried to rise, summoning the last of his strength. His fists trembled as he charged forward one last time. Coby didn't flinch. He sidestepped the charge, planting Shusui firmly into the ground. Vergo turned, only to find Coby already behind him.
"This is over," Coby said, gripping Shusui with both hands. With a single, precise slash, Celestial Rend tore through Vergo, splitting the air with a thunderous shockwave. Vergo's body froze, blood spraying into the snow as he crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
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From the last free chapter to the last Patreon chapter, there are currently 68 chapters available. Patreon now offers 68 advance chapters, and that number will go down by one each day as I steadily release them to the public.
patreon.com/pinkisjustice