19 Rocks D. Xebec !
'What's up'- Thoughts
"What's up"- Speech
*What's up*- Sounds
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The Marines were clearly tense, as it is widely recognized that Admirals are among the most formidable and impressive individuals far and wide.
The individual in question seemed unfazed by the overwhelming odds against him, as he boldly strode toward the Marines despite the presence of an Admiral and a group of 49 other individuals on their side. Rather than attempting to flee, he appeared to be intentionally closing in on them.
*step*
*step*
Xebec's face was lit up with a wide grin as he confidently marched towards the Marines.
Following his advance, his voice reverberated throughout the entire area.
"I have no interest in small fries, but you, on the other hand, should provide me with adequate entertainment, XAH-HAH."
In response, his eyes temporarily lost their dark color and were consumed by a crimson hue, intensifying the already tense atmosphere.
*boom*
Suddenly, a scarlet sphere erupted from his body!
The skies began to take on a dark and ominous glow, shrouded in nothing but foreboding clouds that occasionally illuminated with bolts of lightning flashing down, intensifying the already tense ambiance!
The ground in his immediate vicinity began to crumble with every step he took, adding to the growing sense of danger and unpredictability emanating from Xebec.
Without warning, a fierce blast of stormy winds swept through the area, uprooting trees in its immediate vicinity and sending them flying through the air until they eventually reemerged elsewhere. The sheer force of the winds was so powerful that it left the surrounding area in a state of chaos and destruction.
The intense winds were so strong that even the Marine ship in the far distance sustained minor damage, with noticeable cracks appearing along its hull.
*thud*
*thud*
As Xebec retracted the scarlet sphere, the only sound that could be heard was the impact of the Marine soldiers falling to the ground, all rendered unconscious by the sheer force of his attack. The aftermath was a deafening silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of the leaves in the wind.
Out of the 50 Marine soldiers, only two were left standing - Admiral Midori and the Rear-Admiral.
If one were to focus their observation Haki on the entire island, it would be evident that aside from Xebec, Midori, the Rear-Admiral, and Pride, no one was left standing. Everyone throughout the whole island had been rendered unconscious by the sheer force of Xebec's conqueror's haki.
Furthermore, the town in which the inhabitants were located was situated quite a distance away!
As he observed the incident from afar, Pride too was affected by the impact of the blast. He was confronted with strong wind gusts and the oppressive aura emanating from Xebec, but he was able to fend them off with his own formidable aura. Despite being far away from the scene of the attack, Pride was still able to sense the overwhelming power of Xebec's conqueror's haki and the destruction it had caused.
Pride was in awe of the monstrous power of Xebec's Conqueror's Haki. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Judging from Xebec's appearance, he appeared to be three to four years older than Roger, who was known to possess a powerful Conqueror's Haki of his own. Pride could only speculate that Xebec's Haki was even stronger than Roger's, which was a terrifying thought.
"Indeed, your Conqueror's Haki is truly impressive. But that does not change the fact that you are a threat that must be eliminated," Admiral Midori spoke, his tone more serious now. He knew that they were facing a dangerous opponent, and he needed to remain focused if they were to have any hope of stopping Xebec.
"Tayanaki, stay back. This is a battle you cannot handle," the Admiral said to his subordinate.
The Rear-Admiral quickly moved out of the immediate area, leaving only Midori and Xebec facing each other.
"Let's take the fight to somewhere else. I don't want the unconscious ones to suffer."
"XAH-HA, as you wish."
*boom*
They both swiftly moved to a location approximately one kilometer further east, covering the distance with tremendous speed.
Pride was unable to detect any signs of the impending battle, as the combatants had moved far out of his line of sight. However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he cautiously approached from a safe distance, ensuring he would not be caught in the crossfire.
After arriving at their new location, the Admiral wasted no time and drew his sword - a weapon of immense power that was likely one of the 21 Great Grade swords.
Xebec's attention was drawn to the impressive sword wielded by Midori, and he acknowledged its quality before challenging his worthiness of it. In a swift movement, he unsheathed his own sword - a weapon that held legendary status among swordsmen, said to be one of the esteemed 12 Supreme Grades.
The moment Midori laid eyes upon the sword, he was immediately struck by a sense of its extraordinary power. The sword's aura was unmistakable, emanating a potent energy that seemed to permeate the very air around it.
Midori cast a quick glance at Xebec before making a fluid motion with the sword gripped tightly in his right hand. With a sweeping motion from right to left, he unleashed a devastating burst of energy that tore through the air, its sheer power evident in the way it spanned an impressive distance of 30 meters before colliding with Xebec's position.
"XAH-AH, that's it, just like that! That's what I was expecting," exclaimed Xebec, mirroring Midori's earlier motion with a powerful slash of his own that matched the intensity and scope of Midori's attack.
As the two attacks collided, a deafening explosion shook the ground beneath them. The sheer force of the impact was overwhelming, obliterating everything within a 50-meter radius and leaving behind a massive crater in the earth. The blast wave rippled outward, sending debris and dust flying in all directions as the two combatants stood their ground, locked in a fierce struggle.
