Within the spatial rift, Im's expression changed drastically.
"What is that?!"
From that golden sphere, he felt an intense tremor—an unmistakable premonition of death!
In that instant, he completely discarded all contempt. A faint glow shimmered in his golden eyes as a terrifying aura erupted from his body, twisting and compressing the surrounding space itself, forcibly condensing it onto his sword.
"Void Storm Slash!"
Im dared not hesitate. He chose to strike first.
In an instant, a sword beam tore through the void, ripping apart the heavens. Space itself shook violently as the slash cleaved straight toward the golden dragon.
At the same time, the golden dragon that Lin Xuan had transformed into spat out the golden sphere from its mouth.
"BOOM—!"
Space began to collapse!
The golden sphere and the silver, storm-like sword beam collided head-on. A deafening explosion shook the seas, the surrounding void shattered into fragments, and a terrifying force of destruction swept outward in all directions!
On the battlefield below, countless people felt the horrifying eruption. Those with weaker strength—vice admirals and below—were instantly grievously injured!
A catastrophic storm swept across the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Buildings collapsed in大片, and even the Red Line cracked and caved in continuously under the震动.
The next moment—
BANG!
A figure was blasted downward from the void, smashing into the Red Line and carving out a massive crater. An entire section of the Red Line collapsed, forming a gigantic canyon that split straight through both sides of the Grand Line!
"Damn it!"
Im shot up from the depths, his bright eyes now filled with rage.
Yes—he was completely enraged by Lin Xuan.
Just now, he had unleashed his Void Power with everything he had. Even he himself was shocked by the might of that sword strike. Never, in all these years, had anyone been able to withstand it!
That was an invincible strike!
Yet today, not only had someone blocked it, but that person could also move freely within spatial rifts. Worse still, his attacks seemed weakened against the opponent.
In that exchange just now, Im had clearly fallen into the disadvantage—and had come terrifyingly close to death!
Im's expression darkened. In all his years ruling this world, this was the first time he had suffered such severe injuries.
"You detestable bastard—you deserve to die!"
With a furious roar, Im shot back into the sky, charging toward Lin Xuan once again.
Their battle continued for a long time, and the destruction they caused grew increasingly severe.
It was only because both were fighting high above the ground. Otherwise, the land below would have already been reduced to utter ruin, and most of the people there would have been killed by the shockwaves alone.
"BOOM—!"
Another violent collision.
By now, Im's hand was bleeding, his body riddled with injuries, and the calm composure he once had was completely gone.
Lin Xuan, on the other hand, was also wounded—but his condition was far better than Im's.
This was precisely what drove Im mad.
They had fought for so long, yet Lin Xuan had only suffered superficial injuries. That outcome alone was enough to make him lose his mind.
"You really are strong," Lin Xuan said, smiling faintly as he looked at Im. "Unfortunately—I'm stronger."
At that moment, however, Im suddenly calmed down. He looked at Lin Xuan, sneered, and said, "Hmph. You're very confident. Sadly, that blind confidence will be what kills you."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "So you're saying you still have something up your sleeve?"
Im did not answer.
Though he didn't want to admit it, Lin Xuan's strength had far exceeded his expectations. If the fight dragged on, he believed Lin Xuan wouldn't be able to defeat him—but likewise, he also couldn't do anything to Lin Xuan.
That would simply be a waste of time.
This time, however, Im intended to leave Lin Xuan here for good!
Just then, a figure appeared beside Lin Xuan without any warning. The moment he emerged, he unleashed a deadly attack—his fist coated in top-tier Armament Haki, smashing straight toward Lin Xuan!
This strike was no weaker than Im's previous attacks—if anything, it was even stronger!
At the same time, Im launched his own assault once more, unleashing Void Power again as he slashed his sword toward Lin Xuan's vital point.
"BOOM—!"
Everyone watching the live broadcast turned pale.
"How shameless!"
"Despicable! Who is that guy, sneaking an attack on President Lin?!"
"Is President Lin okay?! That guy who suddenly appeared is incredibly strong!"
Countless members of the New Era Alliance cursed angrily. Even pirates—who were no strangers to dirty tactics—felt that a duel between top-tier powerhouses should at least have some sense of honor.
Seeing someone lie in ambush and attack Lin Xuan enraged them all.
Even on the World Government's side, many people wore awkward expressions.
They were supposed to represent justice, yet now their strongest figures were resorting to such tactics. Even they felt a sense of shame.
Of course, there were also those who didn't see it that way, believing that using any means necessary to achieve victory was perfectly reasonable.
Compared to the uproar and fury of the masses, Whitebeard and Roger remained calm and silent.
As long as the live broadcast Lin Xuan had set up was still running, it meant he was fine. And they certainly didn't believe that Lin Xuan would lose his life to such petty tricks.
Sure enough, before long, Lin Xuan's figure appeared once more on the screen…
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T/N:
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