Chapter 192 Battle
"Boltarino, take him down!"
The woman in palace attire gave the order without hesitation.
Admirals are the direct subordinates of the Celestial Dragons, and all Celestial Dragons can command Marine Admirals.
As members of the Knights of God, they hold a high position among all Celestial Dragons, second only to a select few.
"Yes, Alicia-no-miya."
Kizaru stepped forward.
Aoki sized him up.
Kizaru, a Marine Admiral, a Logia-type Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit) user.
Although he didn't seem as aggressive as the two Celestial Dragons, Aoki knew very well that Kizaru was the most terrifying of the three.
"You dared to kill a World Noble, you have committed a heinous crime, let me send you on your way!"
Kizaru said.
"Unfortunately, I don't want to die yet." Aoki's tone was calm.
Kizaru didn't waste any more words, suddenly transforming into a golden light and shooting towards Aoki.
"So fast!"
Aoki didn't hesitate at all, his body rapidly expanding, transforming into a pitch-black, ferocious and majestic dragon-man.
Golden light coalesced into the shape of Kizaru, who lightly raised his right leg, his foot gleaming with intense golden light.
"Have you ever been kicked by light?"
Aoki stretched out his arm, assuming a defensive stance.
*Crack!*
A terrifying force struck, instantly severing his arm. He was sent flying, crashing headfirst into a nearby palace.
A golden light swept across, like a giant longsword, slicing through the palace and precisely cutting him in half at the waist, leaving severe burns.
Flesh and blood rapidly multiplied, his body reconnecting, his severed arm fully restored. Aoki pushed aside the bricks and stones, emerging from the palace.
"I was instantly killed!"
He had deliberately taken Kizaru's kick to test the difference in their strength.
The result was far from optimistic.
Kizaru also sized up Aoki.
"He's not dead? Is he a Zoan-type? That feels a bit strange!"
"Borusalino, what are you doing? Hurry up and finish him off!"
The woman in palace attire urged impatiently.
Atley gripped the hilt of his sword, coldly staring at Aoki.
Aoki said, "Kizaru, you're clearly so strong, yet you're being treated like a dog. Don't you feel aggrieved?"
Kizaru didn't answer. A flash of golden light appeared beside Aoki, a longsword formed from condensed golden light appearing in his hand.
Swish! Swish!
Swish! Aoki retreated step by step.
With each strike of Kizaru's sword, a terrifying wound would appear on his body, only to heal instantly.
Even parrying was extremely difficult.
It wasn't just due to insufficient foundation; the sudden increase in power made it impossible for him to accurately control his techniques, which was also a major reason.
Kizaru thrust his sword.
Aoki changed his strategy, neither dodging nor evading.
Thud!
The golden longsword pierced his heart.
A flash of black light, a thick dragon tail swept across, and a sharp tail blade pierced Kizaru's forehead.
Both men were fatally wounded, yet their auras remained undiminished.
Kizaru's golden longsword disintegrated, transforming into a blazing light.
Boom!
Aoki was sent flying, a bowl-sized hole exploding in his chest. By the time he got up, all his injuries had healed completely.
"You're definitely more than just a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user,"
Kizaru's eyes flashed.
To survive with his heart destroyed—even awakened Mythical Zoan types didn't possess such powerful regenerative abilities.
"Your strength hasn't disappointed me either,"
Aoki said.
Kizaru had been playing with complete ease; he didn't know if Kizaru had used his full power.
But based on what he'd shown, it far surpassed that of a Super Dangerous Zoan.
Kizaru's strength should have reached the four-star level!
Aoki considered this.
After obtaining the "Infinite Dragon Beast," his normal strength reached the three-star level.
Now, the "Infinite Dragon Beast" is already over ten levels, but his strength is still far from the four-star level.
He couldn't possibly be a match for Kizaru.
More importantly, this battle was completely meaningless.
Kizaru is a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, his body is elementalized, and he is immune to physical damage.
To harm a Logia-type user, one must either use a power that counters them or use Armament Haki.
As an outsider, he has neither Haki nor a power that counters light, so he can't cause any damage to Kizaru at all.
Swoosh!
Kizaru transformed into a golden light again.
"Aren't they going to make a move yet?"
Aoki glanced to the side, his gaze sharpening.
The male Celestial Dragons were gone, leaving only the female Celestial Dragons dressed in magnificent palace attire.
Just then, a sharp whooshing sound rang out behind him.
Aoki sighed.
They've finally come!
If they didn't make a move soon, he probably wouldn't be able to resist attacking first.
Thud!
Without resistance, without dodging, without defense, Aoki let two swords pierce through his chest.
Kizaru and Atley exerted force in different directions, preparing to sever Aoki's body.
Just then, Aoki's body rapidly expanded.
Five meters, ten meters, one hundred meters, two hundred meters… In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossal creature over two hundred meters tall.
Kizaru's eyes changed, and he retreated in a golden light.
This was clearly not a transformation from human to beast form.
However, compared to the size, what truly alarmed him was the aura; the opponent's aura had suddenly surged to an extremely terrifying level.
Suddenly, Kizaru realized a problem.
"Not good, Saint Atley is in danger!"
He scanned the area, spotted his target in mid-air, and flew away in a golden light.
If a member of the Knights of God were killed before his eyes, even as a Marine Admiral, he would face immense trouble.
Atley's face was extremely grim.
This lowly life form was so powerful, even forcing him to abandon his weapon.
The surrounding clouds and mist swirled, offering a panoramic view of Mary Geoise.
Aoki silently sensed the changes in the power within his body.
Compared to Level 1, the only change in Level 2 "Ultimate Form" is its duration.
He quickly estimated it to last about ten minutes, a significant improvement over Level 1.
While still insufficient for a fierce battle, it was usable.
Aoki looked down, the entire battlefield laid out before him, instantly locking onto the male Celestial Dragons in mid-air.
He had endured so long to lure them into his trap.
Kizaru was outmatched.
Without Haki, even Ultimate Form was useless.
His target was limited to the two Celestial Dragons.
Ideally, he would target the female Celestial Dragon with the "Imprisonment Fruit."
Killing her would unlock "Space Travel."
Unfortunately, she didn't fall for it.
Aoki didn't dwell on it. If
there was benefit, he'd take it first.
Although a Marine Admiral and two members of the God Knights had been deployed, this was only the tip of the iceberg of the World Government's power.
He didn't believe "Ultimate Form" could do whatever it wanted.
"Not good!"
Atley noticed Aoki's gaze, a strong sense of crisis suddenly rising within him.
Before he could react, a loud thud, as if he'd been struck by a sledgehammer, followed by blood flowing from his seven orifices and his mind going blank.
(End of Chapter)