On the other side of the Broken Cake Island, Swift Lightning appeared before Katakuri, darting past before it could be clearly seen.
Clang!
Sparks flew from the tip of Katakuri's trident 'Earth Dragon' as it collided, quickly followed by a flurry of movements akin to forging iron, his eyes blazing red.
Clang, clang, clang!!
The trident in his hand swung in anticipation of the fast-moving figure aiming to stab, but was quickly countered by a change of technique, turning into a clash of weapons.
"Droplet Rain Glutinous Rice Balls!"
Katakuri spun the trident outward, parrying the thunderous sword light, deftly crouched and pressed against the ground, which had transformed into glutinous rice. The ground rose swiftly into many mochi strands, falling like rain where the lightning appeared.
Shhh, shhh, shhh!
As soon as the lightning halted, it exploded into a multitude of lightning blades, cutting down all the mochi strands, and rose into the sky again.
Lily appeared in mid-air, her White Lightning crackling with thunder, swiftly swinging downward to cast a net-like thunderbolt.
"Thunder Net!"
"Useless!"
Katakuri slammed his trident into the ground, his fists cloaked in a layer of dim light. Under that light, mochi circles appeared on the ground around him. With a wave of his hand, a mochi ball formed a colossal hand charged with Haki, blocking the lightning net full of slashes.
"Bienta Lily, last time I was careless, this time I will not be! Unrivaled Donut!"
Two mochi balls on the ground extended glutinous rice arms, fully armed with Armament Haki, swiftly reaching upward, chasing Lily in the sky.
"Haki, huh..."
Lily's eyes gleamed coldly, "At this level, it's not enough."
She leaped in the air, her body seemingly merging with the sword, transforming into lightning, and struck fiercely at the approaching fist, the thunder filling the mochi fist, splitting it apart with a single strike.
Lily's foot landed on the sliced mochi fist's surface, then swayed sideways and sliced the wrist of the other arm's hand, turning to thrust White Lightning downward in the air.
"Eight Thunderbirds!"
The entwining thunder and Haki from the sword blade transformed into eight soaring thunderbirds that turned and attacked Katakuri from all sides.
"Changing the direction of the slash?"
Even Katakuri was momentarily stunned by the sudden move, "Thunder? No, is it a Demon Sword? If that's the case..."
Pa!
He clapped his hands, expanding the mochi circles on the ground further.
Unlike the Mirror World, there he could merge into the entire Mirror World through Awakening, but in the outside reality, he could only merge with the land, lacking the power of attack from all directions.
But it didn't mean he was weak.
"Mochi Whirlwind!"
From the multitude of mochi circles, more mochi arms shot forth, wrapped in Haki, blasting toward the curving thunderbird slashes, several mochi arms grabbing a single thunderbird, forcibly extinguishing it.
At their rank and level, the use of power is important, but the presence of Haki is fundamental.
Mochi is inherently a fragile thing; even hardened mochi cannot compare in hardness to steel. His attainment of being the strongest among the Three Commanders is of course due to the presence of Haki!
Powerful Haki is the key to deciding all victories!
Katakuri's eyes flashed red as Supreme King Haki surged into the sky, all mochi circles erupted with mochi arms charged with Haki, attacking Lily jumping in the air together.
Simply faced with mass attacks, encountering a fast-slashing opponent like this, without advantageous terrain, capturing is challenging, but under Foreseeing the Future with Observation Haki, Katakuri is confident in capturing people.
As for that wondrous slash that can cut his Observation Haki...
He wishes to see it again!
This time...
"I will defeat you!"
Katakuri looked up, "Is it escape? Or dodge then attack, show me your courage!"
"Trying to provoke?"
Lily bounced in the air, dodging upward as a mochi fist approached, then deftly landed on it.
Looking forward at the approaching mochi fists like numerous spears, her eyes glinted pale blue.
Lily crouched slightly, her sword blade coiled in pale blue spiral gas was sheathed, posing in Iaido Stance.
"Do you know who I am? I don't need provocation, this kind of thing..."
Shing!
The pale blue light illuminated the gloomy sky; in an instant, a lightning-like flash entered Katakuri's vision.
The mochi arms in the center were suddenly neatly cut off, along with what he should have seen—the trajectory of Lily's movement in Foreseeing the Future.
Just like the previous battles, his Observation Haki was completely severed!
Moreover, this time, it was cut cleanly, unlike before where there was a faint, residual connection. This time, Katakuri distinctly felt the sharp severance, with no remnants.
"Without Observation, I still have my own senses... Don't undermine my determination!"
Katakuri widened his eyes, shouted loudly, and the mochi circles on the ground once again extended mochi arms, charging toward the fierce light emerging ahead.