*boom*
*boom*
From an objective standpoint, it would be easy to mistake Midori and Xebec's lightning-fast movements for teleportation. Their agility and speed were nothing short of astounding, their bodies blurring into a frenzied dance of swordplay and energy blasts. To the untrained eye, it was an almost surreal display, a dazzling exhibition of power and finesse that left onlookers mesmerized.
It was common knowledge that the Admiral relied on Soru, a technique that increased his acceleration, to achieve his incredible speed. However, in the case of Xebec, the source of his incredible swiftness remained a mystery. It was unclear whether his speed was the result of his own immense strength or some other unknown technique, adding to the enigma and danger that surrounded him.
Every few seconds, Midori and Xebec clashed once more, exchanging powerful blows that shook the very ground beneath them. With each new strike, the surrounding landscape was further devastated, trees and rocks alike splintering and shattering under the immense force of their attacks. The air was filled with the deafening sound of their swords meeting, and the ground beneath their feet was churned up and torn apart as they battled on with unrelenting ferocity.
The exchange of blows between Midori and Xebec had been going on for over fifteen minutes, a seemingly endless flurry of swordplay and energy blasts that showed no signs of abating. The landscape around them was now unrecognizable, reduced to a barren wasteland of churned-up earth and debris, and the two combatants showed no signs of fatigue or hesitation.
"XAH-AH, no more games," declared Xebec, his voice low and dangerous as he imbued his sword with armament haki. As he did so, a black aura began to radiate from his weapon, its power palpable in the air around him. The tension between the two combatants reached its peak as Xebec prepared to make his move, his eyes fixed on Midori with a cold, unwavering gaze.
Xebec proceeded to execute another swift and precise sword strike.
The ensuing assault was engulfed in a cloak of impenetrable darkness.
*boom*
With his keen Observations Haki, Midori was able to detect the imminent danger and swiftly evaded Xebec's attack.
*boooom*
Once more, a resounding detonation filled the air as Xebec released a formidable slash that spanned an impressive distance of almost 50 meters.
Nonetheless, Admiral Midori was not only concerned about the sheer power of Xebec's attack, but also its ominous ability to obliterate anything that came into contact with it, leaving no trace behind as if it never existed.
The trees that stood behind them were not merely cut, but rather completely erased from existence by Xebec's seemingly ordinary slash.
From a distance, Midori locked his gaze onto Xebec's eyes with an intense focus.
"Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
"XAHA-HA, you have guessed correctly, Admiral Midori, and now you shall meet your demise!" Xebec proclaimed with a sinister laughter.
With those words, Xebec launched himself toward the Admiral with incredible momentum, closing the distance between them in an instant.
*boom*
*boom*
As the fierce battle raged on, both Xebec and Admiral Midori exchanged strike after strike, with each sword coated in Armament Haki, increasing the force and destructive power of their attacks.
It seemed that Xebec was not yet satisfied with his opponent's performance as an Admiral, and thus chose not to utilize his Devil Fruit powers for the time being, opting instead to prolong the battle and continue to toy with Midori.
In this round of combat, they clashed without making physical contact, employing the most advanced form of Armament Haki - Emission!
As the battle intensified, vast swaths of the forest were disappearing, leaving behind enormous craters and devastated landscapes.
Both combatants were moving within an extensive radius, causing an immense amount of terrain to be devastated in the wake of their battle.
As the battle continued, Admiral Midori grew cautious and began to avoid direct confrontations with Xebec, particularly when he noticed the ominous black aura surrounding his sword, indicating the potential use of his Devil Fruit powers. Midori decided to take a moment to assess the situation more closely and consider his next moves carefully.
Pride, who had been forced to dodge some of the powerful blasts aimed at him, came to the realization that Xebec was indeed a Devil Fruit user.
After more than thirty minutes of intense battle, Pride was able to make an educated guess as to the nature of Xebec's Devil Fruit powers.
Pride suddenly realized that he had seen this particular Devil Fruit before in the anime, but had never fully understood its true potential until now.
The key to success in combat was not simply having a strong or weak Devil Fruit power, but rather how skillfully it was wielded by the user.
As Pride reflected on the situation, he came to the realization that the Devil Fruit being used by Xebec was likely the same one he had seen in the Wano Kuni arc, the Juku Juku no Mi Paramecia fruit. However, while Shinobu had not utilized the power to its full potential, Xebec seemed to have mastered it, making it one of the most powerful Devil Fruits he had encountered. Pride also speculated that the World Government may have searched for the Juku Juku no Mi but failed to locate it due to Shinobu's residence in Wano Kuni, and he doubted that the World Government would have connected Shinobu's Devil Fruit with Xebec's, given how poorly Shinobu had utilized it.
As Pride watched on, the battle between Admiral Midori and Xebec was reaching its peak!
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Juku Juku no Mi --> The Juku Juku no Mi is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows the user to mature and decay anything they touch. It was eaten by Shinobu.
