A hundred blades of compressed air rushed towards him from the front, while Bege blocked his retreat. Rayleigh made his decision in an instant. He surged forward, his sword flashing in a rapid arc. Several wide slashes of sword energy collided with the incoming air blades, shattering them. He moved with blinding speed, weaving through the remaining air blades with an almost unnatural grace.
Bege, realizing his strategy had failed, quickly shifted his focus. The remaining air blades slammed into the ground, blasting out a series of craters.
"Brat, have a taste of my sword style!" Rayleigh leaped, then broke into a run, his speed increasing dramatically. He was even faster than Bege, the wind whipping past Bege's face. Before Bege could react, a figure had already appeared before him.
A longsword was raised high, then brought down in a savage slash, cutting the very air. The speed of the blade was terrifying.
"So fast!"
Bege's pupils contracted. His own longsword rose instinctively, meeting the descending blade.
Clang!
The sound of steel colliding on steel rang out, accompanied by a brilliant flash of sparks.
Bege's expression changed. He was forced back three or four steps before planting his feet firmly.
Just as Bege prepared to move, Rayleigh pressed his attack. Another powerful slash came crashing down. Bege swiftly raised his sword again, and the two clashed fiercely once more.
This time, Rayleigh was unleashing his true strength. Every strike was immensely powerful, and Bege could barely hold his ground.
He blocked over fifty strikes, only to be sent flying by the sheer force of Rayleigh's assault. But the Dark King was relentless. He stomped on the ground, shattering it, and vanished. The next instant, he reappeared in front of Bege.
His sword cut through the air with lightning speed, so fast that it was almost invisible to the naked eye. If not for his Observation Haki, Bege wouldn't have even seen the incredibly swift blade.
The chilling point of the sword closed in, reaching his chest in the blink of an eye. A spine-chilling sensation washed over Bege, making his hair stand on end. He tapped his feet repeatedly against the ground, forcibly shifting his body three meters back.
Whoosh!
The moment his body vanished from its original spot, the longsword slashed down.
The force of the wind generated by the strike was so powerful that it formed razor-sharp wind blades. These slammed into Bege, even tearing a gash in his clothes.
"Such a fast sword," Bege said, his face filled with shock.
"Bege is completely overwhelmed! Is this the power of one of the strongest on the seas?" Moria and the others were equally stunned.
"This is just a spar," Modi said, his expression grave. "In a real fight to the death, Bege wouldn't stand a chance against Rayleigh's attacks."
The others felt the same heavy weight in their hearts. They were well aware of Bege's strength; Modi and the rest combined couldn't defeat him. If even Bege couldn't withstand Rayleigh, they didn't have a hope.
Their strength had increased dramatically over the past two years, and with it, their confidence had swelled. Moria and Riki, in particular, had even been considering challenging the rulers of the New World.
But the battle before them was a crushing blow, shattering their pride and self-assurance.
"Brat, since you want to know where you stand in the grand scheme of the seas, I won't hold back," Rayleigh said calmly, sheathing his sword.
"That's what I want," Bege replied, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. He took the initiative, lunging forward. The Fire Cloud Sword flashed once more.
This time, his sword style was even faster, more ferocious. Blade shadows flickered, and flames actually began to appear, the speed almost unbelievable.
The two quickly drew their weapons and clashed, each collision producing a burst of flames. Violent currents of air and fire surged outwards in all directions.
Bege was steadily forced back, completely suppressed in both strength and speed. The powerful sword energy shook him to his core, and under the relentless assault, even his Observation Haki was starting to falter.
The graveness in his eyes deepened.
"One Sword Style – Fire Demon Ape Slash!"
He channeled all of his power, unleashing his strongest strike. His longsword was now glowing a scorching red, radiating terrifying heat. As he swung, flames erupted from the blade, forming a massive wave of fire that surged towards Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's brow furrowed. Armament Haki instantly erupted, coating his blade. He blocked Bege's fierce strike. The impact caused the flames to explode violently, engulfing them both.
Then, both figures retreated from the explosion, scattering flames in their wake.
Rayleigh looked at the burning longsword in Bege's hand, a slight raise of his eyebrow. He could clearly see that the flaming slash wasn't produced by Bege's swordsmanship, but rather by the inherent fire ability of the sword itself.
Bege noticed Rayleigh's gaze and lifted the flaming longsword. "This is the Fire Cloud Sword, forged from Sky Island's unique Cloud Iron and the finest Heat Dials and Flame Dials. It can unleash flaming attacks."
This Fire Cloud Sword was crafted by Bege, after mobilizing the most skilled cloud-smith masters of Sky Island, and two whole years.
Its hardness was on par with a Great Grade Sword. Embedded within the blade were Heat Dials and Flame Dials. When used, it generated high-temperature flames, making it incredibly powerful.
"A fine weapon," Rayleigh praised.
"Lord Rayleigh, from our battle so far, I've realized that my strength is still far from enough. Therefore, I would like to show you my strongest attack. Please, enlighten me," Bege said respectfully.
"Come!" Rayleigh's expression turned serious, and a terrifyingly domineering aura began to flow from him.
Rayleigh's domineering aura clashed with Bege's fierce and brutal aura, creating a sudden gale that swept across the area.
Bege gripped the Fire Cloud Sword tightly. The crimson blade blazed with intense flames, and a torrent of fire erupted from the blade, scorching the ground until it was charred and even starting to melt, showcasing its incredible temperature.
"Lord Rayleigh, take this!" Bege shouted, taking a powerful step forward. The Fire Cloud Sword followed, slashing down with immense force.
"Extreme Fire – Quetzalcoatl Dragon!"
A deafening dragon roar echoed through the air. A massive, dozens-of-meters-long fire dragon surged from the blade, charging towards Rayleigh with astonishing speed.
Rayleigh's expression shifted slightly. He gripped his own sword tighter. The black Armament Haki on the blade deepened, reinforcing the steel, while simultaneously, the blade vibrated, and a swirling vortex of air began to gather around it. Then, Rayleigh swung, striking directly at the fire dragon's head.
The fire dragon's head slammed into what felt like an unyielding mountain, only pushing Rayleigh back two steps. Then, a terrifying burst of sword energy erupted from Rayleigh's blade. The giant fire dragon was split in two with a single slash.
The two halves of the dragon's body exploded. The fiery sword energy crashed into the ground, tearing it apart and setting it ablaze. The flames then spread along the surface, sweeping outwards for a hundred meters.
The onlookers were shocked, engulfed by the flames, and forced to retreat in a rather undignified manner from the training grounds.
The entire training area was a mess, riddled with craters and burning with flames.
Bege took a deep breath of the scorching air. He had held nothing back, pouring all of his energy into that single strike, significantly depleting his stamina and spirit.
His gaze pierced through the exploding flames, locking onto Rayleigh, who stood unharmed amidst the inferno. Bege's pupils constricted, and a bitter smile crept onto his face.
Even his all-out attack had failed to even make Rayleigh flinch. This was a tremendous blow to him.
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